Beyond the Import Wizard: Section 6 - Lessons from the Field

Published Date: November 2, 2026
Audience: Everyone
Products and Versions Covered:

• Jama Connect® All Versions
  • Cloud/CVC
  • Self-hosted
    • Replicated - KOTS
    • Kubernetes - Native
      • Database
      • OS

Summary

For anyone who's mastered the mechanics and wants to understand the lessons that only experience teaches.

This section collects the hard-won insights from hundreds of customer imports. These aren’t just theoretical; they’re patterns observed when projects went sideways, timelines slipped, or data integrity took a hit.

Resolution

6.1 The Excel Illusion: What Looks Correct Isn't Always What Gets Imported

Excel is often more forgiving than it appears. Trailing spaces, hidden characters, and formatting issues can be nearly impossible to spot when visually reviewing a spreadsheet, but Jama Connect imports the underlying cell values exactly as they exist.

Real story: A customer manually verified over 2,000 requirements before import. Everything looked correct in Excel, but the import brought in trailing spaces hidden in more than 100 Status values, causing unexpected behavior.

Takeaway: Don't trust visual inspection alone. Validate the underlying spreadsheet values with the same rigor Jama Connect will use during import.

6.2 The Performance Cliff: Why 500 Rows Can Feel Like 5,000

Import performance isn't linear. A relatively small import with complex relationships can take significantly longer than a much larger import of simple items.

For practical guidance on planning large imports, batching strategies, and performance considerations, see Section 5: Advanced Strategies and Nuances.

6.3 The “It Worked Yesterday” Syndrome

One of the easiest ways to get into trouble is assuming that a spreadsheet that worked previously will continue to work indefinitely.

Between creating your spreadsheet and importing it, any of the following may have changed:

• Picklist values
• Required fields
• Item Type configuration
• Workflows
• Existing project data

Likewise, if other users modify the project after you export a Round Trip spreadsheet, your spreadsheet may no longer reflect the current state of the project.

Best practices

• Keep the time between export and import as short as practical.
• Re-export if significant project changes have occurred.
• Coordinate large updates with other project users.
• Confirm that your spreadsheet still matches the current project configuration before importing.

If you remember nothing else…

• Test early, test small: Five rows can save 500 headaches.
• Trust no visual inspection: Excel can hide flaws; the Jama Connect import engine exposes them.
• Respect dependencies: Parents → children → relationships, always.
• Watch for drift: Your spreadsheet and your Jama Connect configuration can diverge over time.
• Remember the One Golden Rule we started with: Your Excel template is your contract with the Jama Connect import wizard. Treat it like a schema definition, not a spreadsheet.

Additional Resources

• Beyond the Import Wizard: A Field Guide to Excel Imports in Jama Connect
• Section 1 - Summary and Guide Overview
• Section 2 - Foundations or Before You Click "Import"
• Section 3 - Choosing (and preparing for) the Right Import Options
• Section 4 - Validation and Verification After Import
• Previous: Section 5 - Advanced Strategies and Nuances

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