Excel File Format for Bulk Creating BP Records in the Master Log

As a company-level user or partner user, you can create and upload a batch of business process (BP) records across projects/shells from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx or .xlsm) if you have:

  • Access to the Master Log node
  • Allow Bulk Creation permission

    The Allow Bulk Creation permission is visible for all BPs. However, Oracle supports bulk creation for only the following BP types:

    • Simple BPs, such as Action Items, Project Note, or Field Observations
    • Generic Line Item BPs, such as Daily Reports or Warranty
    • Generic Cost BPs:
      • Line item with CBS Code
      • Line item with Fund Code
      • Line item with CBS and Fund Code
      • Line item with CBS and WBS Code
    • Transfer Cost BPs:
      • Line item with CBS Code
      • Line item with Fund Code
      • Line item with CBS and Fund Code
      • Line item with CBS and WBS Code
    • Base Commit BPs:
      • Line item with CBS Code - Create SOV of General Spends and Payment Applications
    • Change Commit BPs:
      • Line item with CBS Code - Update SOV of General Spends and Payment Applications
    • General Spends (Invoices)

Oracle recommends that you use this process to create multiple records in bulk across projects. The import process runs as a scheduled high-priority background job. Processing time depends on other background jobs in the queue.

Note:

Do not use this process to update existing BP records.

BP records that you import into the Master Log node must follow a specific Excel file format. You can download an Excel template file to create the BP records.

  • For Simple BPs that contain only Main Form data, such as Action Items, Project Note, or Field Observations, the Excel file uses the following default naming format: [BP Name]_MainForm.xlsx.
  • For BPs that contain Main Form data and line item data, such as Daily Reports, or Warranty, the Excel file uses the following default naming format: [BP Name]_MainForm_LineItems.xlsx.
The exported and imported Excel file includes the following worksheets:
  • Instructions: Unifier generates this worksheet automatically. The worksheet content depends on the BP type and describes how to use the Excel file to enter or update BP record and line item data.
  • Main Form: Unifier generates this worksheet automatically as the second worksheet in the Excel file. Do not rename or reorder this worksheet. The worksheet content depends on the BP selected for the bulk creation import process. It contains the Unifier data required to create BP records and line items. For each BP record, the following fixed columns appear as the first and second columns:
    • Shell Number: Valid active project or shell number. For a list of active projects/shells across hierarchies, see Excel File Format of Shell Details File.
    • Record Sequence No.: Sequence number that uniquely identifies a record for the project or shell.

    Each BP record is identified by the unique combination of the Shell Number and Record Sequence No. values.

    Additional columns display the data elements (DEs) that are configured in the BP design on the Upper Integration tab with the direction set to Input or Both.

    Mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

  • Additional worksheets for each line item tab: One or more line items worksheets are automatically generated, depending on the BP design. Do not rename or reorder this worksheet. Use the Line Items worksheets to create line items for the BP records that are specified in the Main Form worksheet.

    Each Line Items worksheet initially contains the following columns:

    • Shell Number: Valid active project or shell number. The value must match a shell number in the Main Form worksheet. For a list of active projects/shells across hierarchies, see Excel File Format of Shell Details File.
    • Record Sequence No.: Sequence number that uniquely identifies a record for the project/shell. The value must match the Record Sequence No. value in the Main Form worksheet.
    • Line No.: Optional sequence number that uniquely identifies line items for the worksheet. If you do not specify a value, the application uses the Shell Number and Record Sequence No. values to identify the record when line items are added.

    Each line item is identified by the unique combination of the Shell Number and Record Sequence No. values.

    Additional columns display DEs based on the BP design.

    For the General Spends BP, the following additional columns are available:
    • Ref No: Maps to the Reference No. value in the SOV sheet
    • Description: Description of the Ref No. value from the SOV sheet
    • Breakdown: Breakdowns that are defined in the SOV sheet
    • DEs that are allowed in the Integration tab with the direction set to Input or Both, including Cost Code (SOV picker in the UI)

    Additional pickers are available based on the BP type. See Available Pickers for Business Process Types.

    Line Items worksheet names cannot exceed 30 characters. If the worksheet name exceeds 30 characters, the exported file truncates the worksheet name to 27 characters and appends an underscore (_) and the tab order number.