Managing Mapping Tables on M-Bridge

Overview

Mapping tables on the Integration platform are used to pair different points or sets of data between two systems. These tables can map a variety of items such as project statuses, fields on an object, or expense categories.

For example, if users in System A have different IDs, email addresses, and names from users in System B, the mapping table will link users between systems so data assigned to the users in System A can successfully sync to the specified users in System B.

Mapping Table Best Practices 

When setting up your mapping table, it's recommended to maintain a one-to-one mapping between systems. For example, if you map Janet in Kantata OX to both “Janet” and “Jordyn” in Intacct, it can cause issues when moving data—such as time entries—from Kantata to Intacct. This is because the integration checks the mapping table for which Intacct user to sync Janet’s time entries with and if Janet is mapped to more than one user, the time entries may be synced to the wrong user. This causes integration errors, confusion, and incorrect data. 

There are some exceptions to the one-to-one mapping however. In certain scenarios, you can map multiple items from the source system to the same item in the target system.

Mapping Table Preview

A mapping table consists of two columns. The left column is the object or value from Kantata OX and the right column is the matching object or value from the integrating system.

Below is a screenshot of a mapping table on the integration platform. In the third row, you can see that the names of the row do not match exactly between the right and left columns—Wally West and Wallace West. The values do not always need to match verbatim between systems because the mapping tables use the system IDs behind the scenes to sync the data.

The system IDs for each matched row are stored behind the scenes and used when transferring information between systems.

If needed, multiple values in the source system can be mapped to one value in the source system in certain circumstances (e.g. Expense Categories). Please note that this option is not supported for field mappings. Mapping one value in the source system to multiple values in the target system is not supported, including for two-directional mapping tables.

How to Access the Mappings Page

1. Log in to M-Bridge.
2. Locate the desired integration’s tile card and click the Settings button.
   
3. On the integration’s Scenarios page, click the Mappings button in the top-right corner of the screen and select your desired mapping set from the drop-down that appears.
   
4. On the Mappings page, you can change the mapping by selecting the desired one from the list on the left.

Importing Mapping Sets

Mapping sets can be created via a CSV upload to the integration platform. This makes the initial integration setup and continued maintenance more efficient.

How to Import a Mapping Set

1. Log in to M-Bridge.
2. Locate the desired integration’s tile card and click the Settings button.
   
3. On the integration’s Scenarios page, click the Mappings button in the top-right corner of the screen and select your desired mapping set from the drop-down that appears.
4. On the Mappings page, click Import Mapping Set. The Import Mapping Set page opens. 
5. Give your mapping a Name and select a Service from the drop-down.
6. Complete all other required fields. These will vary depending on which integration you are importing the mapping table for (e.g. the Organization field for the Xero integration).
7. Click Import. The table is imported.

CSV Formatting

There are four available columns when uploading a mapping table via CSV:

1. Mavenlink Display Name
2. Mavenlink ID
3. External Display Name
4. External ID

These columns can be in any order but the column names must match the provided list.

Only the Mavenlink ID and External ID columns are required, but it is recommended that all columns are completed for every mapping table uploaded. The Display Name column contains the readable name that makes managing the mapping tables easier and the ID column sets the system IDs that the integration uses when transferring data to or from Kantata OX.

There isn't a limit on the number of rows that can be uploaded for a mapping table. However, the larger the table is, the longer it will take to load when importing and exporting.

Exporting Mapping Tables

Exporting mapping tables provide a quick and easy way to download and store your mapping tables. Exported mapping tables can be edited and uploaded either as a new mapping table or as a replacement for an existing table. 

The exported CSV will contain all columns and rows of your mapping tables. If a table value was entered manually, the display name for that row will show as “manual input” with the system ID showing the inputted value. 

How to Export a Mapping Table

1. Log in to M-Bridge.
2. Locate the desired integration’s tile card and click the Settings button.
   
3. On the integration’s Scenarios page, click the Mappings button in the top-right corner of the screen and select your desired mapping set from the drop-down that appears.
4. On the left side of the Mappings page, select your desired mapping table under the Mappings column on the left side of the page.
5. Click the drop-down arrow next to the Edit button and then select Export.
   
6. The mapping is exported and saved to your computer as a CSV. 

Replacing Mapping Tables

Replacing a mapping table completely replaces every row of that table. It's recommended to export any existing tables before replacing so you can use the export as a backup to restore in case the replacement table is incorrect.

If you have many scenarios, it may be more efficient to replace an existing mapping table than to create a new one and update all scenarios to use that new table. Replacing mapping tables works the same as importing a mapping table and has the same CSV requirements.

How to Replace a Mapping Table

1. Log in to M-Bridge.
2. Locate the desired integration’s tile card and click the Settings button.
   
3. On the integration’s Scenarios page, click the Mappings button in the top-right corner of the screen and select your desired mapping set from the drop-down that appears.
4. On the left side of the Mappings page, select your desired mapping table under the Mappings column on the left side of the page.
5. Click the drop-down arrow next to the Edit button and then select Replace
6. Click OK in the confirmation modal that appears. The Import Mapping page opens.
7. Click the Browse button and select the CSV file you want to replace the existing mapping table with.
   
8.  Click the Import button to begin the replacement. You're redirected to the mappings page once the import is complete.