Perhaps the key task when getting a ChilliDB system set up is the transferring of data from the previous methods used to track it (i.e.: spreadsheets etc) into ChilliDB. This typically happens towards the end of our onboarding period, and while the process itself can be fairly straightforward, ensuring your data is clean and ready to go can be frustrating if you are not aware of a few ChilliDB-specific conditions first. This article will hopefully ease you through the data preparation procedure, so you can get your data into your system and be ready to introduce your new, ready to go CRM to your users.
The three sections in this article step you through the key processes involved in getting your data ready. They are:
1) Utilising Data Loading Templates: these templates have been set up to guide you through the formatting of your spreadsheet and to ensure you have the fields/data you need in place to successfully load your data into ChilliDB.
Please take note of the extra information provided in the template referring to the types of data allowable in certain system fields and the generic system options provided (Rows 2 & 3 in each template). You are also provided with 'Client Field Type' and 'Client Field Options Required' fields in Rows 5 & 6, starting from Column T, to provide us with information regarding new fields you want added to the system.
2) Cleaning Data in Preparation for Upload: this section of the article provides important information regarding things you should be on the lookout for when cleaning your data to prepare for upload into ChilliDB.
3) Tips for Preparing Data for Upload: this section provides a few more general tips regarding formatting of your data and general setup of your spreadsheet before your data is uploaded.
Utilising Data Loading Templates
There are templates available as a guide for users looking to upload data to ChilliDB. In the case of any client that has gone through the onboarding procedure, these templates should have been provided to you at the beginning of the onboarding period. However, if you haven't been given access to these templates previously, the Organisations and Contacts templates are included here:
Organisations Data Template
Contacts Data Template
By mapping existing data to these templates, users can ensure there is a greater chance that their ChilliDB data loading spreadsheets will be able to be uploaded into their system with minimal effort. When using these templates there are a few key things to remember:
i) Mandatory Fields: any field in the template that is mandatory for the process of mapping to fields in ChilliDB for the data upload are highlighted in yellow in the template. These fields must all contain data in every cell (i.e.: for every record) you are uploading, otherwise the upload will fail. In the screenshot below we can see the mandatory fields for each of the templates included in this article:
Organisations
Contacts
Note: users should be aware that the 'Organisation Name' field in the Contacts Template is simply there to link the contact named to the organisation they belong to. It doesn't create the organisation in the system as well, hence the need to have a separate spreadsheet for the details for the organisation upload.
ii) Adding Additional Fields to ChilliDB Via Data Upload: any additional fields that are to be imported into ChilliDB with your initial data upload can simply be added to the above templates so they are created at the same time. Each new field is a new column in the spreadsheet. Our only requirement for you doing this is that you clearly indicate the field type on the data load template in the space provided - the 'Client Field Type' cells in row 5. If a field you add has options that you would like added to your system above those present as data in your spreadsheet, please include these options in the data load template in the 'Client Field Options Required' cells in row 6. For example, if you have a 'Language Spoken' field where your data consists of 10 different language options, but you wish to have 100 languages available to choose from when adding a new record, we can add the extra languages to your system once the field has been created.
In the example below using the Organisation template, the 'Onsite Parking' field is being imported from the previous spreadsheet tracking organisational data and can be imported into ChilliDB alongside the other data in the spreadsheet in a 'Yes/No' field type format.
iii) Contacts Not Belonging To An Organisation: if you have contacts in your Contact data load spreadsheet that do not link to an organisation for the purposes of your interactions with them - i.e.: they are not a contact from an organisation that you interact with, you can simply add 'Individual' in the 'Organisation Name' column. There is an existing organisation in all ChilliDB systems of the same name to cater for the situation outlined above.
iv) Accepted File Types: currently users can present their data for upload in XLS, XLSX, CSV, or XML formats. The example templates that are attached to this articles are in XLSX format, however if you need guidance on any requirements particular to other formats, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Cleaning Data in Preparation for Upload
While undergoing the thoroughly enjoyable process of cleaning up existing data for upload into ChilliDB, there are a few things you should be on the lookout for in particular:
i) Missing Data in Mandatory Fields: if any of the fields that are mandatory (i.e: highlighted yellow in the templates) are missing data, then your ChilliDB data upload will fail. The upside of this is that we will be told during the uploading process which rows in your spreadsheet contain cells with the error (in this case missing data) and can pass this on to you. However, it also obviously causes a delay in getting your data into the system as we may have to get back to you to clarify what the missing data should be. As such, we strongly recommend carefully checking each of the columns that contain mandatory data to try to ensure nothing has been missed before sending your spreadsheet to us.
Note: in cases where you are unsure of what the missing data is - e.g.: you have a contact's first name but you don't know their last name, in order to facilitate the data upload, we usually add in dummy data that can be changed post-upload with the accurate data if necessary. In the example above where a contact's last name is missing, we would add 'UNKNOWN' in this cell so we could get on with uploading the data.
Typically, we would add 'UNKNOWN', or whatever moniker you would prefer, to both the 'Forename' and 'Surname' columns in any cells that have missing data.
ii) Incorrect Data Types in Cells: if the wrong kind of data is entered in a cell, this will prevent the upload of the data to ChilliDB. In the example below, the response for the field 'Times Received a Service' for contact 'Eric Gilchurch' is a text instead of numerical value. If we attempted to upload this data to create a numerical field in ChilliDB, it would return an error in Row 3. However, if we uploaded this field as a text field, the data would upload.
iii) Mistakes in Data in Spreadsheet: as with adding incorrect data to a spreadsheet as per the example above, mistakes in data entered in specific fields can also generate errors during the data upload process. In the example below, the 'Personal Email' field features an email address that has both a comma instead of a period and a space before the 'au' at the end. Either of these errors would cause a failure in the data load.
Tips for Preparing Data for Upload
Allowing multi-select options to be created during a data upload: users wishing to add a field with a multi-select option to their ChilliDB system can do so by simply separating the options for each contact in that field with commas. Then, when uploading data from a spreadsheet to ChilliDB, a new field is created with a field type of 'Lookup List/Checkbox List' and a multi-select checkbox field is created base don the fact there were commas between data in this cell in your spreadsheet.
Spreadsheet column headings do not have to match the ChilliDB data loader default names: we can map your field names in your spreadsheet to the relevant existing fields in ChilliDB anyway. As long as you have the mandatory fields in ChilliDB represented in columns in your spreadsheet, the data can be loaded.
Phone numbers in spreadsheets should only contain numbers and the '+' and '( )' symbols: The data loader will allow anything to be uploaded in this field as it is a text type field, however when a user then goes to the record and edits it, an error message will be triggered if there have been non-conforming characters imported into the phone number field. It's a simple fix, as you simply need to correct the error and then save the record, but it's not something you would want to have to do over multiple records.
We hope you have found this data preparation article useful. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. If you are currently undergoing onboarding, contact the onboarding representative you have been dealing with. Otherwise you can get in touch with us via the Help Desk or by contacting us at info@chillidb.com
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