Bulk Import Dockets Using an Excel Spreadsheet

If you are a Head Contractor or Subcontractor Administrator and need to create multiple dockets efficiently, you can use the Excel import feature to import and generate dockets in bulk.

This feature is useful when working with large volumes of similar dockets, importing data from external systems, or creating dockets on behalf of subcontractors.

Permissions

Before dockets can be imported in bulk, the import option must be enabled on the supplier from the Suppliers page (Menu > Suppliers). To access the Suppliers page, you must have one of the following permissions:

Admin Manager
Dockets Super User

Users with Admin Manager or Dockets Super User permissions can also import dockets for any supplier. All other users, including Subcontractor Admin users, can import dockets only for their own organization (if importing is enabled on their owner supplier).

Note: Once bulk import is enabled for a supplier, the import option becomes available from the relevant Dockets pages (for example, Menu > Admin or Menu > Super User) for all users with access.

Enable Docket Importing on a Supplier

To enable bulk docket importing for a supplier:

Sign in to Virtual Superintendent.
Click Menu > Suppliers. The Suppliers page opens.
Select a supplier from the list. The Edit Supplier dialog opens.
On the General tab, locate the Bulk Import Enabled dropdown and select Yes.
Click Save. Bulk docket importing is now enabled for the selected supplier.

Download the Dockets Excel Template

Before importing dockets in bulk, you must download and complete the Excel template.

To download the template file:

Sign in to Virtual Superintendent.
Open the relevant dockets page. For example, Menu > Admin or Menu > Super User.
Click Import Dockets. A contextual menu opens.

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Click Download Template.
- If you are a Head Contractor with Admin Manager or Dockets Super User permissions, select a Supplier from the dropdown, then click Select. The template downloads to your computer in .xlsx format using the file name format vs_Docket Import Template [Selected Supplier Name]_YYMMDD-HHMMSS.
- If you aren't a Head Contractor, the template downloads to your computer in .xlsx format using the file name format vs_Docket Import Template_YYMMDD-HHMMSS.
Open the downloaded file and enter the details of each new docket (see the tables below for required and optional fields). Each row represents a single docket. Once complete, save the file and upload it using the Import Dockets option.

Required Fields

The following fields must be completed for each docket:

Field	Description	Validation Rules
Date	Date of the work or delivery	Required; must be a valid date; must not be in the future
Chargeable Item	Item being billed; also known as an Item Code	Required; must match an existing item; select a valid item from the dropdown
Billable Quantity	Quantity billed after breaks. This field reflects the UOM (Unit of Measure) for the selected billable item, for example hours for labor or tons for material	Required; must be a valid numeric value matching the item’s unit of measure
Supervisor	Supervisor responsible for the work	Required; must match an existing user; select a valid user from the dropdown

Optional Fields

The following fields can be used to provide additional docket information:

Field	Description	Validation Rules
Invoice Number	Used to filter dockets	Optional; free text
Cost Code	Assign cost code to docket	Must match an existing cost code; select a valid cost code from the dropdown
Start Time	Shift start time (hours-based dockets)	Optional; defaults to 7:00 AM if not provided
Apply Breaks	Apply supplier breaks	Yes or No
Engineer	Assign engineer	Must match an existing user; select a valid user from the dropdown
Plant ID	Plant reference	Must match an existing plant asset; select a valid asset from the dropdown
Location	Work or delivery location	Must match an existing location; select a valid location from the dropdown
Docket Unifier	Combine rows into one docket	Optional; used for combining
People	Worker names	Optional; select valid users from the dropdown
Order Number	Related order	Optional; must match if provided
Ticket Number	Ticket reference	Optional; free text
Remarks	Additional notes	Optional; free text

Note: The Billable Quantity must reflect the unit of measure for the selected chargeable item. For example, labor dockets should use hours, while material dockets should use tons. For hours-based dockets, enter billable hours only and do not include break time.

The Apply Breaks field determines whether supplier breaks are automatically applied. Selecting Yes results in breaks being applied if they fall within the shift, while selecting No means breaks are not applied. When breaks are applied, the finish time is automatically adjusted.

If a Start Time is not provided, the system automatically defaults to 7:00 AM.

The Docket Unifier field allows multiple rows to be combined into a single docket. Rows are combined when the following values match: Date, Invoice Number, Cost Code, Supervisor, Engineer, Location, Order Number, and Ticket Number. Rows can also be combined automatically by selecting the Combine dockets option during the import process.

For best results, we recommend that you:

Download the Excel template each time you begin the import process. Virtual Superintendent may update the template at any time, and using the latest version helps prevent errors.
Use dropdown lists where available.
Ensure quantities match the correct unit of measure.
Copy and paste data carefully to avoid formatting issues.
Start with a small test upload before importing large datasets.
Save the template regularly to avoid losing changes.

Tip: If you are importing many dockets, consider splitting the file into smaller batches to make troubleshooting easier if errors occur.

Import an Edited Excel Template

To import an edited Excel template file to create dockets in bulk:

Sign in to Virtual Superintendent.
Open the relevant Dockets page. For example, Menu > Admin or Menu > Super User.
Click Import Dockets. A contextual menu opens.

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Click Import Dockets. The Import Dockets dialog opens.

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Click Choose File to open your file explorer, select the import file, and click Open. Alternatively, drag and drop the import file into the Drag file here to import area. Supported file formats are .xlsx and .csv.
Click Upload. Virtual Superintendent uploads and validates the file. A preview showing the number of dockets to be imported is displayed. If any rows fail validation, a red text alert shows the number of errors found. Click Expand to view each error, including the issue and the affected row. Correct the errors in your file and try again.

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Click Confirm. New dockets are created for all valid rows, and a summary displays the total number of dockets created.

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Click Finish to complete the process.

Note: If dockets are imported with matching values for date, cost code, supervisor, engineer, invoice number, or location, you will be prompted to choose whether to combine them into a single docket.

Select Combine dockets and click Confirm to merge them or leave the option unchecked to create separate dockets for each row.

Video Guide

Watch this video to see a demonstration of the docket import process: