Add Initiatives in Bulk

When you have created the top-level hierarchy in Amplify, you can fast-load actual projects into these levels quickly, using the Integrations feature. This feature allows you to add information about multiple initiatives into an excel template and upload it into Amplify.

You can map each data column in the excel sheet to a corresponding initiative attribute and run the integration to create initiatives in bulk using the data that you supplied in the excel template. 

This article covers:

• Integration Steps Overview
• Prerequisites
• Data Preparation
• How-to Steps

Steps Overview

Initiative Integration typically involves the following steps.

1. Prepare the excel template with data.
2. Identify the initiative where you want to run integrations.
3. Enable Integrations for this initiative's classification.
4. Enable Local initiatives for the parent initiative and select the appropriate classification types in the allowed list.
5. Upload the excel sheet into Amplify.
6. Map columns in your excel sheet to corresponding initiative attribute displayed on the integration interface.
7. Process the mapping.

On successful integration, all initiatives saved within the input Excel sheet are created in Amplify at the hierarchical level you specify. If you want to create child initiatives under the newly created initiative, you will have to run another integration, with the Parent Initiative column in excel template showing the name or ID of one of the newest initiative.

 If you have created custom fields in Amplify, you can include these in the excel sheet with custom field name entered in the header row.

Prerequisites

Following configuration settings need to be enabled for the classification where you want to apply integration.

• Enable Integrations - enable this setting for the classification of parent initiative. This will ensure that the Integrations submenu is visible.
• Enable Local Initiatives - this setting should be enabled, and the allowed initiative classification types have to be specified. All classification types included in your excel should be present in the allowed list.
• Enable External ID, if the initiatives have external IDs - Enable this setting if you use external IDs other than Amplify's internal IDs to identify initiatives. This setting should be enabled for each initiative classification that will be created where external ID is used. 
• Ensure that pertinent initiative classifications are defined, and a hierarchy is created up to the level where you want to fast load items.

Data preparation

Use the Configuration and FastLoad Spreadsheet for this purpose. Add the following columns of information into the Initiative FastLoad sheet and save the template.

• Parent External ID or Amplify ID - Add the external ID  or Amplify ID for the parent project in this column. 
• Project Name 
• Project Classification  
• Project Owner  
• Start Date  
• End Date 
  
  

You are free to fill in data in any columns listed in the template. The columns listed above are required to be filled in. Please refer to the template to find information on other columns that can be included.

Steps

To fast load initiatives:

1. Locate the parent initiative and click Integrations on the sub-menu.
   
   In the above screenshot, an initiative named, Customer Relationship Management(CRM) is identified as the hierarchical level where bulk upload will be carried out. Please note that you can add items into any existing sub initiatives at this level, provided, you have enabled the required classification types as local initiatives for the child initiative.
2. Click New Integration.
   The New Integration form displays.
   
   
   
3. Type in a relevant name for this upload in the Name field.
4. Select Import Data Type as Initiatives/Projects.
5. Click Save.
6. Click Run.
   Ensure that the excel template is ready with valid data. All required columns should be present and filled with data before uploading. Click here to view the excel template used for the integration example in this article.
7. Select Upload New.
8. Click Choose File, then select the Excel file containing the initiative details. 
   • Select Use Previous if you have the used the excel template previously for this integration. When you select an existing file for the same integration instance, you do not need to map the attributes again; Amplify remembers the previous mapping done for this file. However, if you have included additional columns in the excel template since last integration, it is best to select Upload New and choose a new file.
9. Select the Header option if you want to see the values in the first row of your excel file displayed as headers on the mapping interface. 
10. In the Sheet drop-down field, select the sheet within the template where initiative data is stored. 
    
11. Click Continue to proceed. Clicking Cancel will cancel the entire operation.
12. The mapping interface displays. The first row in the excel sheet displays as the header row on the mapping interface. Values included in your excel sheet are listed below header rows. Your next step would be to map each row to a corresponding initiative attribute. 
13. Click Edit Mapping.
    A new row displays (under the header rows if you have enabled headers) with Type drop-down field.
    This drop-down field lists all available attributes of initiatives. Select an attribute that matches row values in the excel sheet. For example, Parent External ID or Amplify ID in the excel template could be mapped to Parent Initiative in the Type field. 
    
    Some field types, when selected, prompts you to match the attribute. For example, Parent Initiative could be mapped to an ID, a name, or an external ID. Select this value based on the data that is present in the excel sheet. If you have added Parent initiative's ID in the excel sheet, select ID here. Note: You can verify the excel sheet values listed in the row below the mapping fields before choosing an attribute type.
    
    A green tick mark indicates that mapping has been done correctly.

14. Locate matching values in the Type field and map all excel columns, as appropriate.

    Screenshot of a completely mapped interface is given below.

    

    If you do not want to map a column, select No Action in the Type drop-down. This is useful when you are updating imported data, and you do not want to update all of the fields, except for the fields that contain updated data. Select Attribute Assignments in the Type field to view the mappable properties of initiatives.
    
    Notice that the green tick mark changes to a red icon when a mapping is incorrect. Hover over the header to view the error. 

15. Click Preview when done. The Preview shows mapping mismatches, if any, without actually importing data into Amplify.  

16. Re-map faulty columns and preview until all mappings are correct. The Import button will not be enabled until all errors are corrected. In addition to errors, you may see warnings. Warnings are indicated by orange symbols (). Warnings do not block the import process; you can proceed if you are ready to overlook them. Note: Mismatches between values present in the excel sheet and values expected by the database is the most common reason for mapping errors. The Excel sheet contains the ID of parent initiative, but the mapping attribute selected is 'name'. To fix this, select ID in Map on Attribute field. If the Parent Initiative ID specified in the excel sheet does not exist in Amplify, you can instruct Amplify to Fallback to Default Initiative. Selecting this option brings up a selectable field, where you can specify the fallback initiative. This option is available for other fields, such as Classification,  and Owner. 

17. Click Import...when all mismatches are corrected, the green tick mark shows against all mapped rows.
18. Click Confirm on the confirmation message that displays.
    
    
19. Click End Session when the message All rows successful is displayed on the top of the interface.
    Initiatives in the excel sheet will be available at the nominated hierarchical levels within Amplify.