Importing from a spreadsheet

A spreadsheet from any source works. Start from a sample file for the kind of data you are bringing over, put your records under its column names, and import it. Sample files use our own column names, so Pop Dispatch matches every column without any choices from you.

Before you start #

• You need the owner or manager role.
• Save your sheet as CSV or Excel (.xlsx), with the column names in the first row and one record per row. An older .xls file needs to be opened in Excel and saved again as .xlsx or CSV.
• A file can hold up to 5 MB and 20,000 rows.

Steps #

1. Open Settings, then Import data, and choose A spreadsheet (CSV or Excel).
2. Open Sample files and select the sample for your kind of data. Each one has two example rows. Delete them before you import.
3. Put your records under the column names. Leave a cell empty when you have no value.
4. Choose the kind of data and the file, check the columns and select Check the file.
5. Read the problems, fix them in your sheet if you like, and select Import.

Columns for each kind of data #

• Customers: customer number (ref), name, first name, last name, company, phone, second phone, email, street address, city, state, zip, notes. A row needs a name, a first and last name, or a company.
• Vehicles: customer number, customer name, customer phone, customer email, VIN, plate, plate state, year, make, model, year-make-model together, color, notes. Each row needs a VIN, a plate or a make, and a customer.
• Accounts and contacts: account number, account name (required), kind of account, contact name, contact role, phone, email, payment terms, needs a PO number, notes. Kinds Pop Dispatch has: fleet, insurer, garage, police, motor club and private.
• Tow rates: account name (blank for your standard rates), truck type, hook-up fee, miles included, per mile, after-hours surcharge percent, winching and waiting per 15 minutes, storage per day, free storage days, gate fee, environmental fee, cancellation fee.
• Service history: kind of record, number (required), date (required), customer details, VIN, plate, what was done, total (required), amount paid.
• Open invoices: invoice number (required), customer details, invoice date, due date, original total, balance owed (required), description.
• Yard and impound: vehicle description, year, make, model, color, plate, VIN, owner name and phone, lot, date in (required), storage start date, storage per day, status, hold reason, notes.
• Drivers: name (required), phone, email.
• Trucks: unit number (required), truck type, year, make, model, VIN, plate, notes. Truck types Pop Dispatch has: flatbed, wheel lift, heavy, rotator and service.
• Parts and inventory: SKU (required), description (required), vendor name, bin, cost, price, on hand, reorder level, taxable. A part matches on its SKU. A vendor named in the file is added to your vendors when no vendor of that name exists. Choose Fill in only the blank details from the file for duplicates to add a missing bin or vendor to a part already on file.

Amounts can carry a currency symbol and commas, such as $1,234.50. A number in parentheses is a credit. Dates can be 2024-03-15, 3/15/2024, 15-Mar-2024 or March 15, 2024. Excel dates work too.

If something goes wrong #

See Fixing import problems.

Imported history on the Mac #

On the Mac, an owner or manager sees the service history that came over from the old system. Open a customer in Customers and read Imported history under their vehicles, or choose a vehicle in Vehicles and read its history by VIN. The records are read-only and keep their original numbers, dates and totals. Other roles do not see this section.