All-In-One Field Service Management Software by Aptora –

Importing, Exporting & Migrations

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Exporting Lists (for cloud hosted users)

How Hosted Users Can Export From the Cloud

The following instructions show you how to export Excel data, text files, and more out of Total Office Manager for users that are on the cloud. It also shows you how to download Windows File Explorer allowing you direct access to your files on the cloud.

Login to Your RDS Hosted Account

Go to https://rds.aptora.com/ and input your domain\user name and password. If you do not know this information, please contact technical support at 913-322-4666.

Download Windows File Explorer

Now click File Explorer, which will download a file to your computer.

This is the file that should have been downloaded to your computer.

Save it somewhere useful, like on your desktop.

Open Windows File Explorer

Double-click it to open.

You should see a “This PC” now. This is not the desktop/laptop computer you’re currently using, it’s your cloud computer.

Open Your Remote Downloads Folder

Click on downloads, and you will see what is in your cloud computer downloads folder. In this case, notice there is a text data file called test123. I will show you next, how I placed it there.

Export Your Total Office Manager List

In the Total Office Manager cloud environment, go to any list, and try exporting some information from the list (highlight the list in Total Office Manager, then right-click and choose export is one way to do it). Upon doing this, you should see the same screen shown prior. Notice when you do this, “This PC” is the cloud computer, not your current desktop/laptop computer. This is the same downloads folder we viewed earlier on the cloud computing system. You should now know how to save to the cloud folders and open the cloud folders.

– Jonathan Fayard, your Blue Collar Software Guru.

Import Wizard for Importing Data

How to Use the Import Wizard to Import Records, Transactions, and Other Data

Introducing the Import Wizard

This help topic explains how to import data into Total Office Manager using the fully integrated Import Wizard. We have other help topics which cover the data and field types in great detail. We also have a help topic that lists the various records that can be imported.

How to Use the Import Wizard

The import feature includes a very easy to use wizard that guides you through the entire process. Use of this feature is intended to import data from other programs.

For example, you may have a large customer list from another software program that allows exporting. You would, first, export that customer list from the other software program and then import it into Total Office Manager.

Note: This particular import feature is NOT meant to be used to import Flat Rate Plus data. We have a special import wizard specifically designed for importing Flat Rate Plus data into Total Office Manager.

Import File Types & Data Types

File Types

Total Office Manager allows users to import using various file types which can be created either directly by exporting from other software or created for use with Total Office Manager. Importable file types are as follows. Any file types not listed below cannot be imported by users and must first be converted into one of these acceptable file types first:

  1. Microsoft Excel (.xls) Files
  2. Comma Separated Values (.CSV) Files
  3. Microsoft Access (.mdb) Files
  4. Text (.txt) Files

Note About Delimiters: ASCII Text files can be created using various different “delimiters”. Delimiters are used to separate fields. They are how the software knows when one field ends and another field begins. If your text contains characters that are the same as a delimiter, but they are not meant to be a delimiter, the software will not “realize” this. The text will be broken into new fields each time the delimiter is encountered. A good delimiter is something that is not normally found in the text you are importing.

Unless users have specific reason for doing so or otherwise cannot avoid it, we recommend that users create Tab Delimited files.

Data Types

For the purposes of properly formatting your data file, regardless of the type, it is important to understand the various data types and how to properly use them. The following lists the various data types encountered in Total Office Manager and a description:

  1. String: A combination of characters which can be alpha, numeric, or special characters, such as exclamation points, question marks, or parenthesis.
  2. Double: A decimal (e.g. 4.096)
  3. Long: A whole number (e.g 4096).
  4. Date: A date. Must be formatted as mm/dd/yyyy.
  5. Boolean: A boolean represents a True/False or Yes/No value. This is usually a checkbox option within a form, where checked means True/Yes and unchecked means False/No.
  6. Lookup: This data must exist in the software. The import will look elsewhere in the software to match the mapped field. An example of a Lookup field would be a field where a Chart of Accounts account selection is required. The account must already exist in Total Office Manager before it can be selected in the import field as the import will not create the Chart of Account if it does not exist.
  7. Memo: A string value field. This field is typically used for notes.

How to Access the Import Wizard

From the main menu click File | Company Utilities | Import.

Step-by-Step Guide

IMPORTANT: Please backup your company file (database) before doing any importing. If something goes wrong, you may wish you had backed it up.

  1. Go to File | Company Utilities | Import to begin the import process.
  2. In the Open dialog, locate and select the file you wish to import. Take care to change the “File Type” (above the Open button) to the specific type you wish to import. You may also select the “All Files” option.
  3. In the “Data Type To Import” list, select the data that describes what you are importing and click Next. If you do not see a description of what you are trying to import, Total Office Manager does not allows users to import it. Please contact the Aptora Help Desk at helpdesk@aptora.com and let us know what you need imported.
  4. If the first row of the file you are importing contains field names (e.g. Type, Email, Name, Price, etc.), check the First Row Contains Field Names box. See tips below for more information.
  5. Select the type of delimiter used to separate the records in the import file. Tab is the most common.
  6. When you make the selection, you will see an instant preview of the import data. If it looks correct, continue. Otherwise try Comma, Space, or Other. The Other option will require you to enter the delimiter in the box provided. If you are unsure, ask the person that created the file for you.
  7. Field Mapping is a very important step and should be done very carefully. In the “Map Fields” section, under the column named Total Office Manager Field, select the data type that describes the field you are importing. The Sample Data column displays the fields from the first record in the import file. This is shown to help you figure out what the field should be mapped (matched) to in Total Office Manager. Double check your work and click Next.
  8. Click the Clip Strings to Length to allow the software to cut off excess data where the information entered in the import file for any specific field may be longer than the length allowed for the field in Total Office Manager.
  9. Click the Overwrite Existing Data checkbox to allow the software to overwrite the information should duplicates be found. This is very important if you are importing to update data.
  10. Click NEXT to proceed
  11. Read the Import Agreement and check the checkbox stating that you have read, understand, and agree to the risks and responsibility as stated in the agreement.
  12. Click NEXT to proceed
  13. Click Import to begin the import.

Once the import has completed you will be given the option to save the import log. It is highly recommended that you save this log as its contents can be useful in troubleshooting any problems related to imported data.

After the import, immediately study the results (before letting anyone else work in the program). If you see problems, restore your original company file.

Data Types & Field Definitions

Please follow this link to learn more about all the types of data that can be imported, such as Customers, Employees, and Vendors, as well as each field related to that Data Type, such as Name, Terms, Addresses, etc.

What Can Users Import?

Purchase Order Tab Delimited File Format

Purchase Order File Format

When creating a Purchase Order, users will have the ability to check a box to include a tab delimited file that contains vital purchase order information. This file can be used for electronic data processing. For example, you may have a vendor or supplier that can accept your PO electronically. Their system will receive the email and automatically process it. Of course, your vendor could manually import the file.

Notes

Here are some notes about the file.

  1. The file name is PO-mm-dd-yyyy_hh-mm-ss.txt
  2. One file is created.
  3. Each field is separated by a Tab
  4. The items repeat until all PO items have been included.
  5. Items marked as “Closed” will not be included.
  6. We include the first 250 characters of the Purchase Description
  7. The Item Number could be the Alias depending on print settings
  8. The Ship Method and Vendor Account Number fields are included.

Avoiding Being Marked as Spam

When you send an email with an attachment, it can be seen as spam by many anti-spam systems. Files with a .txt extension could increase the chances that your email will not reach its intended destination. Be sure to ask your vendor (the receiver of the email) to mark your email address as safe, within their anti-spam systems.

Header Data

The following information will be contained in the first row of the file. This row is referred to as a Header. This data indicates that this export is a Purchase Order and contains common information.

Field Format and Notes Required
Purchase Order Always “Purchase Order”. Indicates the beginning of the file and the type of data. Yes
Date mm-dd-yyyy. The date selected by the user. Usually the creation date. Yes
Expected Date mm-dd-yyyy. The date the order is expected to be ready. No
PO # 20 alphanumeric Yes
Company Name 150 alphanumeric Yes
Vendor Name 50 alphanumeric Yes
Account Number 100 alphanumeric. The account number given to the company by the vendor. No
PO Terms 20 alphanumeric. Financial terms of the sale. No
FOB 20 alphanumeric. Freight On-Board No
Notes Unlimited alphanumeric. General notes entered by the company for any purpose. No
Ship To 100 alphanumeric (usually a company name) No
Ship To Name 100 alphanumeric (usually the “Attention To”) No
Ship To Address 50 alphanumeric No
Ship To Address 2 50 alphanumeric No
Ship To City 30 alphanumeric No
Ship To State/Prov. 30 alphanumeric No
Ship To Zip 30 alphanumeric No
Ship Method 20 alphanumeric. Also used for delivery or pickup method. No
Product Name Always “Total Office Manager Enterprise” Yes
Product Version ##.##.##. The version of the Total Office Manager software. Yes
Export File Version #.##. The version given by Aptora for the file design and layout. Yes
File Creation Date/Time mm-dd-yyyyThh:mm:ss. Time is in 24 format. Yes

Body Data

The following information starts in the second row. Each new PO item is a new row. POs must have at least one item.

Field Format and Notes Required
Item Number* 55 characters Yes
Quantity Eight numbers followed by an optional decimal point and up to two numbers to the right of that decimal point. Examples: ######## or ########.## or ########.# Yes
Purchase Description The first 250 characters of the Purchase Description field. No
Rate The cost of the item to the company. Eight numbers followed by an optional decimal point and up to four numbers to the right of that decimal point. Examples: ######## or ########.## or ########.##### No
Amount The Rate field multiplied by the Quantity purchased field (extended amount). No

Purchase Order with Attachment Screen Shot

Related Topics

Create New Purchase Order

 

Importing Timesheets

Introducing the Import Timesheet Feature

Timesheets are a vital part of tracking for payroll and job costing.  In Total Office Manager, this information is typically captured through use of the work order stopwatch feature in Aptora Mobile II, from work orders in the desktop, or from manual entry in the timesheets.  Sometimes, outside sources are needed to track employees’ time.  When this happens, there may be a need to capture this information and import it into Total Office Manager.  The timesheet import will help with this process.

To import timesheets, please ensure the following security permissions (Company | User/List Security) are in place for the user performing the import:

  1. Company | User List/Security for Utility | Import: General
  2. Payroll | PR New Timesheet (Employee).

Timesheet Import File Formatting

Field Name Data Format Notes
Employee Text This is the Employee Name field. This field must match the exact name of an existing employee record. If duplicates exist, it will map to the most recent record it finds. This is a required field.
Date MM/DD/YYYY This is the date of the timesheet entry. This is a required field.
Earning Item Text This is the employee earning to associate with the timesheet entry. If this entry is missing, the default earning item for the employee is used. If no default is present, the entry will not import.
Customer:Job Number This field is the Customer:Job ID. If no exact match is found, the field is left blank. You will find this ID on the Customer:Job List.
Service Item Text This is the Invoice Item which is associated with the timesheet entry. If this entry is missing, the default service item for the employee is used. If no default is present, the entry field is left blank.
Start Time hh:mm AM/PM This is the start time of the timesheet entry. This field is not required.
Stop Time hh:mm AM/PM This is the stop time of the timesheet entry. This field is not required.
Hours Text This is the total hours for the timesheet line entry. This is a required field.
Department Text This field is the department field. This field must match the exact name of an existing Department Alias. If no exact match is found, the field is left blank.
Topic Text This field is the topic field. This field must match the exact name of an existing Topic Type. If no exact match is found, the field is left blank.
Odometer Number This is the reading of the odometer for the vehicle. It may contain up to 6 numeric digits. This field is not required.
Notes Text This field has no character max. This field is not required.
WO# Text This field is the work order field. This field must match the exact work order number of an existing work order. If no exact match is found, the field is left blank. If only a WO# is entered, the Customer:Job will populate with the customer found on the work order. If duplicates exist for the WO#, it will map to the most recent record it finds.
Reimbursable Yes/No This field is a Yes/No field. A Yes entry will check the Reimb box on the line entry when a customer is present.  No or a blank entry will leave the box unchecked. This field is not required.
Vehicle Number This field is the vehicle field. This field must match the exact Asset Number of an existing asset in the Asset Manager. If no exact match is found, the field is left blank.

Step-by-Step to Importing Timesheets 

  1. Navigate to File | Company Utilities | Import.
  2. Select the file which contains your timesheet entries.
  3. On the Import Wizard screen, select your Timesheets spreadsheet and click Next >.
  4. Select the your data worksheet.
  5. If not checked, check the box which indicates your column headers are in the first row.
  6. Field headings will be mapped for those fields that are available to import if the header names match what is in Total Office Manager. If the headers do not match, you may map these in the grid below.
  7. Click Next >.
  8. Not needed to Check the box next to Clip Strings to Length.
  9. Click Next >.
  10. Check the box acknowledging importing of your data.
  11. Click Next >.
  12. Click the Import button.
  13. Once the import is complete, save the log and review the imported data.

Once the timesheet import process is complete, any errors will be shown in the Import Log. Please review this log and make any necessary adjustments.

Related Content

How to Import an Excel File

Resources

Timesheet Import Template Download

Importing Flat Rate Plus for Aptora Hosted Solutions

Importing Flat Rate Plus Desktop into the Hosted Environment

When you are new to our Aptora hosted solution for Total Office Manager and you have been using our Flat Rate Plus Desktop problem for some time, you may have questions about how to get the two programs to communicate.  Is this even possible? Yes it is.  There will be a few things you will need to do to sync the two.  Those steps are provided in this article.

Please Note: This help topic does not pertain to Flat Rate Plus Online.

Database Location

On your current system, open the Flat Rate Plus program.  The database location of your active database will be in the title bar of the application.  Navigate to this location using Windows Explorer (CTRL + E).

Saving Database to Hosted File Location

Connect to the RDS website (https://rds.aptora.com). Once you have entered your login credentials, click the File Explorer icon.

Copy over the Flat Rate Plus database file from your current Flat Rate Plus database location to a location within the hosted environment.  It is recommended to create a folder for storage, so you are easily able to access it for importing.  In the example below, a folder was created on the desktop and named Hosted Files.

Importing Flat Rate Plus

To import your Flat Rate Plus data into Total Office Manager, connect to the Total Office Manager program.  Please navigate to File | Company Utilities | Import Flat Rate PlusTM Data. Continue through the Flat Rate Plus Import Wizard until the import has completed.

For more information on the integration of Flat Rate Plus in Total Office Manager, please review the page 187 in book 2 of the Total Office Manager Training Manual.  You may download these manuals from our support site at http://support.aptora.com/resources/manuals/.

 

Click here to view pdf version.

Importing Data Into Total Office Manager

Detailed Instructions for Importing Records and Transactions

This help topic explains how to import data into Total Office Manager. You have the ability to import a large number of Data Types including customers, job, items, bills, vendors, item adjustments, serial numbers, adjusting journal entries, and a lot of other records and transactions. Click this link for a complete list.

This help topic does not details related to importing bills, item receipts, credit card charges, and other A/P related transactions. There is a link for that at the bottom of this page.

Using the File Import

The import feature includes a quite easy to use wizard that guides you through the entire process. The use of this feature is intended to import data from other programs. For example, you may have a large customer list from another software program that allows exporting. You would, first, export that customer list from the other software program, format it for available fields, and then import it into Total Office Manager.

Note: This particular import feature is NOT meant to be used to import Flat Rate Plus data. We have a special import wizard specifically designed for importing Flat Rate Plus data into Total Office Manager. For more information on importing Flat Rate if you are on Aptora Hosted, you may review Importing Flat Rate Plus for Aptora hosted Solutions.

File Types & Data Types

File Types

Total Office Manager allows users to import using various file types which can be created either directly by exporting from other software or created for use with Total Office Manager. Importable file types are as follows. Any file types not listed below cannot be imported by users and must first be converted into one of these acceptable file types first:

  1. Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx) Files
  2. Comma Separated Values (.CSV) Files
  3. Microsoft Access (.mdb, .accdb) Files
  4. Text (.txt) Files
    Note: ASCII Text files can be created using various different “delimiters”. Unless users have a specific reason for doing so or otherwise cannot avoid it, we recommend that users create Tab Delimited files. There are several types of delimiters you may use.

    • Comma (,) – This key is located to the right of the letter M.
    • Tab – This key is located to the left of the letter Q.
    • Semicolon (;) – This key is located to the right of the letter L.
    • Colon (:) – This key is located to the right of the letter L.
    • Pipe (|) – This key is located to the right of the bracket ({} []) key above the <ENTER> key.

While the most commonly used delimiter is a comma, it is recommended to use a delimiter which is not often used in standard text, like a pipe ( | ).

Data Types

For the purposes of properly formatting your data file, regardless of the type, it is important to understand the various data types and how to properly use them. The following lists the various data types encountered in Total Office Manager and a description:

  • String: A combination of characters which can be alpha, numeric, or special characters, such as exclamation points, question marks, or parenthesis.
  • Double: A decimal (e.g. 4.096)
  • Long: A whole number (e.g 4096).
  • Date: A date. Must be formatted as mm/dd/yyyy.
  • Boolean: A Boolean represents a True/False or Yes/No value. This is usually a checkbox option within a form, where checked means True/Yes and unchecked means False/No. Your file can have “True”, “False”, “Yes”, or “No”.
  • Lookup: This data must exist in the software. The import will look elsewhere in the software to match the mapped field. An example of a Lookup field would be a field where a Chart of Accounts account selection is required. The account must already exist in Total Office Manager before it can be selected in the import field as the import will not create the Chart of Account if it does not exist. See the topic “Order of Import” for more information.
  • Memo: A string value field. This field is typically used for notes.

File Headers

This is the first row of your file. We recommend that your file have headers and that they match the name of the Column Header shown in this help topic. Using headers makes importing easier.

Order of Import

When importing records with Lookup fields, you should consider the order of importing. For example: When importing Vendors, you may also include a Vendor Type in your import file. The Vendor type must exists, otherwise it will not be imported. If this field is not required, the record will still import and you can fix it later. If you import the Vendor Types first, the imported Vendors will use those Types.

Set Certain Import Preferences

It’s a good idea to set certain preferences before importing items or transactions.

  1. Items > Company Preferences > Default Values
  2. Set a value for each list within that frame.

Import Form Access

  • From the main menu click File | Company Utilities | Import.

Step-By-Step

  1. Backup your company file (database) before doing any importing. If the import causes major problems, you may need to consider restoring the backup.

  2. Go to File | Company Utilities | Import to begin the import process.

  3. In the Open dialog, locate and select the file you wish to import. Take care to change the “File Type” (above the Open button) to the specific type you wish to import. You may also select the “All Files” option.

  4. In the “Data Type To Import” list, select the data that describes what you are importing and click Next. If you do not see a description of what you are trying to import, Total Office Manager does not allow users to import it. Please contact the Aptora Help Desk at helpdesk@aptora.com and let us know what you need imported.

  5. If the first row of the file you are importing contains field names (e.g. Type, Email, Name, Price, etc.), check the First Row Contains Field Names box. See tips below for more information.

  6. Select the type of delimiter used to separate the records in the import file. Tab is the most common.

    When you make the selection, you will see an instant preview of the import data. If it looks correct, continue. Otherwise try Comma, Space, or Other. The Other option will require you to enter the delimiter in the box provided. If you are unsure, ask the person that created the file for you.

  7. Field Mapping is a particularly major step and should be done very carefully. In the “Map Fields” section, under the column named Total Office Manager Field, select the data type that describes the field you are importing. The Sample Data column displays the fields from the first record in the import file. This is shown to help you figure out what the field should be mapped (matched) to in Total Office Manager. Double-check your work and click Next.

  8. Click the Clip Strings to Length to allow the software to cut off excess data where the information entered in the import file for any specific field may be longer than the length allowed for the field in Total Office Manager.

  9. Click the Overwrite Existing Data checkbox to allow the software to overwrite (update) the information if duplicates are found. This is particularly important if you are importing to update data which already exists in Total Office Manager.

  10. Click NEXT to proceed

  11. Read the Import Agreement and check the checkbox stating that you have read, understand, and agree to the risks and responsibility as stated in the agreement.

  12. Click NEXT to proceed

  13. Click Import to begin the import.

    Once the import has completed you will be given the option to save the import log. It is highly recommended that you save this log as its contents can be useful in troubleshooting any problems related to imported data.

  14. After the import, immediately study the results (before letting anyone else work in the program). If you see problems, restore your original company file.

Data Types & Field Definitions

The following lists all the types of data that can be imported, such as customers, employees, and vendors, as well as each field related to that data type, field lengths, and notes. Any field which is required for importing contains an asterisk (*).

Appointment Types

Column Name Field Type Max Length Notes
Parent* Lookup/Text 50 This is the name of the parent account (if any). This field is only required when importing COA Children (sub-accounts). The Parent must be a Chart of Account record that already exists in Total Office Manager. Example: Utilities.
Name* Text 50 This is the name of the name of the COA. Example: Rent or Electricity.
Number* Text 20 The number assigned to this account. This field may contain letters, however that is unusual in accounting. Example: 6010
Type* Lookup/Text 30 Available types for entry are: Bank, Accounts Receivable, Other Current Asset, Fixed Asset, Other Asset, Accounts Payable, Credit Card, Other Current Liability, Long Term Liability, Equity, Income, Cost of Goods Sold, Expense, Other Income, Other Expense.
Inactive Boolean You may leave this field blank, and the record will be imported as Active. You may enter No, False, or Active for an active record, Yes, True, or Inactive for an inactive record.
Account Number Text 30 This field is only present on Bank and Credit Card account types.
Description Memo This can be used to describe what the account is used for.
Date Created Date This must be in a Date format. Example: MM/DD/YYYY or 12/31/2030
Date Revised Date
Fixed or Variable Lookup/Text This option is for expense account types only. Options you may enter are: Fixed or Variable. You may also leave this blank.
Balance As Of Date Date This is the date the opening balance is effective.
Opening Balance Double (numeric) If you enter an amount here, the balance amount will be entered for the newly created account. Will not adjust the balance for existing COA with financial history.
What Best Describes This Text This option is for Income, Cost of Goods Sold, Other Income, and Other Expense account types only. Options you may enter are: Payroll and Labor Only, Parts and Material, Serialized Inventory, Sub Contractor, Other Direct Costs, Marketing & Advertising, Administration Labor, Sales Labor, Officer’s/Owner’s Salary, Other Labor, Warranty, Call-Backs, or Bad Debt.

Customer Types

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

50

Inactive

Boolean

No

Customer Contacts

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Customer

Lookup

No

Name

String

No

50

Phone

String

No

20

Extension

String

No

5

Cell

String

No

50

Pager

String

No

20

Fax

String

No

20

Email

String

No

50`

Customers

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

50

Parent

String

Yes

50

Field only visible when importing Jobs

Company Name

String

No

50

Salutation

String

No

50

First Name

String

No

25

Middle Initial

String

No

25

Last Name

String

No

25

Contact

String

No

50

Phone

String

No

20

Phone Ext

String

No

5

Cell Phone

String

No

20

Fax

String

No

20

Alt Phone

String

No

50

Email

String

No

50

Address

String

No

50

Address2

String

No

50

City

String

No

30

State

String

No

30

Zip

String

No

20

County

String

No

150

Country

String

No

20

Ship Address

String

No

50

Ship Address2

String

No

50

Ship City

String

No

30

Ship State

String

No

30

Ship Zip

String

No

20

Ship County

String

No

150

Ship Country

String

No

20

Type

Lookup

No

Terms

Lookup

No

Tax Item

Lookup

No

Resale Number

String

No

30

Account Number

String

No

30

Payment Method

Lookup

No

Job Type

Lookup

No

Notes

Memo

No

Inactive

Boolean

No

Pager

String

No

20

Pin

String

No

20

Website

String

No

100

A/R Account

Lookup

No

Marketing Source

Lookup

No

Date Created

Date

No

MapCode

String

No

35

Date Revised

Date

No

Foreman

Lookup

No

Sales Rep

Lookup

No

Industry Code Primary

Lookup

No

Industry Code Secondary

Lookup

No

Employee Count

Long

No

Year Started

Long

No

Open Notes on WOs

Boolean

No

Open Notes on Log

Boolean

No

Open Notes on Edit

Boolean

No

Credit Limit

Double

No

Credit Hold

Boolean

No

Uses AIA

Boolean

No

Job Status

Lookup

No

Start Date

Date

No

Projected End Date

Date

No

Completion Date

Date

No

Projected Total

Double

No

Contract No.

String

No

20

Job Description

String

No

100

Job Details

String

No

100

No Marketing

Boolean

No

No Finance Charge

Boolean

No

No Statement

Boolean

No

No Mail

Boolean

No

No Fax

Boolean

No

No Email

Boolean

No

No Phone

Boolean

No

Overhead

Double

No

Dollar or Percent

String

No

20

Labor Burden

Double

No

Owner

String

No

50

Department

Lookup

No

Markup Method

Lookup

No

Ship County

Lookup

No

Pronounced

String

No

100

Customer:Jobs

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Parent

Lookup

Yes

Parent must be a Customer or Job record that already exists in Total Office Manager.

Name

String

Yes

50

Parent

String

Yes

50

Field only visible when importing Jobs

Company Name

String

No

50

Salutation

String

No

50

First Name

String

No

25

Middle Initial

String

No

25

Last Name

String

No

25

Contact

String

No

50

Phone

String

No

20

Phone Ext

String

No

5

Cell Phone

String

No

20

Fax

String

No

20

Alt Phone

String

No

50

Email

String

No

50

Address

String

No

50

Address2

String

No

50

City

String

No

30

State

String

No

30

Zip

String

No

20

County

String

No

150

Country

String

No

20

Ship Address

String

No

50

Ship Address2

String

No

50

Ship City

String

No

30

Ship State

String

No

30

Ship Zip

String

No

20

Ship County

String

No

150

Ship Country

String

No

20

Type

Lookup

No

Terms

Lookup

No

Tax Item

Lookup

No

Resale Number

String

No

30

Account Number

String

No

30

Payment Method

Lookup

No

Job Type

Lookup

No

Notes

Memo

No

Inactive

Boolean

No

Pager

String

No

20

Pin

String

No

20

Website

String

No

100

A/R Account

Lookup

No

Marketing Source

Lookup

No

Date Created

Date

No

MapCode

String

No

35

Date Revised

Date

No

Foreman

Lookup

No

Sales Rep

Lookup

No

Industry Code Primary

Lookup

No

Industry Code Secondary

Lookup

No

Employee Count

Long

No

Year Started

Long

No

Open Notes on WOs

Boolean

No

Open Notes on Log

Boolean

No

Open Notes on Edit

Boolean

No

Credit Limit

Double

No

Credit Hold

Boolean

No

Uses AIA

Boolean

No

Job Status

Lookup

No

Start Date

Date

No

Projected End Date

Date

No

Completion Date

Date

No

Projected Total

Double

No

Contract No.

String

No

20

Job Description

String

No

100

Job Details

String

No

100

No Marketing

Boolean

No

No Finance Charge

Boolean

No

No Statement

Boolean

No

No Mail

Boolean

No

No Fax

Boolean

No

No Email

Boolean

No

No Phone

Boolean

No

Overhead

Double

No

Dollar or Percent

String

No

20

Labor Burden

Double

No

Owner

String

No

50

Department

Lookup

No

Markup Method

Lookup

No

Ship County

Lookup

No

Pronounced

String

No

100

Customers: Updating Customers

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

ID

Long

Yes

The ID used must be assigned to a Customer or Job record that already exists in Total Office Manager. The ID can be found by viewing the ID field/column on the Customer:Job List

Name

String

Yes

50

Parent

String

Yes

50

Field only visible when importing Jobs

Company Name

String

No

50

Salutation

String

No

50

First Name

String

No

25

Middle Initial

String

No

25

Last Name

String

No

25

Contact

String

No

50

Phone

String

No

20

Phone Ext

String

No

5

Cell Phone

String

No

20

Fax

String

No

20

Alt Phone

String

No

50

Email

String

No

50

Address

String

No

50

Address2

String

No

50

City

String

No

30

State

String

No

30

Zip

String

No

20

County

String

No

150

Country

String

No

20

Ship Address

String

No

50

Ship Address2

String

No

50

Ship City

String

No

30

Ship State

String

No

30

Ship Zip

String

No

20

Ship County

String

No

150

Ship Country

String

No

20

Type

Lookup

No

Terms

Lookup

No

Tax Item

Lookup

No

Resale Number

String

No

30

Account Number

String

No

30

Payment Method

Lookup

No

Job Type

Lookup

No

Notes

Memo

No

Inactive

Boolean

No

Pager

String

No

20

Pin

String

No

20

Website

String

No

100

A/R Account

Lookup

No

Marketing Source

Lookup

No

Date Created

Date

No

MapCode

String

No

35

Date Revised

Date

No

Foreman

Lookup

No

Sales Rep

Lookup

No

Industry Code Primary

Lookup

No

Industry Code Secondary

Lookup

No

Employee Count

Long

No

Year Started

Long

No

Open Notes on WOs

Boolean

No

Open Notes on Log

Boolean

No

Open Notes on Edit

Boolean

No

Credit Limit

Double

No

Credit Hold

Boolean

No

Uses AIA

Boolean

No

Job Status

Lookup

No

Start Date

Date

No

Projected End Date

Date

No

Completion Date

Date

No

Projected Total

Double

No

Contract No.

String

No

20

Job Description

String

No

100

Job Details

String

No

100

No Marketing

Boolean

No

No Finance Charge

Boolean

No

No Statement

Boolean

No

No Mail

Boolean

No

No Fax

Boolean

No

No Email

Boolean

No

No Phone

Boolean

No

Overhead

Double

No

Dollar or Percent

String

No

20

Labor Burden

Double

No

Owner

String

No

50

Department

Lookup

No

Markup Method

Lookup

No

Ship County

Lookup

No

Pronounced

String

No

100

Departments

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

50

Alias

String

Yes

4

Must be unique
Inactive

Boolean

No

Notes

Memo

No

Departments – Children

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Parent

Lookup

Yes

Parent must be a Department record that already exists in Total Office Manager.
Name

String

Yes

50

Alias

String

Yes

4

Must be unique to all parent and children.
Inactive

Boolean

No

Notes

Memo

No

Employee Types

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

20

Inactive

Boolean

No

Employees

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Alias

String

Yes

10

Salutation

String

No

15

First Name

String

No

25

Middle Initial

String

No

5

Last Name

String

No

25

Print On Check

String

No

70

Address

String

No

50

Address2

String

No

50

City

String

No

35

State

String

No

30

Zip

String

No

20

Country

String

No

20

Phone

String

No

21

Phone Ext

String

No

5

Fax

String

No

21

Alt Phone

String

No

21

Email

String

No

100

Pager

String

No

20

Pin

String

No

20

Type

Lookup

No

SSN

String

No

11

Date Hired

Date

No

Date Released

Date

No

Deceased

Boolean

No

Notes

Memo

No

Inactive

Boolean

No

Cell Phone

String

No

20

Website

String

No

100

Employee Number

String

No

25

Title

String

No

25

Date of Birth

Date

No

Department

Lookup

No

Date Created

Date

No

Date Revised

Date

No

Equipment Manufacturers

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

20

Inactive

Boolean

No

Equipment Types

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

20

Inactive

Boolean

No

Fixed Assets

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

50

Number

String

No

10

Serial Number

String

No

30

Location

String

No

50

Manufacturer

Lookup

No

Employee

Lookup

No

Department

Lookup

No

Type

Lookup

No

New

Boolean

No

Warranty Exp.

Date

No

Extended Warranty Exp.

Date

No

Extended Warranty #

String

No

30

Description

Memo

No

In-Service Date

Date

No

Cost

Double

No

Industry Codes

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Code

String

Yes

Type

String

Yes

Description

String

No

AKA

String

No

Item Categories

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

35

Inactive

Boolean

No

Groups Item

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

55

This is the item number for this Group Item.
Group Item

Lookup

Yes

You cannot import a Group item into a Group item. When importing Group items, the items within that Group item must already exist. Import individual items first.
Quantity

Double

No

Sales Description

Memo

No

Inactive

Boolean

No

Category

Lookup

No

Items

Use this option to import the following item types: Serialized, Inventory Part, Serialized, Non-Inventory Part, Other Charge, and Service. There are import options for other items types.

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name/Number

String

Yes

55

If the item number already exists, nothing will be updated on that item. There are other import options for adjusting the quantity on hand and certain other values.
Type

String

Yes

30

Your import file must include an exact match to one of these types. Your file may contain a mix of these. Serialized, Inventory Part, Serialized, Non-Inventory Part, Other Charge, and Service. You cannot import serial numbers. You will not be able to change the Item type with an import.
Price

Double

No

Cost

Double

No

Weight

Double

No

Inactive

Boolean

No

Category

Lookup

No

Sales Description

Memo

No

Purchase Description

Memo

No

Dollar or Percent

String

No

10

Purchased

Boolean

No

Bin

String

No

15

SDS Required

Boolean

No

Formerly known as MSDS or Material Safety Data Sheet
Income Account

Lookup

Yes/No

Use the Account Number, not the Name. The account requirement depends on the Item Type used as well as use of the “Purchased…” checkbox. Please verify the specific usage of the item type you are working with.
Expense/COGS Account

Lookup

Yes/No

Use the Account Number, not the Name. The account requirement depends on the Item Type used as well as use of the “Purchased…” checkbox. Please verify the specific usage of the item type you are working with.
Asset Account

Lookup

Yes/No

Use the Account Number, not the Name. The account requirement depends on the Item Type used as well as use of the “Purchased…” checkbox. Please verify the specific usage of the item type you are working with.
Deposit Account

Lookup

No

Specific to Payment type items.
Tax Code

Lookup

No

Vendor

Lookup

No

Notes

Memo

No

Date Created

Date

No

Date Revised

Date

No

Reorder point

Double

No

Markup Method

Lookup

No

Labor Minutes

Double

No

Inventory Adjustment – Non-Serialized

This import adds non-serialized quantity item adjustments for existing items. This import does the same thing as if you manually entered a non-serialized item adjustment for a quantity, by hand.

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Item

String

Yes

55

The item name/number> The item must exist. It will not be added.
Qty to Add Double Yes How many items you wish to add. This is not the new quantity.
Cost

Double

Yes

The price that you pay for this item.
Date

Date

Yes

The date that you want this transaction to apply to. This is the date you want to affect financials.
Warehouse

Lookup

Yes

The warehouse you wish to have the quantity adjusted on.
Account

Lookup

No

This is the account you wish to use for this transaction. This might be “Shrinkage” or “Inventory Adjustment”. It is usually a COGS or Expense account. If no account is selected, Opening Balance Equity will be used. This is a built-in system account and typically not the best choice.
Department Alias

Lookup

No

The unique four-character alias that is used to identify the department. Enter a value if you wish to departmentalize the adjustment.
Customer:Job ID

Lookup

No

The database ID of the customer. Enter a value if you wish to associate this expense with a customer or job. Note: This is the internal ID of this customer. You will find this value in the Customer:Job list (as a column) or in the Payment Info tab, next to the Account # field.
Memo

Memo

No

The Memo field where you may enter a note about the adjustment.

Item Bins

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Item

Lookup

Yes

Warehouse

Lookup

Yes

Bin

String

Yes

20

Location

String

No

255

Job Types

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

50

Inactive

Boolean

No

Marketing Types

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

50

Inactive

Boolean

No

Description

Memo

No

Marketing Types – Children

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Parent

Lookup

Yes

Name

String

Yes

50

Group Item must be an Invoice Item record that already exists in Total Office Manager.
Inactive

Boolean

No

Description

Memo

No

Sales Tax Items

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name/Number

String

Yes

55

Rate

Double

Yes

Vendor

Lookup

No

Description

Memo

No

Ship Via

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

20

Inactive

Boolean

No

Tax Code

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Tax Code

String

Yes

55

Taxable

Boolean

Yes

Inactive

Boolean

No

Description

String

No

Vendor Types

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

20

Inactive

Boolean

No

Vendors

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Vendor Name

String

Yes

50

Company Name

String

No

50

Vendors can have a separate Company Name.
Salutation

String

No

15

First Name

String

No

25

Middle Initial

String

No

5

Last Name

String

No

25

Contact

String

No

50

Phone

String

No

21

Phone Ext

String

No

5

Cell Phone

String

No

20

Fax

String

No

21

Alt Phone

String

No

21

Alt Contact

String

No

50

Email

String

No

100

Address

String

No

50

Address2

String

No

50

City

String

No

50

State

String

No

30

Zip

String

No

30

Country

String

No

20

Ship Address

String

No

20

Ship Address2

String

No

50

Ship City

String

No

50

Ship State

String

No

30

Ship Zip

String

No

30

Ship County

String

No

20

Ship Country

String

No

150

PrintOnCheck

String

No

20

Print on Check: The name you want printed on checks.
Type

Lookup

No

70

Terms

Lookup

No

The Term must already exist or it will not be selected on the vendor.
AP Account

Lookup

No

The Chart of Account name. This is usually Accounts Payable. We do not use the Account Number field. If this information is missing, it will use the Company Default in Preferences (if there is one). Otherwise, the Vendor will not be imported.
Credit Limit

Double

No

Eligible For 1099

Boolean

No

Notes

Memo

No

Inactive

Boolean

No

Pager

String

No

20

Pin

String

No

20

Website

String

No

100

Account Number

String

No

This is your account number the vendor assigned to you. This has nothing to do with your Chart of Accounts.
Date Created

Date

No

Date Revised

Date

No

Carrier #

String

No

15

Warehouses

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

20

Type

String

No

10

Description

String

No

50

Contact

String

No

30

Address

String

No

50

Address2

String

No

50

City

String

No

30

State

String

No

30

Zip

String

No

20

Country

String

No

20

Inactive

Boolean

No

Phone

String

No

20

Fax

String

No

20

Work Order Types

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Name

String

Yes

20

Inactive

Boolean

No

Zip Codes

Column Name

Field Type

Required

Max Length

Notes

Zip Code

String

Yes

30

City

String

No

150

State

String

No

30

Area Code

String

No

10

Time Zone

String

No

50

County

String

No

150

Latitude

String

No

30

Longitude

String

No

30

Inactive

Boolean

No

Import and Import File Tips

  1. VERY IMPORTANT: Be sure to do a backup of your company file (database) before you do any importing in Total Office Manager. After the import, immediately study the results (before letting anyone else work in the program). If you see problems, restore your original company file.
  2. ASCII Text files can be created using various different “delimiters”. Delimiters are used to separate fields. They are how the software knows when one field ends and another field begins. If your text contains characters that are the same as a delimiter, but they are not meant to be a delimiter, the software will not “realize” this. The text will be broken into new fields each time the delimiter is encountered. A good delimiter is something that is not normally found in the text you are importing.
  3. To prevent data discrepancies in your live company file, it is recommended to practice importing in a sandbox environment. This can be created by following the steps outlined in Creating a Training Environment.
  4. You must have proper permission to perform an import. If you don’t, contact your Total Office Manager administrator.
  5. A terrific way to understand the import process is to do an export from Total Office Manager. You can open the export file and see how it is formatted and laid out.
  6. You can go back at anytime and change the various setting and selection that you made to any screen.
  7. A delimiter is used to separate records so that software programs such as Total Office Manager know where things begin and end. When you export from a software program, you are typically asked what delimiter you wish to use. Tab is a particularly good choice.
  8. Some files contain what are called headers (AKA: Field Names). These are basically words at the top of the page that identify the fields below. An example of a header may be “Company” or “Address” or “City”. You will need to check the First Row Contains Field Names so that Total Office Manager understands that the first row is not to be imported.
  9. If your import file contains headers that exactly match the field name seen in the field selection list, the import will select those fields for you. Example: Your import file has a header called “Name/Number” and the matching field has the same name (which it does), the import will select that field for you.

Notes Related to Importing

  • This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on the size of the import file and the speed of your system. Please allow sufficient time to do this because you will not be able to use Total Office Manager while the process is going on.

Related Content

How to Import Bills, Vendor Credits, and Item Receipts

Creating, Editing, and Importing Budgets

Importing Flat Rate Plus™ Data into Total Office Manager

Importing Flat Rate Plus for Aptora Hosted Solutions

Importing Timesheets

 

 

 

 

Creating, Editing, and Importing Budgets

Introduction to Importing and Exporting Budgets

This help topic covers how to set up and manage budgets in Total Office Manager. We also cover exporting, importing, and working with budgets in Microsoft Excel. Total Office Manager makes budgeting easy with its powerful budget feature.

Usage

A budget is basically an income statement for some future period. A budget can be thought of as a hopeful income statement. Use budgets to predict what your financial performance will be during some future date range. Budgets are a very important part of running any business successfully.

Creating a budget is just a matter of filling in each account with a number that represents your prediction of what will happen between some future dates. For example, you may enter $100,000.00 in a sales account (from your chart of accounts ). Total Office Manager also allows you to base your budget on the past performance of your company. For example, you can select a prior year and let Total Office Manager fill in all of the numbers. You can then edit those numbers to reflect what you think is going to happen in the future.

Form Access

From the main menu, click Company | Budget List.  The Budget List will open and display any budgets that you may have created.

Step-By-Step – Create New Budget

  1. To create a new budget, from the Budget List click Budget | New Budget.  The “Create New Budget” form will appear.
  2. In the Budget Name field, enter a name for your new budget. An example may be “20xx Budget”.
  3. Enter a date in the Year Built For. This is how the software knows what business year this budget represents.
  4. You may also select a department to build the budget for. This allows you to create a budget for each department. This and many other values can be changed later.
  5. Specify the year for this budget to build from. An example may be 20xx. This means Total Office Manager will use your 20xx numbers to create a budget. You can then change the various numbers as needed.
  6. Select a department to build the budget from. This setting will copy the income statement information for the year you selected for the department you selected. This is optional.
  7. Click the Create button.  The new budget will appear shortly.
  8. Make changes to the various cells as you might in a spreadsheet program.
  9. Click Save when complete.

Step-By-Step – Edit Existing Budget

  1. Open the Budget List as described in Form Access above.
  2. To edit an existing budget, select a budget, click Budget > right-click and select Edit Budget.
  3. Make changes to the various cells as you might in a spreadsheet program.
  4. Click Save when complete.
  5. You may also select a budget, right-click > Edit Properties.

Field & Button Definitions (Create New Budget Form)

The following explains the meaning of each filed in the Create New Budget form. This form is displayed when you first create a new budget or when you select Properties.

  • Budget Name – Enter a name to describe the budget such as “20xx Budget”. Names must be unique.
  • Specify Year to Build From – The year for the new budget to build from.  An example may be 20xx.  This means Total Office Manager will use your 20xx numbers to create a budget.  You can then change the various numbers as needed.  This is usually better than starting with a blank budget.
  • Year Built For – The year the budget represents. Budgets are created for a full year. The feature will divide the budget into twelve months. Each month can be modified. You can only have one budget per year. If you need to, inactivate the budget, and create a new one for that year.
  • Department – Optional. The department that this budget represents.
  • Create – Creates the budget.
  • Cancel – Closes the form without creating a budget.

Field Definitions & Menu Commands (Budget Spreadsheet)

Budget

The following explains the meaning of each column name seen in the actual budget.  NOTE: The commands from the “Budget” menu are identical to those found by clicking the Menu button, or by right-clicking in the list itself to access the pop-up menu.  Use whatever method of access is most convenient for you.

  • Account – This is the account associated with the budget item. This comes from your Chart of Accounts. An example might be “Rent”.
  • Type – The type of account such as Fixed Assets, Bank, Equity, Other Current Asset, Other Current Liability, Other Current Asset, Fixed Asset, etc.
  • Annual Total – The total of that account for the entire year.
  • Amount by Month – The amount for that account for each month.
  • Budget | Save – Saves the changes you may have made.
  • Budget | Adjustments – Opens the Budget Adjustment Calculator.
  • Budget | Adjust Month Amounts – With your cursor placed in a field of any row, this option will divide out the Annual Amount evenly into each month.
  • Budget | Clear Budget – Clears the entire worksheet (all cells). Be careful with this one!
  • Budget | Clear Line – Clears the highlighted line.
  • Budget | Clear Selection – Clears the highlighted selection.
  • Budget – Edit Account – Allows you to open the COA to view and or edit.
  • Budget | Export List – Provides export capabilities of the displayed information.
  • Help – Takes you to this page.

Filter

The Filter menu option allows you to filter out the list by account type. It also allows you to hide accounts with zero amounts.

Reports

This menu option offers a simple budget report. It was designed for proofing the budget quickly. You will generally use the budget report (see Related Topics below) or select a budget when examining your income statement.

Importing and Exporting

You can create new budgets by importing from Excel. The best way to do this is by first exporting an existing budget.

Keep the file’s headers, then add two more headers in the blank columns to the right of them: Year Built For and Budget Name.

Edit or fill in the information for each row, save and close the file, then import the data back into Total Office Manager.

Working with MS Excel

Create an Excel Worksheet with the columns shown in the following table. You may export a budget and modify it as needed. When finished, import your new budget.

Export Field Name Description
Account # The Number field on the COA
Account* The Name field on the COA
Year The Year Built For field
Annual Total The total of all months combined.
January The total for January
February  The total for February
March  The total for March
April  The total for April
May  The total for May
June  The total for June
July  The total for July
August  The total for August
September  The total for September
October  The total for October
November  The total for November
December  The total for December
Inactive* True or False
Fixed/Var.* None, Variable, or Fixed
*This field is exported but not used or needed when importing.

Export and Import Tips

  • The import process will ignore rows that do not have a value in the “Account #” field (for your chart of accounts). This allows you to include sub-totals and other formatting that makes managing your budget easier. For example, you could sub-total your income, cost of goods sold, and expenses. You could add gross profit and net profit, making your Excel file look like an income statement. When imported, rows with an empty “Account #” field will be ignored. Just make sure you do not enter anything into the “Account #” field.
  • You can import multiple budgets from one Excel file by including a different value for “Year Built For” and “Budget Name”. Entering a different year or name will create multiple budgets. For example, you can create budgets for more than one year or for the company and multiple departments, then import them together.

Tips

  • You can only have one active budget for any year (this is the Year Built For field). This is true whether the budget is for the entire company or a department. If you need to, inactivate the budget, and create a new one for that year; otherwise, the amounts for each budget could be combined.
  • When examining your company’s income statement, you have the option of including a budget to compare with.

Related Content

Budget Adjustments Calculator

Financials – Budget Report

Importing Flat Rate Plus™ Data into Total Office Manager

Flat Rate Plus Import Introduction

This topic only applies if you want to take information from Flat Rate Plus™ Desktop and copy it over to Total Office Manager. This help topic explains how to use the Flat Rate Plus™ Import Wizard. This help topic does not pertain to Flat Rate Plus Online.

Usage

This wizard allows you to get information that is in your Flat Rate Plus™ database and copy it over to your Total Office Manager company file (database). This allows for faster invoice processing because you will not have to enter items, repairs, etc. You may simply open the invoice and enter the FRP task number . All of the related fields are automatically filled in for you. You must purchase FRP or already own a recent version to take advantage of this feature. Flat Rate Plus™ is made by the same people that make Total Office Manager and it is available by contacting Aptora at 913-492-9930.

This import will work with FRP version 8 (or higher) only. If your Flat rate Plus version is not 8, it must be updated. Please contact our office for conversion options.

Form Access

  • From the main menu, click File | Company Utilities | Import Flat Rate Plus Data.

Step-By-Step

NOTE: See Detailed Explanation of Each Field below for details.

  1. Back up your Total Office Manager company file.

  2. Open the FRP Import wizard according to the instructions above (see Form Access). The wizard will open. Click Next.

  3. Select a Flat Rate Plus database to import into Total Office Manager. Click Next.

  4. Select the correct asset, sales, and expense accounts. Click Next.

  5. Select the correct import options. See below (Form 2: FRP Import Options) for details of what each mean. Click Next.

  6. This form is like the previous. Select the correct import options. See below (Form 3: FRP Import Options (part 2)) for details of what each mean. Click Next.

  7. This form is like the previous two and is the last of the basic import options. Select the correct import options. See below (Form 4: FRP Import Options (part 3)) for details of what each mean. Click Next.

  8. Select the proper columns of pricing for each FRP department. This is usually the “Regular” column. See below for details of what each mean. Click Next.

  9. Double check your settings. Click the Import button. This process may take five or ten minutes and possibly more. Please don’t use Total Office Manager while the import process is proceeding.

Detailed Explanation of Each Field

The following list shows all of the various fields used by this wizard and explains what each one means.

Form 1: Choose The Flat Rate Plus Data File

Select a Flat Rate Plus™ Database File and Path

This refers to the Flat Rate Plus™ database that you plan to use for the data that you wish to eventually import into Total Office Manager. You will need to navigate to this location if it is not in the default location. Please click the button as shown and locate your Flat Rate Plus™ database. The exact path will be something like this: C:\Program Files\Flat Rate Plus\FRPHVAC.mdb (or any custom path you may have established).

Form 2: Account Information

Income Account

The list of accounts shown is from Total Office Manager’s Chart of Account list. These are the accounts that are affected when you buy or sell something. You must select an Income Account. This is the account that will track income (sales). Note: Total Office Manager allows you to only pick from Income accounts.

COGS\Expense Account

Select an expense account. This is the account that will track your cost of goods sold (direct expenses) or expenses accounts. This is the money you pay for resell items. We generally recommend that you select a cost of goods sold account and not an expense account.

Asset Account

Select an asset account. This will track the inventory asset in Total Office Manager. This is the value of the items that are unsold. Note: Total Office Manager allows you to only pick from asset accounts.

Form 3: FRP Import Options

Part Number Appearance

FRP always adds dashes to task numbers (but no repair items). You can decide if you wish for Total Office Manager to add these dashes or leave them out. Check the field “Use FRP Style Dashes” to add dashes to tasks. The advantage to keeping the dashed from FRP is that the tasks in Total Office Manager will have the same exact task number as in FRP. The disadvantage is that the dashes require a little more data entry when creating invoices.

Import into Total Office Manager as

This refers to the item type that Total Office Manager will use for these items. See your choices below.

Inventory Part Items (tracking)

These represent materials or parts you buy, track as inventory, and then resell. Through inventory part Items, you can keep track of how many Items remain in stock after a sale, how many Items you have on order, your cost of goods sold, and the value of your inventory. We generally recommend that you do NOT select this option.

Non-Inventory Part (no tracking)

GENERALLY RECOMMENDED FOR MOST USERS. All FRP items will be added to Total Office Manager but Total Office Manager will not track them as inventory. This is generally what WE RECOMMEND! NOTE: Due to the way Total Office Manager works, you are not able to change the item type of an item once an item is created in Total Office Manager.

If Total Office Manager already has this data, overwrite from FRP

This refers to how you want Total Office Manager to handle duplicates if encountered. See your choices below.

Always

When this option is selected, all items in Total Office Manager that have the same item number as FRP will be OVERWRITTEN. In other words, duplicate FRP data will overwrite Total Office Manager data.

Never

When this option is selected, Total Office Manager will NOT overwrite anything that has the same item number already in Total Office Manager.

Only if FRP Data is Newer

When this option is selected, duplicated items will be overwritten only if they have a Last Revised Date from FRP that is NEWER than Total Office Manager’s last revised date. This is generally recommended.

Only if FRP Data is Older

When this option is selected, duplicated items will be overwritten only if they have a Last Revised Date from FRP that is OLDER than Total Office Manager’s Last Revised Date. This option has it’s uses but generally you would not want this option.

FRP Sales Tax

This refers to how you want Total Office Manager to handle sales tax with these items.

Tax Exempt

Total Office Manager has an option to individually mark items as tax exempt. This is generally NOT recommended.

Taxable

With this option selected, all items will be taxable. In other words, the ‘Tax Exempt’ box is not selected in Total Office Manager.

Use FRP Tax

This means that items in Total Office Manager will have the same sales tax setting as in FRP. This is GENERALLY RECOMMENDED.”

Form 3: FRP Import Options (part 2)

Use Item Vendor as Preferred Vendor

Total Office Manager has a field that allows you to select or enter the name of your “preferred” vendor. You can have Total Office Manager fill this field with the value that is stored in the “Vendor” field in FRP.

Append Item Notes to Description Field

Append means to add to the end of what is already there. Check this option to add any item notes that may exit is FRP to the end of the FRP’s regular item description. This will create one large item description.

Append Task Notes to Description Field

Append means to add to the end of what is already there. Check this option to add any task notes that may exit is FRP to the end of the FRP’s regular task description. This will create one large task description.

If Checked, Only Items Used by Tasks Will Be Imported

By checking this option, Total Office Manager will only import inventory items. This includes all active items, whether or not they are used in a task. Tasks will not be imported. Labor items will not be imported. Most users will never need to use this option. We highly recommend that you leave this option unchecked (off).

Import Active Inventory Items Only

We highly recommend that you leave this option unchecked (off). By checking this option, you will import each and every one of the inventory items that are contained in FRP. This not only includes items used by tasks, but also all other inventory items. Items are imported as long as they are set to active. Please leave this option unchecked (off) unless you have deleted or inactivated a substantial number of tasks and items in FRP.

Create Item Categories

When checked, Total Office Manager will setup Item Categories like you have in FRP. This organizes your items. We recommend that you have this option checked.

Form 4: FRP Import Options (part 3)

Departments

Flat Rate Plus allows you to setup as many departments as you want. Each department can have as many as six columns of pricing. Examples of these columns may be “Regular”, Preferred”, “Overtime” and “Add-on”. Select which Flat Rate Plus Column you wish to use as the default price for each Department. You have the ability to associate a column to serve as the default price of labor for each department setup in Flat Rate Plus. Let’s say you have a Service Department and an Installation Department in Flat Rate Plus. In your Service Department you use column 1 (called “Regular”) as your most likely column to use when pricing a repair. For most companies this would be referred to as their “regular” price. That’s why we called the column “Regular”. In this form, you would select “Regular” as shown. Let’s say that in the Installation Department you are using column 5 as your “Regular” price. You would select “Regular” as shown. Note: “Regular” is almost always your best choice. When in doubt, ask for help or pick “Regular”.

Form 5: Import Data

Import Button

Starts the import process. Be sure to double check your settings and be sure you have backed up your database (Company File), and read this entire topic, including the tips, before clicking this button.

Tips

  • Be sure that you have spent time setting up your Flat Rate Plus™ database before you send its data to Total Office Manager. Enter labor rates, discounts, sales tax, etc.

  • Clean up your FRP database! You should inactivate repairs that you don’t need. This should include a large number of installation tasks and other repairs that don’t apply to you.

  • You can only copy data from FRP to Total Office Manager. You can’t copy information from Total Office Manager to FRP. This is a feature we plan to add in the future though.

  • Once the entire process is complete, please go into Total Office Manager and look over the data VERY CAREFULLY. If you notice something that you don’t like, you can restore from the backup that you made. Remember, if you imported things you wish you hadn’t (like tasks you will not need), you can delete them as long as the records you are deleting have not been used in any transaction .

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