Before any import of inventory data is considered, it is recommended to review the data. According to experiences data tend to become inaccurate over time. It is much more effective to correct data errors before import than later in the CRM.
Excel has been proven to be a good tool for such a checkup. Most important the following should get validated:
- Does every column have the expected content?
- Are all data have the expected format (see manual)?
- Are the data complete? For instance, for a contact import you should have a salutation column, an assigned to column, and a column for the content of every pick list
- Are there any duplicates?
Please consult the manual for further hints.
For a duplicate removal you may find a lot of information on the Internet as well as free and commercial downloads for Excel extensions. The following has attract our attention:
Excel 2003: Delete duplicate rows from a list in Excel
Excel 2007: Remove Duplicates in Excel 2007