Swim

Portal Home > Knowledgebase > 01. Getting Started > Electronically Import Customers, Suppliers, Sales and Stock from File

Electronically Import Customers, Suppliers, Sales and Stock from File

 

Importing Data into Swim

You can import stock, suppliers, and customers into Swim at any time using a file. The import function is located under Utilities > System > Import.

File Formats

Ensure your files are formatted correctly before importing. Refer to the file format specifications below for customers, suppliers, and stock.

Important: Make sure your data is exactly as required before importing.

Very Important: Ensure you have set your default tax value in Utilities > Locale Settings before importing stock.

Note for Mac Users: When saving a CSV file on a Mac, choose the format 'Windows Comma Separated'.

Instructions for Importing Data

  1. Navigate to Utilities > System > Import.
  2. Click within the dotted box labelled 'click or drag and drop a file here to upload'.
  3. Select the type of file you are uploading (customers, suppliers, or stock) from the dropdown menu and click 'Import Data'.
  4. The file will begin uploading. Larger files may take some time.
  5. If there are any errors or warnings, click to view them. You can correct these by clicking 'Cancel' and editing your CSV file before continuing.
  6. Once satisfied with the data, click 'Save'.
  7. The file will be uploaded successfully.
  8. Click on the results to view the uploaded data.

File Format Specifications

Save your file as a CSV (comma-separated values) with the exact column headings as shown below.

Customers File Format

  • Columns: First Name, Last Name, Company, Is Active, Street, Suburb, City, State, Country, Postcode, Email, Mobile Number, Home Number, Work Number, Fax Number, Birth Date, Wedding Date, Gender, Spouse First Name, Spouse Last Name, Spouse Birth Date, Spouse Email, Spouse Mobile Number, Comments
  • Important: Ensure the column headings match exactly, including case sensitivity.
  • For the 'Is Active' column, use 't' for true and 'f' for false. Use 'f' for customers who are inactive (e.g., deceased or relocated).

Suppliers File Format

  • Columns: Name, Street, Suburb, City, State, Country, Postcode, Email, Mobile Number, Phone Number, Fax Number, Website
  • Important: Ensure the column headings match exactly, including case sensitivity.

Stock File Format

  • Columns: Supplier, Supplier Code, Description, Cost Price, Retail Price, Qty, Department, Category, Metal Type, Comments, Barcode, Picture, Tax Setup, Serial Number, Title, Collection, Web Price, Colour, Clarity, Cut, Polish, Symmetry, Fluorescence, Tags, Web Item
  • Important: Ensure the column headings match exactly.

Additional Details:

  • The Supplier Code is a mandatory, unique identifier for each item. Maximum length: 50 characters.
  • Description is required.
  • Cost Price and Retail Price must be numeric and non-zero.
  • Qty indicates the number of items.
  • Metal Type, Comments, Barcode, and Picture are optional fields.
  • The Barcode can be the supplier's barcode or your existing stock/barcode numbers.
  • Use the Serial Number column for existing stock numbers from another system instead of the Barcode field.
  • Picture must be in 'name.jpg' format. Other formats like .webp and .gif are not supported.
  • Tax Setup will default to your preset tax value if left blank.
  • The Tags field can accept multiple comma-separated values.

Suggestion: Test your file by importing one or two rows first. You can also use the Swim training system for testing before importing into your live system. Example CSV templates are available by contacting Swim support.

Helpful Tips for Stock Import

  • Understanding Stock Types: Know the difference between quantity stock and unique stock items before importing.
    • A quantity of '1' will be imported as a unique stock item.
    • A quantity greater than '1' will be imported as quantity stock.
    • To change a unique item to quantity stock after import, open the item, select 'Change Form Type', and choose 'Qty Stock'.
  • Existing Stock Numbers: If migrating from another system, enter your existing stock or barcode numbers in the Barcode field.
  • Bulk Pictures Import: Ensure image file names are included in the Picture column before importing stock to avoid manual uploads.
  • Uploading Pictures: If you have uploaded a stock CSV file with a valid 'Picture' column, you can upload the image files to Swim via Utilities > System > Upload Pictures. Image files should be uploaded to Swim after a stock CSV file has been processed.

Sales File Import

Importing sales history is a paid feature performed by the Swim team. For details and example files, email support@onswim.com.

General Import Tips

  • Numeric Values: If you see a 'value not numeric' error, ensure that cost and retail prices are numeric and do not include commas in descriptions.
  • File Formatting: If you receive 'missing import' errors, check that the file format, column headings, and layout match the specifications exactly. 
  •  

Multi-Store Environments

In a Swim multi-store environment, all stock is managed centrally at head office and then transferred to stores.

Setting Up Multi-Store:

  • Import unique stock data into each store while it operates as an individual store.
  • Sync all stores into a multi-store environment, which will sync the data.
  • Import quantity stock into head office and transfer it to the stores to avoid duplicate stock numbers.

If you already have a multi-store environment, unique stock imports will be done at head office, and you must then transfer stock to the appropriate store.

Sales and customers can be imported into their respective stores at any time.

The Swim support team is available to assist with data importation and multi-store setups. We can also create a test environment for multi-stores to ensure your imports are correct before affecting your live system.