Starting an import
Open the import wizard
Click the Import button on the page that matches your data - Products, Materials, Suppliers, Activities, Locations, or a Product’s BOM. Then select the import type:
- Products - your company’s products
- Materials - supplier materials and material inventory
- Bill of materials (BOM) - inputs/line items for a specific product (offered when starting from a Product)
- Suppliers - supplier companies
- Activity data - purchase/sales transactions for GHG inventory
- Air travel - flight emissions records
- Transport - logistics and freight emissions
- Locations - named factories, warehouses, ports, and other facilities
Configure the upload
On the upload screen, set the file-level options before continuing:
- Data source system - defaults to Spreadsheet. For BOM imports, you can pick a specific export format (e.g., SAP S/4HANA) and Variable will run a built-in adapter to transform the file before mapping.
- Decimal separator - defaults to Period (.) for US/UK formatting. Switch to Comma (,) if your file uses European number formatting (
1.234,56). - Drag file here or click to upload - select your CSV or XLSX file.
- Select sheet to import (XLSX only) - for multi-sheet workbooks, pick which sheet contains your data. Defaults to the first sheet.
Column mapping
After upload, Variable parses your file and displays the column mapping interface.How AI-assisted mapping works
Variable uses AI to suggest mappings between your column headers and Variable fields. The system considers:- Exact matches - Headers that exactly match Variable field names
- Semantic similarity - Headers with similar meaning (e.g., “Part Number” maps to
productSku) - Previous imports - Mappings you’ve used before for similar files
Each mapping shows its source: AI for AI-suggested, System for exact matches, or User for manually configured mappings.
Adjusting mappings manually
To change a mapping:- Click on the Variable field dropdown for the column
- Select the correct field from the list
- To remove a mapping, select “Do not import”
Mapping preview
The preview shows how your data will be imported:| Your column | Variable field | Sample values |
|---|---|---|
| Part Number | productSku | BIKE-001, RIM-001 |
| Description | productName | Mountain Bike, Alloy Rim |
| Qty | quantity | 5, 12.5 |
Value mapping
After column mapping, configure how values are transformed.Unit mapping
Map your unit values to Variable’s standard units:| Your value | Variable unit |
|---|---|
| kilograms | kg |
| pieces | pcs |
| square meters | m2 |
Variable recognizes many unit variations automatically. You should only need to map uncommon abbreviations.
Date format
If your file has date columns, use the Date format dropdown at the top of the mapping screen to tell Variable how to parse them. Pick the option that matches your file - Variable accepts several variations within each option:| Format | Accepted variations |
|---|---|
| Day / Month / Year | 17/05/2026, 17.05.2026, 17-05-2026 |
| Month / Day / Year | 05/17/2026, 05-17-2026 |
| Year / Month / Day | 2026/05/17, 2026-05-17, 20260517 |
| Year Month | 2026/05, 2026-05, 202605 |
| Month Year | 05/2026, 05-2026, 052026 |
| ISO 8601 | 2026-05-17T14:30:00Z |
All dates in a date column must use the same format. Mixing formats within a single column will cause parsing errors - clean those up in your source file before importing.
Reviewing your data
Before submitting, review the transformed data preview:- Check that quantities look correct (right decimal places)
- Verify dates are parsed correctly
- Confirm units are mapped appropriately
- Review any rows flagged with warnings
Validation warnings
The system highlights potential issues:- Missing required values - Rows without productSku or quantity
- Invalid units - Unit values that couldn’t be mapped
Submitting the import
Once mappings are configured:- Click Submit Import
- The import processes in the background
- You can navigate away - you’ll be notified when complete
Large imports (10,000+ rows) may take several minutes. The system processes data in batches of 250-1,000 items.
Import status
Track your import progress:| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| created | Import record created, awaiting file |
| uploaded | File received, awaiting processing |
| processing | Import in progress |
| done | Import completed successfully |
| error | Import failed - check error message |
| stopped | Import was manually cancelled |
Saving mapping configurations
Variable automatically saves your mappings. The next time you import a similar file:- Previously used mappings are suggested first
- Column order doesn’t need to match
- New columns are mapped using AI
Next steps
- What happens after upload - Understand how Variable processes BOM data
- Troubleshooting - Resolve common import issues