Import payments

Use these instructions to import generic CSV or TXT data for payments against existing invoices from your installed accounting system, such as MYOB, Quickbooks or MoneyWorks. This will help ensure that debtors on both systems are kept in alignment.

Before you begin

Before you import data into WorkflowMax, you need to prepare a suitable import file.

• Tips for ensuring a successful import
  • In your import file, each column header identifies a data field that you want to include in your import. You need specify column headers for only those fields that you want to import.
  • Unless you are importing custom fields, do not include any column headers that are not shown in the sample file (see below).
  • The column headers in your import file must match the format of the column headers in the sample file exactly. You must use the same capitalisation, with any spaces, punctuation or other characters as shown.
  • Make sure that you save the import file in the correct format: CSV or tab-delimited TXT.
  • Make sure there are no carriage-return characters in any of the data fields. These characters are created by pressing the Enter key and may have been included in the original data to break text onto several lines; in an address, for example.
  • Make sure there are no blank lines at the end of the data file – they will produce warning messages during import.

Setting up an import file

To set up an import file, do one of the following:

• Modify a sample file
  1. Open the Payments Import Example file using a suitable desktop application, such as Microsoft Excel.
  2. Remove columns that you do not wish to use (but not the mandatory columns - see Set up a file from scratch, below).
  3. Replace the sample data (from row 2 onwards) with the information you wish to import.
  4. Save the completed file in CSV format.

• Set up a file from scratch
  1. Create a spreadsheet using a suitable desktop application, such as Microsoft Excel.
  2. Include the following column headers in row 1. Each column header should be in a separate column. Copy each column header exactly (the import is case sensitive).

     "Invoice No", "Date", "Amount", "Reference"

  3. In row 2 onwards, enter the information that you wish to import.
  4. Save the completed file in CSV format.

• Modify a file containing data exported from another application
  1. Open a CSV or TXT file that has been exported from another application.
  2. Remove any columns and rows that you do not wish to use.
  3. Change each column header so that it exactly matches the equivalent column header listed under "Set up a file from scratch" above.
  4. Save the completed file in CSV or TXT format.

Notes on import data for payments

• The date format must be dd/mm/yyyy (including leading zeros: 06/10/2019=6th October 2019). Your spreadsheet software may remove any leading zeros from the date, so you may need to use a text editor (such as Notepad) to ensure that any leading zeros required are present in the import CSV file.
• The invoice that you are importing payments against must exist.
• The imported value of the Amount paid is added to the current total amount paid against the outstanding invoice.
• A payment against a specific invoice will be imported only if it is for a different amount (or on a different date) from the most recent payment against that invoice.
• A payment against a specific invoice will be imported only if it brings the total amount paid to a value less than or equal to the value of the invoice.
• The Update Existing checkbox has no effect when importing payments (see below).

Importing the data

To import payments data into WorkflowMax:

1. In the Business menu, select Settings > Import.
2. On the Import screen, provide the following information, as required.

   Field	Description
   Options
   File Type	The type of file that you wish to import. Select Generic - Payment.
   File Format	The format is either CSV or tab-delimited.
   Update Existing?	Controls whether existing data is overwritten with newly imported information. The Update Existing? option is not available for this import type, so selecting the checkbox has no effect.
   File	Choose the file on your computer that you wish to import.
   Job Import Options
   This section is required only if you are importing job data.

3. Import the data. The number of rows successfully imported is displayed at the foot of the screen. If there were any errors during the import, they will be displayed at the foot of the screen.