How To Set Up Import G/L Entries

The Import G/L Entries functionality in Spider allows users to import general ledger entries from external sources into the system. This feature is particularly useful for companies that need to import data from multiple sources or migrate data from legacy systems to Business Central.

The import always posts general ledger entries, but it is also possible to post e.g. project ledger entries, FA ledger entries, customer ledger entries and vendor ledger entries.

The G/L Import feature in Spider is flexible and can be configured to meet specific requirements. Users can define the mapping between the source data and the fields in Business Central. The feature also supports various file formats, including Excel and delimited files, making it easy to import data from different sources.

Tip

Find the workflows for Importing Files.

It is possible to use the Communication Methods available within Spider, such as S/Ftp, Ftp, Azure File Storage, Azure Blob Storage and SharePoint Online.

Tip

If the Eagle app is installed it is possible to import and process the files across multiple companies.

Step 1: Create Integration

Choose the search icon (ALT+Q), enter Integrations, and then choose the related link.
On the General FastTab:
1. Select New.
2. Enter a Code.
3. Select Import G/L Entries in the Integration Type field.
On the Communication FastTab:
1. Select an existing Communication Method.
2. Enable the Include in Import field, which allows the files to be imported into the Integration Queue without having to manually select them.

Step 2: Add Additional Settings

Select the Additional Settings action.
Specify the settings that apply to the file to be imported on the General and Columns FastTabs. See details below.

First, the settings that need to be made on the General and Columns FastTab are described, then the settings that need to be specified for the file settings are described.

The General FastTab

The File Settings Code has been created with default settings using the same name for the Code as the integration code. The File Settings is used to define the settings for the file to be imported. The settings include the data type, date format, encoding, and other file-specific settings.

Most important fields on the General FastTab:

Select a Posting Nos if the file to be imported (the source data) doesn't contain a column with the document number. This will be used to generate a unique document number for all imported entries (for each file). It is recommended to use a unique posting number series to differentiate between different sources.
Select a Source Code. This is the code that will be used to identify the source of the imported data. It is recommended to use a unique code to differentiate between different sources. This code can be used when analyzing the imported data or when filtering general ledger entries.
Select a Default Posting Date if the file to be imported (the source data) doesn't contain a column with the posting date. This date will be used as the posting date for all imported entries. It is recommended to use Today if the file doesn't contain a date column.

The following fields are optional:

The Copy VAT Setup to Jnl. Lines field specifies whether the VAT settings from the chart of accounts should be copied to the journal lines during import. This can be useful if the source data doesn't contain VAT information and you want to post VAT entries based on the setup in the chart of accounts.
The Check Column Headers field specifies whether the file's column headers should be checked against what has been set for this integration. This setting is only active if the file setting has Column Headers enabled.
The Language field is used for specifying the language that is used in the file for fields of the Option type. This setting will also affect the language used in any error messages displayed when processing a file.

The Columns FastTab

You need to specify the mapping between the columns in the source data and the fields in Business Central. This mapping is used to ensure that the general ledger entries are created (posted) correctly.

The imported transactions are posted to the ledger entries tables in Business Central directly and not via a journal so it is not necessary to specify a journal template or journal batch.

Tip

You can find all the fields available for mapping, along with brief explanations in the Integration Queue General Journal.

The Type field specifies the type of data that is expected.

Option	When to use	Example
Field	Select Field if the data is a column in the file.	The file contains a column with the G/L account.
Dimension	Select Dimension if the data is a dimension code.	The file contains a column with the department code.
Default Value	Select Default Value if the field should be populated with a fixed value.	The file does not contain a column with this data, but is required.

An example file to map:

The file contains the following columns and should be imported into Business Central:

Column A: Date
Column B: Verification number
Column C: G/L Account number
Column D: Amount
Column E: Description
Column F: Department code

How to map:

Type	Column No.	Column Header	Field Name	Dimension Code	Default Value
Field	1	Date	Posting Date
Field	2	Verification number	Document No.
Default Value			Account Type		G/L Account
Field	3	G/L Account number	Account No.
Field	4	Amount	Amount
Field	5	Description	Description
Dimension	6	Department code	Dimension 'X' Value	Department

Note

The Account Type is used to specify the type of account and the most common are G/L Account, Customer, Vendor, Bank, Fixed Asset, and Resource. It is not mandatory to add this on the Columns FastTab since G/L Account is the first option, but it is recommended to always add this field to the mapping regardless of the account type that file contain to ensure that the correct account type is used when posting the entries.

Tip

Select the Import Template action to upload the file that you want to manage in this integration to facilitate the settings on the Columns FastTab. The file needs to contain column headers so that it is possible to link the columns to the correct fields. You may need to specify the file settings that applies to the file to be imported.

Step 3: Specify File Settings

Select the File Settings action.
Specify the settings that apply to the file to be imported on the General and Settings FastTabs. See details below.

Add a Description on the General FastTab if you want to describe the file settings. The File Settings is used to define the settings for the file to be imported. The settings include the data type, date format, encoding, and other file-specific settings.

The Settings FastTab

Select the Data Type that applies to the file to be imported.
1. The most common data types are Excel and Delimited.
2. For Excel files, no additional settings are required.
3. For Delimited files, specify the delimiter used in the file.
  1. The other fields are optional to change and can be used to specify the date format, encoding, decimal format and if the file contains column headers.

Tip

Select the Export Template action to download a sample file according to the settings that have been made.