Smart Contractor
Import Data Wizard

To open the Import Data wizard form, click on File in the shortcut menu, then click Import.... The Import Data wizard allows you to set up and store specifications for importing data from other programs into Smart Contractor. Smart Contractor allows you to import data from any source that provides the following types of data:

Smart Contractor can import data in any of the following record formats:

Note:

To import data from an Excel spreadsheet, you must first open the spreadsheet in Excel and use the "File" > "Save As..." menu option to save the spreadsheet data as a "Comma Separated Value" (CSV) file. Please see the     How Do I... Import Data? topic for information about importing data in Smart Contractor. The Import Data wizard form has the following frames and prompts:

First Step

The first step of the Import setup wizard prompts you for the following:

Import To Add or Edit:

Click Add to add a new import setup, or select an import setup from the list to edit.

Import Name:

Enter a name for the import setup.

Import From File:

Enter the full path and name of the file to import, or click Browse to browse for it.

Import File Type:

Select the type of file to import:

  • CSV (Comma Delimited). Data records can be varying lengths, data fields are separated by comma's. This is the type of file that is exported from Excel.
  • Tab Delimited. Data records can be varying lengths, data fields are separated by tabs.
  • Fixed Length. Data records are all the same length; data fields are located by their position and length.

Data Contains Line Breaks:

Some types of imported data contain line breaks. For example, the text of item or product notes or descriptions might consist of multiple lines of text, and that text may be placed on separate lines separated by "carriage return/line feeds". In that case, Smart Contractor will get confused when importing the data, because the "carriage return/line feeds" imbedded in the text will be interpreted as the end of the record. In this situation, check the "Data Contains Line Breaks" option to tell Smart Contractor to ignore the embedded line breaks.

Import File Contains Time Sheet Data:

Check this box if the data to import contains time sheet (labor hours) data. If the imported data contains job time sheet data, the following prompts in this step of the import setup will be disabled.

Import File Contains Estimate Data:

Check this box if the data to import contains job estimate data. If the imported data contains job estimate data, you must select a job to import it to in the next prompt.

Import To Job:

If the data to import contains job estimate data, select a job to import it to. If the job does not already exist, you must create the job first.

Update Existing Job Items:

If the data to import contains job estimate data, select a job to import it to. If the job already contains items, you can update those items by checking "Update Existing Job Items". The program identifies existing job items by matching the name of the existing job item with the imported job item name.

If you do not check "Update Existing Job Items", the program will add all items in the imported file - even if they are duplicated.

Import File Contains Product/Price Data:

Check this box if the data to import contains product/price data. If the imported data contains product/price data, you may select a vendor to import it to in the next prompt.

Import Products For Vendor:

If the data to import contains product/price data for a particular vendor, select (or add) the vendor to import it to. If the data to import contains product/price data for multiple vendors (the vendor name is in each import record), leave this blank. If the data to import contains product/price data, but not for any particular vendor, leave this blank; the prices imported are assumed to be MSRP.

Import Products For Manufacturer:

If the data to import contains product/price data for a particular manufacturer, select (or add) the manufacturer to import it to. If the data to import contains product/price data for multiple manufacturer (the manufacturer name is in each import record), leave this blank. If the data to import contains product/price data, but not for any manufacturer vendor, leave this blank. Once you have completed entering the appropriate information in the first step of the import setup wizard, click "Next" to go on to the next step.

Import Product Data To:

Click on an option to indicate where to import the product data:

  • Product List - Check "Product List" to import product data to the Smart Contractor product list.

  • Product Data Repository - Check "Product Data Repository" to import product data to the Product Repository

Import File Contains Vendor Data:

If the data to import contains vendor name and contact information, check this box. This will allow you to import the contents of the import file to the Smart Contractor vendor data.

Import File Contains Subcontractor Data:

If the data to import contains subcontractor name and contact information, check this box. This will allow you to import the contents of the import file to the Smart Contractor subcontractor data.

Import File Contains Customer Data:

If the data to import contains customer name and contact information, check this box. This will allow you to import the contents of the import file to the Smart Contractor customer data.

Second Step

The second step of the Import setup wizard shows the data in the import file and prompts you to specify which fields in the import data map to which data in Smart Contractor.

Sample Import Records:

A grid that displays the fields and records in the import file.

First Line = Headings (Don't Import First Record):

Check this box if the first record of the import file contains field headings.

Use Product Group As Sub-Group Name:

Check this box if the "Product Group" field mapped in the Detail Item Record Map contains a second level item group name in imported estimate data.

Map Import File Columns To Smart Contractor Data - Group Name Record Map:

The Group Name Record Map grid allows you to map up to 3 columns in the import record that contain item group names (when importing estimate data), or product group names (when importing product/price data).

You use the Group Name Record Map to map columns that contain group names when the same column is also used for the item name in other records.

To map the group name column in the import record in this situation, enter the position of the group name column, and also enter the position(s) of any other column(s) that contain (any) data in the same record as records that contain the group name. The program will import the group name from the group name column, but it will not import data from the other mapped columns. It just uses the mapping of the other columns to identify records that contain group names.

Notice that you can scroll the Group Name Record Map to the right. There are other columns in the grid that allow you to further define records that contain group names. The "When Column" and "Contains" columns allow you to define records that contain group names when column X contains Y. For example, there may be a column in the import file called "Item Type", and this column may contain something like "Folder" when the record is for a group item, and "Part" when the record is for a detail item. So to define a record as being a group item record, you would enter the number of the column that contains "Folder" in the "When Column" column, and "Folder" in the "Contains" column.

Scrolling over another two columns, you will notice the "Sub Field Position" and "Field Delimiter" columns. These columns allow you to map the group name to a part of the contents of an imported column. You may need to do this when the imported column contains more than what you want imported into the group name.

For example, the group name may be preceded by a classification number and a space; such as "ABC123 Roofing Materials". In that situation you would enter "2" in the "Sub Field Position" column, and " " (a space) in the "Field Delimiter" column. This would tell the program to separate the imported data into sub strings delimited by a space, and only import the second string. So in this example, only "Roofing Materials" would be imported.

If this is not clear (and we understand), please contact Smart Contractor tech support at Support@SmartContractor.com for assistance.

Detail Item Record Map, or Import Record Map:

If you have checked either of the options to import vendor, subcontractor, or customer data in the previous step, this grid will be labeled "Import Record Map". Otherwise, it will be labeled "Detail Item Record Map".

Import Record Map

When you have checked either of the options to import vendor, subcontractor, or customer data in the previous step, this grid will allow you to map columns in the import file to data fields in the vendor, subcontractor, or customer data in Smart Contractor.

Detail Item Record Map

When you have checked either of the options to import Estimate or Product data (in the previous step), this grid will be labeled "Detail Item Record Map" . The Detail Item Record Map grid allows you to map imported data fields for "detail item" import records. "Detail Item" a import records that contain information about individual estimate items or products. "Group Item" records contain information about group estimate items or product groups.

Notice that you can map both estimate data fields and product data fields in one import record. If you do, the program will import both the estimate data (into a job estimate) and the product data (into the Product List), and connect the two so that the imported estimate item refers to the imported product record.

If the imported detail record contains price information, the program will import the product data to the "Product List", and record the price under the vendor mapped in the detail item record map (if the vendor is mapped). If the vendor is not mapped, then the program will record the imported price under the vendor selected in the prompt for "Import Prices For Vendor:" in the first step of the import setup wizard. If the vendor is not mapped in the detail item record map, and no vendor is selected in the prompt for "Import Prices For Vendor:", then the program will load the product information into the "Product Repository", and no product information will be linked to the imported estimate item. Please see the How Do I... Import Data? topic for a discussion of the "Product List" versus the "Product Repository".

Scrolling over another two columns, you will notice the "Sub Field Position" and "Field Delimiter" columns. These columns allow you to map detail item data to a part of the contents of an imported column. You may need to do this when the imported column contains more than what you want imported into the group name.

For example, an item name may be preceded by a classification or part number and a space; such as "ABC123 2x4x6x10". In this situation you would enter "2" in the "Sub Field Position" column, and " " (a space) in the "Field Delimiter" column. This would tell the program to separate the imported data into sub strings delimited by a space, and only import the second string. So in this example, only "2x4x6x10" would be imported.

If this is not clear (and we understand), please contact Smart Contractor tech support at Support@SmartContractor.com for assistance.

Once you have completed entering the appropriate information in the second step of the import setup wizard, click "Next" to go on to the next step.

Imported Data Mapping

This section provides information about how imported data is mapped to data in Smart Contractor. Most of the data mapping field names are self explanatory; they map to the data in Smart Contractor of the same name. Those that are less obvious are listed here.

Estimate Data

  • Map the "Mat Cost/Unit" to the cost field in the import record.

    • Import Data Map Field

    Smart Contractor Data

    "Cost Per Unit" vs. "Mat Cost/Unit"

    If the imported data has costs broken out by cost category (materials, labor, equipment, etc.), and the unit costs are in a single import field, then:

    • Use the "Cost Per Unit" line to import the unit cost, and
    • Use the "Cost Category" line to map the field containing the name of the cost category (materials, labor, equipment, etc.). 

    If the imported data has costs broken out by cost category (materials, labor, equipment, etc.), and the unit costs are in separate import fields, then:

    • Map the appropriate line ("Mat Cost/Unit", "Sub Cost/Unit", "Equip Cost", etc.) to the appropriate cost field in the import record.

    If the imported data does not have costs broken out by cost category, then:

    "Cost Code"

    "Short Name" for job phases entered in the Setup > Lists > Job Phase menu option.

    Timesheet Data

    Import Data Map Field

    Smart Contractor Data

    "Cost Code"

    "Name" for job phases entered in the Setup > Lists > Job Phase menu option.

    "Employee"

    "Last Name" for employees entered in the Setup > Lists > Employees menu option.

    For example, if "Schultz, Anthony" is in the import file, the entire name “Schultz, Anthony” needs to be in the "Last Name" field for the employee in Smart Contractor.

    "Job"

    "Job Number" entered in the "Job Info" tab of the Edit Job form.

    Note: The Job Number must not have any embedded spaces.

    Third Step

    The third step of the Import setup wizard has a grid that shows the data to be imported, as it will be imported into the mapped data fields in Smart Contractor.

    Data To Be Imported:

    The data to be imported grid shows the data to be imported, as it will be imported into the mapped data fields in Smart Contractor. The first column shows the "Result" - an indication as to whether that record will be imported. If the Result contains "OK", that record will be imported. If the Result does not contain "OK", it will display a note explaining why that record will not be imported.

    Show Errors:

    If any records in the data to be imported grid do not have "OK" in the Results column, the "Show Errors" button will appear. Click the "Show Errors" button to display only the records with errors (which will not be imported). Click "Show All" to display all records again. Once you have decided to import the data as it appears in the data to be imported grid, click "Import" to complete the import process. Note: If you have never imported data to Smart Contractor, or are not sure about what the results of importing data will be, please make a backup of your Smart Contractor data before proceeding with the import. That way you will be able to restore from the backup if you do not like the result of the import.