Skip to main content
All CollectionsAlign EAM (Enterprise Asset Management)EAM Administration
Data Loader benefits & ability
Data Loader benefits & ability
Updated over 2 months ago

Updating hundreds of Employees and Locations with a few clicks or adding in a thousand new Cost Codes at once is possible using the Data Loader. It is an Enterprise level feature that can seem intimidating at first, but once understood is a powerful tool for maintaining your Align EAM database.

To understand the Data Loader better, first, we need to look at its setup and terminology.

The main functions of the data loader are to either update information or create new information.

To update information:

  1. Select the appropriate Object from the dropdown menu

  2. Click Export. This will give you a .csv file with your existing information.

  3. Make the changes you want (updating tool numbers or employee email addresses for example)

  4. Save and close the file

  5. Click Update, and from the popup box highlight the file you want to import and hit Open.

To create information:

  1. Select the appropriate Object from the dropdown menu

  2. Click Get Template. This will give you a blank .csv file for you to fill in.

  3. Complete the Template

  4. Save and close the file

  5. Click Create, and from the popup box, highlight the file you want to import and hit Open.

Data Loader Files

Data loader files are always .csv, and any other file types will not work. Something to be mindful of with .csv files is that they tend to drop any leading 0s (001 becomes 1) and dates can turn into a number value. Reviewing the data before loading it in is always best practice. The column headers identify what information is needed, and whether it is Optional or Required. The column order cannot be rearranged, but you can delete columns you are not using.

If the column header ends in Id, LocationId for example, you need to insert a GUID (Global Unique Identifier) value. A GUID is a string of letters and numbers that represents an existing value in your database and is not modifiable or transferable. A GUID value from a sandbox is meaningless in a production database. So instead of using a Location name or Number, you would export your locations, and use the GUID value for the corresponding Location information you want to use.

So if you wanted to use Company A Trailer to fill in column E on the sheet below,

you would use the information in column A, and not the information in column F.

(There is a ton of information to try and fit in here, might want to narrow the focus or create a glossary to work from)

Author: Heather Nolte

Did this answer your question?