Home/ Reports & Utilities/ Importing Data From Other Software

Importing Data From Other Software

Import employee and payroll data from other payroll systems into ProPay.

Overview

Paysoft has written utilities that automatically import data from certain payroll software. Check with Paysoft for the availability of an import utility for your specific software. If no utility exists, you can use the manual import procedure described here.

Understanding ProPay File Structure

ProPay creates several files when you add a new client. These files are dBase III compatible format.

Example: Client ID A01

File Name Purpose Records
A01_CO.DBF Company information 1 record only
A01_MAST.DBF Employee master file Several records
A01_DET.DBF Employee detail file (all paychecks) Several records
A01_DEPT.DBF Company departments definition Variable
More A01_*.dbf files Various types of information Variable

Recommended Import Approach

Import data only into the Employee Master file (highlighted above). This file is the most time-consuming to set up manually. Enter data for all other files through the ProPay user interface to ensure file integrity.

File Format Requirements

The import file must be in one of these formats:

  • dBase III format
  • ASCII format (fixed length)
  • Comma-delimited text files

Example: Comma-delimited format

For the first three fields (Employee_no, Name, Dept), a comma-delimited ASCII file should look like:

_CODE_BLOCK_0_

Import Procedure

Step 1: Create a new client

  1. Start ProPay.
  2. Go to Client Functions > Add New Client.
  3. Enter the client ID (example: A01).
  4. Fill in the employer information.

Step 2: Enter required setup information

  1. Go to Payroll Functions on the main menu.
  2. Enter information for each of the following:
    • Employer Deductions
    • Departments (if used)
    • Workers Comp (if used)
    • Job Costing (if used)

    This creates the necessary database files.

    Step 3: Import employee master file data

    Use a dBase III compatible utility program to:

    1. Open the employee master file (example: A01_MAST.DBF).
    2. Import your data from the source system.
    3. Ensure data matches the ProPay field structure.
    4. Save the imported data.

    Step 4: Rebuild index files

    1. Go to Client Functions > Misc > Re-Build Index Files (For All Clients).

    Step 5: Complete employee setup

    For each employee:

    1. Go to Employees > Add or Change.
    2. Select the employee.
    3. Complete information in each of these screens:
      • Deductions/Reimbursements
      • Tax Status Exempt
      • Direct Deposits
      • Other
      1. Click Save before moving to the next employee.

      This step is critical to ensure file integrity.

      Entering Employee YTD Information

      After importing employee master data:

      1. Click the ProPay Help button.
      2. Search for Employee YTD Set-Up.
      3. Follow the directions in that help topic.

      ProPay Master File Record Layout

      The ProPay Employee Master file is a dBase III type file with the following key fields:

      Field No Field Name Type Length Decimals Example Comments
      1 EMP_NO C 4 0 0108 4 digits
      2 NAME C 30 0 JACKSON, GAIL Last, First
      3 DEPT N 4 0 100 4 digits
      4 WCID N 4 0 9079 Workers comp code
      5 SSN C 11 0 123-45-6789 With dashes

      Additional fields exist for address, pay rates, tax status, deductions, and other employee information. Contact Paysoft for the complete record layout if needed.

      Important Notes

      • Always back up existing data before importing.
      • Test the import process with one or two employees first.
      • Verify all imported data before processing payroll.
      • Ensure employee numbers do not conflict with existing employees.
      • Complete all setup screens for each employee to maintain file integrity.

      Related Topics

      ← Back to Index