ACH Universal > Advanced Topics > Automation Tools > Custom Import Menus
Overview
Custom Import Menus are a tool used to increase the speed of importing, creating, and transmitting ACH files. You can use up to 20 different Custom Menus, which corresponds to 20 different source file formats you can load into ACH Universal. The Custom Menu can pull in single files (name must always be the same) or an entire directory. It will then apply the proper mapping template and archive both the source and ACH files.
Creating a Custom Import Menu
Select Import from the main menu, then Custom Import Menu Setup. (Alternatively, you can load the Report Creator and run the Custom Menus report). You will see Figure 1 (below).
 Figure 1 - Custom Import Menus |
To modify a menu, click on it and then click the Edit button at the bottom of the screen. Figure 2 (below) will be displayed.
 Figure 2 - Custom Import Menus dialog box |
Basic tab
Enabling the "Active" checkbox makes the custom menu available for use. It will be visible under the Import menu. In the textbox displaying "Selection 1", enter your own name for the menu.
What do you want to import?
Single file - Browse for one file to be imported by clicking the 
button.
All files in a folder - Browse for an directory by clicking the button. All files must have the same format as you will use the same mapping template for all of them.
Select a mapping template
Leave GL selected. In the first dropdown box, select the stored mapping template you use for this data format.
If you are using a fixed width text source file, select the appropriate template in the second textbox.
Advanced tab
Click Advanced to select the Advanced tab. You will see Figure 3 (below).
 Figure 3 - Advanced tab |
Archive
In this section, you will select any archiving options you wish to enable.
To turn on archiving, enable the checkbox.
You will now select a folder to move the files to after import. Click the button and browse to the desired directory.
Click the Append archived file name with date checkbox to append the date to the archived file. In the dropdown box, select the date format you wish to use.
Click the Append archived file name with time checkbox to append the time to the archived file. In the dropdown box, select the time format you wish to use.
Best practice is to append both time and date stamps to help maintain a full audit trail as well as to safeguard the archive from multiple daily imports overwriting the previous archive.
Other settings
If you will be scheduling jobs through the command-line interface, you can number this menu in the Command Line Group # dropdown box.
If amounts in the source files do not contain decimal points (for example, the file stores $198.32 dollars as 19832), enable the Imported Amounts Need Decimals checkbox.
If you are importing non-financial data that does not contain an amount, enable the Override Mapping Requirement checkbox. (Note: This is rarely done).
Output tab
Click Output to select the Output tab. You will see Figure 4 (below).
 Figure 4 - Output tab |
Output Directory
If you have a custom code and are importing multiple files from a directory, click to browse to a directory for created ACH files.
Reporting
If you need a notepad-style report, click the checkbox to enable it, then browse to a directory by clicking the button.
Review Selections
Review your selections and inputs to confirm everything is correct. When finished, click Save. If you wish to cancel without saving the import menu, click Cancel.
To use the Custom Menu, select Import from the main menu, then select the name of the menu.