Importing salary data to Procountor

 

Salary data import may become necessary when, for example, salary data is imported to Procountor from a worktime management software. The goal of this guide article is to offer an overall picture about salary data import to Procountor.

Salary data can be imported to Procountor with two kinds of import files:

• Salary data specification record
• Salary data import file that consists of three different record types (this file and the three different record types were used with import files before the era of the Incomes Register)

The pictures used in this article present the salary data specification record as an example file. The examples in this article also assume that the used worktime management software automatically produces the import file for the payroll accountant. Please note that the salary data import functions in the same way regardless of the used import file type or the production method of the import file.

All salary type codes used in the import file must have a corresponding code in Procountor. Please take a look at the salary types used in Procountor (the guide article of the link includes an Excel file of all salary types).

 

Importing salary data to Procountor

Salary data refers to a CSV file that includes salary type row information. The file is used to form salaries to Procountor. For example, the information of salary period’s overtimes and allowances for an employee is retrieved from the worktime management software. This information can be imported to Procountor with salary data import files that are in the default form.

When the salary data is imported to Procountor, new salary slips are generated that can be approved, sent and paid. Salary slip content is determined by the import file as well as by the defaults set for the employee in Procountor (person information, salary information, salary base).

 

Creating a new salary list

The payroll accountant must possess an import file in CSV format that includes the salary data in order to import the data to Procountor.

1 First, calculation of salaries for a new period is started by creating a new salary list and setting the time interval for the salary period.

2 After this, an import file is brought to Procountor from the view’s Select file button.

3 Create slips button generates the salary slips according to the import file information (and the default employee-specific settings in Procountor). Salary data is allocated to employees by social security number and person number.

4 After this, the salary slips should be checked for correct information transfer. If needed, changes can be made to the salary slips before approving them.

5 The salary list is approved with the Approve button. After this, the user can proceed to payment and reporting when the timing is right for these actions.

 

Supplementing employee information before data import

Salary data import file creates salary slips for employees. In order to successfully create salary slips, all employees that the import file data concerns must be created in Procountor beforehand. The import file can’t be used to create new employees to the register.

Creating a new employee begins with saving information to the person register. A social security number and a possible person number (that is filled in the Customer number field) are given in the person register. It is possible to use both social security number and person number as identifiers in the salary data import file.

Salary info and salary base must also be determined for the new employee. The salary info includes details about, for example, employment, tax card and insurance. These details are important on salary slips. Before importing salary data, the salary base must include at least the salary types that are used in the salary data import file: in other words, all salary types used in the import file must be found also in the salary base. The salary types in question are added for each employee so that their quantity is 0 and price or payment percent is correct (in case the pricing information is not brought from the other software in the import file).

 

Import file

The data import file is a file in which a single row constitutes a single record. Fields in the record are separated by semicolons. For this reason, semicolons may not be used in the data contained in the fields. The file does not have a separate header row, i.e. the records begin immediately from the first row. The CSV extension is used to identify the file, which can otherwise be named freely. If the file is saved in CSV format in Excel (not CSV (Macintosh) or CSV (MS-DOS)), the field separators and extension will automatically be correct.

 

Salary data import file: specification record

The salary data specification record can include the following salary data:

• Social security number or person number = employee identification.
• Salary type code = salary type identification.
• Salary type name = this example includes a name for the salary type in the import file; it is wanted to include the same name also to the salary slips themselves.
• Quantity = this example includes data about salary type’s quantity.
• Unit value = the value can be defined in the salary data import file. Usually the price is defined on an employee-specific level in the Unit value field of the employee’s salary base – in these situations, the unit value is not brought in Procountor with the import file.

 

 

Record description for the specification level import file

The import file has a default form and all fields are verified when the file is brought in Procountor. The record description specifies all information that can be included in the import file. The record description also determines the correct order for the information, possible information obligatoriness and specific forms of data items.

The record description is presented in the table below:

Num	Excel cell	Field name / Data item	Obligatoriness	Format	Permitted values / Verification	Default	Additional information
1	A	Row type	X	Text, 1 character	E		E = Specification record
2	B	Social security number or Employee number	X	ddmmyy or free-form text	This data item must be allocated to Procountor's person register, or the record will be rejected.		Used to allocate the record to an employee according to social security number or employee number.
3	C	Salary type code	X	Integer	The code must be allocated to Procountor's salary type register, or the record will be rejected.		Used to allocate the record to Procountor's salary type register and the employee’s salary base, from which the specific details of the salary type will be retrieved.
4	D	Salary type name		Text, 255 characters		From the salary base or salary type register	The name of the row / salary type stated on the salary slip.
5	E	Row quantity		Decimal, max. 2 decimal places		1 pcs	The salary slip’s row quantity (e.g. the number of hours worked).
6	F	Row unit price		Decimal, max. 2 decimal places		From the salary base	The salary slip’s row unit price (e.g. the salary for one hour).
7	G	Dimension name 1		Text, 255 characters	Must exist in Procountor in the exact same form, including small and capital letters		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting dimension (e.g. "Cost centre").
8	H	Item name 1		Text, 255 characters	Must exist in the items of the specified dimension in the exact same form, including small and capital letters		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting item (e.g. "KP01").
9	I	Dimension name 2		Text, 255 characters	Check "Dimension name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting dimension
10	J	Item name 2		Text, 255 characters	Check "Item name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting item
11	K	Dimension name 3		Text, 255 characters	Check "Dimension name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting dimension
12	L	Item name 3		Text, 255 characters	Check "Item name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting item
13	M	Dimension name 4		Text, 255 characters	Check "Dimension name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting dimension
14	N	Item name 4		Text, 255 characters	Check "Item name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting item
15	O	Dimension name 5		Text, 255 characters	Check "Dimension name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting dimension
16	P	Item name 5		Text, 255 characters	Check "Item name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting item
17	Q	Dimension name 6		Text, 255 characters	Check "Dimension name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting dimension
18	R	Item name 6		Text, 255 characters	Check "Item name 1" field		Used to allocate the record to a cost accounting item
19	S	Earning period start date		dd.mm.yyyy			Used to determine the earnings period for the salary row. Mandatory of earning period end date is filled.
20	T	Earning period end date		dd.mm.yyyy			Used to determine the earnings period for the salary row. Mandatory of earning period end date is filled.
21	U	Row comment for employee		Free text field			Used to add a row comment to the salary row which can be seen by the employee.

 

An example file of the specification record

Below is an example of a file that is created in the form of specification record. When the file is imported to Procountor, it does not include a heading row. However, the picture below includes the heading row in order to make the example more understandable.

In this example, the employees are identified by the person number (numbers 502, 5503 and 5504). The name of the salary type is not obligatory information in the import file, but this example includes names in order to clarify the salary data. The quantify of allowances earned in the salary period is transferred to the employee. Unit value field is left empty in the import file; the value is therefore not brought in the file. The example assumes that employees’ salary bases include the allowance salary types that are used in the import. The example also assumes that unit values have been given to these salary types in the salary base. The quantity of these salary types must be “0” in Procountor’s salary base in order to make a successful allocation with the transfer.

So, in this case, the quantity is brought in with the import file. The unit value is fetched automatically from the salary base, as a row in the import file is allocated to a row in the salary base.

 

 

Specification record example: evening shift allowance

The picture below presents an example about a situation where a salary data import file is used to bring information about evening shift allowance to Procountor. The information is allocated to the evening shift allowance salary type that is found in the salary base of the employee. By both data sources, the salary slip will include a salary type of Evening shift allowance: the salary type’s name and quantity are generated by the import file; the salary type’s unit value is generated by the salary base information. Generally, the formation of a salary slip varies according to the imported data and the information set to the salary base.