OHRM

College HR

Manager

Recommendations

Load User Guide

Using

Comma Separated Values (CSV) Files crocque-seraphin

Edited by J. Blazina

O F F I C E O F H U M A N R E S O U R C E M A N A G E M E N T – O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2 H U M A N C A P I T A L M A N A G E M E N T C L I E N T S U P P O R T

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3

Preparation Tips for Manager Recommendations Load 4

Process Tips for Manager Recommendations Load 7

Working With Automated Manager Recommendation CSV Files 8

Manager Recommendations Load 14

Report Manager 18

Error Conditions 19

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INTRODUCTION

The automated manager recommendation (AMR) upload is a time saving enhancement to the mass reappointment process. HR Administrators create a comma separated value file or CSV file in Microsoft Excel with the manager recommendations. This eliminates the managers’ manual entry of data for each employee to help reduce the reappointment process timeframe. The CSV file is then uploaded with the manager recommendations to the Manager Reappointment Recommendations page under Mass Reappointments in HCM. The automated Manager Recommendations Load performs data validation against the CSV file before updating the mass reappointment transaction tables. An Excel file is created for you to review updates and rectify any errors encountered while updating. Both the CSV and Excel file can be modified and rerun as necessary. In addition, a log file is produced to get a snapshot summary of the update process. The required fields in the CSV file are the:

Employee ID Employee Record Reappointment Begin Date Reappointment End Date Recommendation Reason *Step

*The step is required based on the title of the employee being recommended. The step is needed on hourly or annual rates to default salary from the salary plan table and reduce errors for those titles that have steps and not ranges. Note: When re-opening up an existing CSV file in Excel it may lose all its formatting. If you want to use pre-existing formatting you need to have a previously formatted Excel workbook saved with the data. Back to Table of Contents

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PREPARATION TIPS FOR MANAGER RECOMMENDATIONS LOAD Create reference spreadsheet

Create a spreadsheet with employee data for your reference in addition to the upload spreadsheet so that you can add extra data if needed.

This can be simply done by saving your upload spreadsheet under a second name as an Excel Workbook and adding additional columns.

Notes to help validate Review/Approve Reappointments data

Note the step, compensation rate, and frequency for each employee in your reference spreadsheet.

This will help you verify the data in Review/Approve Reappointments. Notes to help run processes smoothly

Also note the job code and department for each employee in the same reference spreadsheet.

This is helpful when deciding how you want to run the Approval Report, Generate Employee Notification, and Process Reappointments.

Break down your master upload spreadsheet into smaller batches of 50 or 100 rows. This is very helpful in reviewing for errors which is essential prior to the job load.

Run Manager Notification Process first

The Manager Notification Process must be run prior to the Manager Recommendations Load to avoid errors.

See the Mass Reappointment User Guide for further information pre-notifications.

CSV file types

The employee data in the Excel spreadsheet is to be saved in CSV format before it is uploaded.

CSV comma delimited and CSV MS-DOS both work on PCs.

The CSV Macintosh extension should be used with a Mac computer. Using the CSV Macintosh extension with a PC produces an error.

Save a back-up copy of your upload sheet in Excel Workbook XLS file format to avoid losing formatting required in the AMR process when re-opening the CSV file.

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If there are errors make the changes in the XLS back-up spreadsheet first and then save as a separate CSV file again if you need to do an additional upload.

Date fields

The Current Job Effective Date, Reappointment Start Date, and Reappointment End Date must be formatted as MM/DD/YYYY

The MM/DD/YYYY format can be created in the Custom category on the Number tab in the Format Cells pop-up menu box.

Recommendation field

The recommendation selection available to be used at this time includes Academic, Current, Do Not App, Fall, Fiscal Yr, Rescind, Revise, Spring, Summer, and Winter.

Reason for Action field

Any comments entered here must be inside double quotes. For example “Excluded HEO Reappointment”. This field will only be used if the letter needs to capture additional information and will be configured for the University to reflect that information.

Reason field

Either the action reason description or the reason code value can be used. (spelling counts!)

For example you can use action reason description Reappointment or reason code REA.

Another case in point is the use of the action reason description Non-Reappointment versus the use of the NRP reason code in your upload.

Hourly Rate and Annual Rate fields

Only enter data if step is not being used.

Do not use dollar signs, quotes, or the 1000 separator (,). The Manager Recommendation Load will produce errors or skew the name.

Do not use the Currency format even if ‘none’ is chosen in the symbol drop down list box and decimal places are 2 because the 1000 separator (,) defaults in.

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Use the Number format instead and make sure the Use 1000 Separator (,) box is deselected. Decimal places must be 2, for example 10.50 to represent ten dollars and fifty cents instead of 10.5.

The Hourly Rate and Annual Rate fields should not be used together on the same row.

Last Name and First Name fields

Do not use commas in either of the name fields.

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PROCESS TIPS FOR MANAGER RECOMMENDATIONS LOAD Check for duplicate rows in your CSV file before filling in the columns or uploading

Go to your Data menu.

Highlight all columns across the upload spreadsheet.

Click the Remove Duplicates icon.

A pop-up message box will tell you how many duplicate values were found and removed in addition to the number of unique values that remains.

Navigation to view both process monitor and report manager

After the upload is run note the process instance ID and navigate to process monitor to check both logs.

To view Report Manager navigate to reporting tools in your main menu on the extreme left at the bottom.

Reprocessing the upload CSV file

If a CSV upload needs to be reprocessed for any reason, go back to your Excel spreadsheet and change the data there.

When a CSV is re-opened it may lose the required formatting for the Manager Recommendations Load.

After the changes are made in the Excel spreadsheet save it as a separate CSV file and then upload again.

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WORKING WITH AUTOMATED MANAGER RECOMMENDATION CSV FILES

This is an example of a CUNYfirst Automated Manager Recommendations CSV file to be uploaded to the Manager Recommendations Load process. Notice the formatting of each date column. The Reappointment Start Dt is 07/01/2011 not 7/1/11 or 7/1/2011. The formatting must be mm/dd/yyyy even if it is a date with a single digit month or day is used such as 7/1. In addition this example shows the formatting of the compensation fields like Annual Rate. Observe that there is a two decimal number without a dollar sign or comma. Also you can use the reason code as a shortcut instead of the long description. Note how comments in the Reason for Action field are in quotation marks (“”). The name may contain a hyphen such as Farrah Fawcett-Majors but no commas like Fawcett-Majors, Farrah.

If the formatting was lost on of the date columns like Reappointment Start Dt and needs to be done again on your CSV file use the Custom category on the Number tab of the Format Cells pop-up menu box. Select your column(s) and right click. Click Format Cells to open the menu box.

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Select the Custom category on the bottom left on the Number tab. On the left scroll down in the Type box until you see m/d/yyyy and select it. In the space under the word Type enter the extra letter m and d to change the custom formatting to mm/dd/yyyy. Click the OK button.

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If the formatting needs to be corrected on the compensation columns like Hourly Rate select the column(s) and right click and then click Format Cells. Click the Number category on the Number tab of the Format Cells menu box. Decimal places must be 2. The Use 1000 Separator (,) should be deselected. Negative numbers in the red highlight is used to avoid parenthesis or hyphens in the compensation fields (will not be a negative salary, just used for formatting purposes).

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Saving your CUNYfirst Automated Manager Recommendations CSV file is not difficult. After all the data is entered and saved. Click Save As, type in the file name if you don’t have one or need to create a new one. In the Save As File Type drop down box scroll down until you see CSV (Comma delimited) and select it.

These CSV files are really text files that can be opened in Excel. For that reason you get the warning message below. Just click the Yes button. The formatting is saved until the CSV is opened again. This is the reason why it is encouraged for the upload data to also be saved as an Excel Workbook in case you have go back to your upload data again.

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When you try to exit Excel or close the CSV file you may also see one of these warnings. Just click the Save or Save All button.

Detailed employee data in your Excel Workbook reference spreadsheet would be helpful not just during the Manager Recommendations Load but also in the entire mass reappointment process. Here is an example of the type of data that can be collected in a reference spreadsheet like the rate code that is used on the Review/Approve Appointments window.

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As we scroll to the right the employee email is and address is provided for verification before starting the Manager Recommendations Load to avoid potential errors during the mass reappointment process.

Having reports to data is also helpful in deterring errors because you can verify the email address since the very first process prior to the Manager Recommendations Load is the Manager Notification Process

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MANAGER RECOMMENDATIONS LOAD

Navigation: Workforce Administration > Collective Processes > Mass Reappointments > Manager Recommendations Load. Click the Add a New Value tab and enter a Run Control ID.

Follow instruction number one on the Process Manage Recommendations window and click the Upload CSV File link. Notice that the run button is disabled.

Browse for the CSV file, and click the upload button. (use a short name)

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You are back on the Process Manager Recommendations window where you can now click the enabled run button.

Click the OK button at the bottom of the window.

Note the process instance number and click the Process Monitor link.

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Click refresh until the run status changes to success and the distribution status becomes posted. Now click the royal blue details link.

In the Process Detail window on the lower left side under the dark blue Actions header click the View Log/Trace link.

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On the View Log/Trace window under the dark blue File List Header click the royal blue file name with the following format CU_MR_MGR_R_QRY-Process Instance Number.xls

If you have difficulty opening the file hold the CTRL button down when you click the file name. The status should say done and the comments should say posted successfully. In this case the status is ERROR. The comments give a clue as to what is wrong. In this case the manager was not notified for reappointment. Check the Error Conditions section for resolution suggestions.

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REPORT MANAGER

Navigation: Reporting Tools > Report Manager The links to Report Manager and Process Monitor are only available from the Manager Recommendations Load between the time the CSV file has been uploaded and the process has been run. The links are no longer available after you have navigated away from the Manager Recommendations Load page. So once you have reviewed the Update Manager Recommendations report you won’t be able to navigate back to the Report Manager and Process Monitor via the Manager Recommendations Load window. If you need to review the process instance ID at a later time the Report Manager must be accessed from Reporting Tools. Click the Administration tab, enter the Instance ID number(s) and click the Refresh button. Click the report description link to view the data or click the details link to view the logs.

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ERROR CONDITIONS

1) Stage record key structure is EmplID , Emplrcd , Appt Start Date , Appt End Date.

HCM takes first row of duplicate entries in the upload CSV file. See log file. 2) 'Appointment start date in current job is greater than the date in File'

The Appointment Start Date is earlier than the Current Job Effective Date 3) 'Appointment Start Date is greater than the Appointment End Date'

The Appointment Start Date is after the Appointment End Date 4) 'Appointment Start and End Dates are required in mm/dd/yyyy format'

The Appointment Start Date is blank Or the Appointment End Date is blank Or the formatting is other than mm/dd/yyyy

5) 'Hourly or Annual Rate required in number format XXX.XX ,

There could be a dollar ($) sign or comma present. Or the decimal place is not 2. Or the step is 0 while the Hourly Rate or Annual Rate is more than 0

6) 'Step, Hourly and Annual Rates ALL are Zero. Hourly and Annual Rate format is XXX.XX'

When Hourly Rate = 0 and Annual Rate= 0 and the Step = 0 7) 'Invalid Reason in File' or missing reason.

The spelling/code used in the Reason field is not in the Action Reason Table 8) 'Multiple Rows for Same EMPLID and EMPL_RCD. Error Out All rows.'

When there are multiple rows for same employee ID and employee record. 9) 'Invalid Recommendation in File'

The recommendation is wrong. The most commonly used recommendations used at this time are Fiscal Yr, and Do Not App

10) 'Manager NOT notified for Reappointment'

The reports to was not notified during the Manager Notification Process prior to the upload. Check your log files from the Manager Notification process.

11) ‘Security does not allow to upload data for this emplid/emplrcd.’

The user is uploading data for a business unit outside of their campus.

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