This feature is available with the following licenses: Teams, Enterprise and Ultimate.
The Skills Base platform provides an easy to use and intuitive Data Importer that allows you to import data in bulk. Records are imported via CSV files. These files can be opened with Microsoft's Excel software and other spreadsheet programs capable of working with ".CSV" file types.
The Data Importer provides a preview of your import to allow you to validate the outcome prior to actually executing the import and committing the data.
Each CSV file can contain up to 2500 records of the chosen record type. The following record types can be imported:
- Courses
- Course Mappings
- Locations
- People
- Qualifications
- Qualification Assignments
- Ratings: Self
- Ratings: Supervisor
- Roles
- Skills
- Skill Assignments
- Targets
- Teams
To begin, select Data Importer from the navigation pane. When selected, the type of import can be specified:
Once an import type selection is made, the selection will be highlighted.
In the example below, we have selected People to be imported. The file to be used is selected using the Browse facility which will access all drives and folders that are available to you.
There are two option available:
Create records - This option will result in new records being created.
Update record - This option will result in existing records being modified.
Select Next to continue with the import process.
Once selected, the mapping screen will be presented. The mapping screen allows you to identify and map the fields from the import file to both standard and custom fields previously created within Skills Base. In our example, we are mapping some of the fields in the import file to fields within Skills Base. The import file field names do not have to match the Skills Base fields names which provides flexibility and ease of use.
Custom fields must first be defined in Skills Base prior to mapping the fields to be imported.
For additional information regarding custom fields please refer to the article:
Custom fields - Skills Base Support (skills-base.com)
Records require identification to be specified. In our example we have selected Email as the identifier.
At this stage, you can either choose to go Back to the prior screen or Preview the import to ensure the data import will produce the desired outcome. When Preview is selected, the import progress bar will be displayed.
Once the preview preparation process completes, the potential import results will be presented along with information regarding the total records processed, the number of records that will be created, and any records that were skipped or failed. If this were an Update, the number of records to be updated would be shown.
The fields and action that will be taken are displayed. In our example, we have 17 records to be created in Skills Base.
At this stage, you can proceed with the import, return to the previous screen or download the log file which contains a comprehensive summary of everything that the import tool has pre-processed. You also have the option of bypassing any rows that contained an error because you are choosing to proceed regardless of the errors in the identified rows.
If you select Import to proceed, you will be prompted to respond to the confirmation notice.
If the preview results are aligned with the desired outcomes, you can select Confirm to process the import and commit the data to Skills Base. The outcome of the import will be presented. The final counts of records created or updated as well as any records skipped or that failed to be created will be shown.
Data Field References
All imports provide a Reference Guide which details the Fields, Data Types and Descriptions of each field to provide clarity regarding how the fields will be processed.
To display the reference guide, click on the link:
The following details the template fields, field data types, field rules and useful notes regarding the data each template supports.
Courses
📃 Example course import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Notes |
Example |
Course name |
255 characters - text |
Cannot be blank if mapped. Must be provided when creating new records |
Intro to Java Programming |
URL |
1,000 characters - text |
Cannot be blank if mapped. Must be provided when creating new records |
https://test.course.com |
Status |
text |
Cannot be blank if mapped. Valid values: offered |
offered |
Course Mappings
📃 Example Course Mapping import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Notes |
Example |
Course Name |
255 characters - text |
Cannot be blank if mapped. |
Intro to Java Programming |
Skill name |
80 character - text |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Java Programming |
Skill level |
number |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
3 |
Locations
📃 Example Locations import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Duplicates Allowed |
Example |
Location name |
45 |
No |
London Vic St. |
Longitude |
|
Yes |
-0.13147 |
Latitude |
|
Yes |
51.499097 |
People
📃 Example People import template file
Field |
Options |
Max Character Length |
Duplicates Allowed |
Notes |
Example |
First Name |
|
25 |
Yes |
|
Frank |
Surname |
|
25 |
Yes |
|
Smith |
Team |
|
45 |
Yes |
Team must exist in Skills Base prior to People import being ran |
Sr. Manager |
Role |
|
45 |
Yes |
Role must exist in Skills Base prior to People import being ran |
Accounting |
Location |
|
45 |
Yes |
Location must exist in Skills Base prior to People import being ran |
Boise |
Skill set |
"role", "team", "all", "custom" |
|
Yes |
The Skill Set will determine where People take their skills from for assessments (as per the Skill Assignment done manually or through the import routine)
|
Role |
Security group* |
Administrator, Supervisor, General staff |
|
Yes |
|
Supervisor |
|
|
No |
|
frank.smith@example.com |
|
Custom field (employee ID) |
45 |
No |
12345 |
||
Custom field (Tenure) |
45 |
No |
2 Years |
Qualifications
📃 Example Qualification import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Notes |
Example |
Qualification name |
255 characters - text |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Certified Project Manager |
Description URL |
1,000 characters - text |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
https://www.skills-base.com |
Qualification Assignments
📃 Example Qualification Assignment import template file
Field |
Options |
Duplicates Allowed |
Notes |
Example |
Any email address of a staff member |
Yes |
|
frank.smith@test.com |
|
Qualification name |
|
No |
Qualifications do not need to exist when creating the assignment
|
PMP |
Start date |
yyyy-mm-dd |
No |
Date need to match the format set in the settings. |
2018-05-01 |
End date |
yyyy-mm-dd |
|
|
2020-03-03 |
Status |
completed, completing, nominated |
|
|
Completed |
Ratings: Self
📃 Example Self Ratings import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Notes |
Example |
Skill name |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Java |
|
Parent category name |
The parent Skill Category name. You can specify this column multiple times in a file to represent a hierarchy from left (parent) to right (child). Note that each column in the file needs to have a unique name.
Example: Leadership skills |
Programming Languages |
|
Person email |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
frank.smith@example.com |
|
Person full name |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Frank Smith |
|
Skill level |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
4 |
|
Interest level |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
5 |
Ratings: Supervisor
📃 Example Supervisor Ratings import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Notes |
Example |
Skill name |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Java |
|
Parent category name |
The parent Skill Category name. You can specify this column multiple times in a file to represent a hierarchy from left (parent) to right (child). Note that each column in the file needs to have a unique name. |
Programming Languages |
|
Person email |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
frank.smith@example.com |
|
Person full name |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Frank Smith |
|
Skill level |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
4 |
|
Interest level |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
5 |
Roles
📃 Example Role import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Duplicates Allowed |
Example |
Role name |
45 |
No |
People Manager |
Skills
📃 Example Skill import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Duplicates Allowed |
Notes |
Example |
Parent category (1) |
60 |
Yes |
A skill requires at least the highest parent category to be assigned, i.e. Parent category 1 |
Technical Skills |
Parent category (2) |
60 |
Yes |
If additional category levels are not required, Parent category 2 and Parent category (n) can be deleted. |
AWS |
Parent category (n) |
60 |
Yes |
|
|
Name |
80 |
No |
Avoid duplicate skill names as they can cause confusion when completing assessments and running report |
AWS Skills |
Description |
1000 |
Yes |
|
This is the AWS Skill Description |
Custom field name (1) |
|
Yes |
Hyperlink Custom Field type – must include “https://” Text Custom Field Type – 1000 maximum character length List Custom Field Type – options must already be included in the custom field list Attachment Custom Field Type – cannot be imported |
|
Custom field name (n) |
|
Yes |
|
Skill Assignments
📃 Example Skill Assignment import template file
Field |
Data Type |
Notes |
Example |
Entity type |
text |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Role |
Name |
text |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Project Manager |
|
text |
Cannot be blank if mapped Must be provided when creating new records Valid values: skill, category |
Skill |
|
Parent category (1) (Multi Value) |
text - 60 characters |
The parent Skill Category name. You can specify this column multiple times in a file to represent a hierarchy from left (parent) to right (child). Note that each column in the file needs to have a unique name. Example: Leadership skills |
Leadership Skills |
Assignment name |
text |
Cannot be blank if mapped |
Leadership |
Targets
📃 Example Target import template file
Field |
Options |
Example |
Entity Type |
Team, Role, Person |
Role |
Entity name/Entity ID |
|
Senior Developer |
Skill name |
|
CSS |
Target skill level |
|
4 |
Teams
📃 Example Team import template file
Field |
Max Character Length |
Duplicates Allowed |
Example |
Team name |
45 |
Yes, but not recommended |
Acme. Inc |
Parent team |
45 |
Yes |
Accounting |