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© 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
© 2013 Murray Fife. All rights reserved.
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.
Using Excel to Copy Data from One Company to Another
© 2013 Murray Fife. All rights reserved.
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
Using Excel to Copy Data from One Company to Another
© 2013 Murray Fife. All rights reserved.
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
Using Excel to Copy Data from One Company to Another
© 2013 Murray Fife. All rights reserved.
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.
Using Excel to Copy Data from One Company to Another
© 2013 Murray Fife. All rights reserved.
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.
Using Excel to Copy Data from One Company to Another
© 2013 Murray Fife. All rights reserved.
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:
© 2013 Murray Fife. All rights reserved.
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.