Using the Setup Sheet to Add New Items to an Existing Organization

In addition to assisting with initial organization setup, the import Setup Sheet can also be used to quickly add large groups of Places, Meters, or Vendors to an existing organization. However, since the importer has been designed only to add NEW database objects and not to overwrite existing data, it is impossible to update existing organization properties,

This limitation can actually be an advantage in many instances.

To import a list of new vendors, for instance, prepare the csv file by simply pasting the vendor codes and display names into the appropriate columns in the Setup Sheet and then insert existing organization data into the remaining required fields.

Then import the data. Since the importer will not overwrite existing data, only the NEW information (in this example, vendor code and vendor display) will be added to the organization database. The image below shows the result of the import above:

The same technique used for vendors can be used to import places, accounts, or meters. It is also possible to create additional layers in the Account Manager or Facility Manager hierarchy by correctly referencing a previously-created Parent Place and/or Cost Center.