Creating the Excel File for Bulk Creating BP Records

When you use Bulk Create or Bulk Update, you start by exporting the BP design structure to a Microsoft Excel or CSV file and then populating the required fields. If you leave a Data Picker Data Element (DE) field blank that is configured to auto-populate, the system completes the field when you run a Bulk Create. However, it does not complete the field when you run a Bulk Update. To reduce confusion and keep Bulk Create and Bulk Update consistent, the system uses the Excel or CSV file to populate the Data Picker field if the field is excluded from the Integration form for the BP design.

You must have the Allow Bulk Creation permission to complete this task.

To bulk create BP records across projects/shells in the Excel spreadsheet:

1. Select the Home () tab.
2. In the left Navigator, select Master Log - Business Processes, and then select the specific BP.

   The Allow Bulk Creation permission appears for all BPs, but it is supported only for the following BP types:

   • Simple BPs, such as Action items, Project Note, and Field Observations
   • Generic Line Item BPs, such as Daily Reports and Warranty
   • Generic Cost BPs, including Line item with CBS Code, Line item with Fund Code, Line item with CBS and Fund Code, and Line item with CBS and WBS Code
   • Transfer Cost BPs, including Line item with CBS Code, Line item with Fund Code, Line item with CBS and Fund Code, and Line item with CBS and WBS Code
   • Base Commit, including Line item with CBS Code - Create SOV of General Spends and Payment Applications
   • Change Commit BPs, including Line item with CBS Code - Update SOV of General Spends and Payment Applications
   • General Spends, including Invoices
3. From the toolbar, select Actions, select Download, and then select Shell Details.

   Note:

   If the Integration form is not defined for your BP, the Actions menu does not display additional options such as Download and Import.
4. Open the ShellDetails.xlsx file.

   The ShellDetails.xlsx file contains a list of all active projects/shells that you can use to create BPs across projects/shells. For more information about the file contents, see Microsoft Excel File Format of Shell Details File.

5. From the toolbar, select Actions, select Download, and then select Template for Record Creation.
6. Open the downloaded [Selected BP Log Name]_bulkcreate.xlsx file.

   For more information on the downloaded file format, see Microsoft Excel File Format for Bulk Creating BP Records in the Master Log.

7. Add BP records in the Excel file as follows:
   1. In the Main Form worksheet of the Excel file, enter the details of each BP record.

      Note:

      The combination of the Shell Number and Record Sequence Number must be unique for each BP record.
   2. (Optional) To add line items to a BP record, do the following:
      1. Select the Line Items worksheet or any additional worksheet that appears based on the BP design.
      2. Copy the Shell Number and Record Sequence Number values from the Main Form worksheet.

         To add multiple line items to the same BP record, use the same combination of Shell Number and Record Sequence Number, and use sequential values in the Line No. field.

      3. In the Line No. field, enter a sequence number for each line item.
      4. Enter details for each line item.
   3. Repeat the previous step as needed to add multiple line items to the same BP record.
8. Repeat the previous step to add BP records in multiple projects/shells.
   • Use the unique combination of the Shell Number and Record Sequence Number specified in the Main Form worksheet in all subsequent worksheets.
   • If you rename any worksheets with line items, the system does not process the data in those worksheets.
9. Save the Excel file (.xlsx or .xlsm).
10. Import the data created in the Excel spreadsheet into Unifier.

    See Importing the Excel File for Bulk Creating BP Records.