How to Bulk Import Suppliers

The Supplier Import Tool can be used to bulk import new suppliers using an Excel spreadsheet

This article is for FMI Works users who have been given the permission of System Administrator

Why use the Supplier Import Tool?

Instead of manually adding suppliers one by one, use the Supplier Import Tool to add suppliers in bulk, saving time and reducing data entry errors.

Process overview

There are three steps to the Supplier Import process:

Step 1: Download the Supplier Import Template.

Step 2: Add the relevant supplier and supplier contact data.

Step 3: Upload the completed Supplier Import Template.

Step 1: Download the template

From the Administrator module, select References > Import Suppliers.

Select Supplier Import Template to download the Excel spreadsheet template.

Save the template as a .XLSX file.

Step 2: Add supplier and supplier contact data

Fill in the “Supplier” and “Supplier Contact” template sheets as needed in the Supplier Import Template.

Important: Do not rename the “Supplier” and “Supplier Contact” worksheets. Do not delete, hide, or rearrange any columns within the Supplier Import Template.

Carefully observe the import rules and conditions. If the import conditions are not met, the supplier information will not be imported.

Supplier template: mandatory fields

Supplier Name	Max. 50 characters. Must be unique.
Address Include the full supplier address, e.g., 879 High Street Lot 3 – Suit 2.	Max 50 characters
Suburb	Max. 20 characters
Post Code	Max. 5 characters
State Enter as such, Victoria = VIC, New South Wales = NSW, Western Australia = WA	Max. 3 characters
Country Enter the country code, e.g. AU = Australia, NZ = New Zealand	Max. 20 characters
Business Phone	Max. 50 characters

Supplier template: optional fields

Operation Hours	Max. 255 characters
Notes	Max. 2000 characters
Deleted Enter ‘0’ for active, ‘1’ for inactive/deleted	‘0’ or ‘1’
Business Fax	Max. 50 characters
ABN	Max. 50 characters
ACCNBRI	Max. 32 characters
ACN	Max. 50 characters
Website	Max. 200 characters
Postal Address	Max. 50 characters
Postal Suburb	Max. 20 characters
Postal Postcode	Max. 5 characters
Postal State	Max. 3 characters
Postal Country	Max. 20 characters
Ext Compliance ID	Max. 50 characters
Incorporated Number	Max. 50 characters

Sites are optional, however, when adding sites:

Site names must be entered exactly. For example, Site-1, Site 1 and SITE 1 are not the same.
The Site column in the Supplier worksheet can contain none, one or more sites and if adding in multiple sites they need to be comma separated entries, for example, Site1,Site 2,Site 3.
If no Sites are entered the Supplier cannot be selected and allocated work.
If no Sites have been set up, create the Sites first, before importing Suppliers.

Supplier contact template: mandatory fields

Supplier Name The name of the company this person is employed at. It must match what is entered in the supplier template.	Max. 50 characters. Must be unique.
Name	Max. 100 characters
Email	Max. 100 characters Must be unique
Primary Contact If this person is the primary contact for this supplier, enter ‘1’ or else enter ‘0’. Only one person can be a primary contact, and one user must be designated to be a primary contact.	‘1’ or ‘0’
Secondary Contact If this person is the secondary contact for this supplier, enter ‘1’ or else enter ‘0’.	‘1’ or ‘0’
Active Active indicates if the person is a current employee for the supplier. Supplier employees are set to inactive when they are no longer employed by the supplier. Setting a user to inactive will stop them from being assigned to work orders. Enter ‘1’ for active’ or ‘0’ for inactive.	‘1’ or ‘0’

Supplier contact template: optional fields

Phone	Max. 30 characters
Mobile	Max. 30 Characters

Step 3: Upload the completed Supplier Import Template

From the Administrator module, select References > Import Suppliers.

1.Select Choose File and navigate to the file directory where the Supplier file is located.
2. Select the relevant file, and then Open.
3. Your file name will now display next to Choose File.
4. Select Start Import. If successful, a message will display.

After a successful import, your asset data will be in FMI Works.

If there is incorrect data in the template, an error will occur with a message stating where the error is. Simply correct the data according to the error, save the template and re-upload.

Tips

The Supplier Import Tool requires users to have a basic knowledge of Excel.
We recommend that you use a small sample set of data when using the Supplier Import tool for this first time. This will enable you to review the changes to ensure they align with what you are trying to achieve.
Supplier records can be added individually through the user interface if desired, rather than using the Supplier Import Tool.

Contact FMI support if you need further assistance.