The Customer Import tool allows quick, bulk creation of customer records in the Cloud POS database.
This can be used if you are moving to Cloud POS from another retail platform and wish to bring across your existing customer data.
NOTE: The Customer Import Tool should be used with care. Any imports into the Cloud POS database are permanent and cannot be undone.
Prerequisites
We always recommend using the import template generated within Cloud POS, since it contains the correct fields which are required for the import.
We also recommend processing customer imports in small batches (i.e. up to 5000 records at a time), as this makes it more manageable to deal with any errors which might appear after uploading the data to the import.
Generating an import template
1) From the main menu in Cloud POS backoffice, navigate to Create & Manage Items, then Import Tools.
2) Under the Customer Import / Export heading, you'll see two options to generate a template. If you're just setting up your Cloud POS group and don't have any customer records in the database, select the option marked Generate Blank Template:
3) After clicking the button, you'll see a link appear to Download File. Click this link and the template will download to your machine. The template file format is a Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx).:
Understanding the Customer Import template
When you open the file in Excel, you'll see there are various column headers already populated in the file. Certain fields within the template are mandatory and must be completed.
A full description / guide to all of the fields on the template can be found in this PDF: customerfields.pdf
There is also an example given on the second sheet within the Excel template file.
Whilst we would recommend including as much data as possible in the item import template, any non-mandatory fields can be left blank on the template and the records will either remain blank or be set with the default values (as stated in the customerfields PDF).
The customer import template contains data validation, i.e. maximum character length and drop-down selections. You’ll be shown an error message within Excel if the data is not valid for import.
When you have entered all of the necessary data into the template, save the file onto your computer – the file format must be Excel for the import to work.
Importing the customer import template
Once you have your customer import template prepared and checked, you can now import the data into the Cloud POS system.
1) From the main menu in Cloud POS backoffice, navigate to Create & Manage Items, then Import Tools.
2) Under the Customer Import / Export heading, click on the Import Customers button:
3) Click Browse to locate select the file from your local machine:
4) Select the file and click Open, then click Upload.
5) The grid will now populate with the customer records as per your template:
Records will be marked as Error if there are any problems with the data, and the Error Message column will give a description of the problem:
If there are records with errors, these will not be imported/updated and will be skipped. We check for any invalid data:
- Character length of a field is too long;
- Account Number is already in use;
- A customer with the same email address already exists;
- A customer with the same mobile number already exists;
- A customer with the same first name, last name and postcode already exists.
6) If there are errors, you can make changes directly within the grid to rectify any issues. Click on the field you wish to edit and type in the new information.
Alternatively, you can edit the template in Excel and upload it again by following steps above. This will replace the data you have previously uploaded.
7) After you’ve made changes to correct any errors, click the Save Grid Changes and Validate Data button. This will re-validate the information in the grid (i.e., do another check on that data to make sure that it’s okay for import). You can repeat this step as many times as you need to.
Ensure you check any changes thoroughly as, once committed, the changes are final.
8) When you’re completely happy with the new customer records you’re going to create, click the Commit Changes button. This will create the customer records in your Cloud POS database.
