Edition: Professional, Business & Enterprise
User-level: System Administrator
Note: The spreadsheet for this Data Import was updated 04/05/2025 - Previous versions of the Projects and Contacts Import spreadsheet will not be compatible.
Before importing projects and project contacts, you need to consider setting up Project Numbers, Offices, Project Status and Rate Groups, and ensure you have imported your Contacts.
In this step, we bring in the headlines, the project number, name, and location. We will also link the project manager and client contacts that have already been imported.
1. Download the Synergy Excel template.
Organisation drop-down > Settings>Organisation>Data Import>Excel Import
Click on the Projects tab, and click Download.
This will download the Excel file named Synergy data import – Projects.
The file will include three tabs:
Intro – Provides guidance and tips.
Projects – Main project data.
Additional Project Contacts – For linking extra contacts to projects.
Warning!
Do not rename, reorder, or delete any columns.
Do not remove or alter the header rows.
2. Check what information can be imported.
Review the Projects and Additional Project Contacts sheets to understand which columns match fields in Synergy.
Note that some fields—such as Project Manager or Role—may have been set up in previous steps.
3. Export your projects from your other system.
Use an export feature in your current system to get an excel style output (commonly CSV) with all your existing project details. This could mean you export the project details from your accounting system, or another software package, or maybe you already have it in a spreadsheet.
4. Match your data to the Synergy Excel columns.
Compare the data in your excel file to the columns in the Synergy Excel template and check you have all the required information as well as the optional information that you want to import.
5. Using the Synergy Excel template
Copy and paste your project data into the Projects and Additional Project Contacts tabs of the Synergy template.
Use the row beneath the headers for column-specific guidance.
Columns marked with a single asterisk (*) are mandatory. Columns without an asterisk are optional.
Columns with double asterisks (**) have rules—refer to the guidance row below the headers.
⚠️ Do Not:
Delete or rename any columns or headers.
Change formatting (e.g., numbers, dates, currency).
Enter data beyond the final column of the table.
Rearrange columns or change sheet order in the workbook.
In Column A, enter ‘Skip’ to exclude a record from import. Rows left blank or marked as ‘Import’ will be included.
The Missing Fields column calculates how many required fields are missing. Do not edit or remove its formula.
If you need to add formulas or lookup tables, do so on a new tab placed at the far right of the workbook.
6. Double-check the data in the template.
Required information
Every project must have a unique Project Number, composed of a Project Prefix and a sequential number.
The Project Name must correspond to its correct number.
Each project must have:
A valid Status that exists in Synergy.
A Billable Project value: Yes or No.
An assigned Project Manager.
A Primary & Invoice Contact – at minimum, the Company or Individual name must be provided.
For additional project contacts:
Use the Additional Project Contacts tab.
Provide either the Project Number or Project Name.
The Contact (Company, Individual, or Personnel) must already exist in Synergy.
Optional information
Project Number Suffix – used for customising the project number further.
Start Date – useful for scheduling and reporting in Synergy Enterprise.
End Date – also useful for schedule and performance tracking.
Office – only needed for organisations with multiple offices. If you have only one office, this field can be left blank.
External Name – use when the client-facing name differs from the internal project name.
Project Type, Rate Group, and Payment Terms must already exist in Synergy.
Scope of Works – enter a summary or critical project notes to display on the Project Summary page.
Client Reference Number – often used for PO numbers or contract references.
Tags – multiple tags should be comma-separated (e.g., Tag1, Tag2, Tag3).
Roles – must exist in Synergy. Set them up via:
Settings > Contact Lists > RolesAdditional Project Contacts can be identified as Invoice, Additional Invoice Contact, or Care of Invoice Contact by entering Y in the appropriate column.
7. Import Synergy data import - Projects
Navigate to: Settings > Organisation > Data Import > Excel Import
Ensure you are on the Projects tab and click Upload.
Select ‘Add Files’ and locate your completed import file—or drag and drop it into the browser window.
The Import Preview will display your data for review.
If there are any errors, click the red or orange warning icons for details on how to fix them.
Skip any rows you don’t want to import. Rows with unresolved errors will be skipped automatically.
Click Import to process all valid records.
Once complete, your projects will appear in Synergy, and you’ll be ready to load additional data such as Phases, Stages, Fees, Revenue, and Costs.
Tips!
Start with a single project entry to verify formatting and field accuracy before importing in bulk.
While you can import the minimum required fields and run the import multiple times, the system does not allow updates via this import function. Enter as much as possible in one go for efficiency.
Skipped records can be corrected and re-imported separately.
Use the example rows to understand formatting, but remember to delete them before importing to avoid confusion.