Common Data Import Errors

If you have ever imported data using Data management in Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations and received an error before any records even went in, I am sure you were frustrated. 

Here are a few tips and tricks to consider before ever importing your data:

• Ensure the data formatting in Excel is consistent
• Custom or Special data formats in Excel will not import properly, use standard formatting always
• Data that was derived from formulas will likely generate an error message. Copy that data and paste it back in as values instead of a formula. 
• Check spellings - especially on data that is validated by the system (Address/city names, Dropdown values, etc)

Once your data is clean, you can still get errors. Here are some common errors that you can run into before any records ever hit the staging table. 

OCR in Expense Management

I recently got to implement OCR in Expense management in Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations. Turns out, there is a lot of interest in this topic, so I put together a little blog about it. 

What is OCR? 

Optical Character Recognition. This is used to process documentation such as receipts and invoices by using Azure Cognitive Services to "read" the documentation and import the data into the system, cutting down on manual system entry.

Mobile Workspaces are Being Deprecated

This has been a rumor for a while now, but the announcement has been made that the concept of the Mobile Workspace in Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations is being deprecated. 

Microsoft released this information on June 3, 2022, here: Removed or Deprecated Platform Features

Here is a screenshot of the relevant information for those of you who do not want to click the link.

NSF Payments - The What, Why, and How of NSF in D365 Finance

NSF, or Non-sufficient funds, are payments that have been received that are rejected by the bank as the account tied to the payment does not have sufficient funds to be paid out. These are often referred to as "bounced checks." This blog will detail how to set up and utilize the NSF functionality in Dynamics 365 for Finance to reverse the payment and mark it as NSF.

Human Resources Data Management - Workers Without Employment

When importing Workers into Dynamics 365 Human Resources (now in D365FO), you populate the Worker data entity with as much information as possible. Then, start the import using Data management and after the import is complete, you check Human resources > Workers > Workers, and there are no records to be found. The import says it was successful, so where did the worker records go?

If you look around, you will find them in the Workers without employment filtered view (Human resources > Workers > Workers without employment.) 

Great, the records made it into the system, but I don't want to touch each record and add employment dates. How do we use the Data management functionality to add "employment" to these worker records?

Credit Management Blocking Rules Sequencing

Something happened while I wasn't looking and now we have a clearer sequencing of Credit management Blocking rules. This has been a much-needed change, and I am happy to report on it!

Sequencing of Blocking Rules

Credit Management Release to Warehouse Credit Hold Loop

Some big changes were made to Credit management in recent versions that need to be addressed. One of which is the following parameter: 

Bypass inventory reservations

A new parameter has appeared called Bypass inventory reservations, but what does it mean?