Initial Data Import

This import option is designed for the initial setup phase, where your account is being prepared before daily inventory operations begin. It allows you to import core inventory data such as units of measure, inventory items, storage locations, stock counts, and serialized items.

Initial Data Import is different from AcMP Import. Use Initial Data Import when your data is already prepared in FlightLogger Maintenance templates or another compatible tabular format. Use AcMP Import when your source file is an AcMP export.

What Initial Data Import is used for

Initial Data Import helps you create the basic inventory structure needed before the system is used operationally.

You can import:

units of measure
inventory items
locations
stock counts
serialized items

Each data type is uploaded as its own file. You do not need to import all data types at the same time, but the order matters because some records depend on others.

For example, items need units of measure, and stock counts need both items and locations.

Before you start

Initial Data Import requires setup mode to be enabled for the account.

Setup mode is used to protect live operational data. Initial imports can create or update many records at once, so they should be completed before the account is used for normal inventory transactions.

Before importing, make sure that:

setup mode is enabled
you have permission to run initial data imports
your files are prepared using the correct columns
units of measure are ready before importing items
items and locations are ready before importing stock counts
serialized items are only imported for items that require serial tracking

If setup mode is not enabled, FlightLogger Maintenance will not allow the import to run.

Supported file types

Initial Data Import accepts both:

CSV files
Excel files

The import reads the first worksheet when an Excel file is uploaded.

For best results, use the downloadable templates available from the Initial Data Import page. The templates help ensure that the required columns are present and named correctly.

Import order

The recommended import order is:

Unit of Measures
Items
Locations
Stock Counts
Serialized Items

This order matters because each step may depend on data from an earlier step.

Units of measure should be imported first because items must reference an existing unit of measure.

Items and locations should be imported before stock counts because stock counts must reference an existing inventory item and an existing location.

Serialized items should be imported after the relevant item exists and has serial tracking enabled.

Unit of Measures

The unit of measures import is used to create or update measurement units such as Each, Liter, Pound, or other units used by inventory items.

The import expects values such as:

name
symbol
requires whole number
active status

The requires_whole_number setting is important when a unit should not allow decimal quantities. For example, “Each” will usually require whole numbers, while “Liter” may allow decimal quantities.

If a unit of measure already exists with the same name, it can be updated instead of duplicated.

Items

The items import is used to create or update inventory items such as parts, consumables, and tools.

Item files can include information such as:

part number
description
item type
unit of measure
category
minimum stock level
maximum stock level
reorder point
reorder quantity
serial tracking requirement
condition codes
sale price
compatible aircraft models
compatibility type

The item type must be one of the accepted item types in FlightLogger Maintenance, such as part, consumable, or tool.

The unit of measure must already exist. The importer can match units by name or symbol, which makes it easier to work with spreadsheets that use abbreviations.

Aircraft model compatibility

When importing items, you can optionally include compatible aircraft models.

Compatible aircraft models must already exist in the account. FlightLogger Maintenance does not silently create new aircraft models from the item import file. If a model name cannot be found, the row fails validation so the data can be corrected.

If multiple aircraft models are listed, they should be separated with semicolons.

The compatibility type can be:

compatible
incompatible
universal

If no compatibility information is provided, the item is imported without aircraft model compatibility rules.

Locations

The locations import is used to create or update warehouse and storage locations.

Location files can include:

code
name
location type
parent code
address
contact information
storage conditions

Locations can be imported with hierarchy. For example, a warehouse can be imported first, and shelves, rooms, bins, or other child locations can reference it using parent_code.

The import validates location types and also accepts certain user-friendly aliases. These aliases are normalized to the correct system value during import.

If a location already exists with the same code, it can be updated.

Stock Counts

The stock counts import is used to import current stock levels for existing items and locations.

Stock count files can include:

part number
location code
counted quantity
count date
notes

The item and location must already exist before the stock count is imported.

When a stock count is imported, FlightLogger Maintenance compares the counted quantity with the current system quantity. If there is a variance, the system creates an adjustment so the stock level reflects the imported count.

Imported stock counts are approved as part of the import process and are included in the audit trail.

The quantity column can be named either counted_quantity or quantity. If both are present and differ, counted_quantity is used.

Serialized Items

The serialized items import is used to import individual units that are tracked by serial number.

Serialized item files can include:

part number
manufacturer serial number
location code
condition
manufacturer batch number
manufacturing date
received date
current cost
notes

The related inventory item must already exist and must require serial tracking. If the item does not require serial tracking, the row fails validation.

Serialized items are imported as available inventory units. The import also creates an inventory transaction for audit trail purposes.

Life tracking values for serialized items

Serialized item imports can also include optional life-tracking values, such as:

TSN
TSO
CSN
CSO
next inspection due
overhaul date
overhaul vendor
life limit hours
life limit cycles
life limit calendar days

These fields help onboard existing serialized inventory with its current aviation life values.

Hours can use decimal values. Cycle values must be whole numbers. Date fields should use the YYYY-MM-DD format.

Validation and errors

FlightLogger Maintenance validates each row during import.

If a row cannot be imported, the result page shows the error so the file can be corrected. Errors may include missing required fields, invalid values, unknown part numbers, missing locations, invalid dates, invalid quantities, or incompatible item setup.

The import result page shows created records, updated records, and row-level errors for each imported data type.

Only rows that pass validation are imported.

Import results

After running the import, FlightLogger Maintenance shows an import results page.

The results page can include:

unit of measures created or updated
items created or updated
locations created or updated
stock counts created
serialized items created
row-level validation errors

If all processed imports succeed, the import is shown as successful. If one or more rows fail validation, the import completes with errors and the details should be reviewed.

Best practice

Before running Initial Data Import, prepare and review your files carefully.

A good import process is usually:

Download the templates from FlightLogger Maintenance.
Fill in one data type at a time.
Import units of measure first.
Import items.
Import locations.
Import stock counts.
Import serialized items.
Review the result page after each import.
Correct any row-level errors before continuing.

Avoid importing operational data into an account that is already being used for daily inventory work unless the implementation team has confirmed that this is safe.