Take and keep a permanent backup at each stage.

While it is not vital to set up all the details for all your Customers, Suppliers, Stock etc., from the start, it is important to set up the Nominal Accounts, as these represent the real financial position of the Company. Remember however, that once you start to use the system, and enter Transactions, many details cannot be changed.

Static data can either be imported into Access using the Import Utility (a chargeable item), or it can be keyed in directly.

If being imported, the data can be keyed in and prepared in a Spreadsheet program (or a Database), or it can be exported from another accounting system into the Spreadsheet program and worked on there, before being imported into Access.

If you are moving from another computer accounting system, it is almost certain that a lot of the static data can be exported from it in some machine readable form. It is probable that some of the information exported will not be needed by Access, and that some information needed by Access will not exist. The exported data will therefore need to be processed further so that it can then be imported into Access, and a Spreadsheet is the easiest tool to use for this.

This is also a good opportunity to clear out redundant Accounts and so on.

After each import, check carefully that the imported data has been correctly and completely processed. If the import is not complete and correct, you should revert to the last backup taken before doing the import.

Transferring Static Data from another System usually consists of ‘printing’ the details to a file, and then processing the file so that it can be imported into Access Accounts using the Import Utility.

If this file can be formatted in the System providing the information, and if it can output the Data in one of the acceptable formats, it might be possible to pass the file straight to the Import Utility. However it is almost certain that some work will be needed before the file can be used.

The best method of doing this is to use a spreadsheet program. This will enable you to move, insert, and delete fields.

It is probable that some of the exported data will not be needed, the fields may not be in the right order, Dates may not be in the correct format, and required fields may not exist, and so on.

The Import Utility can create a spreadsheet template file with column headings. When this is imported, an option enables you to ignore the first line (the headings). The Help provides the specification and rules for each import file, and can be printed if required.