Overview
The Import Data function allows customers to import different types of data into Vivantio: Assets, Asset Relationships, Clients, Locations and Callers.
The import uploads your information into Vivantio from Microsoft Excel or CSV format files. The import can be run multiple times and depending on the settings you choose it can be used to insert, update or delete data within Vivantio. Use it as either a one-off import tool to get you started, or on an ongoing basis to keep your data up-to-date (this is particularly powerful when combined with a report or a queues export and edit data in bulk, such as warranty expiry dates on assets).
Another example of the use of Import Data is when setting up a new integration with Active Directory. The locations and customers will need to be populated before they can be used in the Active Directory synchronisation, see here for more details.
Instructions for importing data
Navigate to the Admin Area > Integration & API > Import Data
Generating import templates
You can create an import template with all the custom fields by clicking on the Generate Import Template button. This isn't essential but it helps to make the import a simpler process.
Select the type of data you want to import from the Generate Template For: drop-down list.
Once you have selected the template, the Custom Forms related to that area will be displayed below, tick the boxes for any custom form you wish to include on the import:
Click the Download button.
Populating your template
Before you can import the data you will need to upload your data to the template spreadsheet or create your own import spreadsheet. The headings do not have to match those in the template but if they don't they will need to be matched manually at a later stage. There are a number of options to populate your data, they include:
For bringing new data into Vivantio:
- Paste data into the generated template
- Create a new spreadsheet, for example by running a report to extract the existing data from its source.
- Manually input the data into the template spreadsheet
Example of a caller record import template:
For existing Vivantio data which needs to be modified:
- Create a report to export the relevant data into an xls or csv template
- Create a list with the appropriate columns in the technicians area and export the data with the Export function as shown below. Click here to find out how to create a list.
Rules and Tips
It is important to follow some guidelines when importing data. Here are some rules and tips to assist you.
- If this is your first import or you are bringing in additional data, make sure you have created custom forms for any additional fields which need to be imported, for example an assets' model number or a contacts' manager details. You can find guidance on how to do this here. You must do this before you generate the import template. If there are mandatory custom fields you should populate and import these, Vivantio won't prevent the import but it could impact reporting or other functionality later.
- Check the bottom of the Import Data screen before beginning any import and check for details of Data Health Checks - this is a dynamic display which will highlight any issues which may need to be addressed before proceeding.
- If you are uploading to multiple areas you need to do the uploads in the correct order this is Customers > Locations > Contacts > Assets > Asset relationships. This ensures mandatory data is populated in Vivantio before the import. For example if you want to import your assets to locations, those locations must be in Vivantio or the asset import will fail.
- Ensure your spreadsheet doesn’t contain duplicate data.
- All the column names in the import file must be unique for the import to progress.
- Category lineage needs to be imported in the format "Category Level 1: Category Level 2: Category Level 3" (i.e. with a colon and space between each category and sub category). For Example "Hardware: Printer". When you preview the category lineage during the import process only the final sub category will be shown not the full lineage, e.g. "Printer", however rest assured the data will import correctly.
Mandatory data for imports
Below is a list of the minimum mandatory data and other considerations you need to make when importing data. Assets, Customer and Locations can all be renamed in Vivantio, check your systems configuration if you are not sure.
| Import type | Mandatory data and comments | ||||||||||
| Customer | Client reference, Client Name and Self Service Login Enabled are all mandatory. The Self Service Login needs a value of True for enabled and False for disabled. If you do not assign a status, Vivantio will select one during the import but warn you in the preview screen. | ||||||||||
| Location | Location name is mandatory. Client reference will be mandatory if you have enabled client management in the Global settings (typically only used by those supporting external customers). | ||||||||||
| Contacts | Caller name and caller email are mandatory. If client management is enabled the client reference field will also be mandatory (typically only used by those supporting external customers). If you need to set up access to the self service portal please set the Self Service Login Enabled to 1 for enabled and 0 for disabled. However, please note that you cannot set the user role here so if there are multiple roles you will need to update these manually. When you start an import which is enabling the portal logins please make sure you scroll to the bottom of the Choose File settings and select the appropriate self service options. | ||||||||||
| Assets | Asset tag (also known as Unique Reference), Serial Number (also known as Friendly Name) are both mandatory. Both these fields can be renamed so please check your asset set up if you are not sure what these terms refer to. Category lineage may also be mandatory depending on your settings. If you do not assign a status, Vivantio will select one during the import but warn you in the Preview screen. The Serial Number may also need to be unique depending on your settings. | ||||||||||
| Asset Relationships | Upstream Asset Tag, Downstream Relationship Type Name, Downstream Asset Tag are all mandatory fields. Note, the relationship defined is that of the downstream asset relationship not the upstream asset relationship e.g. downstream asset is installed software on the upstream software.
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Instructions for Importing Data
Click the Import drop down and select the type of data you would like to import.
Choose File: Select the file you would like to import. If the file contains headings in the first row, check the relevant box (if your import file doesn’t have column headings, we recommend adding them if possible – it makes mapping fields a lot easier)
Date Format: Choose the type format that the dates in your file are recorded in e.g. Day / Month / Year is typical for UK users, Month / Day / Year is typical for our US users. The format only affects the order in which the values are interpreted - you don't need to worry about leading zeros, different separator characters, etc.
Time Zone: Select the time zone you want to import this data in, this will impact the audit information which shows the date and time of the import, i.e. when the record was created, updated or deleted.
Only Update Mapped Fields: You do not have to map all fields, if you are updating records and you only want to change, for example, the warranty expiry date of assets, then make sure you leave this box ticked. If you uncheck this option, fields that aren't in the data you're importing will be wiped of their data. In most cases, you should leave this set to to the default value of On
Remove items not found in data being imported: Take extreme care, Vivantio will soft delete any items which are not included in the data set if you tick this option. In most cases, you should leave this set to the default value of Off
File Format: The next page shows you a preview of the file you’ve uploaded and the number of rows round in the file – this helps make sure everything looks as you expect
Mappings: The third page allows you to set up the appropriate field mappings. If the field names in your file match the field names in Vivantio, you can click the Auto Map button and the mappings will be automatically configured. If the fields do not match, you will need to manually select the correct column from the dropdown options. Take care - if you use the Auto Map feature and you have empty columns in your data set it will remove that data when the import is completed. It is best to remove any empty data columns before commencing with the import to avoid this risk.
Custom Forms: After configuring your main field mappings, you can configure Custom Form Fields mappings on the next page (if you’re using them). If there are multiple custom forms you will need to map them each individually. Again there is an Auto Map feature which can be used if your headings match those in the system (i.e. if you are using the system generated import template). The relationship between the custom form and the category will be shown on the right hand side.
Preview: Once the mappings are configured, you’ll see a preview of the data as it will look once it has been imported into Vivantio. You may also see some errors listed on this page, if for example duplicate items were found. If your data contains categories, the Category Lineage will only show the final subcategory, not the full lineage. This is to ensure you can have a clear view of the data being imported, the final import will have the full category lineage.
At this point you may see errors appearing. These need to be resolved as appropriate. If necessary Cancel the import and correct the errors. In the example below this might mean populating the status of the asset in line 2 and removing the repeated asset in line 3.
Confirm: On the final page, you’ll see the number of records that are going to be inserted, updated and deleted. Once you click Finish the data will be imported and the results will be displayed.
This process is permanent – it can’t be reversed – so please be careful!
Once the import has been completed you will receive a message and can click Exit
In this example the Contacts will have been successfully imported into the specified Customer:
Reviewed: 08 March 2023