Importing Performance Goals

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to import Performance Goals as an Administrator.

How to Import Goals

Importing goals is a method to create, edit, or delete many goals using a CSV file instead of the goal plan. You may choose to import goals at the beginning of a performance cycle or if you have a departmental goal that needs to be updated for a group of people.

Import Performance Goals

The Import Performance Goals tool (also known as Beta goal import in the older GMv12 version) allows you to generate a CSV file with specific header information about the goal plan for which you would like to import goals. To use goal import, navigate to Import Performance Goals from the Action Search.

First, select your goal plan from the Available List of Templates drop-down field, then choose Generate CSV Header. Fill in the spreadsheet rows with goal and user information to define which goals will be imported and to whom they will be assigned. Filling out the spreadsheet rows with goal and user information will be discussed in more detail in the following pages.

Caution

IMPORTANT: Do NOT re-use an old template or import file! The system generates a unique CSV Header for each goal plan that will only work for a specific goal plan. Before importing goal data, the first thing to do is to generate a fresh CSV template for Import Performance Goals.

This screenshot shows the Import Performance Goals page.

It is necessary for administrators to have a Role-Based Permission to import goals for the organization: Administrator Permissions→Manage Goals→Import Goals. It is also possible to assign a child permission to administrators, Import Goals for Target Population. If this permission is assigned, and users attempt to import goals for users outside their target population, they will receive an error message in the Goal Import Email Notification.

This screenshot shows the Administrator Permissions for Manage Goals, highlighting the child permission for Import Goals, Import Goals for Target Population.

CSV File Format

The goal import file is a CSV file. The file can have any name, but should have a .csv extension. To enable the accurate insertion of data into all field elements, the rows must be tailored to a particular goal plan template.

In general, the order of the rows within the file does not matter. However, if new milestones or metric lookup tables need to be imported, they should be added after the associated parent goal rows.

When the CSV template is opened, it will contain information similar to the screenshot below. The first five rows of the template represent the information and header column for this CSV file. These five rows should not be modified.

This screenshot shows the first five rows of the CSV File Format for the goal import.

As the CSV file is comma-delimited, string values that might have commas in them need to be explicitly quoted. Moreover, for values in a filter field that look like numbers (for example, 000123), the cells in Excel need to be formatted as text so that Excel does not convert them to true numbers (for example, 123).

Key Information for Goal Import

  • Goals can be updated via Import Performance Goals, using the corresponding identifier (GUID/ID).
    • GUID: Global Unique Identifier that allows you to import and update data in the system. GUIDs are fields that can be found in a Table Report. The GUID is given by the administrator importing goals. The GUID could be used to mass-update or mass-delete goals if they were created using the same GUID. For example, if a goal with a GUID was created for everyone within the same Division or Department.
    • ID: Unique Identifier for each single goal once the goals are created for the first time. The system generates this ID, which can be retrieved using a Table Report. For example, if only one or two goals created previously for the whole Division or Department need to be updated, you will use their unique ID, not the GUID.
  • Goals created through the goal plan can also be updated through the import feature (ID will need to be used).
  • The import of Performance Goals can be scheduled regularly using a Scheduled Job of type TGM FTP Data Import. The job would pick the CSV file from the customer's SFTP location. This type of job needs to be configured by an SAP SuccessFactors consultant.
  • In Admin Center→Import Performance Goals, if the option Allow Duplicate Assignment of Team Goals is enabled, team goals can be repeatedly assigned to the same users without additional validation.
  • Custom fields to be used as filters in addition to the existing standard filters can be defined from the back end or via the Manage Business Configuration tool.

    Note

    Manage Business Configuration (BCUI) tool is a platform feature that allows changes to the Succession Data Model from the instance. The feature needs to be enabled from the back end by SAP Support or your SAP SuccessFactors consultant.

    Administrators should fully understand how this tool works before attempting any changes. The SAP SuccessFactors Platform Administration course (HR800) includes information about this tool. You can also check the Help Portal for more information.

  • The FILTER_USERNAME is the only filter that supports multiple entries in a single row (User IDs separated by semi-colons). Any other standard and/or custom filters only support a single entry per row.
  • When updating a goal, only the fields to be updated need to be included in the goal. Leaving the values blank will not remove the data from the goal. To remove the data, enter \NULL as the entry for the cell.
  • One goal should not be defined twice in the same CSV upload file. Do not put one row in to ADD a goal and another row to UPDATE that same goal in the same CSV.
  • The calculated goal rating (generated through the Metric Lookup Table) is not maintained manually through the import, but can be generated by importing the goal details with the corresponding achievement levels, scores, and actual achievement.
  • Team Goals can also be imported. You must specify OBJECTIVE_TEAM in the TYPE column.

Goal Import Limitations

  • The maximum number of entries to add, update, delete, or assign is 30,000. This could be 30,000 goals with no sub-goals or 3,000 goals, each with 10 sub-goal entries (such as milestones and metric lookup).
  • Microsoft Excel has a character limit of 255 per cell. Therefore, if a file is opened in Excel, ensure text-based fields are not cut off.
  • The required format for the Date fields is mm/dd/yyyy.
  • If you receive the error message due parsing error, verify that the file date format is correct.

Generate a CSV Header for Goal Import

Business Example

In this exercise, you generate the CSV header file for goal import.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Steps

  1. Use the Action Search to navigate to Import Performance Goals.

  2. From the Available List of Templates drop-down field, select the [Current Year] Goal Plan [Your Initials] goal plan you edited in a previous exercise.

  3. Choose Generate CSV Header.

  4. Save the file to your desktop.

  5. Open the file using Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet application.

The CSV Header for Goal Import

After exporting the CSV file, do not edit the first few header rows. The header rows define the values that should be placed in each column to import goals successfully.

ColumnDescriptionExample
^TYPE^TYPE Identifies the item that the ACTION will be taken upon. Valid options include: OBJECTIVE, OBJECTIVE_TEAM, MILESTONE, METRICLOOKUP, and OBJCOMMENT. Values are case-sensitive.OBJECTIVE
ACTIONThis is the action to take on the item identified in TYPE. Valid options include: ADD, UPDATE, and DELETE. Values are case-sensitive. The actions available for Team Goals (OBJECTIVE_TEAM) would be ASSIGN, UNASSIGN, SHARE, UNSHARE.ADD
IDThis is the goal's internal ID created by the SAP SuccessFactors system. This field will identify a specific goal to be acted upon. The import creator should only add a value here if they want to modify a specific goal. The Goal IDs can be retrieved from Table Reports.12345
GUIDThis is a required field when adding a new goal that does not exist in the system yet. This is a unique code that you define if the goal is new. If the goal already exists, run a Table Report to retrieve the GUID, then use that GUID to mass-update or mass-delete the goals that share this identifier (if multiple goals were created under the same GUID).sf123
SUBGUIDThis is a unique code used to identify a row in a table field (MILESTONE, METRICLOOKUP). SUBGUID is used in the same way for table field rows as the GUID field is used for goals.subsf123
FILTER_USERNAMEThis field allows the assigner to populate one or more UserIDs. Multiple UserID’s can be entered by separating the IDs with a semi-coloncgrant;mhoff;mbarista
FILTER_MGR_IDThis is the UserID of the manager of the employees for whom you would like to add the goal.cgrant
FILTER_DEPTThis field is filtered against the employee DEPARTMENT field. It is used to determine the users for which to create the goal.Sales
FILTER_DIVThis field is filtered against the employee DIVISION field. It is used to determine the users for which to create the goal.EMEA
FILTER_JOBCODEThis field is filtered against the employee JOBCODE field. It is used to determine the users for which to create the goal.IC
FILTER_LOCThis field is filtered against the employee LOCATION field. It is used to determine the users for which to create the goal.Paris
FILTER_CUSTxx

This field is filtered against the employee CUSTOMXX field. Custom filters (Custom01-Custom15) can be defined in the back-end by an SAP SuccessFactors Consultant or from Manage Business Configuration (see note in a previous section about this tool).

Custom field value

Note

Unless specified, you do not need to complete all fields in the CSV file, but you must identify which fields are required by navigating to the goal plan and adding a new goal. Any field with a red asterisk (*) is a required field and must be completed in the CSV to import the file successfully.

Hint

The category ID might not correspond to your Category name visible in Manage Templates and will depend on the back-end configuration done by an SAP SuccessFactors Consultant (or whatever IDs came from the standard templates in SuccessStore).

These IDs can be found using Table Reports.

  • Create a new Table Report and select the Goal Management domain.
  • Create your own report definition and include a Category column.
  • In Configuration→select Show Value ID configuration and enable the checkbox for the Category.

Once you run the report, the Category IDs will be displayed. The report might include a number and underscore (like 16_) in the category. The number refers to the Goal Plan ID and what comes after the underscore will be the Category ID.

Goal ID, GUID, and SUBGUID

The Goal ID, GUID, and SUBGUID are described as follows:

ID

The ID (Goal ID) uniquely identifies a goal within the goal management system. This is an optional field that is used when the import file needs to update a goal that does not have a GUID. The ID can be found through a Table report as the Goal ID field. Columns that support the goal ID are ID and OBJECTIVE_PARENTID.

GUID

The GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is a unique identifier associated with a goal in a previous goal import. A GUID may be related to one or more goals. The GUID field is only mandatory for all ADD actions, but can be used for UPDATE and DELETE actions as well. You may find an existing GUID by running a Table Report for the GUID field. The GUID cannot be changed for a goal once created.

SUBGUID

The SUBGUID is another unique identifier associated with a goal in a previous goal import. SUBGUID uniquely identifies sub-goal table entries for a goal.

Filters

The filter options (FILTER_) narrow down the goals to receive the action. If no filters are specified, the goal import will act on goals based only on the ID, GUID, and SUBGUIDs. The behavior of the filter fields depends on the action being performed.

  • For ADD actions, the filter fields determine which users will receive the goal.
    • Each employee that receives the new goal will be assigned the GUID for the goal.
    • If an employee already has a goal in their goal plan with the same GUID, they will not receive a second copy of the goal and a warning message will be displayed notifying you of the number of employees who did not receive the goal.
    • This behavior will allow a company to rerun an import at intervals to make sure that employees who are captured by the filter receive the goal.

    Note

    It is up to the import creator to keep goals with the same GUID in sync or risk having different versions of the same goal.
  • For UPDATE and DELETE actions, all goals that match the given GUID, SUBGUID, and filter fields are updated.
    • This means that no update or deletion will occur if a GUID or SUBGUID is not given for an action.
    • The SUBGUID is another unique identifier associated with a goal in a previous goal import.
    • SUBGUID uniquely identifies sub-goal table entries for a goal.

Filter Use Cases

  • Example 1: When an ADD action has a GUID but no filters, all employees receive the goal.
  • Example 2: When an ADD action has a GUID and a filter, all employees that match the filter receive the goal. If an employee who should receive the goal already has an existing goal with the same GUID, that employee will not receive the goal. This implies that the goal may be added to some employees (who did not previously have the goal) and would not be added to other employees (who already have the goal).
  • Example 3: When an UPDATE action has identified a GUID but no filters, all goals with the GUID will be updated.
  • Example 4: When an UPDATE action has identified a GUID and a filter for department, all the goals matching the GUID in a specific department are updated.

Goal Import Data Columns

Goal data columns always start with the string OBJECTIVE_ followed by the name of the field on which the goal will act. These columns will populate the goal with information. Be sure to fill out all required fields for the goal before importing. You can check which fields are required by navigating to the goal plan and adding a new goal. Any fields with a red asterisk (*) are required and must be completed in the goal import CSV file.

Columns for goal tables ( Milestones and Metric Lookup) will start with their respective table names (MILESTONE_, and METRICLOOKUP_). The text that follows will read as the field displays when adding a new goal to the plan.

ColumnDescriptionExample
OBJECTIVE_CATEGORYThis is the Category ID, as defined in the code behind the goal plan template. You can check with your SAP SuccessFactors certified consultant to verify the correct category ID is being used, or the ID can be retrieved using Table ReportsFinancial
OBJECTIVE_PARENTIDThis ID is used to manage goal alignment. This is the internal goal ID to which the goal is to be aligned.3364
OBJECTIVE_PUBLICDefine whether the goal will be public or private. Accepted values are (Y and N) or (1 and 0)Y
OBJECTIVE_nameThis column maps to the name field-definition IDIncrease Services Revenue per Account
OBJECTIVE_metricThis column maps to the metric field-definition IDService Revenue per Account
OBJECTIVE_actualThis column maps to the actual field-definition ID50
OBJECTIVE_weightThis column maps to the weight field-definition ID20
OBJECTIVE_startThis column maps to the start field-definition ID.1/1/20XX
OBJECTIVE_dueThis column maps to the due field-definition ID.12/31/20XX
OBJECTIVE_status

This column maps to the state field-definition ID.

On Track
OBJECTIVE_comments

This column maps to the comments field-definition ID. Goal comments are added as a separate row in the CSV file with a ^TYPE of OBJCOMMENT.

Note: Comments cannot be updated or deleted using import.

XYZ comment.
OBJECTIVE_actual-achievementThis column maps to the actual-achievement field-definition ID. This field is used to calculate the goal’s rating based on the metric lookup table. Value is numeric.500
MILESTONE_descTable column for the Milestone (sub-goal) description. Sub-goal tables require a separate row in the CSV file.Achievement of Q1 Service Revenue Targets
MILESTONE_dueTable column of the Milestone (sub-goal) due date03/31/20XX

Note

The field-definition IDs included in some of the goal data column descriptions in the previous table refer to the back-end code that defines the goal plan information. You are not expected to use these field definitions. Still, they will help you identify the correct field you would like to edit with the help of an SAP SuccessFactors certified consultant or by submitting a support ticket.

After editing the CSV as needed, upload the file in Import Performance Goals. Once you have imported the CSV file, you will see a message about examining the import file for the proper format. Once the import has been processed, you will receive an email notification that will help you determine if the import was successful.

Edit the Goal Import CSV Template

Business Example

In this exercise, you edit the Goal Import CSV Template to add a new goal to the plans of multiple users.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Steps

  1. Navigate to Employee Export from the Action Search.

  2. Click Export User File button to download the user data file ZIP file.

  3. Extract the UserDirectory CSV file to your local folder and open it with a CSV editor.

  4. Check the column DEPARTMENT and pick a department that has several people. Suggestion: You can use Sales (SALES) .

  5. Write down the case- and space-sensitive spelling of the department.

  6. Check the column JOBCODE and pick a job code that has several people that also belong to the department you chose in step 4. Suggestion: You can use Sales Manager (SALES-MAN).

  7. Write down the case- and space-sensitive spelling of the job code.

  8. Pick two people that match both the department and job code and write down their names.

  9. Open the file you exported in a previous exercise. Or you can generate a new CSV header.

  10. Add the following information using this table (leave blank those cells with no values):

    CELLHEADERVALUE
    A6^TYPEOBJECTIVE
    B6ACTIONADD
    C6ID 
    D6SUBID 
    E6GUID[Your initials] 123
    F6SUBGUID 
    G6FILTER_USERNAME 
    H6FILTER_MGR_ID 
    I6FILTER_DEPARTMENTEnter the department (case- and space-sensitive) that you wrote down in step 4.
    J6FILTER_DIVISION 
    K6FILTER_JOBCODEEnter the job code (case- and space-sensitive) that you wrote down in step 6.
    L6FILTER_LOC 
    M6OBJECTIVE_CATEGORYCustomer
    N6OBJECTIVE_PARENTID 
    O6OBJECTIVE_PUBLICY
    P6OBJECTIVE_name[Your initials] Increase Customer Satisfaction 5% from last quarter
    Q6OBJECTIVE_metricQuarterly satisfaction survey score
    R6OBJECTIVE_weight15
    S6OBJECTIVE_start01/01/20xx (this calendar year).
    T6OBJECTIVE_due12/31/20xx (this calendar year)
    U6OBJECTIVE_done50
    V6OBJECTIVE_state 
    W6OBJECTIVE_bizx-pos 
    X6MILESTONE_desc 
    Y6MILESTONE_due 
    Z6OBJCOMMENT_comments 

  11. Save the file. You will import it on the next exercise.

Import Goals

Business Example

In this exercise, you import the goal in the CSV spreadsheet.

Hint

To receive the import notification, you can add your admin user as a single recipient in Manage Email Notifications and forward all emails. This is a helpful tool to test notifications that would be sent to any of the users.
ExerciseStart Exercise

Steps

  1. Use the Action Search to navigate to Import Performance Goals.

  2. Choose Browse and locate the file you saved in the previous exercise.

  3. Choose Import.

  4. Wait for the email notification that states the upload was successful before testing the goal has been successfully imported. This can take up to one hour.

  5. From the Name menu drop-down, select Proxy Now.

  6. Search for one of the users you wrote down in the previous exercise and belong to the department and job code you selected.

  7. Choose OK.

  8. From the Home menu, select Goals.

  9. To switch to your goal plan, use the Switch Plan drop-down menu.

  10. Verify that your goal is in the Customer category section of the plan.

  11. From the Name menu drop-down, select Become Self.

Summary

  • Importing goals is a method for creating, editing, or deleting many goals using a CSV file instead of the goal plan.
  • The goal import file is a CSV file. The file can have any name, but should have a .csv extension. The first five rows of the template represent the information and header column for this CSV file. These five rows should not be modified.
  • Goals can be updated via Import Performance Goals, using the corresponding identifier (GUID/ID).

Learning

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