When you're getting your team set up with Scout or prepping for an upcoming RFP, you'll want to be able to bulk imports lists of suppliers.

Bulk importing your suppliers is quick and easy, but ensuring that you have a clean and appropriately formatted Spreadsheet is key.  If, after reading the article below, you still have questions please feel free to reach out!

Prepare a Spreadsheet

The first step to import your suppliers to is to first gather their information into a properly formatted spreadsheet.

All standard file spreadsheet formats are accepted: CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, or Open Office Calc are all able to be used. This type of spreadsheet is likely available from your current vendor master.

The key here is to ensure that the file structure is formatted something like below:

Note that:

• There is a single header row.
• Each column is consistent regarding the data contained inside of it.
• There are at least 3 key pieces of information: company name, contact name, and an email address.

If you'd like to add additional data-points, such as "Industry" (like in the example above), you'll first need to Customize Your Database.

Import into Scout

After your data is prepped for import, it just takes a couple of clicks to import your data into Scout! Follow the steps below to complete your import: 

1) To access your Scout Supplier Database, simply click "Suppliers" located under Navigate at the top of the screen:

2) Click on the "Import" link on the left hand side of your Supplier Database page to open the Bulk Import tool:

3) Copy the data from your spreadsheet and paste it into the bulk import text field.

4) Once pasted, click the "Parse" button to prepare the import. Then, map your columns by selecting the column name from the dropdown menus:

5) Click the "Import" button to finalize the process and import your suppliers into your database.

Well done! Now all of your supplier data will be ready for your next event!

Click here for more articles about Supplier Management