Import Items

Import and Export > Import Items

Before importing your items

Before you import your Items for the first time, we recommend that you go over the following checklist to make sure you perform the import in the most efficient way

• Taxes – using Taxes in CommitCRM is optional. If you plan on using Taxes within CommitCRM, this requires defining the relevant Tax code per Item. Before importing Item, you can define the default Tax Code which should be used for newly created Items, to make sure all imported Items will already have the correct Tax code defined for them. Click here to learn more about using Taxes within CommitCRM, and defining the default Tax Code for Items.

• Backup your database – it is very important to backup your data before performing any imports. This will assure that you can undo the import if needed very easily. Click here for more details about performing a backup to your database

Importing Items

Items in CommitCRM are a catalog of all the services and products you offer. The Items list in CommitCRM acts as your price list.

There are three types of Items in CommitCRM:

1. Parts Items - hardware, software, or any other items you ship to your customer. These items have fixed prices.
2. Labor Items - services you provide to your customers, such as server installation, network installation, on-site technician visits, etc. Each Labor Item can have a fixed price, a fixed hourly rate, or a dynamic hourly rate that varies depending upon the employee who performs the service.
3. Expense Items - used to charge expenses, such as travel and special deliveries. Expense Items can have a fixed price per unit or a fixed hourly rate.

Items can be imported from various data sources including Excel® files, CSV files, QuickBooks, etc.

To import Items:

1. Open the Items window and select Tools > Import & Export > Import Items.
2. Select the type of file to import.
3. Select the type of Item to Import (Product/Expense/Labor).

ReImporting/Updating Your Items List

Note that the Item Code field is a unique key for items. This means that you can re-import your Items in case you wish to update any values in your items list (such as prices), and they will be updated according to the Item Code in the input file.

Importing Items from QuickBooks

When the Commit-QuickBooks Link is in use, you can import items from QuickBooks into CommitCRM or link existing Items in CommitCRM to existing Items in QuickBooks. Changes to Items will then be synchronized between CommitCRM and QuickBooks.

It is recommended to read the QuickBooks user manual before starting to work with the Commit-QuickBooks Link. In this manual you can find initial setup instructions for the Commit-QuickBooks Link, as well as how to synchronize information between CommitCRM and QuickBooks.

However, if you are already familiar with the initial settings for the Commit-QuickBooks link, the following will help you to import Items from QuickBooks into CommitCRM Items:

1. It is recommended to perform a full BACKUP of CommitCRM before importing Items from QuickBooks.
2. If all your Items are already in CommitCRM, do not use this import feature until you have created links between existing records in CommitCRM and their related records in QuickBooks. To learn more about how to create these links, click here.
3. In the Items window, go to the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu and select Import New Records/Update Linked Records from QuickBooks.
4. The import wizard will open and you should select the QuickBooks records you would like to import into CommitCRM. By default, all active Items are imported.
5. Click Finish and the Items will be imported from QuickBooks into CommitCRM.

From this point on, you can synchronize changes to Items between CommitCRM and QuickBooks using the Update linked record option in the QuickBooks menu.

Again, it is recommended to read the QuickBooks user manual before starting to work with the Commit-QuickBooks Link for the first time.

See Also

• Commit-QuickBooks Link
• Items
• Using Taxes
• Backup & Restore FAQ
• QuickBooks user manual