Importing Contracts into oboloo

The contract import tool in oboloo allows you to quickly add or update multiple contracts in bulk using a CSV file. This saves time, ensures consistent formatting, and keeps your contract records accurate and up to date.

When to Use This Feature

• You are new to oboloo and wish to get up and running quickly

• You are onboarding a large list of contracts.

• You need to update multiple contract records at once.

• You want to maintain consistent contract data formatting using bulk uploads.

Step-by-Step Guide – Importing Contracts

1. Access the Import Tool

• From the main menu, go to Settings > Import Data.

• Click Select Contract Import (red button) under the Type tab.

2. Upload Your CSV File

• In the Upload tab, click Choose File and select your CSV from your device.

• After uploading, a preview of the first 5 rows will appear.

• Click Continue to Mapping.

3. Map Your Columns

• In the Map Columns tab, match each column from your CSV (first column) to the relevant oboloo field by selecting from the drop-down menus.

• If a CSV column header matches exactly with an oboloo field name, it will map automatically.

• A live preview of your mapped data will appear on the right-hand side.

• Required fields not mapped will be shown in red at the top of the page.

• Once all required columns are mapped, click Continue.

4. Validate Your Data

• The Import tab will display any validation issues:

  • Dropdown mismatch – e.g., contract type in CSV not found in your oboloo configuration.

  • Incorrect data type – e.g., text in a number field.

  • Date format errors – all date fields must be uploaded in DD/MM/YYYY format. Any other format will trigger a validation issue, and those rows will not be imported. If your organisation uses MM/DD/YYYY as the date format in oboloo, the system will automatically convert the dates in the database after the import.

  • Duplicate records – contract name and reference already exist. These will be updated rather than re-imported.

• Add missing dropdown values in Settings or correct the data in your CSV file and re-upload if needed.

• Review the Field Mapping Summary at the bottom to confirm correct mappings.

5. Start the Import

• Click Start Import to begin.

• If warnings are present, a confirmation popup will appear. Rows with errors will not be imported.

• Monitor the progress bar – imports usually complete within a few minutes.

6. Review and Fix Errors

• Once the import is complete, any rows with errors can be downloaded in an Error Report from the Import tab.

• Correct the issues in your spreadsheet, remove successfully uploaded rows, and re-upload the fixed file.

7. Check Import History

• Go to the History tab to view past imports, including:

  • Who performed the import

  • Number of records processed

  • Number successfully imported

  • Number of errors

  • Status (Success / Failed)

• From here, you can also download past error reports and import summaries.

Key Considerations & Best Practices

✅ Always check that your CSV headers match oboloo field names to speed up mapping.
✅ Validate dropdown values (e.g., Contract Type, Department) in Settings before uploading.
✅ Keep your CSV clean — remove unnecessary blank columns and rows.
✅ For updates, ensure the Contract Name and Contract Reference match exactly with existing

records.
✅ Always use DD/MM/YYYY for date fields — incorrect formats will block import.

Additional Resources

📌 Related User Guides:

• Creating a Contract – How to add new contracts and link suppliers

• Importing Suppliers – How to import suppliers in bulk