Address upload from Excel for Macola ES

This tool allows you to "import" customer addresses from a spreadsheet into your Macola ES system. The tool takes care of the complexities updating the contacts and addresses tables and automatically supplying certain required default values. Once installed, the tool asks the user to browse and locate the incoming excel file. The user then clicks the "Process" button to bring in the addresses. If any addresses already exist, they are merely updated. The incoming excel file needs to have certain column headings. The user can click on the "Generate layout" button to create a sample excel file in the correct format. It maintains a log of every address update performed and captures the user name and date time stamp associated with each import. The tool relies on a built in data transformation (DTS) package to transfer the excel data to the SQL server, ensuring fast processing of even large excel files. The program performs basic validation. For example, it checks to see if customers and ship-via-codes (if provided) specified in the incoming excel file are actually set up in the Macola ES system. The program is architected to be easily adaptable regarding the excel layout. More address or contact related fields can be easily added according to the needs of a client. The tool could be deployed as a user application at client sites whose typical customers have hundreds of locations and addresses. It might also come in handy during the data conversion phase of a more traditional new site implementation with just a handful of locations per customer. Refer to synergy document 13.934.833 for more details and a screen shot.