So you were wondering how you can import the data into Sage 500 ERP. Well there are multiple choices and here is a short review to help you decide which one to use. They are all in compliance with the Sage 500 ERP business rules.

The Data Import utilities are standard feature of Sage 500 and do not require additional licensing. They are designed for importing large amounts of data quickly. You can import data formatted as ASCII text or delimited text only. If there are errors, they are recorded in an error log file. With Import you can produce the Import Sample Data List, which shows you how data will appear according to the file you are importing and the specifications you have assigned to it. You can check for formatting problems before you perform the import process. After you complete the import process, you can review the Import Log. You can also use Reverse Import to reverse a previously imported file for the current company, restoring the data to its original state. This option is not available with other import utilities. Use Data Import utilities when error reporting is not required during processing. Errors are reported in a log completed at the end of processing. Data Import utilities are available in GL, AP, AR, and IM modules only.

When to use DataPorter

The Sage 500 DataPorter module is used to load data into Sage 500 ERP via Microsoft Excel. DataPorter uses a standard Excel spreadsheet that can be opened, reviewed, and edited by any Excel user with sufficient knowledge of the data being imported. Use it when you want the people who work with the data to revise and import the data themselves. Also it should be used when there is a limited amount of data. For large amounts of data, use the Data Import utilities or Data Migrator. Data Porter is add-on module and requires a license. And with DataPorter you can use the Export feature to export the record that appears on the current Sage 500 window into the DataPorter spreadsheet. Fields that can only be accessed through buttons on a window are not supported. Grids are not supported. Great to use with AR invoices, sales orders, purchase orders, GL journal entries, and the actual list of where it can be used is much longer.

How about Data Migrator?

Data Migrator in Assisted Company Setup can be used to input large data sets. Data Migrator uses a two-stage process, Extract and Insert. However you can use Excel to create the data, and skip the extract step. Then use the second stage Insert of Data Migrator to insert the data into Sage 500. Data Migrator supports data modification in the same window or in Excel and it does create an error log. It can be used with the large imports but it requires certain knowledge of Sage 500 database schema. Data Migrator is typically used at the time of implementation but it can be used in multiple tasks on ongoing bases as well. Data Migrator can be used with any task in Assisted Company Setup if when the task is highlighted the icon ‘Migrate’ becomes enabled.

Data Import Manager

The Data Import Manager module allows repetitive and scheduled import of data for predefined Sage MAS 500 entities, such as customers, invoices and sales orders. You can actually insert master records and transactions into the Sage 500 ERP destination tables in just about any module. You can also update certain columns for customers, vendor item price lists, and sales orders. However when creating your import job you should have a strong understanding of the source data structure and predetermine which columns and tables from the source system map to the destination columns and tables. The Data Import Manager supports multi-format text files including: delimited text (.del, csv, and .txt), fixed-text (.asc, and .txt), multi-format delimited (*.del, *.csv, *.txt), multi-format fixed (*.asc, *.txt), Microsoft Access (.mdb), Microsoft Excel (.xls), eXtensible Markup Language (.xml - can have other extensions). The initial setup typically requires more time but once the import job is correctly configured it will run unattended when scheduled as long as needed.

And remember if you have a small amount of data, it might be quicker to manually enter information rather than import it.