Yes, that's what I do. I also truncate it again at the end just in case I need to use it for any other task that may leave it filled....

Most illuminating, thanks.

So, to sum it up, to make a DTS package:

1) create tables staging_table and final_table (such inventive, I know ^^)

2) create dts as 3 connections (1 excel...

Hello and thanks for replying. What do you mean by "staging table", exactly? Would that be a permanent table to be used only for the intermediate step between the excel...