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. 

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?