Overview
Bulk updating your assets allows you to quickly make changes to your library of assets, including:
Updating information in existing fields
Adding new fields
Adding new assets*
This article will walk you through the steps to make bulk updates to your assets using an Excel spreadsheet.
(*Note: if you are looking to only add new assets, and not make any other updates, we recommend performing a bulk import instead.)
Table of Contents
Bulk Update vs. Bulk Import
Limble offers bulk importing and updating to make setting up your account and updating your information a breeze.
Updates are mainly performed to change information that is already in the system, while imports are performed to add new assets to your system.
Updates and imports are done in a similar way but, in most cases, should be performed separately.
Getting Started
To prepare your bulk update, you need to export your asset list and follow the instructions.
Navigate to the Manage Assets page, Locations > Select Your Location > Assets.
Click the “Bulk Actions” button from the toolbar. From the dropdown, select “Update Assets.”
You will be taken to a new window with a list of instructions.
Download the Excel spreadsheet by clicking on List of Assets.
Once the file has been downloaded, we recommend saving a copy of this list as a backup before you make any new changes.
Modifying the Excel Spreadsheet
Now that you have your list of assets, you can begin to make changes to the spreadsheet and include the information you want to update.
A few important things to note as you make your updates:
Do not change the asset ID (column A). If you aren’t trying to update the asset name, do not change column B either. When you upload your file, the system will look for the asset ID to update and compare the columns and rows in the spreadsheet to the data in Limble. If there are no differences, no changes will be made.
Do not change the names of any column headers; this will create a new custom field. If you want to import new custom fields, make sure to add a new column so you don’t mistakenly update the data you don’t want to change.
To avoid making unintended updates, delete what you don’t need to update. If you are not making changes to a field, delete the column from the spreadsheet. If you are not making changes to an asset, delete the asset row from the spreadsheet. This will help ensure that you do not mistakenly update any data you don’t want to change, and can help speed up the import process.
If you delete a value in the spreadsheet, the field will become blank when imported. That’s why it’s very important to delete full rows of assets that you don’t want to update!
You can also export the assets and fields you want to update first and import that information into the sample spreadsheet (following the format rules) for a more foolproof method of updating information.
As you can see from the image below, we deleted the unwanted columns and rows from the spreadsheet to only include the information that we wanted to update in the import. Now, the update will only include changes to assets 23, 24, 34, 35 & 36; and those assets will only have changes made to the associated parts and vendors:
During a bulk update, you may also want to update the parts or vendors that are associated with an asset. To do this, add the part or vendor names under the “Manually Associated Parts” and “Manually Associated Vendors” columns with the corresponding asset.
If you would like to associate more than one part or vendor, write them as Item Name 1; Item Name 2.
So if I wanted to associate my two HVAC filters, named “filter 20X20X1” and “filter 20X20X2”, I would add them to my spreadsheet as filter 20X20X1; filter 20X20X2.
(Note: manually associating parts and vendors are not case-sensitive, but using incorrect spacing or spelling errors will prevent Limble from matching the correct vendor or part.
For example, if a part is in the Limble as “LED lightbulb,” the system will be able to find and associate “led Lightbulb,” but not “LID lightbulb” or “LEDlightbulb.” Be sure to check for the correct spelling and spacing before attempting a bulk update.
Do not try to create new vendors or parts in a bulk asset update, as the system will ignore new items and not import with your update.)
And note these formatting and upload rules:
You are limited to 2,000 assets in a single upload.
Dates can be in one of the following formats: YYYY-MM-DD, MM-DD-YYYY, MM-DD-YY, or M-D-YY.
You cannot bulk update pictures of your assets. You must upload those manually.
Importing Drop-Down Asset Fields
You can import assets with pre-filled drop-down fields if those drop-down fields already exist for another asset in Limble. This means the field type cannot be a new custom field created with an import.
To pre-fill a field with a drop-down menu, create a column in the import sheet with the exact name as the field in Limble. In the asset row, add the variable you want to pre-fill (as seen below):
Make sure to use the exact word as the variable you wish to pre-fill; otherwise, the field may be left blank.
Upload and Import
Once you’ve made your desired updates to your spreadsheet, it’s time to upload.
Navigate back to the bulk update window and select “Upload CSV.”
In the new window, you will see how many assets will be updated. Click on the blue text to see your asset list.
(Note: this list will show all of the assets that are included in the spreadsheet and the fields and values that they will now have, even if no changes are made.)
Review the changes by hovering over the asset to see which fields and values will be updated.
(Note: at this time, changes to manually associated vendors and parts will not show when you hover. All other fields and updates should show.)
Once you are satisfied with the updates, click “Confirm” to upload the changes.
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Still don’t see what you’re looking for? Check out our YouTube channel for more tips and tricks! You can also reach out to us anytime at support@limblecmms.com.