Importing customers and vendors

Importing customers and vendors

The bulk contact import tool lets you add all your customers and vendors at once instead of creating each one individually. You can upload a CSV or Excel file with contact information and the system will create them automatically.

Before you start

• You need admin access to use the import tool.
• Create a spreadsheet with required columns: Contact Name, Contact Type (Customer or Vendor), Phone Number, Email, Address.
• Optional columns: Contact Code, City, Country, Currency, Payment Terms, Tax ID.
• Save as CSV (.csv) or Excel (.xlsx).
• Ensure contact names are unique within your workspace. Duplicate names are allowed (with different codes), but avoid identical names without codes.
• Phone and email are recommended for follow-up communication; addresses are required for some compliance reports.

Steps

1. Go to Contacts in the main menu. Open in Usystems

2. Look for the Import Contacts button or option (usually at the top of the contacts list).

3. Click Upload file and select your prepared spreadsheet.

4. The preview screen shows the first few rows with field mapping:

   • The system auto-detects column headers. If a column is not recognized, you can manually select its field type.
   • Red rows indicate missing required data (Contact Name or Type).

5. Once mapping looks correct, click Confirm import. The system processes:

   • Each row becomes a new contact with the specified type (Customer or Vendor).
   • Duplicate contact codes (if provided) are skipped with a warning.
   • Contacts inherit default settings from your workspace.

6. When complete, you see a summary (X contacts created, Y skipped). Review the Contacts list to confirm.

Accounting impact

Importing contacts does not automatically create ledger balances. If you have opening balances (amounts owed to vendors or by customers):

• Use Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable pages to record opening invoices or bills.
• Or use the Contact Statement feature to import historical transactions if available.
• Opening balances must be manually reconciled with your previous system.

Tips & common mistakes

• Use a consistent contact code format (e.g., CUST-001, VEND-123). This helps with matching to your previous system.
• Separate customers from vendors in different imports if possible — this avoids confusion and simplifies reconciliation.
• Do not import the same contact twice. Check for duplicates in your source spreadsheet before uploading.
• Assign a default currency and payment terms in your workspace settings if most contacts share the same values; the import will use these defaults.
• After import, review each contact's GL mapping. Customers and vendors may need specific AR/AP accounts configured for reports to work correctly.

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