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Import File Loading Considerations

There are guidelines to consider when loading activity and resource assignment data from an import file.

These guidelines are as follows:
  • You can use the Save temporary integration table field on the Integration tab of the Application Preferences dialog box to save temporary integration tables. By saving the temporary tables, you can examine how the CSV or XLS file is interpreted during the import.
  • When you select to import resource assignments, use the ID field to correlate the activity file to the resource assignment file. When importing from a scheduling system, this field is usually the activity ID. However, you can concatenate the WBS, OBS, and WP IDs to generate a link between the two files.
    Tip: In Excel, you can use a formula like A2&A3&A4 to concatenate the fields, but you will have to copy and paste the contents as text before importing.
  • When importing control account-level codes such as the CAM, the WP code must be blank to indicate a control account-level data.
  • When importing from a single activity and resource assignment file, take note of the following:
    • The CA1 and CA2 column depend on what has been defined in the project.
    • HOURS is generally the base result, but you can also select multiple columns with different results (for example, HOURS, DIRECT, OVERHEAD, GANDA). The Individual <Results> column displays the results as HOURS, DIRECT, OVERHEAD, or GANDA depending on what is defined in the resource calculation file. Only one Result column is required.
  • The Apportioned progress technique is not supported for the integration process. If you want to use this progress technique for integration, you must manually select it on the General tab of the Project view.
  • When importing progress techniques, use the corresponding progress technique letter code.
  • The following options identify how resources are spread across the activity dates:
    • Using the From Date and To Date fields, you can specify the exact value to place in each period. The resource value is spread across these dates. For example, if the From Date and To Date for a resource are in the middle of the month, the amount specified is placed in a single period. If the From Date and To Date span several months, the amount is spread over those periods instead.
    • When creating the resource assignment file, you can use the same date for both the From Date and To Date fields. For example, if you have 10 hours in January, you can have a From Date of 1/15/2022 and a To Date of 1/15/2022, and Cobra will load that quantity into the January period.
    • On the Resource Assignments page of the Integration Wizard, select the Spread resource across activity dates option to spread the amount linearly across the activity dates. Alternatively, you can select the Use curves for resource spreads option to instruct Cobra to spread the time-phased resource assignments based on the curve specified in the import file. The curve name entered in the resource file must match the curve name on the Spread Curves tab of the Application Preferences dialog box.
    • Resources with multiple records are summed up based on the key fields and the From Date and To Date fields. If there are multiple records with different From Date and To Date, Cobra will load each amount over each period specified.