How to export budgets from Excel to Sage 100 with GL Exchange

Easily import your organization’s Excel budget worksheets into Sage 100 using the General Ledger Exchange tool by preparing your Excel file with the required column layout, setting up an import job in Sage 100, and verifying accuracy with the Budget Report—remember that importing will overwrite existing budget data for the same code and fiscal year without warning.

If your organization manages budgets in Excel, you can efficiently import those worksheets into Sage 100 using the General Ledger Exchange tool found in the GL Utilities folder. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from preparing your Excel file to completing the import within Sage 100.

First, set up your Excel file with the exact column layout required by Sage 100. The columns should be in the following order and use these specific names:

• It is crucial to use the same column names and order as shown below. Otherwise, the import will fail.
• If you do not know the account type or account group, you can leave those columns blank, but they must be present in your layout.

Important: Importing a budget will overwrite any existing budget data for the same budget code and fiscal year without warning.

*Accounts with normal credit balances (i.e. revenue) should have a negative number for import. 

Prerequisite: make sure the fiscal year for which you want to import the budget is set up. Go to General Ledger | Setup | Fiscal Year Maintenance. The window will display the current fiscal year as defined in the General Ledger Setup Options. Click the cancel button and then perform a lookup to see what fiscal years have been defined. If the year you wish to import is not listed, click the Cancel button and type in the year you want (i.,e 2026) and click Accept.

Steps:

1. In the Sage 100 General Ledger module, go to the Utilities folder and select General Ledger Exchange.

2. Any existing jobs will be listed. To create a new import job, click New GL Exchange Setting.

3. When the wizard appears, click the Next button.

4. Choose “Import Data” then click Next.

5. When prompted for the data type, select Budgets and Activity and click Next.

6. Enter a name and description for your import job, then click Next.

7. Define the budget code and fiscal year to import. Click Next.

8. Specify whether to include expired accounts. If not needed, select Never and click Next.

9. Select which accounts to include. We recommend leaving all as “All” since you will be uploading everything that is in your sheet then click Next.

10. Choose the file type and specify the path to your import file. We recommend saving the file in a shared folder on your Sage 100 server. Then click Next.

11. Accept the default of “Standard File Format” and click Next.

12. Check the “Execute the exchange when clicking Finish” box and then click Finish.

13. Test the import prior to importing. Sage 100 will show a status window of how many records it imported.

If you want to learn more tips for optimizing Sage 100 for your organization or are considering an upgrade, our experts are here to help. We can assist you with Sage 100 implementations, customizations, and training to ensure you get the most value from your ERP investment.

Ready to take your financial management to the next level? Contact us today to discuss your needs and see how we can help you reach your goals.