Most businesses do not stay on old software because they like it. They stay because moving the data feels risky: thousands of customers, product lists, open invoices, payment history. One bad import and your books are wrong.
The InfiBis Data Import wizard in v1.0.0 is built for exactly that fear. Five steps, a preview before anything is saved, validation on every row, and a commit that is safe to run again.
What You Can Import
Whether you are migrating from desktop accounting systems or consolidating spreadsheets, InfiBis lets you import four essential operational data types:
| Data Type | Typical Source |
|---|---|
| Customers | Old accounting or billing software, CRM exports, Excel sheets |
| Products | Inventory sheets, price lists, supplier catalogues |
| Invoices | Previous billing system, historical sales records |
| Payments | Bank or ledger exports, receivables sheets |
If your current tool can export CSV—and almost all can—you can bring the data into InfiBis. This includes migrations from TallyPrime, Zoho Books, Busy, Marg, Odoo, or a spreadsheet you have maintained for years.
The 5-Step Import Flow
The InfiBis import flow is designed to be self-guiding, preventing user error at each milestone:
Step 1: Choose What to Import
Select customers, products, invoices, or payments. Each data entity has its own expected columns and relationship model.
Step 2: Upload Your CSV
Drop in your file. InfiBis automatically reads the headers and rows without requiring proprietary templates.
Step 3: Map Your Columns
Match your file's headers to InfiBis fields. For example, "Party Name" in your old system becomes "Customer name" in InfiBis. You do not need to reformat or rename headers in your file before uploading.
Step 4: Preview and Validate
This is the step that protects your books. Before anything is written to the database, you see your data as InfiBis will read it, complete with comprehensive row-level validation:
- Missing required fields (e.g., party name or contact information)
- Malformed values (e.g., invalid phone formats or tax rates)
- Rows that will fail, flagged individually with specific error messages
You can fix the CSV, re-upload, and preview again. Nothing has been committed yet.
Step 5: Commit
Once you are satisfied that all rows pass validation, confirm the import and the records are written to your ledger.
Why "Idempotent Commit" Matters
Idempotent means running the same import twice does not create duplicates.
Real-world migrations are messy. A browser tab closes mid-import. You fix ten bad rows and upload the file again. Someone clicks commit twice. With a naive importer, each of those situations causes duplicate customers, doubled stock lines, duplicate invoice entries, and hours of stressful manual cleanup.
With an idempotent commit, re-running the import is completely safe. Existing records are matched and updated, while new rows are created. That removes the single biggest source of anxiety in data migration.
Import Order That Avoids Problems
Relational databases rely on foreign key dependencies. To avoid reference errors, import your files in this recommended sequence:
- Customers: Import first, since invoices and payment receipts reference customer accounts.
- Products: Import second, since invoice line items reference product SKUs and tax rates.
- Invoices: Import third, linking the already imported customers and products together.
- Payments: Import last, resolving against existing outstanding invoices.
Importing in this order ensures references resolve cleanly without broken links.
CSV Preparation Checklist
Before beginning your migration, ensure your files follow these best practices:
- Single Header Row: Ensure there is exactly one header row. Remove merged cells, blank rows, or summary footer totals between data.
- UTF-8 Encoding: Save your spreadsheet as CSV (UTF-8) to preserve regional languages and special characters.
- Consistent Dates: Use one uniform date format (e.g.,
YYYY-MM-DDorDD/MM/YYYY) across every row. - Complete GSTINs: Ensure GST numbers are 15 characters long, valid, and contain no extra spaces or hyphens.
- HSN Codes on Products: Include 4-, 6-, or 8-digit HSN codes on products if you plan to issue GST e-invoices.
- Pilot Test Import: Start with a test batch of 20 rows first, verify the preview, and then proceed with the full dataset.
From Import to Compliance
Imported products and customers feed straight into your daily billing and operations. Once your masters are in InfiBis, you can immediately issue GST invoices, generate IRNs for e-invoicing, and create e-way bills without re-entering a single party or item.
Who Benefits Most
- Businesses Switching Software: Companies outgrowing legacy desktop tools that want to preserve their full customer and transaction history.
- New InfiBis Customers: Fast-growing MSMEs onboarding years of sales and inventory records in one sitting.
- Accountants & Implementation Partners: CAs and business consultants managing multiple client software migrations quickly and reliably.
Bring Your Data. Keep Your History.
The Data Import wizard is live in InfiBis v1.0.0. Start your 14-day free trial today or book a demo, and our team will guide you through your first import.