Importing allows you to bring in new data into your Loc8 system by entering the required values in a CSV file that confirms to the structure and syntax understandable by the Loc8 importing wizard.
This method works really well when you have to move large quantities of data into Loc8.
Here are the four broad steps you will follow to import in Loc8 in general:
Get the CSV template that is specific to the data you want to import. Whether you are importing assets, jobs, or customers, you will find the import option in their respective workspaces. The CSV templates are designed exclusively to each other. This means you will not be able to use a customer import CSV for assets or jobs. So, you will have to download the CSV template only from their workspace.
Once you have the template, you can use it to either create assets or update assets. To understand the importing process better, we recommend you to keep separate copies of the template, one for the create and the other for the update process.
Open the CSV file and simplify the columns to suit the create and update process.
Fill in the values against the columns in the prepared CSV and upload to complete the import.
This article explains about importing assets.
To know how to import customer, see Import Customers.
Creating new assets using asset import
In this section we will see how to:
NOTE: The Asset Import process is limited to Assets only. It does not allow you to create Sites, though you can create new assets under a Site using the import process.
To specifically create Sites, please get in touch with the Loc8 Support Team.
Obtaining the CSV template for asset import
To import assets, go to the Assets workspace and open the Import option from the context menu as shown below:
Follow the instructions on screen and download the CSV file on your device:
An "assetImportTemplate.csv" file will be downloaded in your folder system. It will have all the relevant columns and a set of sample data to help you get started with filling up the CSV with your data in the required order.
Simplifying the CSV for the new assets that you import
You can simplify the CSV for asset creation only by deleting the columns that are not used in this process.
Let's take a look at an example using the sample data provided in the downloaded template and see how you can simplify the CSV to achieve asset creation without any errors everytime you import.
The columns highlighted in the CSV are the mandatory columns. They refer to the new asset type you are creating and point to the parent asset type or site where they should be created in the asset hierarchy.
1 ACTION : The command CREATE ASSET directs the import wizard to perform the necessary asset creation.
2 TYPE NAME : This is the asset type (or referred to as the asset class ) of your new asset. Ensure that you already have the required asset type available in your Loc8 system before importing. If you do not have it, you can do so right now. Follow the steps in Create Asset Types.
3. PARENT REFERENCE TYPE : This provides an anchor for your new assets so that they are created under the intended parent asset or site only.
4. PARENT REFERENCE : This in combination with PARENT REFERENCE TYPE further identifies the parent asset or site for your new assets so that they are created under the intended parent assets only.
5. REFERENCE : This ensures that your new assets are unique.
6. NAME: This helps you to name your new assets the way you want to display them.
With these columns intact, you can fill in the remaining columns such as STATUS, CONDITION, OWNER etc. with your data.
Save the modified CSV. The file is now ready to upload to Loc8.
Getting ready to Import (for creating asset)
Upload the prepared CSV file as prompted on the screen.
Once you have uploaded the CSV, the content of the file will be checked for any errors.
If the CSV columns and the type of filled-in data match with the syntax expected by your Loc8 system, then the uploaded CSV is clean and ready for the next step which is , importing the assets.
As the final step, you will be notified about the successful import as shown below:
Click FINISH to complete the import process.
Viewing the new assets
When you go to the Assets workspace and look up the list of assets, you will find the new assets in relation to their parent asset, complete with the data that were fed through the CSV.
The assets that were imported using the example CSV are now available in the Assets workspace as shown below:
You can also inspect the details on each asset that are available via the import process:
Using the CSV to import other relevant details during asset creation
Now that you know how to work with the basic structure of the CSV for a successful asset creation, you can go a step further by adding the remaining columns to the CSV that you already have for creating new assets. In this way you know which columns are mandatory and which are optional, reducing the chances of any errors in your import. You will find the relevant columns in the downloaded CSV template for the fields under Value, Lifecycle, Maintenance, Map and Notes groups on the asset inspector.
Updating the existing assets using asset import
In this section we will see how to:
Simplifying the CSV for performing an asset update
You can simplify the CSV to just perform the asset update by deleting the columns that are not required in the update process.
Let's take a look at an example and see how you can simplify the CSV to achieve asset update without any errors everytime you import.
The columns highlighted in the CSV are the mandatory columns. They point to the exact asset you intend to update with their new values.
1 ACTION : The command EDIT ASSET directs the import wizard to perform the necessary updates on the asset.
2. EXISTING REFERENCE TYPE : This allows you to choose the identifier to call out the existing asset, such by using its ID, Name, Reference, Serial that's defined for that particular in your Loc8 system
5. EXISTING REFERENCE : This allows you to specify which asset should be updated. The value that you enter needs to match the definition of EXISTING REFERENCE TYPE.
6. Values you want to update, for example, REPLACEMENT VALUE: Enter the particular column name that corresponds to the field in the asset inspector and specify the value you want to update with.
For columns that needs no change, keep them blank.
If you are updating a custom field
You will have to add the TYPE NAME column to specify the asset type of the asset being updated. Since custom fields are associated with one or more Asset Types. However, in absence of the custom fields only the Asset ID will suffice even if the assets belong to different Asset Types.
Save the modified CSV. The file is now ready to upload to Loc8.
Getting ready to Import (for asset update)
Upload the prepared CSV file as prompted on the screen.
Once you have uploaded the CSV, the content of the file will be checked for any errors.
If the CSV columns and the filled-in data match with the syntax expected by your Loc8 system, then the uploaded CSV is clean and ready for the next step which is , importing the updates to the assets.
As the final step, you will be notified about the successful import as shown below:
Click FINISH to complete the import process.
Viewing the updates to the assets
When you look up the assets in the Assets workspace, you will find their values have now been updated with the data that were fed in through the CSV.
The updated value for the example asset is shown below:
