Racewire and importing information into RE

Susan Finney:

 Hello,

I am a relatively new user to RE and have been asked to research importing information into RE from external sources.  We are planning to work with a product called Racewire in conjunction with a 5K and they will provide us with a data file in Excel format that contains all our participants registration information.   I would then be expected to input this information into our database.  Does anyone have experience with this product?  Also, any tips or information on the best way to import an excel file into RE would be very helpful.  Thanks for any information!

Susan

Susan,

To me an import is an import. [:)]  I don't have experience with Racewire so don't know exact format you'll have in your excel file.  Importing can be a bit daunting.  There are knowledgebase solutions that can be helpful and a user guide on importing. (link to import user guide - https://www.blackbaud.com/files/support/guides/re7ent/import.pdf )

Key things, back up your database before attempting the import and also take just a couple of records from the file and import them first to make sure all parts are correctly importing.  Little things like not having the correct extensions in mapping fields can really mess one up - just a little thing that can be overlooked.

To get all the field headings that you need, a trainer once suggested to me to do an export of one record from RE with all the fields I'd be importing.  That helps to be sure things aren't missed.  Just went through each tab on record and then exported appropriate field so I'd have the headings.

Baird Hall:
Hi Susan, How much data to you anticipate processing? The standard import tool within The Raiser's Edge does work, but as JoAnn said, it is daunting. There are lots of requirements your data file has to meet. If your volume is not very high and the data is not complicated, you may be OK with that route. Have you taken a look at ImportOmatic? This is a tool offered by Omatic Software which streamlines the import process in to The Raiser's Edge. It offers duplicate searching, address processing, phone/email processing, and much more! It simplified the import process and allows you to save import configurations, making recurring imports a breeze. Here is a link for more information: http://omaticsoftware.com/Solutions/TheRaisersEdge/ImportOmatic.aspx Let us know if you have any questions. Baird Hall Solutions Engineer Omatic Software Bairdh@omaticsoftware.com

Hi Susan,

JoAnne has some great tips. It's always recommended that you backup your database before any imports as well as use a few records as test records first before the big import file.

Below are some links that can help navigate importing and make the process easier.

It's generally a good idea to get the basics of importing. How to import in The Raiser's Edge - The Basics of Importing - http://www.blackbaud.com/kb/index?page=content&id=bb58904

Next, we have a list of all the different import's you can create. You can import new constituent's, you can also update exsiting constituent's information. All of these imports have example spreadsheets as well as step by step instructions. It's best to read over everything that is on the page to get a full understanding.

Importing in The Raiser's Edge - Reference Listing - http://www.blackbaud.com/kb/index?page=content&id=bb739563.

When you import, it's recommended that you validate the data in the Raiser's Edge before actually putting it into the database. Validating data is like giving it a checkup. Sometimes you will get exceptions or mistakes that need to be fixed before moving foward. Below is a list of the exceptions you may encounter and how to fix them.

Reference Guide to exceptions or errors when importing - http://www.blackbaud.com/kb/index?page=content&id=bb741634

And you can always give RE Support a call or create a case on Case Central if you have any other questions or concerns. [:)]

Good Luck!