Migration from Excel to TallyPrime is possible with minimal disruption in terms of accounting data, provided that the migration is done in a well-planned, well-backed up and tested manner. This migration process includes record preparation, record mapping, import of the masters and transaction records, errors and reconciliation of the migration process.
Why Should You Migrate from Excel?
While Excel might work well in keeping records for simple businesses, accountancy becomes complicated and uncontrolled as the number of transactions, customers, suppliers, and inventory increases. Use of multiple files, manual entry and inconsistent formats make financial records hard to keep.
With TallyPrime, business record keeping becomes more organised as the accounting data is classified into masters, transactions, inventories and financial statements.
These common Excel problems usually signal that accounting migration should be planned carefully
- Multiple spreadsheets contain different versions of financial information.
- Customer, supplier or stock records are duplicated.
- Transactions require repeated manual entry.
- Finding historical information takes too much time.
- Opening balances are difficult to establish accurately.
- Accounting records need better structure and control.
Protect Data Before Migration
The most secure approach to migration begins before any imports take place. Leave the initial Excel documents intact and use duplicates to clean and prepare them.
The right kind of backup will provide the company with a point of reference if there is a need to reverse the import. The backup will also help compare the initial data with what has been entered in TallyPrime.
A carefully managed backup provides a good point of reference before accounts are cleaned, mapped, imported and validated.
| Before migration | Purpose |
| Original Excel files | Preserve source records |
| Backup copies | Protect against accidental changes |
| Working copies | Clean data safely |
| Data list | Identify records requiring migration |
| Final backup | Maintain an archive after migration |
Preparing Excel Data
The spreadsheet should not be directly imported when it is disorganised. The information should be reviewed, and any inconsistencies like duplicate names and inaccurate information, deleted.
The information should then be categorized into appropriate groups such as ledger masters, customers, suppliers, stock items, opening balance and transactions. Well-structured data simplifies the mapping process and verification.
Properly prepared spreadsheets minimize mapping mistakes and the imported TallyPrime entries are easier to check.
Preparation steps include:
- Standardise customer and supplier names.
- Remove unnecessary blank rows and columns.
- Check dates and numerical values.
- Identify duplicate records.
- Verify stock item names and units.
- Confirm opening balances.
- Separate master data from transaction data.
Map Excel To TallyPrime
TallyPrime facilitates the import of data from Excel through a mapping template. The mapping template maps the Excel worksheet columns to the equivalent fields in TallyPrime.
The column in the Excel worksheet that has the name of a customer must map to the correct party or ledger field. The same is applicable to dates, amounts, inventory, and transaction details.
Mapping ensures that the data contained in the spreadsheets is mapped to the right fields in TallyPrime.
It is possible to create a mapping template that can be reused whenever there is a need to import similar data again. For instance, where a firm is receiving Excel data from suppliers, collectors, e-commerce sites, etc.
Import Masters First
Accounting transactions are built upon masters. Based on the nature of the business, the masters may be comprised of ledgers, customers, vendors, bank accounts, and inventories.
Performing master import before transaction import enables the creation of an accounting environment into which transactions will be entered. This becomes essential when there is a lot of customer, vendor, and inventory information within a business.
Creation of correct masters lays the foundation for transaction import in TallyPrime.
Import Transactions Carefully
Once the required masters have been created, transactions may be imported using proper mapping templates which could consist of sales, purchases, receipts and payments.
It is advisable to take a look at the import configuration before importing transactions. In case there is an import preview/summary feature, it will help one understand what TallyPrime will do.
Checking the transaction mappings before importing is important in order to detect any problems that may arise such as wrongly mapped fields and lack of certain formatting features.
Importing all transactions in bulk should not be done; instead, one may conduct a test import first.
Check Import Errors
Just because an import was successful does not mean that all records are perfect. The data contained in Excel files may have some exceptions that require special consideration.
TallyPrime has import-specific information and errors that might assist in finding those records requiring correction. Evaluate these results rather than assuming that the migration is completed just after the import ends.
Error Evaluation makes migration an accounting verification process instead of mere data transfer. Check for:
- Missing records
- Incorrect ledger mapping
- Duplicate masters
- Incorrect dates
- Wrong amounts
- Stock discrepancies
- Unprocessed transactions
- Other import exceptions
Verify The Migrated Data
Verification is the most crucial step for anyone worried about the loss of accounting data. Check important information in TallyPrime against the original Excel records.
Compare the opening balances, ledger balances, customers/suppliers information, inventories, and any other selected transactions. In some cases, reconciliation should be done to make sure the process is successful.
Reconciliation is a process that helps check whether the migrated data agrees with the source data and makes sure historical accounting data is still valid.
Do not delete the original Excel files yet. Keep the source data as required by the business.
Where Professional Migration Is Beneficial
Migration from Excel to TallyPrime becomes much complex when there is a company which has lots of history records, many sheets, big stock amounts or sophisticated transactions.
An implementation professional of TallyPrime can assist you in preparing data, mapping, importing, debugging and post-migration validation. It may help you to avoid errors that could have been avoided, and will make migration process smoother.
Professional implementation is especially beneficial when due to the history, stocks, transactions volumes migration cannot be done manually.
In the case of Tanzanian companies, cooperation with a good TallyPrime partner can help you to configure the software according to your accounting process rather than migrating your sheets into it.
Get TallyPrime in Tanzania at the Best Prices
Saali Solutions helps the companies operating in Tanzania to migrate to TallyPrime and also provides Tally services and other related services. In case it has been becoming tough to handle Excel, we will assist in evaluating the existing data and come up with a way of migrating to a better alternative. Get in touch with us today!
Conclusion
Migration from Excel to TallyPrime does not have to be a loss of previous accounting records. It is always safe to save the source data, clean the spreadsheet, map field entries and migrate in a systematic manner.
In the case of Tanzanian companies, migration to TallyPrime can result into structured accounting system and at the same time save the previous records. In case the data becomes complicated, professional migration will be required.
Read more:
TallyPrime: Affordable Accounting Software for Businesses in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Benefits of Integrating TallyPrime with VFD in Tanzania
FAQs
Can Excel files remain after migration?
Yes, it helps to retain original spreadsheets as archives that will prove helpful in the future when required, based on the organization’s record management policies.
Should every Excel worksheet be imported?
No, it is recommended that only the necessary and credible information from the business perspective be migrated. Unnecessary or duplicated or old spreadsheets need to be analysed beforehand.
Can Excel data with different column structures be imported?
With the help of TallyPrime’s mapping templates, it is possible to map different columns in Excel to the corresponding fields in TallyPrime.
Is a test import useful before migrating everything?
Yes, testing is recommended before processing the complete set of Excel documents.
How long should migration take?
It depends on the amount of data to be migrated and other factors.