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Creating Maps to Import Charges from your Device or Application into Operate
Creating Maps to Import Charges from your Device or Application into Operate

Import client charges from any device or app into Operate

Stuart avatar
Written by Stuart
Updated over a week ago

Introduction 

If you need to import charges from a specific application which is not included in the list of Device Imports supported by Operate, then you can map your own import, using the Mappings feature. 

There are two steps to this process: 

  1. You need to first map your import.

  2. Next, you need to add account codes in order to match the charges to existing Operate accounts.  

Mapping Your Charges 

Get started by going to Charges > Device Imports, then clicking the Mappings button.

Next, enter your import information: 

  • Enter a Device Name - This is the device or otherwise the application where your data is coming from. 

  • Select a File Type - This can be a Flat file or an Excel File. Each time you import, your data will need to be added using the file type you select here.

  • Select the file Extension - Just like the file type, this will determine what extension your file needs to have, each time you run an import. The available extensions are:  CSV, XLS, TAB, CLG, VSM and TCD.

  • Set a Number of Header Rows as well as Footer Rows, to allow Operate to identify which rows should be omitted from the import, in order to avoid mismatched records. To set this up, you need to look into the file export you get from your device/app and see how many header and footer rows there are.

  • Check the box to Ignore Zero Values if you want to. In this case, zero values will not be imported. 

  • Select whether to Use Item Columns to Match Products. Usually, when a file is imported using the device import, all charges are assigned to a single product. If this option is used, the import will use this item column in your import file to match against the product list you have in Operate. 

  • Save your import map when you are happy with your setup. 

Add File Columns

This step allows you to add exactly which columns are contained by the file you want to import. You will need to configure each column separately; and configure the following options for each:

  • Select the Device Import Map - By default, this is the one you've just configured and are setting up columns for. Please leave it as is.

  • Choose a File Column Name - This should be exactly the name given to the column within your import file. 

  • Add a Column length in number of characters. This fields is optional.

Tick one of the following optional boxes according to your needs: 

  • Column Contains Account Code - This column will need to match the account codes set up within your Operate system (please see the section below for more information). 

  • Column Contains Price - This column will be matched to the Product Price in Operate.

  • Column Contains Alternative Price 

  • Column Contains Cost of Sale 

  • Column Contains RRP 

  • Match Product on this Column - This column will be used to match charges against the product list you have in Operate instead of a single product (the one you select when you import charges). 

Save your column when ready, then repeat for all other columns contained within your file. 

Please note: If there are columns which don't have a correspondent on the Operate Product records, then you need to create custom fields in order to allow Operate to store them.

As soon as you create the columns you need, you can drag and drop them up or down to fit the exact order your columns have within the file (up>down in Operate = left>right in Excel): 

Here is a sample of an excel sheet containing: Account Code, Account, Product and Price; for which the map has no header or footer rows and for which the columns are set up as shown in the screenshot above: 

Add Account Codes

You will also be able to view it. Simply click its title in the Import Maps list view to do so. When you view your map, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page to set up Account Codes

The Account Codes allow Operate to identify the Account to which the imported charges should be applied. In your imported file, each of the charged accounts need to have an Account Code column added to the export file. The same code needs to be added to the Account record within Operate. You can easily add them from within the Import Map page. This may need to be done every month if there are new customers who have not been charged before. 

  • Click New under the Account Codes section. 

  • Select the Account to which you want to add the code. 

  • Enter the Account Code.

  • Select the Map you just created, from under the Device Import lookup.

  • Save your setup. 

Once your map has been created and your codes associated to their respective accounts, you are ready to import your charges

Another option is to add the code to the Customers' Account Records that corresponds to the device/software that you are using. You do not need to do both - either adding the code to the Account or the Device Import Map is enough.

Please note that special characters are not supported within Account Codes.

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