Importing & Exporting Serial References

Importing Serial References with Volconic is easy. Our robust rules engine is designed to ensure validity and adherence to a group configuration.

Exporting a Group

You're able to export a Group as a CSV.

Included in the export will be:

  • Serial Reference
  • The date the Serial Reference was created
  • Topics and Topic Data
  • If the Product Passport is toggled On, it will also be included

Exporting a Groups Serial References

  1. Visit a Group

  2. Click Global Actions

  3. Select Export References

Import Serial References

There are many reasons you might want to import Serial References - in only a few clicks you can upload new Serial References or set Topic Data that can later be used in Product Passports.

You can only import to Groups setup to create Serial References Randomly.

The first thing you'll need to do is setup your data in a way that we can read to create the Serial References or Topic Data. Once you've done that all you need to do it upload the file and we'll do the rest, you even have the option to review the data before it is imported!

Downloading A Group Import Template

Import templates are used to guide you when structuring your data ready for importing. Depending on the template you choose, the data structure will differ. If you choose to upload Topic Data the column headers will be set to the unique reference of the Topic, we've added the name of the Topics to help you, you'll need to delete the row before uploading.

Empty Import Template Example:

Complete Import Template Example:

All Fields

Using this template you can import your own Serial References and set the corresponding Topic Data. The template will include all columns for all the fields that can be set, including a column to add a Serial Reference and all Topics.

Custom Topis Only

If you'd like to set Topic Data and unique Serial References created automatically, then use this option. The template will only include Topics.

Strict Serial Rules

Enabling Strict Serial Rules help to enforce the configuration rules for your Group, in some cases you may need flexibility when creating Serial References that don't follow the pattern of your Group.

If any of the Serial References uploaded don't conform to the rules in the Group configuration, you won't be able to import any of them (unless the failed Serial References are deleted at the review stage).

If you toggle Strict Serial Rules we'll check the below against the Groups configuration. If there are any discrepancies, you'll be able to review them.

  • A suffix has been included
  • A prefix has been included
  • The length of the Serial Reference
  • Alphabetical characters are include
  • Upper and/or lowercase characters are included
  • Digits are included
  • Excluded characters aren't included

Importing Serial References

File Requirements

The file you are uploading must conform to the below:

  • It is a CSV
  • It size is less than 15mb
  • The filename is less than 400 characters long

Step 1 - Prepare File Upload

  1. Visit a Group that has been setup to create Randomly Serial Reference

  2. Open Global Actions

  3. Select Import Serials from the dropdown

  4. Download the relevant upload template

  5. Populate the template

  6. Save the template and ensure its a CSV file type

Tips

  • Remember to remove the the second line in the CSV template containing the Topic names.
  • You can only import 1000 lines per upload
  • The number of characters in a given field cannot exceed 200

Step 2 - Import

  1. Upload the file (ether dragging it into the Drop Zone or using the here button)

  2. Choose the whether you would like to use the Strict Serial References Rules

  3. Click Upload

Step 3 - Review & Add

Import Evaluation

The import can take a few minutes to complete.

You can leave the import running in the background and a use the Import Ready button to open the review stage.

  1. Review the Serial References and resolve any errors

Filter Rule Exceptions

Hover over Format Check exception count 2 or the Exceptions warning triangle to see a more details about the of the Exceptions

You can also use the below filters to easily find Serial References that have Exceptions:

Show General Exceptions - Only show General Exceptions

Show Format Exceptions - Only show Exceptions related to the a Serial References Format Check

Show All Lines - Show all Serial References

Handling Rule Exceptions

Volconic has a powerful rules engine that ensures all Serial References are created accurately and conform to the configuration. When a field the CSV fails a check, you'll see a reason when reviewing the import.

There are 2 types of Rule Exceptions:

  1. General Exceptions - This is where we've detected an issue with a field that means you can't upload any Serial References. See what might trigger an Exception here
  2. Format Check - Where you've selected the Strict Serial References Rules option, checks against the configuration will be triggered. See what might trigger a Format Check here
  1. Click Add Serials

The Serial References will now be added to the Group


Deleting a Serial References during import review

  1. Upload and import a file

  2. Find the Serial Reference you would like to delete

  3. Click Delete

You'll see all the fields in the row with a strike-through.


Recovering a Serial References during import review

  1. Upload and import a file

  2. Find the Serial Reference you would like to recover (that has already been deleted)

  3. Click Recover

You'll see the strike-through be removed.


Exception Triggers

General Exceptions

When first uploading Serial References we run several checks against each Serial Reference, they include:

  • Duplicate Serial Reference aren't included in the uploaded file
  • Duplicate Serial Reference aren't included in the existing Group
  • The CSV file doesn't contain more than 1000 lines
  • The number of characters in a given field doesn't exceed 200

Format Check Exceptions

When a Format Check is triggered, depending on the Group configuration, the below checks are made:

  • A suffix has been included, if required
  • A prefix has been included, if required
  • The length of the Serial Reference matches the Group
  • Alphabetical characters are included
  • Upper and/or lowercase characters are included
  • Digits are included
  • Excluded characters aren't found in the Serial Reference