Importing data from external files into the Environmental Journals

  • 25/03/2025
  • 4 minutes to read

The data import functionality in Continia Sustainability lets you integrate environmental data from external files into the Environmental Journal. This feature is particularly useful for collecting commuting data, which is often gathered through company-wide surveys to monitor employee travel patterns, including office commutes and remote work arrangements.

To set up the Data Exchange Definition

By following a structured process using the standard Data Exchange Definition functionality, you can configure import settings and define column mappings to facilitate the accurate integration of external environmental data into the Environmental Journal.

For more details, refer to the Data Exchange documentation on Microsoft Learn.

To set up the Data Exchange Definition:

  1. Use the Search icon, search for Data Exchange Definition, then select the related link.
  2. On the action bar, select New.
  3. On the General FastTab, configure the required fields: Code, Name, Type (type of business functionality), Reading/Writing XMLport (the XMLport through which an imported data file enters before mapping). Optionally, add information for the File Type and Column Separator (specifies how the columns in the data file are separated, if the file is of type variable text) fields.
  4. Navigate to the Columns Definitions FastTab, and define columns for the source file by specifying the Column No., Name, Data Type, Data Format (if necessary), Data Formatting Culture for every column in the external data file. See Set up data exchange definitions on Microsoft Learn for more details.
  5. You can now configure how columns in the data file map to corresponding fields in Business Central. Navigate to the Line Definitions FastTab, select a line, select Field Mapping and select New to map columns from the source file to the Environmental Journal:
    • Column No. - the column in the external file.
    • Field ID - the corresponding column in the Environmental Journal.

To import the file into the Environmental Journal

Once you have set up the Data Exchange Definition, you can import the file into the environmental journal.

To import the file:

  1. Use the Search icon, search for Environmental Journal Templates, then select the related link.
  2. For each journal, select the Environmental Journal Import Format, or the Data Exchange Definition previously created. On the Environmental Journal Templates page, select the journal and in the Environmental Journal Import Format column, select the Data Exchange Definition.
  3. Use the Search icon, search for Environmental Journals, then select the related link.
  4. On the Environmental Journal Templates page, select the relevant journal to open it, and on the Journal page, select Home > Import a File. For example, to import commuting data, open the Employee Commuting Journal and follow the import steps.