Troubleshooting PR Import Errors for Sage 300

Important Note: The ServiceTrade Accounting Connector (STAC) requires a Premium or Enterprise ServiceTrade Subscription and is a paid add-on. Please contact your ServiceTrade Salesperson or your Account Manager if you want to learn more about STAC.

How do I Import Time to Payroll?

This article will walk you through troubleshooting PR import errors for STAC 300.

Summary

• Steps to import time to Payroll in Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate.
• Is there a way to import a CSV file into payroll?
• Can I import Equipment and Job cost entries into Payroll?

Resolution

Important Note: When you Import Time entries that include Job Cost information such as: Jobs, Extras, Cost Codes, and/or Categories, those items must already exist in Job Cost before you can import time to them. Import Time does not create Jobs, Extras, Cost Codes, and/or Categories. Time entry lines will reject for Job, Extra, Cost Code, and/or Category combinations that do not exist.

1. In Payroll, select Tools then Import Time…
2. If using named files, you will be asked for the Master Payroll file and the New Payroll transaction file.
3. In the Import file field, select List to browse to the import file you have saved and click Open.
4. In the Error file field, type the file name for any rejected records. (Note: these locations will remember what location you used the last time)
5. Press the TAB key on your keyboard to move to the next field.
6. Click List, then select the time entry view for the import records. The time entry view must correspond with the layout of the import file.
7. If you select a time entry view that includes Equipment Cost information (equipment, EQ cost code, or revenue code), the Invalid Time Entry View selected message may appear, and you are prompted to enter a different time entry view. You can import equipment-specific entries directly into Equipment Cost (Equipment Cost, Tools, Import Entries). Review the notes below for the specific requirements to import time that creates Equipment Cost revenue entries.
8. If you need to process a certified payroll, refer to the Payroll Help topic, "About using import time to process a certified payroll", for additional information.
9. Enter the Period-Begin Date, if desired.
10. Enter the Period End Date for the imported earnings in one of the following formats:
    • mm/dd/yyyy - used only for fields that include the century
    • mm/dd/yy - the typical Payroll date format
11. Make any necessary print selections for the import time journal.
12. Click Start. The import time journal prints automatically.
13. After you successfully import earnings to the New.prt file, delete the import file to ensure that earnings are not imported more than once.

 Notes:

• Information regarding the import file fields and layout is available in Payroll by going to Help, Help Topics, click the Index tab and search for "Import Time".
• If there is a rate both on the employee setup and on a pay rate table that applies, the system will prefill the higher of the two rates.
• If you import time for an employee with the same PED as a check that is already in the new file with a status of New or Processed it will add the time to that check. If the existing check in the new file has a status of Printed or Manual it will create a Second Sequence check for this time entry.
• If you are importing time which contains a Reimbursement Pay Type pay, the amount is not retrieved from the Employee Pay record or from the Pay setup record. Your Import file must contain the rate for the Reimbursement Pay Type, if there is no rate for a Reimbursement Pay Type Pay on the import grid, no rate will retrieve. Units will import and you will need to use Enter Checks or Change Time Entries to enter the rate for Reimbursement Pay types.
• To automatically add Job Cost Standard Cost Codes and Standard Categories to a job when you import time, select the Allow addition of cost codes and categories during Import Time check box File, Company Settings, PR Settings, Job Cost Entry Settings.
• You can use Change Unposted Time or Enter Checks to add or edit individual earnings information. Then use Process Payroll, or click Process in Enter Checks, and continue with your normal Payroll workflow.
• Looking at PR>Inquiry>Check info>Check activity after importing time you will notice that the columns are blank for Gross Pay, Regular Hours or Net Pay. This is because Import Time does not create the PR check Pay record which is what updates the check. You will have to process the additional records. You can view the Hours, Rate and Amount in Inquiry>Check info>Check time, NEW

Import Time rejects with a TS2620 error

Summary

When importing time an error is received, TS2620.

Cause

The post and interface settings are turned off.

Resolution

When you are importing time, there are records which are validated. If the Post and Interface settings are turned off to the interfacing applications and your import contains fields from records stored in those applications, you'll receive the TS2620 error message. Go to File/Company Settings/PR Settings/Interface settings and make sure your interface settings are active

Where can I find a template or outline for Accounts Receivable Import invoices?

1. From the Tools menu, select Import Invoices.
2. Click [Print Template] and preview or print the template.

Note: The lines on the import file for the Activity.ara Activity records begin with an “I”. The lines for the Activity.ara Distribution records begin with a D.

Error: "Payroll has stopped working" (Importing Time)

Summary

• Error: "Payroll has stopped working".
• Error is generated when importing time, and Background Tasks stays at 0 percent.

Cause

The import file contains invalid characters.

Resolution

Review the import file and remove any invalid entries.

Errors received when importing time into Payroll

Summary

• Receiving errors for Import Time rejecting the time entry line.
• An error such as "category is required" may occur if pay ID setup is incomplete.
• An error such as "Maximum number of fields exceeded" may occur if the incorrect time entry view is chosen.
• An error such as "Job required when extra, cost code or category is defined" may occur if the import file has no job in the job field but has an extra, cost code or category.
• An error such as "Job required when extra, cost code or category is entered" may occur if the import file has no job in the job field but has an extra, cost code or category.

Cause

The time entry view must match the record being imported. When the record and the view do not match you will receive rejection errors for the fields that do not match. If there is an extra, cost code or category entered, a job must also be entered on the line.

Resolution

1. Select the correct view for the import that matches the file being imported.
2. Open the file being imported to see the format of the fields.
3. Open Customize Time Entry Views by going to Payroll, Tools.
4. Find the view that matches the format of the import file.
5. f none of the existing views match, then create a view that will match

Note:

• If the error you receive when importing is "category is required," you will need to go to Setup, Pays and type in a valid JC Category such as "L" or "LAB" so that any imported time with that Pay ID will have a valid Job Cost category to match it to in Payroll.
• If the error you receive when importing is that an item is required or missing, the import file will need to be modified to correct the missing information. For example, if a job is not entered but the cost code is, the file will reject.

I cannot find my Payroll Import Time Reject file

Summary

• I cannot find my Payroll Import Time Reject file
• My reject file is missing

Cause

• The reject file cannot be seen in the import window because periods were part of the reject file name. The system sees the first period as part of a file extension and marks the file type as "file" instead of "text"

Resolution

• Use Windows Explorer to search for the file. If the file name was Reject.2017, search the computer drive that you believe it to be on for the name "Reject.2017". Once you find it, change the name to Reject-2017.txt. Make necessary corrections. The system will now be able to see the reject file with the text extension for re-importing once the corrections have been made.

How do I edit rejected entries created when importing time in Payroll?

Summary

• Editing the error file created by import time.
• I imported time twice and now my time is doubled.

Resolution

1. Import time creates an error file in a text file format. This file can be found at the location indicated under Tools, Import Time, Error File field.
2. Review the errors or rejections listed on the Import Time report.
3. If the error is due to a job, cost code or category not found, verify the codes are correct and create the missing item.
4. If the error is due to an incorrect import entry, browse to the location of the error file from your computer desktop.
5. Double click rejection file to open the file using Microsoft Notepad or another text editor.
6. Correct the entry in the file and save.
7. Import the corrected file through Import Time in Payroll.

Import time rejected "Union [Union ID] does not exist."

Summary

• When importing time, the journal prints: "Rejected - Union [Union ID] does not exist."
• Could also show Union Local and or Union class does not exist.

Cause

The Union information was typed in on Setup, Employees, Entry Info page and not selected from a valid list of Unions, Locals, classes.

Resolution

1. Setup > Employees > Entry Info >select the union information from the list button.

Note: If the union or class is correct but has not been set up see article 23675 How do I set up a union payroll? for instructions.

• Save changes and Close
• Import rejection file.

How to create a second sequence check using import time.

Summary

Can I create a second sequence check using import time?

Resolution

1. Import Time will create second sequence checks when there is a first sequence check for the same employee and period end date with a Check status of Printed Manual.
2. To import second sequence checks:
   1. Import or enter time for first sequence checks first.
   2. Process payroll.
   3. Generate direct deposits and/or print for first sequence checks as applicable.
   4. Import second import file and use same period end date as first import file.
   5. Continue your normal payroll workflow to process, generate direct deposits / print checks, and post checks.

Why is the expense account blank when I import time in Payroll?

Summary

The debit account is blank when importing time in Payroll.

Cause

The time imported into Payroll does not automatically retrieve expense account information until the time is processed. If the status of the time/check is still New, it will need to be processed to retrieve the accounts according to the hierarchy.

Resolution

• To resolve this, you need to process the time after it reaches Payroll. To process the time in Payroll, refer to this Sage KB article.

How do I set up a pay rate to prefill when entering or importing time?

Summary

• When importing time, you may wish to import hours, and let Payroll fill in an assigned pay rate.
• Pay rate is missing in time entry.
• Pay rate is blank.
• Why is my rate not prefilling during time entry.

Resolution

Option 1: Add the Pay Rate to the employee setup.

1. From the Payroll Setup menu, select Employees.
2. Enter the Employee ID in the Employee field and press Enter twice.
3. Click Pays.
4. For the Pay ID that is being used to pay the employee on your import file, fill in the pay rate that you wish to use in the Amount field.
   • • Note: If it does not exist, setup the pay id. If it does exist use the list button and select the Pay ID in the Pay ID box. Leave the Pay Type and Calc Method at their default values.
5. Click Accept Table, Save, and then Close. Once this is done for all employees you are importing, you may now import time, and the Pay Rate will prefill automatically.

Option 2: Create a pay rate table.

1. See Sage KB article 22215 "How do I set up a rate table?"
2. Note: If there is a rate both on the employee setup and on a pay rate table that applies, the system will prefill the higher of the two rates.
3. If there is no rate for a Reimbursement Pay Type Pay on the import grid, no rate will retrieve. Units will import and you will need to use Enter Checks or Change Time Entries to enter the rate for Reimbursement Pay types.

How do I correct or delete time entries in Payroll?

Summary

• Use Change Unposted Time to correct a check.
• How do I delete incorrect imported payroll when valid time entries exist in the new file as well?
• I put the wrong number on the salary person, and it went to one of the hourly employees.
• Can I delete it from change unposted time?

Resolution

1. Verify the location and status of the check:
2. In Payroll, from the Inquiry menu, select Check Information, Check Activity.
3. Select the New transaction file. Click OK.
4. In the Check Status column, verify the check is listed and has a status of "New Check" or "Processed."

Note: If the check status is "Printed" you must void the check to correct it.

Click Close.

Use Change Time Entries to correct the entries:

1. From the Task menu, select Change Time Entries, Change Unposted Time.
2. Click List and select View.
3. Type the Period end date, and then click OK.
4. Make any necessary corrections to the time entries and click Accept Line.
5. Click Finish.
6. From the Tasks menu, select Process Payroll and select the appropriate Pay group, Period end date, and Calculation frequencies.
7. Click Start.
8. Review the Check Journal to verify the check information is correct.