You can use a Microsoft® Office Excel spreadsheet to edit/update existing items. Before doing so, you must also have the appropriate version of the Excel spreadsheet installed.

Whenever you enter new or existing data in the spreadsheet, the Upl column displays a flag, making it easier to scan the spreadsheet for rows that have been changed.

Items uploaded from a spreadsheet become, by default, Engineering items. If you wish to upload a non-Engineering item, then include an available primary attribute column called "Engineering Item Flag" in your import format. When uploading the spreadsheet, identify such items in this column by specifying the value "Yes" or "No". If you leave the column blank, the item once again defaults to an Engineering item.

To update existing items, you must first search for the items, and then import the search results into the spreadsheet. Search results are limited to 200 items or less. Using this spreadsheet import/update saves you time, as the spreadsheet now contains the attributes/columns needed to update the specific items you wish to change.

   To update existing items using an Excel spreadsheet:

1. In the Applications tree menu, use either of the searches (Simple or Advanced) to locate the item you wish to update.

2. On the Search Results page, click Export All Items.

3. On the Select Viewer page, select the version of Excel that you are using and click Next. You cannot enable or disable Reporting.

4. An Information page and Download window present processing messages. Follow the instructions in these messages. Click Close when the transfer is complete. The Excel spreadsheet also opens. Note that all your search results have been exported to the spreadsheet.

5. In the spreadsheet, primary attributes are listed first (on the left), and user-defined attributes appear after (on the right). When entering values into the spreadsheet, you must use one of the following Transaction Types:

   Sync

   If the item already exists, the spreadsheet values are used to update it. If the item does not already exist, a new one is created using the spreadsheet values. If the Sync creates a new item, then the mandatory attributes for Create are also mandatory for the Sync. If the Sync updates an existing item, then the mandatory attributes for Update are also mandatory for the Sync.

   Create

   A new item is created using the values entered in the spreadsheet. The following attributes are mandatory when using this transaction type:

   • Item

   • Organization Code

   • Primary Unit of Measure

   • Description

   Note: Description is a primary attribute, but appears on the right side of the spreadsheet among the user-defined attributes. It is placed here so that long descriptions will not disrupt the flow of the spreadsheet.

   Update

   Existing items are updated using the values entered in the spreadsheet. The following attributes are mandatory when using this transaction type:

   • Item

   • Organization Code

   Warning: Although your downloaded spreadsheet can include item alternate catalog and alternate category columns, you can not change the item alternate catalog or the alternate category of an item when using the Sync or Update transaction type in a spreadsheet. To update the item alternate catalog and alternate category of an item using an Excel spreadsheet, select the Import Object 'Item Categories' in the Import Item page (see: Importing Item Categories Using a Spreadsheet).

   Additional Information: To delete an existing value in a record, enter the following data in the appropriate column of the spreadsheet:

   For field type:	Enter value:
   Date	31-DEC-9999
   Character	!
   Numeric	9.99E125

   If you want to retain an existing value in a record, enter NULL in the appropriate column of the spreadsheet.

   Exception: In the user defined attributes interface table, when you want to delete an existing value in any of the following fields, use the value !. If you want to retain an existing value in a record, no entry is necessary.

   • ATTR_DISP_VALUE

   • ATTR_VALUE_STR

   • ATTR_NUM_VALUE

   • ATTR_VALUE_DATE

   Attention: Make a note of the Result Format Usage ID at the top of the spreadsheet. You will need this ID later when you upload the spreadsheet in the system.

6. After data entry is complete, select Upload from the Oracle menu in the toolbar.

7. In the Upload Parameters window, enter the following and then click Upload.

   • Batch Name

   • Import:

     • Immediately on data load - automatically updates the Oracle Item Master table with matched data.

     • Schedule Data and Time - select the date and time to import the confirmed items or structures in the batch.

     • None - leaves the data in the Import Workbench. You can manually import the data at a later time.

   • Select whether to create a new change order, add to an existing change order, or to not create a change order.

   • Select whether to create a new item request:

     • None

     • One per Item

     • One per Item Catalog Category

8. After the upload process completes, a message appears with the Concurrent Request number. Make a note of this number, as you will need it later when you access the view log for the concurrent request. Click Close when the process messages complete.

9. Return to the Applications tree menu and click the "View Concurrent Requests" link. It is recommended that you check the concurrent process view log to ensure that the upload process was successful.

10. On the View Concurrent Requests page, click the Details icon.

11. On the Request Details page, click View Log.

12. From the View Log, paste the URL string in a web browser to view any errors. If no errors appear, the upload was successful.