Bulk importing time entries

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

You can also update multiple time entries at once, using sessions in Bulk Importer.

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 time entries?

Once you upload the time entries, the data is available in:

  • the Timesheets app
  • the Projects app

Workflow

Note

Creating a project is required only if you want to associate the time entry to a project.

Permissions

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

Upload new time entries in bulk

Note

  • 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 Platform 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 TimeEntries 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.

    Date

    mandatory

    Specifies the date of the time entry.

    Date must be in YYYY-MM-DD format.

    Time

    mandatory

    Specifies the time spent in hours.

    You can have multiple time entries in a single day, but the total hours must be less than or equal to 24.

    clientDelay

    Specifies whether the project is delayed.

    • True: The project is delayed.
    • False: The project is on schedule.

    assignedUserId

    Specifies the user assigned to the time entry.

    description

    Specifies detailed description of the time entry.

    Tip

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

    position

    Specifies the order of the time entry in the list.

    targetId

    conditionally mandatory

    Specifies the ID of the resource where this time entry must be placed.

    For example: a project's home page, planning or fieldwork tab, etc.

    You can find the resource ID in the URL.

    For example: 

    https://stark.projects.highbond.com/audits
    /1494/time_entries    , where 1494 is the project ID.

    Note

    You must fill in only one of the following:

    • Target ID and target type: For time entries associated with a project.
    • Category ID: For time entries associated with a non-project time category.

    targetType

    conditionally mandatory

    Specifies the component type where this time entry must be placed.

    The target type must be one of the following:

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

    Note

    You must fill in only one of the following:

    • Target ID and target type: For time entries associated with a project.
    • Category ID: For time entries associated with a non-project time category.

    categoryId

    conditionally mandatory

    Specifies ID of the non-project time category.

    In this field, you can provide reference ID of a new non-project time category that you have added in the current template.

    Note

    You must fill in only one of the following:

    • Target ID and target type: For time entries associated with a project.
    • Category ID: For time entries associated with a non-project time category.
  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.

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 time entries 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

Note

  • 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 Platform 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.