Tag Archives: Bulk Import

Import your address book into RB9

Instead of re-keying, save time and eliminate errors by importing existing client and resource information from other applications

Lesson #94
Tools – Bulk Import function

Data entry and getting RB populated is a time-consuming task. One of those long drawn-out processes is entering firms, contacts, and resources from scratch. If you have existing client and reporter/resource information, don’t re-key it into RB; instead export it to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets from your application, then import it into RB.

RB offers 3 import options:

  • Firms
  • Firms with Contacts
  • Resources

If you’re new to RB and want to import your clients first, we recommend using Firms with Contacts so you import your client law firms and other entities, such as insurance companies, along with your contacts at those firms at the same time.

Preparation is key

Bringing your client and resource databases into RB using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets will save you a lot of time, but there are a few things to note:

  • To import your data into RB, the Excel spreadsheet must have all of the same column headers in the same order as the Bulk Import headers. So we provide Excel templates to make it easy to set up your spreadsheet correctly. All you have to do is copy and paste your data into the template.
  • While you must have the exact same column headers in the exact same order, you do not have to populate all the fields in the spreadsheet. Only required fields in each spreadsheet must have entries in each row in the spreadsheet. For example, when importing Firms with Contacts, only the firm name and the contact’s name must be included in each row.
  • If you are including an entity’s state, you must use the 2-letter USPS abbreviation.
  • If you are including email addresses for contacts or resources, each entity should have only one email address.
  • When importing entities, RB does not check the database for duplicate entries. If you discover duplicate entities after importing, you can either delete the duplicate or merge the entries.

Process is easy

After exporting your existing data to an Excel spreadsheet, the import process is simple: Select the type of spreadsheet you are importing in Bulk Import and upload the spreadsheet’s .xlsx file.

If the spreadsheet was formatted correctly, the data will appear in the Bulk Import results grid. You can view your entries, but not edit them. If you see any errors, you can edit your spreadsheet and re-upload the file or edit the entries in RB after importing. If the data looks ok, you can have RB import the entries to the appropriate Entity database automatically.

TL;DR: Import existing client and resource information from other applications via Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

RB concepts in this lesson

Contact: Person who works for a firm you do business with.

Firm: Business you provide services to, usually law firms.

Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service, such as reporters.

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Tools

Import data, create forms and labels, perform custom data searches, and more in this versatile toolkit

Lesson #93
DIY in your RB

Import data, create forms and labels, perform custom data searches, and more in this versatile toolkit. In this module, you can:

  • Import existing client and resource information from other applications into RB.
  • Quickly update different clients, jobs, resources, and locations at the same time. 
  • Use tags (keywords or phrases) to organize entities like clients or resources. Send emails or regular mail to all entities tagged the same. 
  • Create forms and letters using the set of customizable templates in a word processor with mail merge that automatically incorporates your RB data. 
  • Modify default label templates and create new ones.
  • Search notes globally in RB Notes Logs.
  • Monitor repository usage by in-house staff as well as by clients and resources via RB Connect as required by general security rules for business applications.
  • Save copies of your RB database to your hard drive/server.
  • View automatic emails sent from your RB.
  • Perform custom searches of your RB data­base, and create your own reports from the results. (If you require more complex reports from RB, we offer a plug-in called Data Reader and custom programming if you would like OMTI to create something for you. )
  • Import RB entities, invoices, paychecks, and payment transactions into QuickBooks. 

Tools functions by name

TL;DR: Import data, update records, create forms and labels, and more in this versatile toolkit.

RB concepts in this lesson

Notes Logs: Un-editable internal-use only notes entered either by a user or automatically by RB appear in chronological logs in the database record where they occurred.

RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources.

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