using excel to copy data from one company to another in dynamics ax walkthrough

© 2013 Murray Fife. All rights reserved.

Using Excel to

Copy Data from

One Company to Another Setting up a new company within Dynamics AX is not hard, but it is time consuming because you have to

configure a lot to base tables and codes such as payment terms, freight methods etc. that are not shared

between the companies. Something that would make the process easier would be a mass load of data

from a template.

In this worked example we will show how you can do just that with the Dynamics Excel Add-In, by using

it to query the tables in one company and then update the data in another without even breaking a

sweat.

Creating a Update Template

To move the data from one company to another, you just need to create a template that has all of the

base data, and then apply it to another company. Once you have created the template you can re-use it

over and over again.

In this example we will show how to create an update template and use it to move the data into a new

blank company.

HOW TO DO IT...

To create an update template, follow these steps:

Using Excel to Copy Data from One Company to Another


1. To start off find the data that you want to transfer between the companies, Right-Mouse-Click

on the form and select the Personalize option.

2. In the Personalization dialog box, switch to the Query tab and find the base table that is used in

the form. In this case it is the BankTransType table.

3. Open up Excel, and click on the Add Data button within the Design group of the Dynamics AX

ribbon bar. Then select the Add Tables option from the drop down.



4. Search the available tables to find the table that is referenced in the form, and click the > button

to add it to your worksheet.

5. This will open up the Table Explorer and you will be able to see all of the available fields for the

table that you selected.

6. Drag all of the other fields that you want to copy over to the worksheet.

Note: For the dimensions that are referenced, there is no need to copy over the parent and the

name of the dimension – just the main account.

7. Click on the Options button in the Configure group of the Dynamics AX ribbon bar to open up

the configuration dialog. Select the Legal Entity that you want to copy the base data from and



then click the OK button.

8. To retrieve all of the base data, click on the Refresh button in the Data group of the Dynamics

AX ribbon bar.

9. In this example, we copied all of the table data that is returned to a blank spot on the worksheet

(pasting as values) so that refreshing the data does not loose our base reference data. This has

an added benefit of allowing us to modify the data if we need to when transferring to the new

company.

HOW IT WORKS...

Now click on the Options button in the Configure group of the Dynamics AX ribbon bar to open up the

configuration dialog. Select the Legal Entity that you want to copy the base data to and then click the



OK button.

To retrieve all of the target data, click on the Refresh button in the Data group of the Dynamics AX

ribbon bar.

Copy your base data from the reference table and then paste it into the linked table.

To update the target company, just click on the Publish button in the Design group of the Dynamics AX

ribbon bar, and select the Publish All option from the drop down box.



After you have done this, if you look at the Dynamics AX Status worksheet, then you should see that all

of the records have been successfully updated to the target system.

If you look at the table in the target system, it should now match your source data.



Creating a Company Template

If you take this a couple of steps further, then you can create a workbook with all of the base data that

you need to load in order to set up a new company.

HOW IT WORKS...

Setting up all of the base data is now just a matter of selecting the worksheets, copying over the base

data from the reference table, and then clicking publish. Hours of setup can now be done in a matter of

minutes.

Summary

The Excel Add-In is fast becoming my most favorite utility available within Dynamics AX. It makes adding

masses of data a breeze, and also makes mass updates simple as well since you can mass replace so

much easier within Excel than in the standard grids. Once you start using it, you will probably find that

you will start amassing a number of update templates to save you time.

Not only can you use it for migrating data from one company to another, but you can use it to manage

the data that you have set up already.

Give it a go and test it out for yourself.

About

Murray Fife

Murray Fife has over 18 years of experience with ERP software,

and like most people in this industry has paid his dues as a

developer, as an implementation consultant, and a trainer. Having

a hard to find blend of technical and interpersonal skills he now

spends his days working with companies solving their problems

with the Microsoft suite of products, specializing in the Dynamics®

AX solutions.

Unable to completely kick the habit of being a developer,

countless prototypes have started their life on Murray’s desktop,

only to be turned into standard products and offerings. The

projects that are too visionary (a.k.a. too out there) usually live on

through his personal blog site – A Tinkerers Notebook

(www.atinkerersnotebook) – or his SlideShare account

(www.slideshare.com/murrayfife) waiting for others discover

them.

EMAIL: [email protected]

PHONE: +1 (404) 425-9616

TWITTER: @murrayfife

BLOG: http://atinkerersnotebook.com/

SLIDESHARE: http://slideshare.net/murrayfife/presentations

LINKEDIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/murrayfife

ORIGINAL:


The information herein is for informational purposes only and

represents the current view of Murray Fife as of the date of this

presentation. Because Murray Fife must respond to changing

market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a

commitment on the part of Junction Solutions, and Murray Fife

cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after

the date of this presentation.

MURRAY FIFE MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR

STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

mailto:[email protected]

http://atinkerersnotebook.com/

http://slideshare.net/murrayfife/presentations

http://www.linkedin.com/in/murrayfife

using excel to copy data from one company to another in dynamics ax walkthrough

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