Counterparty Import Tool - Columns and Required Fields
The Counterparty Import tool allows you to create a list of all of your Counterparties to cieTrade.net all at once. We recommend completing the counterparty import first before moving onto other templates, because the system requires the information from this import to complete the others. Below is an explanation of each column's purpose, and which are required vs. optional for upload.
For more information on how to download the template from your database and how to use the import tool, visit our help file here.
Required Fields
The below columns have to be filled in to have a successful import. If they are not, the system will produce an error and you will not be able to proceed until the information is provided.
Company Short Name - This is the informal name of the business that will appear to users in Counterparty drop-down menus throughout the system. You may choose to enter a short reference name from the Counterparty within this field, as this name is for internal identification of the Counterparty. On the counterparty profile, the Company Name (Short) is where you will see the details populate.
NOTE: If you are entering multiple locations within one Counterparty, the Company Short Name for all locations MUST be exactly the same.
Company Long Name - This is the formal name of the company and will display on documents generated from cieTrade. Additionally, this name establishes the connection between the company profile in your accounting system and in cieTrade. If you enter the same company name with different locations, cieTrade will combine all of the locations together under one company name. In that case, the first address listed for this company on the import MUST be the primary billing address. This column directly ties into the Location Name field in the Address tab on the counterparty profile once uploaded.
NOTE: If you are integrating cieTrade.net with an existing accounting company containing Customers and Vendors, the Company Long Name MUST EXACTLY match the name in your accounting system. It is usually easiest to export a spreadsheet from your accounting system and copy/paste directly into the template.
Is a Primary Address - This column should contain either YES or NO, depending on whether or not the address is for the primary billing address. If you have multiple addresses that have the same primary billing address, the primary billing address will be listed first as YES, and the other locations will be listed as NO.
Currency Code - This field is used to establish a default Currency for the Counterparty, and should contain the abbreviated name (for example, US Dollar would be entered as USD). These currencies are already listed in your database out of the box. You can view your options or add more by navigating to Settings > Currencies. Once uploaded, this code can be found in the Other Details tab on the counterparty profile.
Role - This refers to the type of business that you are doing with this counterparty. The column ties into the Counterparty Type fields on the counterparty profile, and allows you to restrict the amount of drop downs the counterparty is included in. For example, a counterparty that doesn't have the Freight option selected will not appear in a Carrier drop down in the system. You can assign multiple roles as needed by using the options available on the import template.
Address Label - The Address Label is an assigned name for this particular Counterparty address, which enables users to distinguish this address from other locations in system drop downs. Primary billing addresses should have a label of INVOICE, and other locations can be labelled as you wish. Many of our clients decide to simply use the city name for addresses that are NOT the primary billing address. In instances where you have multiple addresses with the same primary billing address, each location will be uploaded to the Locations tab on the counterparty profile.
Is a Remit-To Address - This column should contain either YES or NO, depending on whether or not the address is for the primary remit-to address. If you have multiple addresses that have the same primary billing address, the primary billing address will be listed first as YES, and the other locations will be listed as NO.
NOTE: When 'Is a Primary Address' and 'Is a Remit-To Address' both are filled in as YES, and the 'Address Label' is set to INVOICE, then that address will be uploaded as the primary billing address for the counterparty.
Customer and Vendor Pay Terms - cieTrade now offers two fields for payment terms, which can be used to set up different terms depending on the type of transaction for the same counterparty. Both terms will be uploaded under the Billing & Payments section on the counterparty profile.
- Customer Pay Terms - This is where your default payment terms will populate, specifically for instances when this counterparty acts as a customer on a transaction. On sales transactions, these terms will populate automatically when you select this counterparty. Additionally, this payment term helps you to track aging in the system.
- Vendor Pay Terms - This is where your default payment terms will populate, specifically for instances when this counterparty acts as a supplier on a transaction. When this counterparty is selected as a vendor on a purchase transaction or expense, these terms will populate automatically when posting from the A/P Ledger.
NOTE: Before using the import we recommend updating your Payment Terms in Settings > Payment Terms. The format of the Term name needs to match exactly what's in cieTrade and your accounting system to be uploaded. Contact support@cietrade.net if you need assistance with this process.
GL and GL Sales Account - The purchase and sales accounts required on the import allows for your transactions to flow through to your accounting system properly, and into the correct accounts on your General Ledger. It permits you to integrate to your accounting system and to sort your transactions into specific accounts to view when doing your month end close. To find your account list, navigate to Settings > Accounting > General Ledger. These accounts will be defined in the Other Details tab on the counterparty profile.
NOTE: Your chart of accounts must be mapped in cieTrade BEFORE uploading your counterparties, so the system can match up the accounts between what's listed in Settings and on your spreadsheet. Reach out to support@cietrade.net to get assistance, or visit our help file here for more information.
Optional Fields
There are a number of optional fields included on the template to help support different workflows in cieTrade, and record data in the system for our client's unique requirements. If you don't need to leverage these columns, then they can simply be left blank for import.
CieTrade ID - The system will generate a unique cieTrade ID number for each counterparty and location that you upload onto your database. Essentially this number functions as a tracking number within cieTrade that the system uses to differentiate between the data. DO NOT ENTER ANYTHING IN THIS FIELD. It must be left blank for a successful import, otherwise you will produce an error message.
Reference Number - This field can be filled out with any existing reference numbers that you have for these counterparties already. It is a user defined field that can be used to store data in the system on the counterparty level, and can be pulled onto documents as needed.
Address Line 1, 2 and 3 - This is where the address is entered for your counterparty. For the primary billing address, the information will populate under the Address tab, and gets broken out by line. Other location addresses with the same primary billing address will be uploaded to the counterparty profile under Locations (and broken out in the same manner). The first part of the address (Line 1) is typically used for the street name and number. Lines 2 and 3 are typically used for PO box, unit number etc. How you fill out these lines will determine how the address information populates on documents generated from the system.
City - This should include the name of the city for this address. The city details have their own field within the address information for the primary address or any associated locations, and populates on any cieTrade generated documents for that counterparty.
Region - Out of the box, this field denotes a state or providence that the counterparty is located in, and upon upload is stored with all other address details on the counterparty profile. However, additional regions for countries outside of the United States and Canada can be added via Settings > Common Information > Regions. This will be part of the information that populates on documents for the counterparty address details.
Postal Code - Here is where you would enter the postal code for your counterparty address. The information is stored with other address details, and will be pulled onto system generated documents when that counterparty is selected on a transaction.
Country - This is where you can specify the country that this counterparty address is located. You will need to utilize the Country ID code when filling out the template, which can be found in Settings > Common Information > Countries. There are many countries available in the system out of the box, but if needed, you can also add to this list on the same page.
Notes - Users can leverage this field to upload any internal notes for a counterparty into the Address tab on the counterparty profile. This is not meant to be pulled onto documents: they are simply for internal use.
Loading Instructions - This field is meant for any notes that you'd like to include within the Shipping Instructions field on the Instructions tab on the counterparty profile. These details can be pulled onto shipping documents if a request is submitted via email to support@cietrade.net.
Invoice Notes - This field is meant for any invoice notes that you'd like to include on your Invoice documents in cieTrade. These notes get pulled on automatically whenever you are creating an invoice for this counterparty, so no request is required for them to appear on the document.
IEC Code - This column can be used to record an Importer-Exporter Code for the counterparty. These codes can be pulled onto export documents as needed, or you can simply use this field to store the information in cieTrade. Once uploaded, the code will be located within the IEC CUSTOMERS # field.
GST Code - A GST code for tax purposes can be entered on the counterparty by using this column. Once uploaded, the code will be located within the TAX-ID field, and can be pulled onto documents generated in the system as needed.
Billing Cycle - The Billing Cycle column allows users to track whether or not they bill a counterparty on a cycle. This can tie into the Reverse Billing tool as well, which you can leverage if your company regularly bills it's suppliers. The details get uploaded within the Billing & Payments tab on the counterparty profile, and can be altered later if required.
NOTE: Your Billing Cycles must be mapped in cieTrade BEFORE uploading your counterparties, so the system can match up the cycle types between what's listed in Settings and what's on your spreadsheet. Feel free to visit our help file here for more information.
Reverse Billing - If your company would like to leverage the reverse billing tool in cieTrade, enter 'Reverse Billing' in this column. This is one of the columns required to set up reverse billing for a counterparty: the others that tie into the same feature are Billing Cycle, Report Group, and REV Billing Report UOM.
Cash Disbursements - This column allows you to enter 'YES' or 'NO' to set a counterparty up for cash disbursements. When 'YES' is entered on the import tool, the system will select 'Allow Cash Disbursements' in the Settlements field on the Billing & Payments tab. cieTrade clients may want to leverage this for Public Trade, to track cash transactions on the Cash Disbursements ledger.
Sales Rep 1 and Sales Rep 2 - These columns allow users to assign default sales reps to the counterparty Other Details tab from the Sales Reps listed in Settings. Once a default rep is assigned, their information will appear on worksheets and orders automatically, and will tie in any commission rates that have been set up in the system.
NOTE: The sales reps included in the Settings on your database should ONLY be reps that work directly for your company. Third party reps are set up and tracked separately in cieTrade. For more information on this process, visit our help file here.
Sales Distribution - Users that are leveraging the Batch Invoicing tool in cieTrade can set up invoicing types within this column. Your entry options are as follows:
- P for Print Invoice - when you are manually printing out and mailing invoices only
- E for Email Invoice - to automatically email an invoice to your customer using the tool
- B for Print & Email - this will allow you to print out a copy of the invoice and automatically email the invoice through the system
- Blank for Post Only - the invoice will only be posted, but not sent to your customer
The option will be uploaded under the Batch Invoice Mode field in the Billing & Payments tab on the counterparty profile. For more information on Batch Invoicing, visit our help file here.
Shipping Line Remarks - The Shipping Line Remarks column provides users with another field to record standard shipping information for a counterparty. These details can then be brought onto any shipping documents generated from cieTrade automatically if needed.
User Defined 1, 2, 3 and 4 - User Defined fields can be set up in Settings as needed, to record information in cieTrade that doesn't already have a field available out-of-the-box. Once you have created Counterparty UDFs, they will then appear within the Custom-Fields tab on the counterparty profile. If required, users can request that these fields get applied to documents in cieTrade as well.
Department - This can be a required field, if you have multiple departments set up in the system to account for different profit centers within your company. If you do have them set up, you'll need to include the Department name in this column, which will become the default department for any transactions that counterparty is included on. Departments can be found within Settings > Departments if needed, and the default department can be altered or reviewed under Departments on the counterparty profile.
NOTE: You can assign multiple departments to one counterparty on the upload, as long as the names are separated by a comma.
Status - DO NOT ENTER ANYTHING IN THIS FIELD. It must be left blank for a successful import, otherwise you will produce an error message. The system will fill in this data to denote that the counterparty is active.
Credit Limit - In cieTrade users are able to set a credit limit for each counterparty when the A/R module is turned on, and enable a warning or hard stop when transactions exceed this limit. When uploaded, the credit limit can be found within the Other Details tab on the counterparty profile, and will populate the AMOUNT field.
Report Group - If you want to use the Reverse Billing tool the Reverse Billing Report type can be defined in this column. This allows you to select how you'd like your report to be sorted for this particular counterparty.
NOTE: You can only choose a report type that's included in the drop down below. If you try to upload with a type that's not on this list, the import tool will produce an error.
Primary, A/P and Billing Contact - The contact fields will populate your Contact Manager module, assign the primary contact for your counterparty, and give you the ability to email documents directly out of the system.
Contact - This is the name of the person who you work with at that Company. The Primary Contact should contain the information of your main contact for that company, and will be assigned the role of Primary.
Phone - This field is for entering the phone number associated with the contact.
Email - Here you will enter the email address associated with the above contact.
Banking Information for that counterparty can be entered in columns AY - BD. These do not tie into any accounting functionality in the system: these are simply used to store the bank details on the counterparty level in the system for internal reference. Once uploaded, this information can be found in the Banking tab on the counterparty profile.
Tax ID - A tax ID number can be recorded within this column, and will be uploaded under the Other Details tab on the counterparty profile. This will allow you to include this information on cieTrade documents as needed, and track this number internally.
Fuel Surcharge Buy % and Sell % - If there is a standard fuel surcharge rate that you are paying to your hauler and charging back to your customer, you can include the percentages in these columns to upload onto any LOCATIONS set up for a particular counterparty. This ties into the Service module, and will be pulled onto Billing Sheets automatically when the correct counterparty and location are selected.
Web Site - cieTrade allows clients to import website details for their counterparties as needed. This is a field used for internal purposes, simply to store the information in cieTrade.
SCAC Code - If you have a SCAC code that you'd like to record for a counterparty, you can use this column. This will allow for cieTrade to integrate with InforNexus and AES, or include the code on shipping documents generated within cieTrade. Once uploaded, the details will be recorded in the Instructions tab on the counterparty profile.
Pickup/Service Instructions - Default service instructions can be recorded in this field, to be uploaded under the Instructions tab of the counterparty profile. Once the details are recorded, these instructions will be pulled onto dispatch tickets for this counterparty automatically, and will therefore get pulled onto documents or get included on the dispatch details in cieDispatch for your drivers to view.
REV Billing Report UOM - This column ties into the Report Unit of Measure field on the Billing & Payments tab on the counterparty profile. The unit of measure entered on the template will become the UOM that the Reverse Billing tool is run by.
NOTE: You can only choose a unit of measure type that's included in the drop down below. If you try to upload with a UOM that's not on this list, the import tool will produce an error.
If you have additional questions, please contact the Support Team via email to support@cietrade.net.