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Adding References and Using the Import Data Tool

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Add references manually
Use the Import Data tool to add references and import entities

References Management in the System

References are global entities shared across the entire organization. Most administrators have access to some or all of these references based on their Administrator Role(s). Administrators may be allowed to search, view, and select references from dropdown menus and use them within their associated entities. However, typically only high-level (System) Administrators have the permissions to create, edit, or delete references. As with other entities in the system, it is not possible to delete a reference if it is associated with other entities.

During requirement gathering workshops, organizations will decide which reference fields they will use and how to populate the reference values. Reference values can be manually added to the system using the References menu, uploaded in batches using the Import Data tool, or automatically updated through a connector.

Reference menu is expanded and all reference submenus are highlighted.

Reference Menus

The following table provides a list of References that may be configured and their submenus.

References	Submenus
Manage Users Learning	Assignment Types, Completion Status, E-Sig- nature Meaning Codes.
Learning Activities	Categories, Curriculum Types, Delivery Methods, Item Types, Registration Statuses, Resource Block Types, Sources, Withdrawal Reason
Online Content	Document Link Types.
People Management	Cohort Statuses, Degree Types, Disability Classifications, Employee Classes, Employee Statuses, Employee Types, Job Codes, Job Grades, Language Skills, Organization Types, Regular or Temporary, Security Clearance Types.
External Learning	Delivery Types, Designation Types, Training Credit Types, Training Purposes, Training Sources, Training Types, Training Vendors.
Geography	Countries/Regions, Job Locations, Regions.
Manage Labels	Labels, Locales, Locale Labels, Label Import/ Export (tool).
Calendars and Time	Date Format Patterns, Holidays, Holiday Pro- files, Time Zone Management, Work Week Pro- files.
Physical Resources	Custom Resources, Equipment, Equipment Status, Equipment Types, Facilities, Locations, Location Types, Materials.
System Administration	Approval Process, Approval Roles, Number Format Patterns, Rating Scales, Report Groups.

Add References Manually

To manually add references, follow these steps:

Steps

Navigate to Learning Administration → References.
Select a Reference submenu.
Select the specific reference you want to add.
Select the Add New link.
Examples:
- Adding Job Codes: To add Job Codes, follow this path: Learning Administration → References → People Management → Job Codes → Add New.
- Adding Instructors: Instructors are also considered resources but must be added manually. To do this, go to: Learning Administration → References → People → Instructors → Add New.
Note
To avoid duplication, it's a good idea to search for existing entries in the system to prevent duplication before adding a new reference or resource.

Result

Reference submenu Job Codes is opened and the Add New link is highlighted on the Job Codes screen.

Note

Most references can be added independently, but some require specific order of entry:

Holidays must be added before creating a Holiday Profile.
Item Types need to be established before you can create and link Completion Statuses.
Facilities and Locations can be created independently but should eventually be associated with each other.

Add a Reference Manually

Business Example

In this exercise, you will add a new completion status reference for On-the-Job Training - Waived.

Your customer has decided that in addition to their users successfully completing OJT or unsuccessfully receiving an incomplete status, they would like to show that someone with significant job experience shows a status of waived in their history. You will need to create a new completion status for OJT-Waived.

Steps

Navigate to References → Manage Users Learning → Completion Status.
Choose Search to list all existing statuses.
Note
There is a criteria field called Provide Credit which may or may not already be visible for this search. The results returned will either be all of the completion statuses that do provide credit or all that do not
Confirm that there is not already a completion status for OJT-WAIVED and then choose the Add New link.
Enter the following data into the appropriate fields: Completion Status ID: OJT-WAIVED; Description: OJT-Waived; Item Type: On the Job Training (OJT).
Select the checkbox for Credit Given. Leave the other checkboxes clear as we do not want this completion status to trigger any evaluation surveys.
Choose Add.

The Import Data Tool and Importing References

Use the Import Data tool to add multiple references or resource values at once. This tool allows you to download a template, populate it with necessary data, and import it into the system.

The References template can be used to import various entities including Account Code Type, Approval Role, and Class Status. It can also import several resources and other entities like User, Instructor, Learning History, and Administrator Roles. It is advisable to first develop and test Administrator Roles in a test environment before importing them into production.

When using the template, ensure to fill in mandatory fields (typically ID or key fields), and refer to field notes for guidance on required formats or permissible values. Entities can be added in any order, though certain associated entities, like Holidays and Holiday Profiles, must both be present in the system to establish their relationship. Entities like Completion Statuses require their associated Item Types to be pre-existing or imported simultaneously.

Download the Import Data Tool Template

Steps

Navigate to System Administration → System Management Tools → Import Data.
Select Download Template as the Action.
Choose the appropriate Entity Type from the dropdown list.
Choose Submit and save the file.

Result

The Import Data tool template has been downloaded.

The Entity Type dropdown is expanded and all available options are highlighted on the Import Data page.

Edit Import Data Tool Template

Steps

Open template in a spreadsheet program.
Review the required fields and other information for the entities you want to add.
Note
Some fields allow only certain values or data types and some templates have multiple tabs.
Add all information to be imported into the template.
Save the file.
Note
If your spreadsheet program removes leading zeros or changes the format of certain number or date fields, you may want to double-check that the values are correct before saving.

Result

The Import Data tool template has been edited.

Import the Edited Template

Steps

Navigate to System Administration → System Management Tools → Import Data.
Select Import Data as the Action.
Choose the Entity Type that matches the template being uploaded.
Choose one of the following options:
- Choose Add Import basis from the dropdown if you are only adding new entities and not modifying any existing values.
- Choose Update if you are only changing values for existing ones.
- Choose Add and Update if you are both adding and changing existing values in one import.
Select Choose file and add the edited template file.
Select your time zone and choose Submit.
Note
The system will show Done indicating the file was checked for errors. However, the Import tool has not yet imported your file. You can choose to run the import immediately or schedule it for later. Once the import is successful, the status of the background job will show Succeeded.

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