File-Based Data Import for Sustainability Activities

Welcome to our demo on using File-Based Data Import, or FBDI, to import sustainability activities. In this demo, I'll walk through the process of importing activities into Oracle Fusion Cloud Sustainability using FBDI for bulk data loading.

With corporate sustainability becoming a priority for organizations, handling large volumes of data is a challenge where manual entry would be impractical and time consuming. Oracle Sustainability provides multiple methods for creating activities. The user interface facilitates the quick entry of ad hoc activities, while the VB-added spreadsheets allow for the creation of multiple activities simultaneously.

However, these methods are not suitable for loading large volumes of activities or for meeting data conversion requirements. Here, FBDI allows you to load a large volume of activities using a standardized data import format. This reduces errors and improves efficiency.

FBDI offers efficient way to load bulk data into Oracle Cloud applications. It involves downloading predefined Excel templates, populating these templates with data, converting them into CSV files, and finally uploading them to Oracle using the FBDI processes. If you're familiar with using FBDI for any other object in Fusion, the process is very similar.

To get started, you will need the Sustainability Integration Specialist job role. Once 24D update is available, you will be able to download the Sustainability FBDI template from standard Oracle documentation or Oracle Support website, very similar to the one you see in this demo for supply order.

Here, I already have a template open. This template will have multiple worksheets. The first sheet contains instructions and guidelines. Review these instructions carefully. The other three sheets are for Activities, Measures, and Emissions.

Let's move on to the relevant data sheets. These sheets will have column headers that correspond to the data fields in Oracle Fusion Cloud Sustainability. The comments on the column headers explain the data type expected, column description, and special instructions, if any. Refer to the sample data in the template to populate the data sheet with your data. Ensure that each column is filled according to the guidelines provided in the template, including correct data formats.

In the Sustainability Activities tab, you define activities and their attribute values, like unique interface activity key, activity type, activity type attributes using emission factor map, descriptive flexfield attributes configured as part of your setup. Note that the activity number is auto generated.

The external reference number is used to link imported activities to the source system. And the interface activity key is the reference of activity in the Activity, Measures, and Emissions. You can also provide other attributes, like activity date, legal entity, country, or supplier.

In the Measures tab, you capture each activity's measure values, for example, quantity, distance, or amount. Emissions are either calculated by application, using the best-matched emission factor mapping when calculation mode is using matched factors, calculated by the application using the emission factors provided on the activity when the calculation mode is manual entry of factors, or directly provided on the activity when the calculation mode is manual entry of emissions.

Once your data is populated in the Excel template, save the Excel file. To generate the CSV file required for import, use the Generate CSV File button provided in the Excel template in the first sheet. This button runs a macro that converts the data into one or more CSV files ready for upload.

Save the zip file in a location where they are easily accessible for next steps. This zip file contains three CSV files, each for activities, measures, and emissions.

Log in to Oracle Cloud Applications. Navigate to the File Import and Export screen. Under the Tools from Navigator menu, click the + icon.

On the Upload File dialog, browse the zip file that was generated in the previous step. Set the account to Sustainability Import. Click on Save and Close button.

After uploading the CSV file, navigate to Schedule Processes page. Under Tools from Navigation menu, click on the Schedule New Process button. Search for the Load Interface File for Import.

In the Process Details dialog, specify Import Process as Import Sustainability Activities. And select the data file last uploaded. Click Submit to run the process. Note that the process may involve multiple steps, such as loading data into interface tables and validating the data.

After submitting the process, monitor its status in the Schedule Processes page. If the process completes successfully, review the log files and output to ensure that all records were imported correctly into the interface tables. If there are errors, download the output file. Review the details, correct the issues in your data file, and rerun the process. Common issues may include data format discrepancies.

After importing the data into the Interface table, as a final step, let's run the schedule process, Import Sustainability Activities. Provide the parameters. If you wish to validate and post activities to Sustainability ledger, set Post to Ledger parameter value as Yes. Let's click Submit. Wait for the process to complete.

The process has successfully completed in this demo. However, if your process ends with errors, your activities may have failed validation. Review your output file for details, and repeat the process for those records. After fixing the validation failures but troubleshooting verify if there are any missing mandatory attributes, missing setups, invalid data values, or other discrepancies like missing references.

For this demo, let's look at the sample output file with possible set of errors. This file provides detailed information about each error record, uniquely identified by the interface key and the specific error message with corresponding data fields.

Once the Import process is successful, navigate to Manage Activities as Sustainability Analyst and verify that the data has been imported correctly. You can also use FBDI to delete sustainability activities which are in draft status, by providing valid and unique activity number for activities that are required to be deleted and setting the Action column value to delete. Once an activity is deleted, its corresponding measures and emissions are automatically deleted.

In this demo, we saw how FBDI facilitates the efficient import of large volumes of sustainability data from various sources, ensuring that the data from disparate systems can be integrated consistently into Oracle Applications. This completes the demo. Thank you for watching.