Importing data in bulk
When you're moving from spreadsheets or onboarding a lot of data at once, bulk import saves hours. IEMSuite imports three things from CSV/Excel using built-in column templates: products, stock, and customers.
What you can import
| Import | Where | Key columns |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Inventory → Product Catalog | SKU, Name, Type, Unit (plus optional cost, minimum stock level) |
| Stock | Inventory → Inbound | SKU, Quantity, Lot number, Location, Supplier |
| Customers | Clients | Customer details |
How to import
- Open the relevant screen and choose the import option.
- Download the template so your columns match exactly.
- Fill in one row per record and upload.
- Review the validation summary - errors are reported per row (e.g. "Row 5 (RM-001): …") so you can fix and re-upload.
Order matters
Import products first, then stock - stock rows are matched to products by SKU, so the products must exist. A stock row with an unknown SKU is reported as not found.
Tips
- Keep SKUs consistent and unique; duplicates are flagged rather than silently merged.
- Include lot numbers and expiry on stock rows so traceability and FEFO work from day one.
FAQ
What happens if a row has an error?
Only the valid rows import; each problem row is listed with its reason so you can correct and re-run.
Can I bulk-update existing products?
Imports validate on SKU, so you can prepare a clean sheet and re-import; conflicts are reported for you to resolve.