Import job tasks

Use these instructions to import generic CSV data for job tasks Tasks are the labour components of a job - the activities that staff perform as they work to complete the job. Time can be recorded against specific tasks, and those tasks can display as line items on the invoice. A job must include at least one task if time is to be recorded against that job. . After import, the tasks are stored in the job (or jobs) you have specified.

Before you begin

Before you import data into , you need to prepare a suitable import file.

• Tips for ensuring a successful import
  • In your import file, each column header identifies a data field that you want to include in your import. You need specify column headers for the mandatory fields plus any additional fields that you want to import.
  • The column headers in your import file must match the format of the column headers in the sample file exactly. You must use the same capitalisation, with any spaces, punctuation or other characters as shown.
  • Make sure that you save the import file in the correct format: CSV

    When working with the CSV file in Excel, make sure you save it using CSV (comma delimited) (*.csv) format. There are several other CSV formats, which are not currently supported by .

  • Make sure there are no carriage-return characters in any of the data fields. These characters are created by pressing the Enter key and may have been included in the original data to break text onto several lines; in an address, for example.
  • Make sure there are no blank lines at the end of the data file. If you see error messages reporting that several mandatory items are missing, open the CSV file in a text editor like Notepad to check for (and remove) blank lines.
  • Depending on the source of your import file, you may notice that there some columns that you do not wish to import. You can remove any such columns (as long as they are not mandatory columns - see Set up a file from scratch, below) before you run the import. Alternatively, during the Map fields step of the import process, you can flag any unwanted columns as Do not import, so they are ignored.
  • If any custom fields have been set up for job tasks, those fields will be listed: Custom Field (Field Name) at the Map fields step of the import process. To import data into a custom field, you need to include the Field Name as a column header in your import file, in the same way as regular data fields.

Setting up an import file

To set up an import file, do one of the following:

• Modify a sample file
  1. Download the Job Task Import Example CSV file at the end of this article.
  2. Open the file using a suitable desktop application, such as Microsoft Excel.
  3. Remove any columns that you do not wish to use (but not the mandatory columns - see Set up a file from scratch, below).
  4. Replace the sample data (from row 2 onwards) with the information you wish to import.
  5. Save the completed file in CSV format.

• Set up a file from scratch
  1. Create a spreadsheet using a suitable desktop application, such as Microsoft Excel.
  2. Include the mandatory column headers (plus any optional column headers you require) in row 1. Each column header should be in a separate column. Copy each column header exactly (the import is case sensitive).

     If a column header in the import file has an exact match with a column header shown below, will automatically assign the CSV input data to the correct data field. If any column headers do not match exactly, you can match them manually during the field mapping stage of the import.

     Column Header	Description
     Job Number	The job number must already exist.
     Task	A descriptive name for the task, such as Concept design or Consulting. The task name must already exist in the tasks database ( > General > Tasks).
     Estimated Time	The overall time that you estimate it will take to complete this task (hr:min). You can enter the time as hr:min (for example: 7:30) or as decimal 7.5 (7½ hours in both cases). The decimal value is converted automatically to minutes.
     Phase	Name of phase to associate the imported task with. If the phase name in the import file does not match an existing phase in the job, the task is flagged as Unassigned to any phase.
     Label	A label In WorkflowMax tasks, a label allows you to use the same task multiple times. The label is automatically appended to the task name. For example, in a specific job, designs are required for a brochure, flyer and a handbook. So, a label can be used to identify the Design task for each item: "Design - Brochure", "Design - Flyer" and "Design - Handbook". to provide a name for a sub-task.
     Description	A detailed description of the task. This can appear on an invoice, so it can act as a default description for each line item on the invoice. Generally, the description of each task on an invoice either comes from the time sheet entries or is individually crafted on each invoice.
     Start Date (DD/MM/YYYY)	Date that the task is to start.
     End Date (DD/MM/YYYY)	Date that the task is to be completed by.
     Billable	Most tasks are billable, as you bill your client for work completed on them. However, you may have set up a non-billable 'Admin' task to capture time spent on administration work that cannot be billed to the client. By setting up the task as non-billable, you can still record work against the task to capture true costs for project management or payroll purposes. Enter Yes or No.

  3. In row 2 onwards, enter the information that you wish to import.
  4. Save the completed file in CSV format.

• Modify a file containing data exported from another application
  1. Open a CSV file that has been exported from another application.
  2. Remove any rows that you do not wish to use.
  3. (optional) Remove any columns that you do not wish to use.
  4. Change each column header so that it exactly matches the equivalent column header listed under Set up a file from scratch above. Using the standard column headers reduces the effort required when you map the CSV file column headers to the standard column headers.
  5. Save the completed file in CSV format.

Notes on import data for job tasks

• Re-importing a job task using the Create method will result in a duplicate task record being added to the specified job.

Importing the data

To import job task data into :

1. On the toolbar click and select the Import tab. The Import screen displays the status of any previous import operations:
• Imported. The import is complete.
• Validated. The import was partly completed. You can click the Validated flag to complete the import operation from the data validation stage reached earlier.
2. On the Import screen, click Import to start the import wizard.
3. In the import wizard, Upload File step, provide the following information, as required.

   Field	Description
   Data Type	The data type of file that you wish to import. Select Job Tasks.
   Click to upload	Drag and drop or click to select the CSV file you wish to import.
   Import Method	Select the import method to use: Create. Use the imported CSV data to create new tasks in the Tasks database. Update. (coming soon) Create & Update. (coming soon) Delete. (coming soon)

4. Click Next. The fields you can import are listed.
5. In the import wizard, Map Fields step, make sure that each field is correctly mapped to the column names specified in the uploaded CSV file.

   If you have used the standard column header names, mapping will take place automatically. Sample data items from row 2 of the CSV file are displayed, at right, to help you verify that the mapping is correct.

   To ignore data in optional data fields, you can select Do not import in the Column Name drop-down list, if you wish. This saves you having to physically remove any fields you do not wish to import.

6. Click Next. Your CSV data is validated and produces an error report. Choose your next step from the following table.

   Errors Yes/No?	Next Step...
   No	Click Import Rows to complete the import process. displays the Import screen. You may need to refresh the screen to update the Importing.. flag to show Imported.
   Yes	Do one of the following: Click Import Rows Excluding Errors to complete the import process using only rows that were correct. Click Download Error Rows to download a CSV file that contains only those rows that contain an error. You can correct the errors and re-start the import process using the corrected file. Pause the import process by clicking the back-arrow at top-left of the screen. displays the Import screen.