Import Files

Use of the Import File types to make bulk updates to the database. The system can import several types of files:

1. Placements: Placement files are used to add accounts to the system. The system uses the Layout file you previously uploaded for this major/minor to parse the file and add the account to the system.

2. Maintenance: Maintenance files are used to bulk update the database. The first row contains the columns to update and the remaining rows contain the new values. The first row values can either be a column for the Accounts table, e.g. ACCT_LAST_NAME, or a compound table/column value, e.g. PhoneNumber:PHNMBR_PHONE_NUMERIC. The system will look up the account and update the record based on the values in the import file.

3. Payments: Payment files are used to update the database with payments received and recorded outside the system.

4. Layouts: Layouts are two-row CSV files used to map placement files for each major/minor. The first row shows the ‘from’ column headings—the column headings in the placement file. The second row shows the ‘to’ columns—the objects and columns in which to store the data coming from the import file. The ‘to’ values can either be a column for the Accounts table, e.g. ACCT_LAST_NAME, or a compound table/column value, e.g. ConsumerInfo:ACCT_CN_APR would update the APR field in the Accounts_CN table.

5. Other:

6. Dialer: Uses the account IDs in the file to pull data from the system to create a file to go to the dialer.

7. Letters: Update the Accounts table with the Letter ID for the accounts in the ACCT_ID column of your uploaded file. The system will automatically generate a letter request which will be picked up the next time a letter file is generated and sent to your letter vendor. The columns in the file should be labeled ACCT_ID and ACCT_DAY_LETTER_REQ and should contain the Account ID and the Letter ID, respectively.

When you click the link, you will see the Import Files index page, which lists all the files that have been uploaded, along with key information about the file, including the type of file and the status.

Import Files index page

You can use the icons to view the import job, update the job, delete the job or download the associated file. If there are errors, the view eyeball icon will turn red and provide a tooltip showing the first few errors. If the job completed successfully, the eyeball turns green and the tooltip tells you how many records it processed.

Import Files can take one of five statuses:

1. Pending: This is basically a draft status. The system will ignore these files

2. Starting: When you are ready for the system to process your file, change the status to Starting. The system checks the table every minute and will start processing any files in Starting status. It will change the status to Processing and record the start time. When it is done processing, it will change the status to either Committed or Errors and record the end time and typically the row count.

3. Processing: The system is processing the file.

4. Committed: The system has completed processing and did not encounter errors.

5. Errors: The system has completed processing, but did encounter errors during the processing.