Kathy – Import External Data Into Membee

Membee’s data import tool allows users to create new records and update existing records for organizations and people. This guide walks you through how to prep your data, how our record-matching works, and - most importantly - how to keep your current info safe so nothing gets accidentally overwritten during the import.

Membee’s Import allows you to configure, save, and use data import definitions to bring data into Membee from external sources.

Set Up and Re-Use an Import

The feature is designed to allow you to set up an import definition for a file and save that information so it can be used multiple times. For example, if you are receiving regular updated data from an external source you set up an import using the file once and then each time you receive that file you simply open your import, upload the updated file and run the import to update/create records in Membee.

Set Up Multiple Types of Imports

If you are receiving multiple files from different external sources, you can set up and save an import definition for each one. This then allows you to simply open the appropriate import, upload your updated file and run the import to update/create records in Membee.

Update Existing Information in Membee With Data From Membee

For example, you could create a View (Click here for details on Views) in Membee, export the information, update it and then import the updated information back into Membee.

Membee’s import tool allows for the creation of new records and the bulk updating of existing information for people and organizations, though it cannot be used to upload documents or files. To determine whether to update or create a record, the system uses a specific hierarchy of matching criteria – such as record numbers, names, and contact details – to identify exact matches and prevent duplicates.

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Membee’s import can be used to

• Update information in records including
• Add new records for people and organizations

Membee’s import cannot be used to

• Upload files or documents into records for people and organizations
• Upload files or documents that can be accessed by members by logging into their online profile updates
• Upload files or documents that can be attached as a Note in a person or organization’s record

If you need to collect documents from your members you can

• Create a Prerequisite Reminder Automation
  • This type of automation allows you to send an email to members who have not sent in documents required to maintain their memberships
  • Click here for additional details
• Add a File Upload option to the online profile updates
  • This allows your member to log in and upload a file
  • The uploaded file will be available for the member to see via their online profile update
  • This file is attached to a note to file in the record in Membee which all Membee user’s can see
  • Click here for additional details
• Add a note to file and attach the file
• • Files added in this way cannot be seen by the member via the online profile update
    • Member’s can only see files they have uploaded
  • These files need to be added to individual records
  • Click here for additional details

Membee uses a number of factors to look at the existing information in Membee and determine if the data being imported matches a record that you already have in Membee or if a new record should be created.

Here is the criteria, this example assumes that you have the following information in your data file that you are importing into Membee and that you have mapped these fields to the appropriate Membee field.

For organization records:

• Organization Name
• Organization Record Number
• Organization Email

For people:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Person Record Number
• Person Email

Determining if an organization record in your data file matches an existing record in Membee:

The organization number in your data file is compared to the existing organization numbers in Membee.

• The record with the matching organization number in Membee is updated.
• The organization name in your data file is compared to the existing organization names, sort names and DBA names in Membee.
  • The organization email from your data file is checked against the organization email on the record with the matching organization name, sort name or DBA name in Membee.
    • The record with the matching organization email in Membee is updated.
    • The organization phone 1 in your data file is checked against the organization phone 1 on the record with the matching organization name, sort name or DBA name in Membee.
      • The record is updated.
      • A new record is created using the data from your data file.
      • If a match is found
      • If it does not match
    • If it is an exact match
    • If it does not match
  • The organization email from your data file is checked against the organization email on the records with the matching organization names, sort names or DBA names in Membee.
    • The record with the matching organization email in Membee is updated.
    • The organization phone 1 on the records that had matching organization emails.
      • The record with the matching organization phone 1 is updated.
      • A new record is created using the data from your data file.
      • If a single matching organization phone 1 is found in Membee:
      • If multiple matches on organization phone 1 are found:
    • If a single exact match on the organization email in Membee is found
    • If multiple matches on the organization email in Membee are found
    • If a single exact match is found in Membee in any of the organization names, sort names or DBA names ( the match has to be exact, including punctuation, so ABC Inc would not match ABC Inc.)
    • If there are multiple matches based on the comparison of the organization name in your data file to the organization names, sort names or DBA names in Membee.
  • If a match is found:
  • If no match is found:

Determining if a record for a person in your data file matches an existing record in Membee:

The person number in your data file is compared to the existing person numbers in Membee.

• Then the record with the matching person number in Membee is updated.
• The first and last name in your data file is compared to the existing first and last names for people in Membee.
  • The person email in your data file is checked against the person email in record in Membee.
    • The record in Membee is updated with the information from your data file.
    • The person phone 1 in your data file is checked against the person phone 1 field in the record in Membee.
      • The record in Membee is updated with the information from your data file.
      • If it is an exact match
      • If it is not an exact match
    • If it is an exact match
    • If it does not match
  • The person email in your data file is compared to the existing emails in the records in Membee.
    • The record with the single matching email in Membee is updated with the information from your data file.
    • The person phone 1 from your data file is compared to the person phone 1 in the records in Membee.
      • The record with the single matching person phone 1 is updated with the information from your data file.
      • A new record is created in Membee using the information from your data file.
      • If a single match is found
      • If multiple matches are found
    • If a single match on person email is found
    • If multiple matching emails are found
  • If there is a single exact match on both first and last name for an existing record in Membee
  • If there are multiple matches based on first and last name for existing records in Membee
• If a match is found
• If no match is found

Yes, but you need to be very careful.

When you import data, Membee will look at all the fields that you have in your file and either create or update information in Membee. If you are creating brand new records chances are the information that you will be importing will be quite complete, your data file would contain information on the name, address phone etc. – everything you would normally enter to create a new record.

If the file contains information for records that already exist in Membee, every field in your data file with information for that member will be updated. So, let’s say that you had a file with two records in it. One was for a brand new member called ABC company and you included the name, address and phone number for ABC. The second row was for XYZ Corporation, which already exists in Membee. The only update is to the phone number and that is listed, but you’ve not included any information for their address (so those fields are blank for that member’s row).

If you were to import that file Membee would create ABC Company and then update XYZ Corporation using all the information in the data file, so if the address field did not contain any information in the data file, the address information in the existing record in Membee would be overwritten with the blank data.

Only include updates and new records if you have information in all the fields you are wanting to replace the information for existing records in Membee with.

There is no way to reverse an import once it has been done.

If you have made a mistake and imported incorrect information there isn’t a way to reverse the import, however because Membee adds a note to file to each record that has either been created or updated as a result of an import you can run a report to get a list of all the changes and manually update the records.

1. In Membee, go to Reports.
2. Search for and select the Notes and To-do’s report.
3. Set the Note/To-Do Date to the day you ran the import.
4. Set the Note/To-Do contact type to “Import”.
5. Click on Run.
6. Open the PDF.
7. The notes will list the:
   • Records that were created/updated by the import.
   • The values that existed before the update and the value the field was set to.
   • Use this report to work through your records to fix your data.

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