Bulk / Multiple Task Creation
Overview of the Process
If you only need to add a few tasks then these can be done individually.
If however you need to manage a number of tasks then this is perhaps best done using a Bulk Upload of Tasks as described here.
The individual Tasks with all the required content is entered/captured in an Excel spreadsheet which is uploaded to create the Tasks.
The content required will depend on the Form being used by the Mobile Device User.
The content will include the Mobile Device User to which the Task is directed, the Date for completion etc. Your Form will dictate the content required and a blank form is downloadable for this purpose. (Often most of the the content required is available on existing documents in the company or captured in the existing accounting system – like MDA for example. this content can usually be selectively exported in Excel format which makes life a lot easier !)
When creating tasks in bulk, Back Office Administrators will Upload the batch file, verify the batch file. It needs to do this to ensure there is sufficient content to accurately create the Tasks and that the content corresponds to what us currently on file. So the sequence is :
- Create the Batch File with the Tasks
- Upload the Batch File
- Verify the Batch File (and receive a Success or Failure result)
- Correct and resubmit if necessary
Once Road Warrior has successfully received your batch/bulk upload, the data is then stored in the Road Warrior cloud service and is used to build the required Tasks that are to be distributed (pushed) to the mobile devices in the field at the appropriate date and time. The sections below show more details as to the exact steps.
Downloading the Batch/Bulk Upload File Template
To create a batch/bulk upload file,
Back Office Administrator is required to sign in to the Road Warrior Console.
Next select a Task Type from Tasks from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
Look for the blue cloud upload button under tasks and click that button.
Note: The “Upload Template” tab is only visible when your user account has the role “Back Office Administrator”
From this point you can :
- Upload a new Batch File (by entering the name or browsing for the required file)
- Download the latest blank template (Excel Spreadsheet)
- View the information that needs to appear in the completed Batch Upload file
- View the recent history of previous uploads
Preparing the Batch/Bulk Upload File Template
The Back Office Administrator will import data from other sources (as described above) or manually enter the data into the Upload File Template that has been downloaded.
Store the file in standard Excel format in a suitable location (we recommend keeping a folder for this purpose)
Note: The Upload File Template could change over time as (for example if you change the content of a form) and it is recommended that the Back Office Administrator downloads the latest template from the Road Warrior console each time a new Batch/Bulk task creation is required.
Uploading the Batch/Bulk Upload Template into Road Warrior for task creation
The Back Office administrator with the required permissions will sign in to the Road Warrior Console where they will upload the tasks prepared in the Upload Template file.
STEP 1 : Sign into the Road Warrior console
The user will be prompted to authenticate themselves to the system:
Upon successful sign in the user is presented with a landing page showing all of the Task types(My Forms) that have been assigned to that user.
STEP 2 : Select and Upload the prepared Batch/Bulk Upload Template File
- Next select a Form from MY FORMS from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Expand the menu and select the “Upload Template” option and you will be presented with options as below:
Note: The Upload Template” tab is only visible when your user account has the role “Back Office Administrator” - Selects the task/Form type for which they need to batch/bulk create tasks for and select the “Upload Template” menu option on the left. A drop-down menu item allows the user to select the Upload Template option.
- Click the “Browse …” button
- Navigate and select the prepared Upload Template file.
- Click “Upload”
STEP 3 : Verifying the Batch/Bulk Upload Template File
Once the Upload Template File has been selected, the Back Office Administrator is required to verify the file prior to the Tasks being generated.
An option will be presented to verify the uploaded file.
Click “Verify” when ready to verify the tasks.
Note: for information on what the Upload Template File is verifying click “Template Information”.
The verification process, therefore, seeks to eliminate any data that is incomplete or in the incorrect formats to allow successful tasks to deploy to the mobile workforce in the next stage.
It checks to see:
- if there are duplicate rows
- if there are any missing columns
- if there have been any columns added
- if the column headings have a different spelling to what’s expected
- if the email addresses used are listed in the Global User List
If there is a problem with the content of the incoming data the Administrator will receive notifications similar to the image below:In this case, correct the file and repeat the process outlined in STEP 2.
If the uploaded file is in the correct format and is verified successfully then the Administrator will see a screen similar to:
This indicates that all is in order and then by selecting the “Process” button the tasks will be entered into the database for transfer and assignment to the mobile user devices.
The console should respond with :
This means the Tasks have been successfully generated and loaded into Road Warrior’s database under your company folder in our hosted environment. From here on the Task will appear on the nominated Mobile Users Device on the Available Date you indicated in the file.
In addition, if you have configured a notification to go to the user (via email or device notification), that user will receive a notification.