How to import Loads in Excel to Cube-IQ

How to import Loads in Excel to Cube-IQ

Cube-IQ can import Loads from an Excel sheet

Below is an Excel spreadsheet of a Sample Import Load of Products included in the sample data when Cube-IQ is installed.

Load ID

Product Id

Quantity

Sample Import Load

prd 1

60

Sample Import Load

prd 2

40

Sample Import Load

prd 3

20

Sample Import Load

prd 4

12

Load Id, Product Id, and Quantity are the minimum required fields. Each row is a PTL (Product To Load). The Load Id columns is the name of the Load where the PTL belongs to. The Product Id is the name of the Product to load, and the Quantity column is the number of units for the PTL.

There are other optional fields that will be discussed later.

Copy/paste the spreadsheet above into Excel, save it as "Flexi Import.xlsx", and follow it in the examples below or use it as a template.

Use the Flexi Data Import feature in Cube-IQ to open an Excel for importing

The Flexi Data Import window is where Excel spreadsheets are opened and imported into Cube-IQ.

The Flexi Data Import, or Flexi window for short, can be launched by: 1) click the main menu, 2) click Import & Export tab, 3) click Import Containers or Products from CSV/Excel.



Open the Excel file in the Flexi window by: 1) click Open File, 2) Navigate to and select the Excel file, and 3) click Open



Here is the Excel file opened in the Flexi window. There are three dropdown lists:
  1. First dropdown list is the name of the Excel sheet "Loads", there are 2 other unselected sheets named "Products" and "Sheet1" in the Excel file
  2. Second dropdown list is for the type of data to be imported, "Import Products" is listed by default instead of "Import Containers"
  3. Third dropdown list instructs the import to either "Overwrite existing data" or "Overwrite only imported columns" or "Only add new data" or "Erase existing data in Load", this example uses the default "Overwrite existing data".



Map Load columns to Cube-IQ fields in the Flexi Import Data window

Excel sheet columns can be mapped to Cube-IQ fields or skipped if the column is unnecessary.

Row 1 is row 1 in the Loads sheet of the "Flexi Import.xlsx" file where column titles are, and rows 2, 3, 4, and 5 are the PTL for the "Sample Import Load".
 
In this example there is only one header line in row 1, therefore the # Header rows in the spinner will be set to 1 instead of 4. This is important to ensure headers are not imported as products and no product rows are missed.
 
Here is the # Header set to 1, Row 1 now has a purple tinge as a visual to not import it. Row 2, 3, and 4 do not have a purple tinge.



The very top row, above row 1, have dropdown menus for each column. These dropdown menus lists the available Cube-IQ fields each column can be mapped to. Here is the top row of dropdown menus.




The dropdown menus in columns A is correct. Column B is mapped to the wrong Cube-IQ field and columns C has "Skip" selected meaning columns C will not get imported.
 
All columns in this Excel sheet are Mapped using the Column dropdown menu: A) LOADID, B) PRODUCTID, and C) LOADQTY
 
Here is the Flexi window below after the dropdown menus in the top row have been mapped to their respective fields. The dropdown menus have been left expanded to view other available mappable Cube-IQ fields.



LOADID, PRODUCTID, and LOADQTY are always required, other fields such as Load PO and Load Group are optional.

Mapped columns can be saved

Mapped columns can be saved and reloaded for future use to save time when another similar Excel sheet needs mapping again. Excel sheet must have header columns in the same order, otherwise column dropdown menus will need to be corrected after loading a mapping configuration file.
 
Save column mapping in Flexi Window by: 1) click Save Mapping Button, 2) navigate to a folder and enter a filename, and 3) click Save



Begin importing Loads into Cube-IQ

Loads can begin importing once Columns are Mapped and Number of Header rows set. Column Mappings A, B, and C are also summarized in the lower panel of the Flexi window.




Complete the importing process from Flexi window by: 1) click Begin import button, 2) click OK when Import is complete, 3) review messages in bottom panel, and 4) click Close



The bottom panel returns products imported in the Load. The footer line of the Flexi also returns how many Products are: Imported, New, Updated, Deleted, and the number of Errors. There are 4 updated Products on account of the Sample Database having Products preloaded.

Review Imported Load in Cube-IQ

Navigate to the Load Setup menu, and open the Sample Import Load. The PTL (Products To Load) area lists the Products and their "Qty" imported as per the Excel sheet. Importing the Length, Width, and Height was unnecessary, they were already in the database.



Notes:

Cube-IQ can also import only Products without creating a Load

Click here to learn how to import only Products along with their Dimensions and details.



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