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How to add BOMs & recipes via Assisted import

With AI-assistance, you can quickly add BOMs & recipes into Katana with less manual work.

Written by David Lorbiecke

Manage your manufacturing components by importing BOMs & product recipes into Katana. This process streamlines production planning and inventory management, especially when dealing with multiple products or complex recipes.

Note: Updating BOMs/recipes via Assisted import is not possible. If a product already has a BOM, it will be skipped entirely. BOM updates require a template import.

Missing products or materials are auto-created.

Recipe quantities are the only place where comma-formatted numbers are usable.

Step-by-step guide

1. Open up Assisted import

  1. Navigate to Settings and find Data import from the left-side menu (under Import and more).

2. Upload your spreadsheet

  1. Choose BOMs & recipes.

  2. Drag-and-drop the spreadsheet into the box or click Upload file.

Note: If the uploaded spreadsheet contains multiple sheets, only the first one will be included.

3. Column mapping

  1. Each column in your file will be evaluated, and the AI will suggest mapping based on column names and data patterns.

    1. Each field mapped by the AI will also be tagged with a qualifier (High, Medium, Low) indicating the AI's confidence in its accuracy.

  2. Examine the mapping to verify that everything is correct. If fields are missing, drag-and-drop them from the unmapped column.

    Note: Required fields must be mapped before import can proceed.

  3. If something looks wrong, you can describe the issue and click Regenerate.

  4. Once ready, click Proceed to validation at the bottom of the screen.

4. Data validation

  1. This step validates each row in the file, ensuring it meets Katana’s rules (required fields, data types, value constraints, and uniqueness).

  2. Rows can be split into two groups:

    1. Valid rows (green) which are ready to be imported

    2. Invalid rows (red) which need correcting or will be skipped.

      1. Only appears if there are invalid rows

      2. Cells can be updated by clicking on them

      3. A report can be downloaded from here to help show what is invalid

      4. Bulk fixes may be offered

Note: Assisted import matches each row to existing records and shows Create / Update / No changes / Flagged before commit.

5. Import

  1. Click on the Import button and a pop-up will ask you to confirm.

  2. The data is added to Katana.

    1. Processing happens in the background and completes quickly, even for larger files.

Note: If an item references a supplier, category, or unit of measure that doesn’t exist in Katana, it will be automatically created during import.

Limitations

Limitation

Details

Row limit: 5,000 per import

For larger files, we recommend splitting the file into batches or use the template-based import.

If the file is over the limit, the entire import will be rejected, there won't be a partial import.

Only the first sheet can be imported

If the spreadsheet contains multiple sheets, only the first sheet is read. We recommend moving all needed data to the first sheet or saving it as a separate file.

Your feedback is invaluable. Let us know your thoughts on this article or anything in Katana you'd like to see improved: [email protected]

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