Importing information from various sources typically requires development of
custom programs. Sometimes this is fairly simple but other times it requires
much work to fully validate information being brought in.
Importing a file of cleared checks from your bank into ICommander P/R and A/P Check Reconciliation routines is generally a simple one as the only relevant fields may be the check number, check date, and amount. One of the most involved import routines we developed involved water hauling transactions entered into handheld devices. The complexity arose from a combination of limited error checking by the programs used in the devices plus the need to cross-reference well locations, driver numbers, vehicle numbers and so on to values in databases that were not under ICommander control. The potential for errors was significant so it required complex routines to identify all actual and potential error conditions before the transactions could actually be updated to the applicable ICommander files to generate both billings and payroll transactions.
Developing import programs is simplest when flat ASCII files are available for import. Comma delimited files take much more time to work with but we have successfully developed imports of such files from various cash registers and timecard entry devices. We have also developed import routines where spreadsheet software serves an intermediate purpose as the source transactions are first accessed via Microsoft Excel or some other spreadsheet. This also works well as we can the guide users through picking the fields needed for ICommander import and creation of a tab-delimited file for ICommander to use for the import. We have done this for importing Purchase or Debit Card transactions and for importing Water Station transactions from magnetic card readers for a customer in Texas.
The ICommander Municipal Utility Billing System includes an import routine for loading transactions from a particular type of meter reading device. This uses intermediary software provided by the manufacturer of the devices. This greatly simplifies any cross-referencing needed and enables limiting the ICommander import file to only the fields relevant to processing the meter reads.
Data may be imported from almost any source. ASCII text files with the fields needed are the common denominator. All ICommander import programs include many routines to check for invalid data and other errors. This part is what can take the most time when the source information has limited error checking and/or uses different databases for validation.
Import program development is similar to the development of conversion programs
to load master, data, and history files from your prior software. More care is
required with the ongoing import programs vs the one-time conversion programs as
such real-time processing does not allow for easily fixing any invalid data.