1. Sugar Importing Basics
April 2013

2. Every Customer
Every User
Every Time

3. Every Customer – Proper data import at the
onset of a CRM deployment helps insure you
get the right data into the system, to provide
greater customer insight and provide optimal
service and support.

4. Presentation Topics
• Importing Features
• Modules with Import Function
• Importing Best Practices
• Sugar Import Process
• Advanced Data Loads
4

5. Importing Features
• Import into standard modules or into custom
modules created in Module Builder
• Create new records and update existing records
simultaneously
• Add data field values during the import process
• Check for duplicates
• Specify Sugar import file settings during the
import process
• Ability to import 20,000 records at one time
(value configurable in Admin settings)
5

6. Modules with Import Function
Targets
Import from Excel
Contacts
Leads, Opportunities, Bug
Import from other
CRM systems,
Tracker, Cases, Notes,
Contact Managers, Tasks, Calls, Meetings
Microsoft Outlook, Import from other CRM systems,
Excel Excel
Products, Product Types,
Product Categories,
Accounts Manufacturers
Import from other
Available in the Administration
CRM systems,
Home page
Contact Managers,
Excel Import from other CRM systems,
Excel

7. Importing Best Practices
• Prepare the data for import
• Prep Sugar to accept your data
• Test the import
• Match the Date format
• Import Accounts first
7

8. Best Practice: Prepare the Data for Import
• Cleanse the data first!
– Check for spelling errors
– Check for duplicate information
– Correct formatting (e.g., lower case vs. upper
case)
– Add missing information
– Add record IDs for updating records
8

9. Best Practice: Prep Sugar to accept your Data
• Add all necessary legacy system fields not
available out-of-the box with Sugar (using
Sugar Studio)
• Don’t worry about layout at this stage –
you can finalize the layout after the final
import
9

10. Best Practice: Match the Date Format
• When importing date fields, verify that the
import file and Sugar’s user setting for the
date format match
Example: If you import a UK date format (dd/mm/yyyy)
and your user settings are still set to the default US
format (mm/dd/yyyy), some of your data will error
If this happens, remove the data import (Undo Last
Import) and import the data again with the correct date
format selected.
10

11. Best Practice: Import Accounts First
• Manipulate contact data to create an
account spreadsheet to import
– Save As Account_Import, sort by company name
– Delete duplicates
– Add new columns for account fields as needed
• Import new account data into the Accounts
module, then import the contact data into
the Contacts module with the account
name or account record id
11

12. Best Practice: Test the Import
• Import 1,000 records at a time
• Create a smaller version of your data file
exclusively for test purposes
• Start with about 5 records
– Why wait for 1,000 records to import when
you can gain assurance of the process using
only 5 records?
12

13. Sugar Import Process: Five Steps
Import per module – Actions section
1. Upload Import File
2. Confirm Import File Properties
3. Confirm Field Mapping
4. Check for Possible Duplicates
5. View Import Results
13

14. Advanced Data Loads
• SugarCRM Partners provide a variety of data
migration services for many different CRM
systems including SalesForce and ACT!
– Data Migration Guidance
– Pre-Data Migration Preparation
– SFDC Data Migration
– SQLData Conversion to MySQL
– Standard Data Migration
• Contact your sales rep for a partner referral or
use the partner page on SugarCRM website:
http://www.sugarcrm.com/partners
14

15. Sugar Importing Basics
Questions?
Thank you for attending this session
15