Importing Brewery Inventory Items

Use the inventory import feature to bulk-add raw materials, ingredients, containers, and other inventory items to BarSight. This is especially useful when first setting up your system or when adding items from a new vendor.

Before You Start

• Prepare your data in a CSV (comma-separated values) file
• Ensure you have access to Brewery → Inventory
• Have your vendor names, categories, and units of measure ready

Accepted CSV Column Headers

BarSight recognizes the following column headers in your CSV file. You can use either the Primary Header or any of the Alternative Headers - they will be automatically matched.

Primary Header	Alternative Headers	Description	Required
Title	Name	The name of the inventory item	Yes
Brand	-	Brand name (e.g., "Briess", "Yakima Chief")	No
Item Type	-	Type classification (Ingredient, Container, Equipment, etc.)	No
Category	Type	Category for grouping (Hops, Malt, Yeast, etc.)	No
Vendor	-	Supplier name - must match an existing vendor in BarSight	No
Vendor SKU	SKU	Vendor's product code for ordering	No
Default Price	Price	Standard purchase price per unit	No
Price Per	-	What quantity the price is for (e.g., "per kg", "per case")	No
Taxable	-	Whether tax applies (Yes/No or 1/0)	No
Tax	-	Tax rate or tax code to apply	No
GL Account	-	General ledger account for accounting integration	No
Warn Level	-	Stock level that triggers a warning	No
Alert Level	-	Stock level that triggers a critical alert	No
Lot Number	Lot Code	Lot/batch tracking number	No
Stock	On Hand	Current quantity in stock	No
UOM	Unit of Measure, Unit Of Measure	Unit of measure (kg, lb, L, each, etc.)	No
Purchase UOM	-	Unit used when ordering from vendor	No
Notes	-	Additional notes or descriptions	No
Id	-	Used for updating existing items (leave blank for new items)	No

Step-by-Step Import Process

Step 1: Prepare Your CSV File

1. Open your spreadsheet application (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.)
2. Create columns using the headers from the table above
3. Enter your inventory data, one item per row
4. Save or export as a CSV file

Example CSV structure:

Title,Category,Vendor,Vendor SKU,Default Price,UOM,Stock
Cascade Hops,Hops,Yakima Chief,YC-CASCADE,15.50,kg,25
2-Row Pale Malt,Malt,Briess,BR-2ROW,0.85,kg,500
US-05 Dry Yeast,Yeast,Fermentis,FER-US05,4.25,each,50

Step 2: Upload the File

1. Navigate to Brewery → Inventory
2. Click the Import button
3. Select your CSV file
4. Click Upload

[SCREENSHOT: Import dialog with file selection]

Step 3: Map Your Columns

1. Review the column mapping screen
2. BarSight will automatically match recognized headers
3. For any unmatched columns, use the dropdown to select the correct mapping or choose -Unused- to skip
4. Click Continue

[SCREENSHOT: Column mapping screen showing dropdowns]

Step 4: Review and Confirm

1. Preview the items that will be imported
2. Check for any errors or warnings highlighted in the preview
3. Click Import to complete the process

Tips and Best Practices

• Start small: Test with a few items first before importing your full list
• Match vendors first: Vendor names must exactly match existing vendors in BarSight - add them manually first if needed
• Use consistent units: Make sure your UOM values match what BarSight expects (kg, lb, L, mL, each, etc.)
• Keep a backup: Save your original CSV file in case you need to re-import

Troubleshooting

Problem: Vendor not found

Solution: The vendor name in your CSV must exactly match an existing vendor in BarSight. Add the vendor first via Brewery → Vendors, then re-import.

Problem: Columns not being recognized

Solution: Check that your header row uses one of the accepted column names listed above. The match is case-sensitive for some fields.

Problem: Stock quantities not importing

Solution: Make sure you're using Stock or On Hand as your column header. Numeric values should not include currency symbols or commas.