Importing data automatically

Linnworks has a very flexible mechanism for importing data into the system such as orders you’re your websites, generic e-commerce carts and non-integrated selling venues you can also import and synchronize your stock levels with other systems and your stock held by your suppliers using very simple Comma Delimited (CSV) file import functionality.

Similarly when you need to output information from Linnworks, you can configure the system to output CSV files onto a disk, post it to the web or upload to FTP location. Every time you synchronize (click Sync) button the data gets generated. This method is ideal if you need to distribute latest stock levels, upload it to your website, post it to drop-shippers or notify your suppliers of your low stock and raise automatic purchase order. Read exporting data article

In essence, Data Import/Export allows you to completely automate your processes.

Importing data

You can import data of specific nature, for example stock items, stock levels and order book data. Below we describe how to do one-off import of stock items and stock level data into the system. Following that we will cover the functionality for configuring the import to start when you synchronize.

• Open a data import utility from Start menu > Programs > Linn Systems > Finaware R3 > Tools > Data Import
• Select Type of the import, in this case select Stock Items and click Next
  
  
• Column mapping screen allows you to configure which data fields in your file corresponds to which data fields expected by the system. For all new data files, the easiest way is to load it as a Sample data and map out columns the columns.
  
  
  
• To load sample data click Load Sample and select the file you want to load
• After the sample data is loaded the Map To drop down boxes will be populated with the fields available in your file
• For each applicable column, select the Map To from drop down box. Where it says Required at the bottom of the column it means that the column must be mapped, otherwise it may be left [Not Specified]. If left [Not Specified] the system will apply some form of default value or skip this column all together.
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Each column to be mapped to has its own column
  

  • Map To - Map To means the column will map to the field name in your file, if [Not Specified] or [Default] default value will be applied, if [Expression] you can write your own code to combine several fields or to insert an expression
  • Default value (available only when [Not Specified] or [Default] – the default value
  • Expression (available only when [Expression]) – expression will be created for this field. Read more about expressions below.

• Once you have mapped all necessary columns out you can validate that everything will work ok. Click Validate File button.
• If you have mapped all columns correctly but the data in your file cannot be converted to the right format you will be presented with the following message
  
  

  Validation Failed Data Error found during data validation. Those rows will be skipped, review the log file
  

  The validation review screen will tell you exactly what is wrong with the data row by row
  
  
  
• Once everything is ok and the file validates you can save the mapping Template and re-use it later. Click Save Template button
• Similarly if you already have saved template you don’t need to map columns out, simply load the available template using Load Template button
• Click Next to proceed to the Data Source screen
• Here you need to specify where to get the file from
  • File on the disk – Location of the file on the disk/USB or network drive
  • File On the Web – allows you to download file directly from the internet, for example
    http://www.mywebsite.com/data/stockitems.csv
  • File on FTP – allows you to download a file from FTP using username and password, for example
    ftp://ftp.mywebsite.com/data/stockitems.csv
• Once you have specified which file will be consumed (imported) click Next
• Click Start Import

Setting up import on every synchronization

You can set up the system to import the data every time you synchronize (click Sync button). This is particularly useful to import new orders coming from different sources for which the direct integration is not always possible (for example your website which is hosted on third party cart provider). Below we describe how to set up automatic import of order from the web, the Order Book import process imports orders only once, therefore the same file can be brought in as many times as you like and only new order will appear on the system.

In Linnworks, go to Settings > Automation > System Interfacing

• Click Add New
• Define new unique name for the step
• Define which type of file you want to import
• Specify the location of the file
  
  
  
• Specify column mapping, the same as for one-off import. You can load prepared template.
• Make sure the step is enabled
• Save the configuration
• Sync
  
  
  

Expressions

Sometimes it is necessary to provide data into the system which is not obviously available in the source data file. Expressions are any functional or mathematical equation which takes its variables from the data already available and evaluates it. Let’s look at three examples of expressions when importing orders into the system

1. The import requires column Full Name, however you may have it Title, Surname, Firstname in the data feed as 3 separate columns. We can create an expression

join[“ “,Title,Surname,Firstname]

Where join is a function that takes some parameters. This expression will create a text value that combines all three fields

2. You want to record Tax column, but it is not available in your data source file. You have OrderTotal column and ShippingCosts, and you want to exclude shipping costs from OrderTotal and calculate 15% inclusive tax. Mathematical expression can solve this problem

N2[(Order Total – ShippingCosts) / 23 * 3]

where N2 is a function which converts the result into two decimal point value

3. Order import procedure requires Status field to be set as PAID, otherwise the order will not be imported. However the status identifiers in your data source file are different, lets say you have 1 for paid, 0 for unpaid (refunded). The logical expression can evaluate the status and output the desired value, for example

iif[OrderStatus=”1”,”PAID”,”NOTPAID”]

where iif is a function that takes first parameter as evaluation, second as an output if true, third as an output if false

If you having trouble with writting the correct expression, post any problems on the forum, we will be happy to help.

Click here to read more about Expressions