Importing your Data - FAQ

Discover answers to FAQs on importing data into Power Diary. Learn about the process, data security, and how to ensure a smooth transition.

Frequently Asked Questions - Importing your data

A collection of frequently asked questions (FAQs) has been compiled for importing data into your new Power Diary Account. If you cannot locate the answer to your inquiry on this page, we suggest browsing this link, which includes a range of articles relevant to migrating your data, including both system-specific and general information that may be helpful.

If, despite reviewing the articles, you are still unable to locate the answer to your query, please feel free to contact us at support@powerdiary.com, and we will gladly provide further assistance.

Index:

1. Will you import my data during my free trial or do I need to convert my account first?: 
2. Can I import my data myself?
3. I'm still going to use my current software for the next month or 2. Can I import my data now?
4. Can I use my account while you are importing my data?
5. Can I send you some test data to see how it would look in my Power Diary Account before I decide whether to switch to Power Diary?
6. How do I clear my test data prior to my data being imported?
7. How are data security and privacy managed during the data import process?
8. Can you import iCal data? (Google Appointments)
9. Can you import Outlook Appointments? 
10. Can you import my existing Xero IDs?
11. Can you import my closed/archived clients, and how can I find them once they've been imported?
12. Can you upload documents to clients' profiles?
13. Can you import financial information?
14. Can you import Credit Card Details / Client Bank Details?
15. Can you import Online Forms and Session Note templates?
16. Can I retain my client IDs or reference numbers?
17. Can I import images to annotate my Notes?
18. Can I use my Power Diary account whilst you are importing my data?

Will you import my data during my free trial period or do I need to convert my account first?

• Once you've made the decision to switch to Power Diary, you can initiate the process of importing your data.
• If you are still unsure about whether Power Diary is the right fit for your business, we recommend taking advantage of the 14-day free trial by manually inputting test data for a small number of clients. This way, you can assess the platform's capabilities and determine its suitability for your needs.
• Our data import service is only available to clients who have committed to transitioning to Power Diary. By focusing on importing data for those who have made the decision to switch, we can concentrate our efforts on understanding and handling complex data, resulting in a smoother transition to our system.

*You can convert your account to a paid account at any point during your free trial period, and you'll still enjoy the benefits of the full 14-day trial.

Can I import my data myself?

No.  We have a team of experienced Data Import Specialists who will expertly cleanse, transform, and import your data for you. We're enthusiastic about working with you to ensure that your data transfer seamlessly and to answer any questions you may have. This service is provided to our new clients at no additional cost, and taking this personalised approach ensures that we can migrate the maximum amount of data to your new Power Diary account with the best possible quality.

I'm still going to use my current software for the next month or 2.  Can I import my data now?

If you are not going to switch over to using your Power diary account just yet, our recommendation is that you wait until you are ready to make the switch to Power Diary before you get your data imported.  

However, if you anticipate using both systems simultaneously for a period and prefer to import your data into Power Diary sooner, it's crucial to have a plan in place to bridge the data gap. This plan could involve methods like inputting information into both systems, keeping notes, or inputting data into your Power Diary account at a later time, as we do not offer supplemental imports. Please note that our data import service is offered as a one-time complimentary service to facilitate the migration of your data to your new Power Diary account.

Can I continue to use my Power Diary Account while my data is being imported?

Yes.  You can continue to use your account to conduct business as usual during the time that our Data Import Team are working on your data migration.

*We do recommend that you don't edit/change the imported data until such time that you have ascertained that you are happy with what has been imported. This can complicate/hinder resolution of any post-import inquiries/issues that are raised with our team.

Can I send you some test data to see how it would look in my Power Diary Account before I decide whether to switch to Power Diary?

As previously mentioned, if you're still undecided about switching to Power Diary, the most effective way to evaluate whether it meets your business requirements is by using the 14-day free trial period to manually enter test data for a few clients. This will allow you to gauge the platform's features and functionalities.

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How do I clear my test data prior to my data being imported?

If you would like to clear your account of test data (ie: test client profiles, appointments, notes, invoices etc ...), you can bulk archive or delete the test data that you don't want to retain, by using the Bulk Update functionality in your account.    In the main menu, navigate to Tools > Bulk Update and follow the prompts.  For detailed instructions and further guidance, please refer to our step-by-step guide here.  

How are data security and privacy managed during the data import process?"

Rest assured that your data privacy and security are just as critical to us as they are to you. Our Data Import Specialists need access to your source data to cleanse, transform, and prepare it for import into your new Power Diary Account. They are bound by legally binding agreements that they have accepted and signed as part of their employment contract, and all staff members are thoroughly screened prior to being hired. Your source data is always held in secure locations that cannot be accessed without two-factor authentication or a virtual private network (VPN), and access is restricted to authorised Power Diary staff only.

After we complete the import of your data into your Power Diary account, we will retain the data for a period of 60 days to allow for any issues related to the data import to be investigated. After this period, your data will be permanently deleted.

Please refer to our website (click here) for more information on our data security and privacy practices. We have a dedicated team that ensures the implementation of best practices for information security and privacy controls and continuously improves our processes.

Can you import iCal data? (Google Appointments)

Unfortunately, direct import of Google Calendar appointment details into Power Diary is not possible. Google Calendar only exports appointments as an iCalendar (iCal) file, which isn't in a structured and accessible format like CSV/Excel, and therefore cannot be imported by our Data Import Team. However, you can still import your Google Calendar appointments into your Power Diary account yourself, by following the steps outlined in our helpdesk article, " Importing Google Calendar Appointments into Power Diary".

As Google Calendar doesn't have a client database, imported Google Calendar appointments will be brought in as "Personal appointments" in Power Diary, with the event name as the appointment title in the calendar, (ie: no clients are linked to the appointments).
*Personal appointments in Power Diary are intended for non-client-related events, such as scheduling time for lunch or personal appointments eg: your hairdresser appointment.

We can import your Google Contacts, as they can be exported to .csv format which we can work with. Please refer to Google's instructions on how to export your contacts here.

For a potential workaround, you could utilise the Google Calendar integration to bring appointments from Google Calendar into your Power Diary account. Then, add client profiles and create new Client Appointments alongside the synced appointments. You can then delete the ones brought in via the Google Calendar Integration. While it may involve some manual effort, this workaround has been used successfully by other customers to transition into Power Diary.

Can you import Outlook Appointments? 

Unfortunately, we are unable to directly import Outlook Appointments as Outlook Calendar does not support exporting appointments in a compatible format for our data import team. However, there is a workaround available. You can sync your Outlook appointments with Google and then use our built-in sync functionality to import them into Power Diary. Please note that these appointments will be imported as personal appointments and will not be linked to any client profile. If you want to link them to clients, you will need to manually create client appointments and link them to the correct client profile.

We can import your Outlook contacts as they can be exported to a .csv format, which is compatible with our data import process. You can find instructions on how to export your contacts from Outlook on Microsoft's website by clicking here..

Can you import my existing Xero IDs?

If you have Xero IDs that you want to import into your new Power Diary account, please inform us, and we will assist you with the process. Please note that importing Xero IDs does not automatically link your Power Diary account to Xero. To connect and set up the integration, follow the steps provided in this guide: click here. 

Additionally, to avoid conflicts with invoice numbers when exporting invoices to Xero, you may want to set a specific invoice number to start from in your new Power Diary account. For guidance on how to do this, refer to this helpdesk article: click here.

Can you import my closed/archived clients, and how can I find them once they've been imported?

We are able to import your closed or archived clients along with their associated data.   If it is included in your data, it will automatically be imported.

To locate your archived clients after they have been imported:

• navigate to People > Clients and click on the Advanced Search button. 
• Then, scroll down until you see the Archived setting and click on it. In the drop-down menu that appears, select Archived Clients Only. You can also add other filters if needed.
• Finally, click on the Show Filtered List button located in the bottom-right corner of your screen to open the list of archived clients. 

For more information on how to use the Advanced Search Functionality in Power Diary, please refer to this helpdesk article here.

Can you upload documents to clients' profiles?

Certainly, it is possible for us to assist you with bulk uploading documents, such as PDFs, MS Word files, HTML files, and others, into client records. However, to ensure that the data is uploaded to the correct client profile, the relevant client must be specified. There are two ways to manage this:

1. The most preferable method is to structure the documents in individual folders for each client, with the folder name indicating the relevant client.
2. Alternatively, the documents can be listed under one folder, and the document title must include the client identifier.

To identify the client, their full name, unique ID, and other unique information can be used, or a combination of unique identifiers such as name and date of birth. 

Since this data is typically larger, it should be compressed or zipped into a single file before uploading. To do this, navigate to the main menu in your Power Diary Account and select  Settings > Practice > Data Import.

Can you import financial information?

Under certain circumstances, we can import invoices, invoice items, billable items, and payment information. However, it is necessary to provide us with sufficient financial information that can be imported into the system. Our import specialists will review the data you provide to determine whether it is compatible and sufficient for importing.

Please note that every system has its own complexities and differences in underlying structure, which cannot always be fully translated when transferring data from one system to another. Financial history is intricate and may involve various elements such as discounts, write-offs, refunds, pre-payments, vouchers, etc., which can be recorded differently depending on the system. Often, the exported data from the previous system may not tell the entire story, leading to incorrect financial information in Power Diary.

If we are unable to import financial data, we recommend setting a particular date to start invoicing in Power Diary and recording all financial activity in Power Diary from that point on. Any historical financial information should either be stored externally from your backups or accessed through an accounting system. This ensures that there is clarity around what has been recorded in Power Diary and what was recorded in the previous system.

Can you import Credit Card Details / Client Bank Details?

• Importing credit card details is not possible in Power Diary. We do not store credit card information in our database to ensure the security and protection of our client's sensitive data. When adding credit card details in Power Diary, the information is directly fed into your Stripe account and securely saved there for use in online transactions. You will need to manually input the credit card details yourself. Please follow the instructions in this article for collecting your client credit cards details and storing them securely. 
• The Bank Account form is used to save the client's bank account details specifically for submitting Medicare Patient Claims. Any bank details added through this form will replace the client's bank details registered with their Medicare card. Please note that if this information is included in your data and requires importing, you will need to notify us as it will not be imported automatically.

Can you import Online Forms and Session Note templates?

• Unfortunately, it is not possible to import forms and note templates from other systems as they are in a format that is not supported by Power Diary.
• Power Diary offers a variety of Session Note and Online Form templates that can be downloaded from our Template Library. This feature can save you time and effort in creating forms and notes from scratch. For more information on this, please click here.

Can I retain my client IDs or reference numbers?

• Client numbers in Power Diary are automatically generated by the system and must be unique.
• If it is essential for you to have the client number from your previous system recorded somewhere in Power Diary, please notify us, and we can import this to another field, usually the "File Under" field in the client profile.

Can I import images to annotate my Notes?

• If you want to upload your own image to your Note Templates so that you can draw and annotate it during client appointments, you can do it yourself.
• We have a helpdesk article titled "Creating a session note template," which covers this topic and provides a step-by-step guide on how to upload your image to your Note Template.
• Please click here to access the relevant helpdesk article that will guide you through how to do this, and scroll down to the "drawing" subheader.

Can I use my Power Diary account whilst you are importing my data?

Yes you can. 

• We recommend that you discontinue using your previous system once you've provided us with the final data for import into Power Diary. Any additions or modifications made in the old system after exporting the data won't be included in the import. You can still operate your business normally by adding new clients, appointments, notes, invoices, payments, and more directly into your Power Diary account while we're importing your data. However, be aware that any data you enter that's already in your current system will be duplicated during the import process. You can merge client profiles after the import is fully completed by following these steps, if necessary.
• We recommend that you retain access to your old system for a period to refer back to it until your migration to Power Diary is fully completed and to your satisfaction, including the time required for importing your files and notes. This way, your business can continue as usual while we work on your migration. 
• Please be aware that if you create a client profile directly in Power Diary, that is also included in your Data that you are requesting us to import, we will not be able to match them, and as such you will land up with duplicate client profiles in your account. This can easily be remedied by yourself, once your import is fully complete, simply by merging the duplicate client profiles together, thus obviating any risk of data loss, read more about how to do this here.  We advise against merging duplicate client profiles until the import is entirely finished, including the importing of documents and notes. If you merge profiles beforehand, there's a high chance that any documents or data not yet imported won't be included in the merged profile.

If you have any questions, please contact us at support@powerdiary.com

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