Overview
Importing open tasks allows you and your team to get going with work in Limble without having the hassle of setting up new tasks.
You can import any kind of open task, including PMs, WOs, and work requests.
This article will walk you through how to import open tasks into Limble.
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 open tasks:
Follow the steps in the import screen, first by downloading the sample import file.
Add data in the required fields and desired optional fields
Import your open tasks
Importing Requirements & Best Practices
You are limited to 1000 open tasks 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.
Navigate to the Open Tasks page, Locations > Select Your Location > Manage Work > Open Tasks
Click the “Import/Export” button from the toolbar. From the dropdown, select “Import Open Tasks.”
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 task name is what your task will be called in the system.
Instruction 1; you need at least one instruction per task. By default, instructions are imported into Limble as a checkbox instruction unless syntax is used to create other instruction types.
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:
Task Description and Custom Tags allows you to 1) add a description of what the task is intended to accomplish and 2) associate existing custom tags with an open task.
Instruction 2 to 100 are additional instructions if a task has more than one instruction. You can include up to 100 instructions per task in a single import.
Should you choose to configure instructions in this spreadsheet, additional instructions can be added here by duplicating the Instruction 2 column and naming it Instruction 3, Instruction 4, etc.
Created On is when the task was created. You can use any date format here.
Due On is when the task is due. You can use any date format here.
Assigned to User 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.
The user must be active at the location of import.
If you assign a user, you cannot assign a team to the task through importing.
Assigned to Team 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.
The team must be active at the location of import.
If you assign a team, you cannot assign an individual user to the task through importing.
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.
Task Type is the type of work this task is.
Unplanned WOs (work orders) are tasks that were not scheduled or planned
Planned WOs (work orders) are tasks that were manually planned but not through a scheduler
PMs are planned maintenance tasks that were planned and scheduled
WRs (work requests) are tasks made from issues that were reported to your maintenance team
Asset ID is optional, but highly recommended to match the correct asset quickly with the task. Your asset IDs can be found by exporting your list of current assets or in the asset card.
(Note: optionally, you can use the asset name for this field, but it is highly recommended to use the asset ID. Any spelling or grammatical errors may bypass the intended match in the system.)
Completion Notes can be included with an open task. When imported with an open task, the value will be included in the completion notes field automatically but remains open and editable until the task is completed.
Task Status Configuration allows you to determine how quickly a task will generate, become overdue, and become critically overdue from its due date. For open tasks, you can configure any or all of the following options:
Task Status Configuration (Orange) - Orange task status allows you to configure the number of days after a task’s due date that the task will become overdue. This is always calculated in days.
Task Status Configuration (Red) - Red task status allows you to configure the number of days after a task’s due date that the task will become overdue critically. This is always calculated in days.
Be sure to format the number of days for both 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.
Requestor Email is used if there is an external user who had submitted this task as a work request and you would like to notify them of the progress and completion of their request.
Request Description is used if the task was created from a work request and can be the original work ticket or information that came from an external requester about this work request.
Part ID lets Limble know which parts are needed for the task. Your part IDs can be found by exporting your list of current parts or in the part card.
(Note: optionally, you can use the part name for this field, 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.
This will not make changes to your current part inventory. If you are interested in consistently adding tasks and changing your part inventory, talk to our support team about our API integrations.
Invoice Cost allows you to enter an invoice cost associated with this open task.
It’s important to note that files, including invoices, cannot be bulk imported. You must upload those manually once your tasks have been imported into Limble.
Invoice Description allows you to add any notes or information about the invoice. A value must also be entered for invoice cost for this information to import properly.
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 task will be set to your default priority for all tasks.
Advanced Optional Fields
There are three advanced optional fields you can include that take a little more configuration to import. These require specific syntax to import into Limble, which you can learn more about here.
Multiple Labor (Time Spent) allows you to add time spent on a task by more than one user.
Multiple Parts allows you to add more than one part to a task.
Multiple Invoices allows you to add more than one invoice to a task.
Import and Upload
Once you have included all of the necessary information, save your .csv file and import your file.
Navigate back to the Open Tasks page and click the “Import/Export” button from the toolbar. From the dropdown, select “Import Open Tasks.”
In the new window, 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 tasks you have successfully imported.
You have the option to delete a newly imported open task by clicking on the X icon.
Once you are satisfied, exit the pop-up window. Your open tasks will now be in Limble!
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.