How to Import Your Data into VIA ERP in 10 Minutes

Before You Start: What You Need

To import your data into VIA ERP, you need two things:

• A VIA ERP account (free for 14 days, no credit card required)
• Your data files in Excel (.xlsx) or CSV (.csv) format

Your files don't need to be "perfect". VIA ERP's import system is designed to handle real-world data — with all its imperfections. Missing columns, duplicates, mixed formats: everything is handled by the import assistant.

Step 1: Prepare Your File (2 minutes)

VIA ERP accepts any Excel or CSV file with columns. There's no imposed format — the system automatically detects your columns.

A few best practices for optimal import:

• One header row: the first row should contain column names (Name, Email, Phone, etc.)
• Homogeneous data: each column should contain the same data type (no phone numbers mixed with names)
• No empty rows in the middle of the file
• One tab per data type if using Excel: one for customers, one for products

Step 2: Upload to VIA ERP (1 minute)

In VIA ERP, each module has an import button accessible in one click:

• CRM → Contacts: to import your customer and supplier base
• Catalog → Products: to import your items and services
• Invoicing → Invoices: to import billing history
• Inventory → Stock: to initialize stock levels

Click "Import", then drag and drop your file into the upload zone. The system instantly analyzes your file and displays a preview of the first rows.

Step 3: Map the Columns (3 minutes)

This is the key step — and it's also the simplest thanks to automatic mapping. VIA ERP analyzes your column names and automatically suggests the correspondence:

• "Customer Name" → "Name" field in VIA ERP
• "Email" → "Email" field
• "Tel" or "Phone" or "Téléphone" → "Phone" field
• "Amount Ex-Tax" or "Price" → "Unit Price" field

The system recognizes common variants in French, English and Arabic. If a column isn't automatically recognized, you can manually map it via a dropdown menu.

Advanced mapping features:

• Default values: assign a value to all records (e.g., "Customer" as default type for all imported contacts)
• Transformation: convert formats (dates, currencies, units) during import
• Ignore columns: skip non-relevant columns
• Calculated columns: combine multiple columns into one (e.g., First Name + Last Name → Full Name)

Step 4: Validate and Import (2 minutes)

Before final import, VIA ERP performs a complete validation of your data:

• Duplicates detected: the system identifies records that already exist (by email, reference or name)
• Format errors: invalid dates, malformed emails, negative amounts
• Missing required fields: e.g., a product without a name or a contact without an email
• Cross-references: verification that products referenced in invoices exist in the catalog

A validation report shows the number of valid records, warnings and errors. You can fix errors directly in the interface or ignore them to address later.

When everything is ready, click "Import". The system creates records in the background and notifies you when it's done.

Supported Modules and Use Cases

• Contacts (CRM): customers, suppliers, prospects — with addresses, multiple contacts, and tags
• Products (Catalog): items, services, variants — with prices, VAT, SKU references and barcodes
• Invoices (Billing): sales and purchase invoices — with detailed lines, VAT and dates
• Quotes (CRM): commercial proposals with conditions and validity
• Delivery Notes: delivery history with quantities and dates
• Inventory: initial stock by product and warehouse

5 Tips for a Successful Import

• Start with contacts: import your customers and suppliers first, as other modules reference them
• Then products: the catalog must exist before importing invoices or quotes
• Test with a small sample: import 10 rows first, check the result, then run the full import
• Use templates: VIA ERP provides Excel template files for each module — download and fill them with your data
• Keep your original files: never delete your original Excel/CSV files after import

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import from Google Sheets?
Yes — export from Google Sheets as .xlsx or .csv, then import into VIA ERP. The process is identical.

What happens with duplicates?
The system detects duplicates by email (contacts) or reference (products). You can choose to update existing records, skip them, or create new records.

Is there a size limit?
Import supports up to 100,000 rows per file. For large volumes, processing runs in the background without blocking your session.

Can I undo an import?
Yes — every import is traceable. You can bulk-delete records from a specific import if needed.