Overview
Importing PM templates is a great way to quickly get your workspace up-to-date in Limble and worry less about setting up.
You can quickly set up your PMs with a combination of a spreadsheet, and some set up with what we call “task relations” in Limble.
This article will walk you through how to import PMs using a .csv file, and quickly replicate instructions to set up your PMs.
Table of Contents
Getting Started
Import Steps
We'll cover each step in detail, but here's the steps of how to perform a bulk import of your PM templates:
Follow the steps in the import screen, first by downloading the sample import file.
Add data in the required fields and desired optional fields
Use PM relations to setup instructions
Importing Requirements & Best Practices
You are limited to 100 PM templates per import. If you have more, be sure to split up your import spreadsheets and label them accordingly.
.csv and .xlsx files are the recommended file types for your upload. .xlsm files are not accepted by Limble.
Photos, documents, or other files cannot be bulk imported. You must upload those manually.
Be mindful of spelling and formatting mistakes. If something is formatted incorrectly in your spreadsheet, you’ll receive an error message about what went wrong, but checking for errors before you upload will save you any hassle.
Dates can be in one of the following formats: YYYY-MM-DD, MM-DD-YYYY, MM-DD-YY, or M-D-YY.
Download & Modify the Sample Import File
Now you're ready to modify the spreadsheet.
On the Manage PMs page, click the “Import/Export” button from the toolbar.
From the dropdown, select “Import PM Templates.”
You will be taken to a new window with a list of instructions.
Download the spreadsheet by clicking on Sample Import File.
(Note: Limble will recognize your file even if you decide to rename it. Feel free to change the file name to something you can easily find later!)
Once you've opened the spreadsheet, you're ready to edit.
Hovering over a column name will show you an explanation of what it’s for, and how you need to format the data to import properly.
The sample file includes sample data so you can see how to add information. Be sure to remove the sample data and enter your own information here.
Required Fields
The following fields are required, and the columns should not be moved or renamed:
The PM name is what your PM will be called in the system.
Instruction 1; you need at least one instruction per task.
Scheduling Start On (Date Format) is when the PMs will begin to generate.
You are required to include a schedule, which will be only one of the following options:
Repeat X Days
Repeat X Weeks
Repeat X Months
Repeat X Years
User or Team assignment is required, so the task is assigned to a team or person. You need to fill in only one of the following options:
Assigned to User (User Login) will assign the task to a single user. You should use their user login for this, which is typically the email associated with the user’s Limble account.
Assigned to Team (Team Name) will assign the task to a specific team. You would use the exact team name for this. You can find your teams under Locations > Select Your Location > Teams.
Optional Fields
All other columns can be modified or removed. The following columns are included in Limble by default and are optional fields that can be edited or deleted:
PM Description and Custom Tags allows you to add a description for the PM and associate custom tags. Your tags must already be in Limble for the import to work successfully. The syntax is ;[@customtag]; for just the tag itself, or [task description]; [@customtag]; for a PM description and custom tag.
For example, if I wanted to add Electrical and Plumbing as custom tags, I would put ;@electrical; @plumbing; in the PM description column.
If I wanted to include a description, I would put something like PPE required; @electrical; @plumbing; in the PM description column to get the description AND the custom tags.
Instruction 2 allows you to additional instructions if a task has more than one instruction. You can include up to 100 instructions per task in a single import.
While you can create and “code” your instructions in Excel, there is a quicker and easier method to set up your PM templates once you upload most of your information, minus the full list of instructions, into Limble.
Should you choose to configure instructions in this spreadsheet, additional instructions can be added here and up to 100 can be imported at a time by duplicating this column and naming it Instruction 3, Instruction 4, etc.
Asset ID allows you to link your PM to an existing asset in Limble.
Be sure to verify the correct Asset ID is used. Errors may result in the wrong asset being assigned, or no asset being assigned at all.
Asset ID can be found in the asset card or by exporting your assets.
(Note: optionally, you can use the asset name, but it is highly recommended to use the asset ID. Any spelling or grammatical errors may bypass the intended match in the system.)
Part ID allows you to add a part that is needed for this PM. The part must already exist in Limble. You cannot associate more than one part with a PM template when using bulk importing.
Be sure to verify the correct Part ID is used. Errors may result in the wrong part being assigned, or no part being assigned at all.
Part ID can be found in the part card or by exporting your parts.
(Note: optionally, you can use the part name, but it is highly recommended to use the part ID. Any spelling or grammatical errors may bypass the intended match in the system.)
Part Suggested Qty is how many parts you think will be needed to complete a task.
Default Priority Level sets the default priority level for a task. This can help your team decide which tasks need to be done first. If left blank, the PM will be set to your default priority for all PMs.
Estimated Time (in minutes) is the estimated time it should take to complete the task. This needs to be entered in minutes; for example, a task that should take two hours to complete should be entered as 120 minutes.
Stack PMs allows you to generate a PM even if a previous occurrence is still open or incomplete. This is rarely needed for most maintenance tasks.
Recalculate on PM completion will recalculate a PM schedule based on when it gets done. This is most commonly used when a PM is scheduled a certain number of days earlier than its actual due date.
Task Status Configuration allows you to decide how quickly a task will spawn and then turn from green to orange to red. These are always calculated in days. You can configure any or all of the following options:
Task Status Configuration (Green) allows you to configure the number of days before a task’s due date that the task will generate. For example, if you wanted a PM to generate 3 days before the task is due, you would enter 3 in the field.
Task Status Configuration (Orange) allows you to configure the number of days after a task’s due date that the task will become overdue.
Task Status Configuration (Red) allows you to configure the number of days after a task’s due date that the task will become critically overdue.
Be sure to format the number of days for orange and red task statuses with a negative value. For example, if you enter a value of -1 in this field, the task will be considered overdue 1 day after its due date, and the task will show as orange in open tasks - both in calendar and list view.
Import and Upload
Once you’ve added your desired vendors and fields, it’s time to upload.
Navigate back to the import screen, and select “Upload File.”
Then, select your file and click “Open.”
If your spreadsheet has any errors, Limble will define where those errors are, and what you need to do to fix them.
If your import does not have any errors, Limble will list which PMs you have successfully imported, and give you the option to:
View a newly imported PM, by clicking on the wrench icon
Delete a newly imported PM, by clicking on the X icon
Once you are satisfied, exit the pop-up window. Your new PM templates will now be in Limble!
Create and Replicate Instructions with PM Relations
Once you’ve entered your PMs into Limble, we recommend doing most of the instruction setup within the app.
It’s easy to create and replicate instructions in Limble using relations. Relations allow you to quickly update a number of different details from one template. Not only does this make setting up similar PMs a breeze, but it allows you to easily make changes to a large group of PMs in the future.
Relations can help to update instructions, but you can also relate:
PM Name
Schedules
Settings
Assigned to
PM Description
Custom Tags (through PM Description)
Parts
(Note: custom tags can also be bulk updated through task relations. Use the same syntax as listed in the PM import in the body of the task description, and follow the relation steps as listed here.)
First, you’ll want to create a master template that you will use to replicate instructions for like templates.
On the Manage PMs page, click “+ New PM Template.”
For ease of use, name it something you can easily identify and link to other templates.
For example, we’ll pretend this is a master template for HVAC units, so we’ll name this “Master HVAC Annual Inspection.” Then, click “Create.”
Go back into the PM template by clicking on its name.
In the new window, add your instructions by clicking “+ Add Instruction” and include your desired instructions for the task.
(Note: You do not need to include schedules, assignments, or other details. Doing so will generate an actual PM, which we don’t want! This will just be used as a template.)
Once you’re satisfied with your PM instructions, select the relations icon.
In the new window, in the “What information would you like to update?” category, select “Instructions.”
Then, select “Create New Relations.”
In the new window, choose which PMs you’d like to relate to the master PM. Then, click “Select.”
Once you’re satisfied with your changes, click “Update.”
You will receive a message confirming that you want to make updates to all of the related PMs. Click “Yes.”
Now, your PMs will all have the desired instructions from the master template.
If you want to make specific changes to some but not all of your related PMs in the future, simply select or deselect the PMs you want to update.
You can also break a PM’s relation by selecting the link icon. This will not make changes to the PM, but will remove the PM from the relations list for future updates.
Watch the Video Tutorial
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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.