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Importing Data

This video demonstrates how to use the Data Import feature. Duration 9 min.

Importing data is useful when initially setting up PPM Pro because it allows you to create and populate entities with data from your already existing systems. This saves set-up time and effort. In addition, you can also update all entity data (except tasks).

The Admin/Data Import page in PPM Pro lists the entities that can be imported and updated by PPM Pro administrators and members of the Organization group. Tasks are imported from the Tasks tab of any project.

The Import Data feature simultaneously creates an entity and imports its associated data. All entities except tasks follow the same basic steps for importing and updating data. See Task Import/Export for instructions for importing and exporting tasks; tasks cannot be updated.

Note that entity alerts (such as project owner alerts) are triggered by changes made data import (for update) and from the UI/ bulk editing.

Take a look at the Import Notes to see if there is useful information for the entity you are importing/updating.

PPM Pro supports importing from the latest two versions of MS Excel.

Creating an Import File

Before you can import/create an entity, you must prepare a .xlsx file with the data to import. There are two flavors of import file - one for entity creation, and one for updating an existing template. Note that carriage returns in spreadsheet cells are not supported.

  1. Navigate to Admin/Data Import.
  2. Select the entity for which you are creating the import file. 
  3. Click the appropriate button - either Generate Import File for New or Generate Import File for Update.
  4. The Excel file will open. Refer to Import Notes below as you enter data
  5. Save the spreadsheet.

Note that entity IDs are located on Admin/Web Services API; instance ID can be found by using the ID Inspector.

Import notes

Note that carriage returns in spreadsheet cells are not supported.

Hint: The best way to determine what fields and formats are required for any particular entity is to initiate the import using an empty spreadsheet. The second page of the wizard is the mapping screen, which lists all the fields in the spreadsheet and indicates which are required (asterisk * next to field name), as well as formats such as ID vs Last, First, when applicable. For example, if you want to import assets, select Assets from Admin/Data Import and then click the Generate Template for New. Save the resulting .xls file (Note: when working with the Excel spreadsheet, only use one tab, or the import will have unpredictable results, such as a). Now click the Import button. In Step 1 of 2, select the xls file you just created. Leave all the other settings as they are. Click Next. Step 2 of 2, the mapping screen, appears. Gather the details you need to fill out your import file (cancel the current import when you are done).

Entity Notes
General

For all entities except tasks, PPM Pro accepts data in an .xlsx file from Microsoft Excel. Please note the following:

  • You can import data from an .xlsx file to PPM Pro at any time.
  • If an entity with the same title already exists in PPM Pro, the new entity will not be imported.
  • You cannot map a column in the .xlsx file to more than one field in PPM Pro. For example you cannot map the .xlsx description field to the project description and the project objective fields in PPM Pro. If you do this that data will not be imported.
  • The Owner field uses the following logic to find the best match: "Last name, First name", then "Last name", then "First name". If an appropriate field is not mapped, and no default is specified in the Import Entity dialog, then the owner will be the user doing the import.
  • All fields in the import file must be text only. Formatted data such as date format will not import.
Group Members If you use the import file generator, please ignore the Permission Profile field.
Financial Entries (Forecasts and Actuals)
  • Both forecast entries and actuals entries require a parent ID (see Using the ID Inspector for instructions for obtaining entity IDs):
  • Forecast entries need a parent project ID. You can usually find the project ID on the project Details section, or, you can use the ID Inspector from the projects List page.
  • Actuals entries need a parent forecast entry ID. If you did not include the ID field on the Financial grid, you can find the forecast entry ID by using the ID Inspector. 
  • Forecasts require a Category ID. This ID can be found using the ID Inspector on Admin/Setup/Financial Entries/Categories
  • Date format is mm/dd/yyyy
  • If you enter a From Date with no To Date, then the amount is considered a lump sum on the From Date.
  • If a To Date is provided, then the amount is distributed evenly (monthly) between the From and to Dates.
  • If contours are provided (see next bullet) that extend beyond an included To Date, the To Date will be updated to reflect the last contour date
  • You can import a list of monthly values (contours) separated by the ';' (semicolon) character. Each value in the list must be a number, the word "null", or a sequence of zero or more spaces.
    • Values are entered in a semicolon-delimited field.
    • Decimal separator can be period ('.') or comma (',')
    • Do not enter grouping characters
    • Do not enter currency symbols.
    • The following list is valid: 100; 100, ;100.;1500.50;;null;1500,50;; ;30
    • The following values are not valid: 1,500.00;1.500,00
  • The Labor field takes the values Yes, No, True, False

 

Project

% Complete Method

  • When you import a project, you must include a value for the % Complete Method field. Enter the corresponding value for the % complete type. Valid values are:
    • 0 = Timesheet Actuals
    • 1 = Task Manual
    • 2 = Task Manual (Weighted)
    • 4 = Number Of Tasks Complete 

Allocation Units

  • Determines the default unit for the project Staffing screen
    • 1 = Hours
    • 2 = Headcount

Confidential Project

  • Limits project access to authorized users, which include: project owner, project team members, and members of the Admin standard group. 
    • 0 = No
    • 1 = Yes (make confidential)
Requests
  • To configure a template for importing and submitting a request, use the Generate Import File for New template and check the Submit Intake Request on Create check box in the wizard that appears after you click Import.
  • When creating a template for submitting requests, include valid values for ALL fields marked Required in Available Fields (standard and UDF), as well as fields required at the Details/category level. Only fields included in the Details for the category will appear on the request. Best practice is to make fields required at the Details level only.
Resource

Resource Name

  • Must be unique (can be differentiated with middle initial)

 Immediate Supervisor

  • Must be a resource in the system
  • Format must be last name, first name

Timesheet Approver

  • Must be a full or team user in the system
  • Format must be last name, first name

Expense Approver

  • Must be a full or team user in the system
  • Format must be last name, first name

Can edit Calendar

  • Yes = 1
  • No = 0

Capacity Start Date

  • Date format is - MM/DD/YYYY
Scoring Profile Use the string value of the scoring profile
Tasks

Tasks are created by importing .mpp (Microsoft Project) files; tasks can be exported to XML. See Task Import/Export for more information.

Task Schedules

The Data Import feature for task schedules is used primarily for updating hours on existing task schedules. Note that before you import hours you'll need the Task Schedule ID for each schedule you want to update.

If you need to import new task schedules, there are some different approaches:

  • If you use MPS and are first setting up your project, the recommendation is to import the resource schedules and use the Task Schedule data import feature to import the hours.
  • If you use MSP and have already have created the project/tasks, you might consider deleting the tasks and reimporting them with MSP; Task Schedule data import feature to import the hours.
  • If you have already created tasks and staffing allocations, use the PPM Pro bulk schedule feature. See Bulk Scheduling Resources to a Task. Then either manually enter the hours or use the Task Schedule data import.
  • If you decide to import new task schedules using the PPM Pro data import facility, you'll need the Task Role ID and the Team Member Role ID for each schedule. 

To import/update entity data

Note: It is strongly recommended that you use the Create Import File feature to prepare the data you will be importing. Note that carriage returns in spreadsheet cells are not supported.

  1. Navigate to Admin/Data Import.
  2. Select the entity you wish to create/update and click the Import button.

You will see a modal similar to the one below. This example uses the Project Log entity; there might be additional options for other entities, as shown in the table below.

import_screen_one.png

  1. Select the type of import (new or update existing) by selecting the appropriate radio button. 
  2. Browse to the desired .xlsx file located on your computer or network resource. The selected .xlsx file will be uploaded to PPM Pro (this may take a few minutes if the file is partic­ularly large).
  3. PPM Pro-generated import files will always have a header row, so "File includes a header row" will be checked if you used the PPM Pro facility. Set this property accordingly if you manually created a header-less import file and you want to import the data in the first row of the file.
  4. Choose the technique you wish to use to map fields. The default is "Map file fields to entity fields that have exactly the same name". If you wish to loosen up that requirement, choose "Map file fields to entity fields that have similar titles". If you wish to manually map all fields, choose "Manually map fields".
  5. Additional options: 

For some entities there are additional options; if you are not importing an entity listed in the table below, go to step 6.

Entity

Instructions

Project

Choose a default Department, Category, and Status, if desired. The default values are used if the column is not included in the spreadsheet, or if it is included but the values are null or invalid. If no default values are selected and no matching values are found in PPM Pro, the project will not be imported.

Department

Select a default Owner, Enterprise, Division and Status if desired. The default values are used if the column is not included in the spreadsheet, or if it is included but the values are null or invalid. If no default values are selected and no matching values are found in PPM Pro, the Department will not be imported.

Team member

Select the entity for which you are importing team members. If you wish to import team members for multiple entities, then select n/a and enter the parent entity type ID for each set of team members in the .xlsx file. Click here for a list of parent entity IDs.

  1. Click Next.
  2. According to the technique you chose, either accept the automatic matching or select which columns in the .xlsx file will be imported into which data fields in PPM Pro.
  3. Click Save.

Updating Data

All entities except tasks can be updated. You update an entity using the same technique as importing an entity. The main difference is that your spreadsheet should only contain the fields you want to update. Note that carriage returns in spreadsheet cells are not supported.

For example, imagine that you want to update project data. You want to build a spreadsheet with Project ID, Project Status, Project Target Date, Project Complete Date, and a UDF called Project Total Spend Estimate. To create the spreadsheet, you can run an Org level list report on Projects that have the same fields as listed above, then export the report to excel. Then you would update the spreadsheet with new Status, Target Dates, Complete Dates where applicable, and new Total Spend estimates. Now you can use the spreadsheet to perform the update - only the fields you want to update are included in the file. Follow the same instructions for importing data, but choose Update from the Function dropdown list