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General Import Notes

The information presented on this page covers MOST of the Adjutant data import procedures, but each data import may be unique, whether it is because of unique application reflexes, or unique implementation circumstances. Import screens or processes that do not follow these general guidelines will have the specific guidelines for that screen documented in the respective Wiki page. Import data gathering and importing processes can also vary from one customer to the next, and each situation should be treated as unique.

General Import Procedures

Data imports/conversions should generally follow the procedures defined below.

• Provide data import templates to customer - Customers should be provided with the current import template for each application they will be implementing. Customers can also be directed to use the 'Export Template' button, when appropriate.

• Review/Scrub data - Customer-provided data should be formatted to the appropriate import template, and scrubbed for accuracy and consistency. Data scrubbing is intended to format or clean up the data so that it is more useful in Adjutant. Data scrubbing generally involves tasks like standardizing capitalization, formatting addresses, phone numbers, or descriptions but doesn't fundamentally change the data. Data scrubbing should not involve creating data or altering data to the extent that it changes historical information. If the customer-provided data has data that is incomplete or incorrect, the customer should be responsible for scrubbing the data prior to import. If the customer requests ABIS to perform this type of scrubbing, the agreement should be clearly communicated (in writing) with clear guidelines on how to alter the data for import.

• Perform an initial/test import - The initial data import should occur early in the implementation to create records for parallel testing, and to have the customer validate that the imported data is acceptable.

• Review/Test the imported data - Data review should be completed by ABIS personnel and the customer after each import. Ongoing data review can occur by all users during the parallel testing phase.

• Perform final/go-live import - Performing a final go-live import is not required for all applications, but is required for certain applications that need the latest records imported. The final go-live import plan should be established with the customer well in advance of the go-live date.

General Import Template Notes

• Template files are typically generated from their respective Import screen using an 'Export Template' button.

• Using the 'Export Template' button from an updated system will help ensure that you are using the most up-to-date import file, and will help avoid errors.

• Templates generally (but not in all cases) contain 3 rows of header information.
  • The first row is generally labelled with f1 through f## and is used to give a consistent column id to each data column. Do not remove this row unless instructed.
  • The second row is labelled with the column data/field name. The values in this row are used for the file mapping screen. Editing these values is generally not needed and may make the field mapping process difficult.
  • The third row (if present) is labelled either with the same values from row 2, or with more detailed field descriptions. The third row is available to create a customer-friendly name for the associated data column.
    • The third row (if present) MUST be removed from the source file prior to importing. It will cause errors since it will be treated as the first import record on the file.

• Import files MUST always be saved as 'Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook (*.xls)' format until further notice. The import screens will generate errors if the file type is not correct.

Import Mapping Tables

It is a good idea to perform a Mapping Table Import using a current source list before beginning on any imports. Without a current mapping table, the quality of imports can be compromised. The Mapping Table Import only needs to be run once on a newly set up Adjutant system. It does not need to be run before each import.

• Export a current list from the Mapping Table Import screen from an updated system (or contact your Implementation Consultant for an updated file).
• Perform a Mapping Table Import on the target system with the XLS file from the step above.