Importing Contacts data by sections

[smither]

Hi,

I have data that I want to import into SugarCRM Version 6.0.0 (Build 3905) (Community Edition). The data is available in separate sections (or files) such that there is a file with names, another file with addresses, a third file with phones, and so on.

The different types of data are linked together by a Master Record Number (MRN). For example, the file with names might have a line like:

1234, Bob Jones

Where 1234 is the MRN for Bob Jones. A second file, for phone numbers, might have a line like:

1234, 123-456-7890

where the telephone number belongs to MRN 1234, ie it belongs to Bob Jones.

How can I import this into SugarCRM? I would like to end up with a single record for MRN 1234 that has both the name and the phone number in it. If I import the names, they all import and the MRN is of course imported into each record. If I then import (actually I selected the create and update records option for the import) the phones, I get a the phone number in a new record with the corresponding MRN - so I have two records for each MRN.

There appears to be no way in SugarCRM to specify the MRN field as unique, which I think would help in my case.

I would really appreciate any suggestions you might have. For what it is worth, we are considering SugarCRM and the SalesForce CRM. SalesForce appears to have exactly the same problem.

Thanks!

[andopes]

SugarCRM Import feature only update a record if you specify the field ID into import file.
So you have to fetch the ID for each MRN.

Cheers

[smither]

Thanks Andre.

Heres what I did:

1. imported a file to contacts that had only my MRN and mapped that column to the ID field for contacts.
2. imported the other sections of my data, names, phones, etc., with files that contained the my MRN and mapped the MRN column to the ID field for contacts.

Can you see any problem with this?

Best regards,

Bob Smither

[andopes]

Can you make sure the MRN value matches the value inside ID field?
When you are going to map the fields you have to match the MRN from import file against field ID, and you have to make sure the content of such fields is the same one.

Cheers