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Importing and Exporting Data in Site Manager

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to data Import/Export menus to manually load and extract master data

Explaining Data Import/Export

"Most Strategic Sourcing deployments begin with a review of the master data elements that are required to initially load into the site. These master data items include users, groups, commodity codes, etc. There are multiple ways to create values in the tool, either through csv file upload or following steps in the user interface. For mass-creation, it is easier to import the data into your site than create individual values."

Note

Users belonging to Customer Administrator system group can use Site Manager under the Administration menu to load, export, and manage all types of data.

Non Suite Integrated Realm

In non suite integrated realms, Customer Administrators will access data imports by selecting Manage > Administration.

Site Manager contains the Data Import/Export section where master data loads are performed.

Suite Integrated realms

Most master data is administered within Manage > Core Administrationfor Suite Integrated realms, with the exception of Regions and Departments.

Imports

Imports can be used to mass edit, create or deactivate data. Each import task requires a file upload with a selected import operation as the action.

Exports

Exports are available to extract values from the system into a csv or zip file.

Data File Maintenance and Data Integrity

It is a recommended practice for customer data administrators to have exports or backup copies of the CSV files before they execute an import. If something were to happen, the previous file version or system export can help serve as a backup copy of the original data to prevent data loss and preserve data integrity.

It is also important for administrators to plan on their data management strategy for tracking changes to their respective master data CSV files. Customers Administrators should have a master copy that is maintained regularly by approved personnel and can be referenced easily.

Note

Click on the "+" icons to learn more about each import function.

Import Operations

After selecting Import, Customer Administrators will be prompted to choose an Import Operation, and then select the file they wish to import.

Note

Click on the "i" icons to learn more about each import operation

Executing the Import

Select Run after the import operation is selected and the appropriate file is chosen.

Confirm Upload

The system prompts the administrator with a final confirmation to ensure the action was intentional, and ensure the correct import operation and file were chosen.

In Process

The system will process the file upload and email administrators upon completion with an import summary. Refresh Status (top right) will update the Status column in the user interface. File size will dictate upload duration.

Viewing Detailed Status Information

To view detailed status information, click the link in the Statuscolumn. The Details tab shows detailed status information, including the number of records created, updated, and deleted. The History tab shows information about past data imports.

Import Details

After completion, the Completed link on the import page can be selected to show the details like how many records were created, updated or deleted.

Data Import/Export Demonstration Video

For an overview of the demonstration of executing an export and import process, watch this video.

Is this where I would find details on errors, or how would the system display error messages and the causes?

It is in a similar area when viewing the details of an import attempt, but there will be a different tab visible if the import contains errors. Let's take a look at what an import error looks like.

Import Errors and Viewing Warnings

The Status column will display different statuses when the upload is finished.

Completed: The data was imported successfully.
Completed(!): A warning or non-fatal error occurred when the data was imported. The link can be selected to view the error details.
Error: A fatal error occurred. The data was not imported.

Viewing Warnings and Errors

To view detailed warning or error information, click the Error or Completed(!) link in the Status column and then click the Error Details tab.

Note

Click on the "+" icons to learn more about Error Details.

UniqueIDs and Case Sensitivity

The UniqueID values in column A are case sensitive. The data value Pitt in column C would need to be the exact match as a UniqueID value in column A. Since it displays all uppercase PITT, the error message says the value Pitt was not found. The object will be created, but no parent hierarchy will be assigned to it.

Fatal Errors

Fatal errors can occur if the format of the file is incorrect and the system cannot read the CSV file. In the event of a fatal error, no update is made in the system, but the error log will contain further details of the attempt.

In most cases, fatal errors occur if there is an issue with the file format, or a cluster of unacceptable values within. Each import requires a specific format containing column header labels and acceptable values. When formatting a CSV file manually, the Data Dictionary can provide assistance.

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