ConRAM

CSV Import/Export Guide

Bulk import and export assets, staff, and transaction data via CSV files.

What is CSV?

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a simple file format for storing data in a table structure. It can be opened in Excel, Google Sheets, or any text editor.

Example CSV file:

Asset ID,Type,Status
Radio-001,Radios,Available
Radio-002,Radios,Maintenance
Battery-001,Batteries,Available

Importing Assets

Step 1: Prepare Your CSV File

Create a CSV file with your assets. The first row must contain headers:

Supported Fields

  • Asset ID (required)
  • Type (required)
  • Status (optional, defaults to Available)

No other fields are supported in asset imports.

Example Asset CSV

Asset ID,Type,Status
Radio-001,Radios,Available
Radio-002,Radios,Available
Radio-003,Radios,Maintenance
Battery-001,Batteries,Available
Battery-002,Batteries,Available
Charger-001,Chargers

In the example above, Charger-001 has no Status value, so it will default to Available.

Step 2: Start the Import

  1. Go to Create → Bulk Import
  2. Select Assets as the import type
  3. Click Choose File
  4. Select your CSV file
  5. Click Upload

Step 3: Map Fields

After upload, match your CSV headers to ConRAM fields:

  1. Review your CSV header row
  2. Map each header to the corresponding field (Asset ID, Type, Status)
  3. Review the preview
  4. Click Submit to complete the import

After Import

  • Assets appear in your inventory immediately
  • They're ready to be checked out
  • Check your asset count to verify
💡 Tip: Start with a small test import to make sure your CSV format is correct before importing all assets.

Importing Staff

Step 1: Prepare Staff CSV

Create a CSV file with staff information:

Required Fields

  • Staff ID (required, must be unique)
  • FirstName (required)
  • Title (required)

Optional Fields

  • LastName
  • Division
  • Department

No other fields are supported in staff imports.

Example Staff CSV

Staff ID,FirstName,LastName,Title,Department,Division
S001,John,Smith,Operator,Operations,North
S002,Jane,Doe,Supervisor,Operations,North
S003,Bob,Johnson,Technician,Maintenance,South
S004,Alice,Williams,Coordinator,Planning

In the example above, Alice has no Department or Division values, which is allowed.

Step 2: Start the Import

  1. Go to Create → Bulk Import
  2. Select Staff as the import type
  3. Click Choose File
  4. Select your CSV file
  5. Click Upload

Step 3: Map Fields

After upload, match your CSV headers to ConRAM fields:

  1. Review your CSV header row
  2. Map each header to the corresponding field (Staff ID, FirstName, Title, and optional fields)
  3. Review the preview
  4. Click Submit to complete the import

After Import

  • Staff members appear in your staff list immediately
  • They're available for asset checkouts
  • Check your staff count to verify
💡 Tip: Start with a small test import to make sure your CSV format is correct before importing all staff.

Exporting Data (Admin Only)

Export History

  1. Go to Admin → Export History
  2. Download the transaction history as CSV

Export Asset Status

  1. Go to Admin → Export Asset Status
  2. Download the complete asset list as CSV

Export Staff

  1. Go to Admin → Export Staff
  2. Download the complete staff list as CSV

Using Exported Data

Open in Excel/Google Sheets

  1. Download your CSV file
  2. Open Excel or Google Sheets
  3. Go to File > Open
  4. Select your CSV file
  5. Data appears in spreadsheet format

Analyze Data

Once open in a spreadsheet, you can:

  • Sort by any column
  • Filter to find specific data
  • Create charts and graphs
  • Perform calculations
  • Pivot tables for analysis

Create Backups

Admins can regularly export data for backup purposes:

  1. Go to Admin → Export Asset Status to export all assets
  2. Go to Admin → Export History to export transaction history
  3. Go to Admin → Export Staff to export staff list
  4. Save files to a secure location
  5. Keep multiple copies

CSV File Requirements

Format Rules

  • Plain text file with .csv extension
  • Comma-separated values
  • First row must contain headers
  • No special characters in field names
  • UTF-8 encoding (standard)

Common Issues

Issue Solution
File won't upload Ensure file is .csv format, not Excel (.xlsx)
Data looks jumbled Make sure commas separate values, not semicolons
Special characters broken Save as UTF-8 encoding when exporting from Excel
Email addresses invalid Check that emails match [email protected] format

Template Files

ConRAM provides template CSV files to help you get started with the correct format:

  1. Go to Create → Bulk Import
  2. Download the template for your import type (Asset or Staff)
  3. Template opens with the correct headers
  4. Fill in your data

Large Imports

Importing Many Records

For importing 1,000+ assets or staff members:

  • Import can take a few minutes
  • Keep browser open during import
  • Don't refresh the page
  • Progress bar shows status

Split Large Files

If import fails, try splitting the CSV into smaller files:

  1. Open CSV in spreadsheet
  2. Select first 500 rows
  3. Copy to new file
  4. Save as separate CSV
  5. Import in batches

Data Validation

Before Importing

ConRAM validates your data before import:

  • For Assets: Asset ID and Type are required and unique; Status must be valid if provided
  • For Staff: Staff ID, FirstName, and Title are required; Staff ID must be unique

If Validation Fails

  1. Error message shows which rows have problems
  2. You can fix the file and re-upload
  3. Or proceed with partial import

Merge vs. Replace

Merge Mode (Default)

New records are added to existing data:

  • Doesn't delete existing records
  • Won't overwrite existing assets
  • Adds new assets alongside existing ones
  • Safe for incremental imports

Replace Mode (For Updates)

Update existing records with CSV data:

  1. Select "Update Existing Records"
  2. ConRAM matches by Name/Email
  3. Updates matching records
  4. Adds new ones from file
⚠️ Be Careful: Replace mode overwrites existing data. Always backup before using.

Best Practices

✅ Do's

  • Use the template provided by ConRAM
  • Verify required fields for each row
  • Test with a small import first
  • (Admins) Regularly export and back up your data
  • Use consistent naming conventions

❌ Don'ts

  • Don't use Excel format—must be CSV
  • Don't include extra columns beyond supported fields
  • Don't import huge files without testing
  • Don't use duplicate IDs (Asset ID or Staff ID)

Common Workflows

Workflow: Move to a New Year

  1. (Admins) Go to Admin → Export Asset Status and Admin → Export Staff
  2. Download the exported files
  3. Import assets and staff into new year's system
  4. Transaction history resets for the new year
  5. Assets and staff carry over

Workflow: Migrate from Another System

  1. Export data from old system as CSV
  2. Map fields to ConRAM format (Asset ID, Type, Status for assets; Staff ID, FirstName, Title for staff)
  3. Import in stages (test with small batch first)
  4. Verify data integrity

Workflow: Regular Data Backup

  1. (Admins only) Go to Admin menu
  2. Monthly: Export Asset Status and save file
  3. Monthly: Export History and save file
  4. Quarterly: Export Staff and save file
  5. Store backups in a secure location

Troubleshooting

Import Shows Errors?

  • Review the error message
  • Check that format matches requirements
  • Verify required fields are present
  • Check for duplicate entries

Data Looks Wrong After Import?

  • Check the mapping—were columns mapped correctly?
  • Export and compare original CSV
  • Contact support if data is corrupted

Export File Won't Open?

  • Try opening with Google Sheets first
  • Then download as Excel from there
  • Ensure Excel/Sheets is set as default for .csv

Next Steps

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