Import Records with Data Import

Use Data Import to create many records from a spreadsheet or make controlled updates to existing records. The same workflow can be used for master data, such as Items and Suppliers, and for supported transactions, such as Sales Orders and Purchase Invoices.

Data Import runs the same permissions, mandatory-field checks and business validations as the forms in NexWave. It is not an all-or-nothing process, and it does not provide a one-click undo. Prepare the file carefully, test a small batch and verify the result before importing the full set.

Bank statements use the dedicated Bank Statement Importer, not Data Import. See Import Bank Statement.

Before you start

Confirm that:

• You have access to Data Import and permission to import the selected Document Type. Ask your site administrator if Data Import is not available.

• Required linked records already exist, such as Companies, Customers, Suppliers, Items, Warehouses, Accounts, Currencies and Units of Measure.

• You know whether the records should be created as Draft or submitted after import.

• You have exported the current records before a significant update.

• You can test with a small, representative batch before importing the full file.

• You will keep the source file and the completed Data Import record for review.

Do not assume that an import can be reversed. Submitted accounting and stock records may need to be cancelled and amended through the normal document workflow.

Choose the import type

For updates, prefer a filtered export containing only the records and fields you intend to change. Use the identifier column provided by the downloaded template. For example, Items use Item Code in the example below; other records can use ID. Do not replace exported identifiers with display names or spreadsheet row numbers.

Step 1: Create the Data Import

1. Search for Data Import in the NexWave search bar.

2. Open the list and click Add Data Import.

3. Select the Document Type you want to import.

4. Select Insert New Records or Update Existing Records under Import Type.

5. Click Save.

A Data Import record configured to insert Items

Step 2: Download the template

Click Download Template. In the Export Data dialogue:

1. Select Excel or CSV under File Type.

2. Choose an Export Type:

   • For an insert, use Blank Template.

   • For an update, use Filtered Records, then set and check the filters inside the Export Data dialogue. Do not assume that a filter on another list has been carried across.

3. Under Select Fields To Insert or Select Fields To Update, choose the fields needed for the workflow.

4. For inserts, click Select Mandatory first, then add any optional fields you need.

5. Click Export.

The Export Data dialogue showing a blank CSV template and mandatory Item fields

The generated template is specific to the selected Document Type and Import Type. Download a fresh template when either changes. Do not copy data into a template created for another document type.

Step 3: Prepare the spreadsheet

Use these rules while preparing the file:

• Keep the downloaded column headings unchanged. If a heading is changed, it must be mapped deliberately during preview.

• Keep one row of headings and at least one data row.

• Do not use blank rows as separators. Completely blank rows are ignored.

• Use values that match NexWave records exactly for linked fields, such as Customer, Supplier, Item, Warehouse, Account and Unit of Measure.

• Use plain numeric values for quantities, rates and currency fields. Do not include currency symbols in numeric cells.

• Check dates carefully, especially when a spreadsheet application may have changed their format.

• For inserts, check unique values before import to prevent duplicates.

• For updates, retain the exported parent identifier, such as ID or Item Code. Retain child-row ID values for existing lines that must be updated.

• Do not rely on a blank update cell to clear an existing value. Confirm the intended result with a small sample or make the change on the record.

Normal NexWave calculations and validations still run during import. Verify the document currency, exchange rate, quantities, rates, taxes and totals after importing transactions.

Parent records with child rows

Transactions often contain a parent section and a child table, such as a Sales Order with several Items.

• Put the parent values and the first child row on the first spreadsheet row for the document.

• On each additional child row, leave every parent column blank.

• The next row that contains a parent value starts the next parent document.

For example:

For child-table updates, include every existing child row that must remain and retain each existing child-row ID. A row without a child ID is treated as a new child row. When a child table is included in an update, existing lines omitted from the file can be removed.

Step 4: Attach and review the file

1. Attach the CSV, XLS or XLSX file under Import File.

2. Review Preview. The preview shows the first ten rows when the file is larger.

3. Confirm that important headings are recognised.

4. Click Map Columns if a heading must be assigned to another field or set to Don't Import.

5. Review Import File Errors and Warnings before starting.

A Data Import preview with recognised name and status columns

A green recognised heading does not confirm that every business rule will pass. Preview checks the file structure and mappings, while full document validation occurs during the import.

Do not use Import from Google Sheets for confidential financial, payroll, personal or commercially sensitive data. That option requires a publicly accessible sheet.

Step 5: Choose email and submission settings

• Leave Don't Send Emails selected unless the imported records are deliberately meant to trigger notifications and this has been tested.

• For document types that can be submitted, Submit After Import is available for new records. Leave it unticked for the first test so you can review Draft records.

• Submit After Import submits each successful insert immediately. It does not submit existing Draft records during Update Existing Records.

Submitted records can only be updated in fields that are allowed after submission. Other changes must follow the normal cancellation and amendment process.

Step 6: Start and monitor the import

1. Click Start Import.

2. Wait for the status to change from Pending.

3. Review the Import Log, including links to successful records and messages for failed rows.

Possible results include:

Successful records are committed individually. A Partial Success import is not rolled back.

Step 7: Verify the imported records

Do not stop at a Success status. Complete these checks:

1. Compare the successful record count with the expected number of parent records.

2. Open several records from the Import Log.

3. Check names, company, party, dates, currency, exchange rate, warehouse, quantities, rates, taxes, totals and child rows as applicable.

4. Confirm whether the records are Draft or Submitted.

5. For accounting or stock records, review the relevant ledger or operational report.

6. Open the document list and filter the imported batch. See Working with list views and reports.

Child rows do not count as separate parent records. If one Sales Order contains three Item rows, it is still one successful parent record.

Correct failures and retry safely

For Partial Success, first select Show Only Failed Logs and read the messages.

• If the spreadsheet values need to change, click Export Errored Rows, correct that file and create a new Data Import containing only the failed rows.

• If the file is correct but a prerequisite was missing, such as a linked record or configuration, correct the prerequisite and use Retry on the existing Data Import.

• For Timed Out, review the log, then use Retry to continue the remaining work.

• Use Export Import Log when the log is too large to review comfortably on screen.

Do not create a new insert import from the complete original file after Partial Success. Rows that already succeeded may be attempted again, causing duplicates or duplicate errors.

Updating existing records safely

Use this sequence for a controlled update:

1. Filter the source list to the records you intend to change.

2. Create a Data Import with Update Existing Records.

3. Use Download Template and choose Filtered Records.

4. Retain the exported identifier column, such as ID or Item Code.

5. Remove fields that do not need to change from the export selection, rather than deleting important identifiers later.

6. Change only the intended values.

7. Test a few records and verify them before importing the full update.

When child tables are included, retain the child-row ID for every existing line and include every line that should remain. Never copy a child-row ID from one parent record to another.

Worked example: update Item reorder levels

This example changes the Auckland purchase rule for two Items. Each Item also has a Wellington transfer rule that must remain unchanged. Use a small representative sample before applying this process to a larger Item list.

The quantities below are examples in each Item's stock unit of measure. Agree your actual thresholds before importing. Re-order Level and Re-order Qty are warehouse-rule settings; they are separate from Minimum Order Qty and Safety Stock in the Item's purchasing settings.

1. Record the starting values

Open each Item, select Inventory, and expand Auto re-order. Record every existing row under Reorder level based on Warehouse.

The Auckland rows use Purchase. The Wellington rows use Transfer. Keep these request types and both warehouse selections unchanged.

Packing Carton before import, with Auckland and Wellington rules

2. Export the two Items and their complete reorder tables

1. Create a Data Import with Document Type set to Item and Import Type set to Update Existing Records. Save it.

2. Select Download Template. Choose CSV or Excel, then Filtered Records.

3. Add a filter that selects only the intended Items. In this example, use ID, In, and the two Item codes separated by a comma. Check that the dialogue says two records will be exported.

4. Under the Item fields, retain Item Code. This identifies the parent Item in this template.

5. Under Reorder level based on Warehouse (Item Reorder), select all six fields: ID, Request for, Check Availability in Warehouse, Material Request Type, Re-order Level, and Re-order Qty.

6. Leave unrelated child tables out of this export. Select Export and keep an untouched copy of the downloaded file.

Filtered export limited to two Items, with Item Code selected

All six fields selected for the warehouse reorder table

3. Change the values while retaining the row identities

Keep the downloaded headings exactly as they are. The warehouse-rule headings include the suffix (Reorder level based on Warehouse). For example, the child identifier column is ID (Reorder level based on Warehouse).

The identifier columns follow this layout. All other selected columns remain in the same file. Export order can differ; keep each Item's rows together.

Use your own exported codes and IDs. The IDs above belong only to this example.

Change only the Auckland Re-order Level and Re-order Qty cells to the values in the first table. Retain both Wellington rows, their values, and every existing child-row ID. Leave Item Code blank on the continuation row for the same Item. Do not fill it down or sort individual spreadsheet columns separately.

Omitting an existing warehouse rule from an included child table can remove it from the Item. Removing a child-row ID can make that line a new rule. Neither action is needed for this update.

4. Preview and run the sample

1. Attach the edited file to the saved update import.

2. In Preview, check that all seven columns are recognised. Use Map Columns to inspect full headings when the preview shortens them.

3. Check the four detail rows: two Item groups, with one parent Item Code followed by its continuation row.

4. Compare the Auckland values with the planned changes and the Wellington values with the original export.

5. Resolve any Import File Errors and Warnings, then select Start Import.

Recognised reorder columns and four detail rows in the import preview

The expected result is two successfully updated records, because the file contains two parent Items. Four warehouse rows do not mean four updated Items.

Import Log showing two successfully updated Items and their grouped spreadsheet rows

5. Verify both the changes and the retained rules

Open each Item from Import Log and refresh it. Under Inventory > Auto re-order, confirm that:

• The Auckland thresholds match the planned new values.

• Both Wellington thresholds remain unchanged.

• Both warehouse rows remain, with no missing or duplicate rules.

• Request for, Check Availability in Warehouse, and Material Request Type still match the original export.

Packing Carton after import, with Auckland changed to 30 and 60 and Wellington retained at 15 and 30

Only continue with the remaining Items after these checks pass. Use a fresh filtered export that excludes Items already updated in the sample.

If a record fails, use the earlier Correct failures and retry safely steps. When exporting failed rows, keep the complete failed Item group, including its unchanged warehouse rules and child-row IDs. Do not include successful Item groups in a new correction import.

Changing Item rules affects future automatic reorder checks when automatic requests are enabled. It does not switch that setting on or cancel existing Material Requests. See Configure Reorder Levels and Automatic Material Requests for the setup and follow-up checks.

Troubleshooting

Related documentation

• Configure Reorder Levels and Automatic Material Requests: choose warehouse rules and review the resulting requests.

• Import Bank Statement: use the dedicated importer for CSV and Excel bank statements.

• Working with list views and reports: filter source records and verify imported results.

• User Permissions and Record-Level Access: understand why users may only see or import selected records.