Bulk importing issues

Bulk import issues if you need to avoid time-consuming manual data entry or migrate data from another system.

You can also update multiple issues at once using sessions in Bulk Importer. For more information, see Update existing issues in bulk.

How it works

You open a new Bulk Importer session and download the Excel template from the Bulk Importer page in the Launchpad. You prepare data in the template and then you upload the template in the Bulk Importer page.

Where are the uploaded issues?

Once you upload issues, the data is available in:

  • the Issues tab
  • Issue Tracker app
  • OrganizationName Project Report (the final audit report)
  • all of the downloadable Issues reports

Before you start

Before you begin to import issues, you must create a project through the Bulk Importer by filling in the Projects worksheet or from the user interface.

Note

Using the Bulk Importer, you can create many Diligent One resources in a single import. You can fill in the worksheets of all the resources required and import them all, in one go.

Workflow

Permissions

Only System Admins can bulk upload Diligent One resources from Bulk Importer.

Upload new issues in bulk

Notes

  • Interface terms are customizable, and fields and tabs are configurable. In your instance of Diligent One, some terms, fields, and tabs may be different.
  • If a required field is left blank, you will see a warning message: This field is required. Some custom fields may have default values.

Open a new Bulk Importer session and download the Excel template

  1. Open Launchpad.

    Note

    If your company uses more than one instance in Launchpad, make sure the appropriate instance is active.

  2. Select Organization Settings > Organization.

    If you do not see Organization as an option, the account you used to sign in does not have Admin privileges.

  3. Under Bulk Importer, click Manage bulk resources.

    A new Bulk Importer session begins, with the session ID appended to the URL.

    Caution

    Always begin a new session to add new resources, else you may lose previously uploaded data.

    For example: You want to import 200 entities in two batches (100 +100). If you upload the batches one after the other in the same session, then after you upload the second batch, the data uploaded in the first batch will get replaced with data in the second batch. To avoid this data loss, always upload the first batch in one session and begin a new session for the next batch. Likewise, begin new session to add more new resources.

    Note

    You can use previous sessions to update previously uploaded data. For more information, see Update functionality in the Bulk Importer.

  4. Under Select resource, in the Resource type, select All resources.

  5. Click Download .xlsx Template.

    The Excel template saves to your local machine.

Prepare data in the template

  1. Open the downloaded template (HighBond_Template.xlsx) and go to the Issues worksheet.
  2. Copy and paste or enter your data into the template. For help with entering data, see Tips for preparing content.
    Note
    • If you use Add-In for Excel, ensure the ACL Add-In option is disabled before modifying the Excel template. To learn how to do it, see Configuring Add-In for Excel.
    • Do not change the name of the worksheet or the fields. These are case sensitive and must not be modified.
    • The maximum number of rows that can be uploaded at once is 2000 (including all the worksheets).
    FieldDescription

    referenceId

    mandatory

    Specifies a unique ID for the resource. This must be unique for each row in the worksheet.

    It can contain a combination of text and numbers, and the maximum length is 255 characters.

    This field is the primary key for each row in the template. You will need this key if you want to update this resource again.

    Important

    You can use reference IDs to associate resources to one another, on the fly. For example, you can create a new project and a new objective associated to that project in the same upload. You can do this by creating a link between the project and the objective by providing referenceId in the required field.

    To learn more about associating Diligent One resources in Bulk Importer, see Using reference IDs to link resources in Bulk Importer.

    Note

    Reference IDs are required when you add or update resources using the Bulk Importer. They are not available when you add / update resources from the user interface of Diligent One.

    projectId

    mandatory

    Specifies ID of the project where this issue needs to be placed.

    For example:

    https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits
    /90305/dashboard    , where 90305 is the project ID.

    Alternatively, in this field, you can provide reference ID of a new project that you have added in the current template. This will associate the issue with the project when you upload the template.

    To learn more about associating Diligent One resources in Bulk Importer, see Using reference IDs to link resources in Bulk Importer.

    description

    mandatory

    Specifies detailed description of the issue.

    Tip

    Use HTML tags to format text. For example: <b>, <i>, <ol>, <ul>.

    For information about issues, see Managing issues and remediation 

    owner

    conditionally mandatory

    Specifies name or email ID of the person responsible for the issue.

    This field is best suited to add non-Diligent One users.

    This field becomes mandatory if ownerUser is left blank.

    ownerUser

    conditionally mandatory

    Specifies user ID (UID) or email ID of the person responsible for the issue.

    Learn how to get the UID of a user.

    You cannot add non-Diligent One users to this field.

    This field becomes mandatory if owner is left blank.

    Note that specifying an ownerUser overrides any value provided in the owner field.

    Note

    Ensure the user you want to add to this field has already been assigned to the respective project / framework.

    To learn about assigning user roles, see Assigning user roles in projects and frameworks

    deficiencyType

    mandatory

    Specifies classification of the issue, such as Management Recommendation, Significant Deficiency, Material Weakness.

    The options available depend on the project type.

    recommendation

    Specifies detailed description of the recommended actions to be taken based on the issue.

    title

    Specifies title of the issue.

    severity

    Specifies intensity of the issue.

    The options available depend on the project type.

    published

    Specifies visibility of the issue:

    • True: Visible to all users.
    • False: Hidden from users assigned the Contributor Tester, Contributor User, Oversight Executive, and Oversight Reviewer roles.

    The default is false.

    identifiedAt

    Specifies timestamp when the issue was identified.

    The default is the current date and time.

    reference

    		Specifies ID of the issue.

    risk

    		specifies detailed description of the risk or the impact the issue will have.

    escalation

    Specifies the person, department, or organizational body that the issue should be brought to.

    The options available depend on the project type.

    cause

    		Specifies detailed description of what caused the issue to issue.

    effect

    		Specifies detailed description of the effect the issue will have on the organization.

    costImpact

    		Specifies the estimated or actual monetary cost associated with the issue.

    scope

    Specifies the extent to which the issue affects the organization.

    The options available depend on the project type.

    executiveSummary

    		Specifies overview of the issue that typically summarizes information from other related fields, such as risk/impact, cause, and effect.

    executiveOwner

    		Specifies executive owner of the issue.

    projectOwner

    		Specifies project owner of the issue.

    closed

    Specifies overall status of the issue:

    • True: Closed.
    • False: Open.

    The default is false.

    remediationStatus

    Specifies remediation status of the issue.

    The options available depend on the project type.

    remediationPlan

    		Specifies detailed description of the remediation plan.

    remediationDate

    Specifies deadline for the issue to be remediated by.

    Date must be in YYYY-MM-DD format.

    actualRemediationDate

    Specifies the date the issue was actually remediated.

    Date must be in YYYY-MM-DD format.

    retestDeadlineDate

    Specifies deadline for the issue to be retested by.

    Date must be in YYYY-MM-DD format.

    actualRetestDate

    Specifies the actual date when the issue was retested.

    Date must be in YYYY-MM-DD format.

    retestingResultsOverview

    		Specifies detailed description that specifies whether or not the issue has truly been remediated.

    position

    Specifies value that determines the order in which the issue is displayed.

    Tip

    Fill in the values in sequential order, so that the resources appear in the same order after the import.

    entities

    Specifies entity IDs of the entities tagged to the issue.

    You can find entity ID in the URL when you navigate to an entity.

    For example: 

    https://stark.projects.highbond.com/
    auditable_entities/33055    , where 33055 is the entity ID.

    You can provide multiple IDs separated by commas.

    Alternatively, in this field, you can provide reference ID of a new entity that you have added in the current template. This will associate the issue with the entity when you upload the template.

    To learn more about associating Diligent One resources in Bulk Importer, see Using reference IDs to link resources in Bulk Importer.

    For more information about entities, see Setting up entity tagging.

    targetType

    Specifies component type where this issue must be placed.

    The target type must be one of the following:

    • projects
    • project_files
    • objectives
    • narratives
    • risks
    • controls
    • walkthroughs
    • control_test_plans
    • control_tests
    • walkthrough_summaries
    • project_plannings
    • project_results
    • risk_control_matrices
    • testing_rounds

    The default is projects.

    Important

    Use the exact terminology as mentioned above.

    Note

    Use only English default values for this field. Custom English values and localized (non-English) values are not yet supported in Bulk Importer.

    For information about which target ID to use for which component, see Target type and ID for project components

    targetId

    mandatory

    Specifies ID of the resource where this issue must be placed. You can find the resource ID in the URL.

    For example: 

    https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits
    /90305/objectives/94778    , where 90305 is the project ID and 94778 is the objective ID.

    In the targetId field, you can do one of the following:

    • specify the project ID if you want to place the issue under the project (this would be the same ID as mentioned in the projectId field).

    • specify the component ID (objective ID in the above example) if you want to place the issue under the component of a project. Note that the project ID must be mentioned in the projectId field.

    For information about which target ID to use for which component, see Target type and ID for project components

    customAttributes_1_term - customAttributes_n_term

    Specifies custom attribute fields 1 through n.

    By default, the template will have one pair of custom attribute term and value in the template. You can manually add nine more, making it a total of ten pairs.

    To add, follow the same naming convention with a counter, for example: customAttributes_2_term, customAttributes_2_value, etc.

    The custom attributes of a project, framework, and their components are defined in the project type. For more information about custom attributes, see Customizing terms, fields, and notifications.

    customAttributes_1_value - customAttributes_n_value

    Specifies custom attribute values 1 through n.

    By default, the template will have one pair of custom attribute term and value in the template. You can manually add nine more, making it a total of ten pairs.

    To add, follow the same naming convention with a counter, for example: customAttributes_2_term, customAttributes_2_value, etc.

    The custom attributes of a project, framework, and their components are defined in the project type. For more information about custom attributes, see Customizing terms, fields, and notifications.

    Note
    • If a value begins with a square bracket or contains a comma, semicolon, or a line break, enclose the value in double quotation marks (" ").
      For example: "[2021]", "First, second asset", "This is important; this too".
    • For a multiple choice field, you can add multiple values by separating each value with a comma.
    • For a dropdown list or a multiple choice field, ensure the values are exactly the same as provided in the options.
  3. Save and close the template.

Tips for preparing content

Preparing content involves:

  • copying and pasting your source data into the Excel template
  • entering data, where applicable, in the Excel template
  • saving the template in preparation for bulk upload

The table below provides a variety of tips you can use to quickly and efficiently prepare your content in the Excel templates.

Task Steps
View both the template and your source document on one screen

Windows users:

Press Windows key + right or left arrow.

Mac users:

Drag the window to fill one half of the screen.
Copy/paste data from multiple cells in the template
  1. In Excel, select the appropriate cells.
  2. Press CTRL + C.
  3. Click the appropriate cell where you would like to paste the data.
  4. Press CTRL + V to paste.
Treat a number or formula as text In Excel, insert an apostrophe before the number in the formula.
Change the column width or row height to automatically fit your data
In Excel, do any of the following:
  • Select the column that you want to change and double-click the boundary to the right of a selected column heading.
  • Select the row that you want to change and double-click the boundary to the bottom of a selected row.
Enter sequential numeric data
  1. In Excel, enter the first number of the sequence in the appropriate cell.
  2. Select the cell.
  3. Move your cursor to the lower-right corner of the cell and drag the outlined area to where the sequence should end.
  4. Click Auto Fill Options.
  5. Select Fill Series.
Use formulas to calculate data
  1. In Excel, click the appropriate cell.
  2. Enter your formula in the fx field.

    Below are some common formulas:

    • SUM - Allows you to add two or more numbers together.

      Example: =SUM(A1:B5)

    • COUNT - Counts the number of cells in a range that have numbers in them.

      Example: =COUNT(A1:A10)

    • TRIM - Gets rid of any space in a cell, except for single spaces between words.

      Example: =TRIM(A1)

    • LEN - Counts the number of characters in a cell.

      Example: =LEN(A1)
Sort or filter data in a single column
  1. In Excel, do one of the following:
    1. Click Home > Sort & Filter.
    2. Click Data > Filter.

      The column headings have an arrow next to the heading name.

  2. Navigate to the column you want to filter and click the arrow next to the heading.

    The sort and filter window opens.

  3. Sort or filter data in the column, as needed.

Using reference IDs to link resources in Bulk Importer

Reference ID is a field in the Bulk Importer Excel template. It is the first field in all the worksheets and is available for all the resources. It is a unique identifier for each record in the worksheet.

Using reference IDs, you can associate Diligent One resources to each other, on the fly. For example, you can create a project and an objective that is associated to the project in the same import. You can do this by providing referenceId in the required field.

Example 1

Scenario

Using the Bulk Importer, you want to accomplish the following in a single upload:

  • Create a new project.
  • Create a new objective and associate it to the new project.

Process

You download and open the Excel template. You go to the Projects worksheet and fill in the required fields including the referenceId. You copy the referenceId of the new project.

Then, you go to the Objectives worksheet, add the new objective details, and in the parentResourceId field, you paste the referenceId that you copied from the Projects worksheet. By doing this, you are associating the new objective to the new project.

Result

When you upload the template, the following things happen:

  • A new project is created.
  • A new objective is created, and the new objective is associated to the new project.

Example 2

Scenario

Using the Bulk Importer, you want to accomplish the following in a single upload:

  • Create 1 new project.
  • Create 1 new objective and associate it to the new project.
  • Create 2 new risks and 2 new controls and associate them to the new objective.

Process

You download and open the Excel template, go to the Projects worksheet and add in details of the new project such as the referenceId and other required fields. You copy the referenceId of the new project.

Then, you go to the Objectives worksheet and add in the new objective, and in the parentResourceId field of the objective, you paste the referenceId of the new project that you copied from the Projects worksheet. You now copy the referenceId of the new objective.

Then, you go to the Risks worksheet, add in the new risks, and in the objectiveId field of each risk, you paste the referenceId of the new objective that you copied from the Objectives worksheet.

Finally, you go to the Controls worksheet, add in the new controls, and in the objectiveId field of each control, you paste the referenceId of the new objective that you copied from the Objectives worksheet.

Result

When you upload the template, the following things happen:

  • 1 new project is created.
  • 1 new objective is created, and it is associated to the new project.
  • 2 new risks and 2 new controls are created, and they are associated to the new objective.

Target type and ID for project components

The following section shows the target type and ID for the respective project component.

Based on the component where you want to place the issue, use the relevant target type and ID in the Excel template.

Component: Project

Target type: projects

Target ID: Provide project ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/13360/dashboard, where 13360 is the project ID.

Component: Project > Planning > Planning Files OR Project > Results > Results Files

Target type: project_files

Target ID: Provide planning file ID or results file ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/13360/planning/56292, where 56292 is the planning file ID.

https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/13360/results/56293, where 56293 is the results file ID.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Overview

Target type: objectives

Target ID: Provide objective ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/13360/objectives/55979, where 55979 is the objective ID.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Narratives > Narrative

Target type: narratives

Target ID: Provide narrative ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/13360/objectives/55979/narratives/22422, where 22422 is the narrative ID.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Risk Control Matrix > Risk

Target type: risks

Target ID: Provide risk ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/13360/objectives/55979/risks/168393, where 168393 is the risk ID.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Risk Control Matrix > Control

Target type: controls

Target ID: Provide control ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/13360/objectives/55979/controls/1571107, where 1571107 is the control ID.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Walkthroughs > Walkthrough

Target type: walkthroughs

Target ID: Provide walkthrough ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/13360/objectives/55979/walkthroughs/1538197, where 1538197 is the walkthrough ID.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Test Plan > Test plan

Target type: control_test_plans

Target ID: Provide control test plan ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/39215/objectives/72348/control_test_plans/1657599, where 1657599 is the control test plan ID.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Testing > Control test

Target type: control_tests

Target ID: Provide control test ID.

For example: https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits/39215/objectives/72348/round_one_testing/5102879, where 5102879 is the control test ID.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Walkthroughs

Target type: walkthrough_summaries

Target ID: Not available in the user interface, please contact Support for assistance.

Component: Project > Planning

Target type: project_plannings

Target ID: Not available in the user interface, please contact Support for assistance.

Component: Project > Results

Target type: project_results

Target ID: Not available in the user interface, please contact Support for assistance.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Risk Control Matrix

Target type: risk_control_matrices

Target ID: Not available in the user interface, please contact Support for assistance.

Component: Project > Fieldwork > Testing

Target type: testing_rounds

Target ID: Not available in the user interface, please contact Support for assistance.

Upload data

Do one of the following:

  • Drag and drop the template into the browser window.
  • Click Choose from your computer and select the updated template from your computer.

    Only one Excel template can be uploaded at a time (each file is validated separately).

    • Result A success or failure message appears depending on the outcome of the process, and the latest session is updated in the Sessions table.

Sessions in Bulk Importer

A session in the Bulk Importer is a series of user interactions to import Diligent One resources. Each user session is recorded in the Sessions table.

The Sessions table contains the following information.

Field Name

Description

Web Sessions

Shows the list of web sessions.

A web session refers to a session completed using the Bulk Importer user interface. A new session begins each time you open the Bulk Importer page.

API Sessions

Shows the list of API sessions.

An API session refers to a session completed using an API platform such as Postman, etc.

Refresh

 Reloads the Sessions table.

Session ID

Session identifier.

In Web Sessions, you can click on the session ID to go to a particular session, and the session ID is appended to the URL.

For example: https://stark.bulkimporter.highbond.com/import/bcc1e04e-4cd3-46d2-a8be-0b9083baccdc, where
bcc1e04e-4cd3-46d2-a8be-0b9083baccdc is the session ID.

Note

Session IDs of both the web and API sessions look similar, ensure not to interchange the IDs to avoid any errors.

Date

Shows the date and time of the session. You can sort the date in ascending or descending order.

Uploaded By

Shows the name of the user.

Status

Shows the status of the upload, if it was successful or not.

You can click on the status to view the complete import details.

File Name

Shows the name of the uploaded template / error log. For example: HighBond_Template.xlsx, ErrorLog.xlsx.

Template You can click and download the template to correct any previously uploaded data.

Error log An error log is generated when an upload fails. You can check the error log to rectify the errors and re-upload the template.

Note
  • The template and error log are available for download for up to 18 months from the date of upload.
  • The link to download the template is available for the Bulk Importer sessions beginning May 13, 2022. You cannot download the template for the sessions prior to this date.

Update existing issues in bulk

You can update multiple items at once in Bulk Importer using sessions.

Note

You can only update resources that you have uploaded using Bulk Importer.

How it works

You open a previous session from the Bulk Importer page. You open the template uploaded in the previous session and make the required changes. Then, you upload the template in the Bulk Importer page.

Important

  • Use previous sessions to make changes or correct previously uploaded data.
  • Begin a new session to upload new resources, even when they are related to previously uploaded data.

For example: You have uploaded a project and a few objectives in a previous session. Open the same session to update those resources. Begin a new session if you want to upload risks, controls, or any other resource related to that project or objectives.

Requirements before you update

Before you can update, you must do the following:

  1. Decide which session to select. This is required as the uploaded data is linked to a session. Therefore, you have to open the session linked to the data you want to update. For information about sessions, see Sessions in Bulk Importer.

  2. Ensure you have access to the Excel template uploaded in the session that you want to select. The template contains reference IDs, which are unique identifiers for each row in the template. These are required to update the data. For more information about reference IDs, see Prepare data in the template.

    Caution

    Data is updated based on the corresponding session and reference IDs. Mismatch between the session and the reference IDs may create duplicates or result in an error.

Steps to update

Notes

  • Interface terms are customizable, and fields and tabs are configurable. In your instance of Diligent One, some terms, fields, and tabs may be different.
  • If a required field is left blank, you will see a warning message: This field is required. Some custom fields may have default values.

Open a previous session

Note

No previous sessions will be available when you open the Bulk Importer page for the first time. You must upload at least once to see the session details.

For more information about sessions, see Sessions in Bulk Importer.

  1. Open Launchpad.

    Note

    If your company uses more than one instance in Launchpad, make sure the appropriate instance is active.

  2. Select Organization Settings > Organization.

    If you do not see Organization as an option, the account you used to sign in does not have Admin privileges.

  3. Under Bulk Importer, click Manage bulk resources.

  4. Scroll down to the Sessions section and click on the Session ID of your choice.

    Result The session loads with the selected session id appended to the URL.

    Note

    Ensure you select the appropriate session, in which you want to update the previously uploaded data. Mismatch between the session and the reference IDs may create duplicates or result in an error. For more information, see Requirements before you update.

Update data in the template

  1. Open the Excel template uploaded in the session that you selected in the previous step. This file contains the previously uploaded data along with the reference IDs. For more information, see Requirements before you update.

    Note

    Ensure the ACL Add-In option is disabled before you modify the Excel template, else the upload will fail. For more information about ACL Add-Ins, see Configuring Add-In for Excel.

  2. Go to the corresponding worksheet and update the data based on the reference IDs. For more information about the fields, see Prepare data in the template

    Note

    Ensure you update the values corresponding to the reference IDs, based on which the previously uploaded data will be updated. Mismatch may create duplicates or result in an error.

  3. Save and close the file.

Upload data

Do one of the following:

  • Drag and drop the template into the browser window.
  • Click Choose from your computer and select the updated template from your computer.

    Only one Excel template can be uploaded at a time (each file is validated separately).

    • Result A success or failure message appears depending on the outcome of the process, and the latest session is updated in the Sessions table.

Troubleshooting

You can download and check the error log from the Sessions table. Understand common bulk upload errors and learn how to fix errors.

The following table provides a list of possible errors that may occur when uploading the template.

Error Solution(s)
There may be more than 2000 rows in the uploaded file (including all the worksheets). Remove the extra rows from the template and re-upload.
Mandatory fields may be blank or missing in the uploaded file. Ensure that all mandatory fields (marked with red and orange column names in the template) are completed.
Note

If you do not provide data in the mandatory fields, the row is not processed.
Data format may be incorrect.

Ensure that data in text fields is valid and does not exceed the maximum field length: 255 characters.

Rich text fields do not have a character limit.

Data values may be invalid or may not match the dropdown values.

For example: The value for received and sendRecurrentNotifications fields in the Requests sheet must be True or False.
Invalid fields in the template.
  • Do not add new fields to the template.
  • Do not remove fields from the template.
Template may not be in expected format.

Ensure the file format is .xlsx.
Invalid worksheet names.

Do not change the name of the worksheet.
Session may have expired.

Refresh the page and try uploading again.
Session ID may be invalid. Ensure you are using a web session ID.