On-board Plant Items in the Virtual Super via Excel Spreadsheet

Head contractor admins can on-board plant items in bulk via an Excel spreadsheet template in the Virtual Super.

Head contractor Virtual Superintendent users with either the user admin or admin manager permission are able to access the plant page, where they can on-board or edit plant items.

This article will provide instructions for the following actions:

  • Bulk on-boarding machines for a supplier via Excel template
  • Bulk editing machines for a supplier via Excel template

From the plant page, admins can choose to download an Excel spreadsheet template, which can be used to on-board/edit machines in bulk in the Virtual Super.

When downloading the Excel template, there are 2 options: 

  1. Download a blank template for a Supplier

    This template is used in order to on-board new machines into the Virtual Super. You can send this template to each new supplier and ask them to enter the details for their machines. You can then upload this into the Virtual Super to bulk upload plant items.

  2. Download a populated Excel Template for a Supplier

    This template is used for editing existing machines in bulk then uploading back into the Virtual Super and can be used to on-board new machines

1. Download a Blank Template to On-board New Machines for a Supplier

  • Go to the plant page of the Virtual Super
  • Press the import button
  • Select the download template option

  • In the choose supplier dialog, set the supplier. This ensures that the relevant data for that Supplier is available for selection in the spreadsheet, e.g. item codes.
  • Ensure the selection box beside the populate with existing plant field is unticked to download a blank template. 

  • Press select
  • Open the template from your downloads area (it can take a few seconds to show up).

  • Enter the details of the machines into the relevant columns in the spreadsheet. Columns marked with * are compulsory fields.

    IMPORTANT - When entering the details for new machines into the template, the identifiers entered in the plant ID/rego no and secondary plant ID/rego no must be unique.  Meaning - the identifiers must be different from one another and from other machines in the system.

    When entering data for weights and axles, enter numerical values only, for example in the axle field enter '4' not '4 axles'.

  • Save the template to your computer.

Read this Knowledge Base article for a brief description of each of the fields in the spreadsheet.

2. Download a Populated Template to Bulk Edit Existing Machines for a Supplier:

  • Go to the plant page of the Virtual Super
  • Press the import button
  • Select the download template option

  • Set the supplier in the choose supplier dialog
  • Tick the selection box beside the populate with existing plant field. This allows you to edit existing machines in bulk and upload back into the Virtual Super.

  • Press select
  • Open the populated template from your downloads area (this can take a few seconds to show up).

  • Edit the relevant machine details

    IMPORTANT - When editing existing machines via the populated template, you are only able to edit the plant ID/rego no or the secondary plant ID/rego no for machines that have identifiers in both of these fields.  If you try to edit a machine which has just one plant ID/rego No (i.e. has no secondary plant ID/rego No), you will create duplicate machines in the plant page of the Virtual Super.

  • Save the template to your computer

Upload New Machines / Edited Machines to the Virtual Super

  • Go to the plant page of the Virtual Super
  • Press the import button
  • Select the upload plant option

  • Press choose file then select the saved template
  • Press upload

  • In the import plant dialog, check the machine details are correct

  • Press confirm to continue with the upload

  • Press finish to complete the upload

To view the new or edited machines in the Virtual Super, go to the plant page and use the column filters.

Bulk delete non-mandatory data for plant items via Excel template:

When using the Excel template to bulk edit plant items, you can delete data from non-mandatory fields in the spreadsheet. When you then upload the template to the Virtual Super, the previous data will be overwritten, leaving this field empty in the plant dialog.

For example, if there are a number of trucks with a speed limit of 110km p/h and you want to remove this speed limit. An admin would download a populated plant template and delete the data in the speed limit column for the relevant trucks, leaving these fields empty. When they upload the spreadsheet to the plant page of the Virtual Super, the relevant trucks will not have a speed limit entered against them.

Watch our support movie for user instructions.

Important Information:

  • From time to time Cloudscape might make modifications to the Excel template, therefore, we recommend that you download the template each time you start this workflow to ensure you are using the latest version.
  • Required fields: role, plant ID/rego no, model.
  • Each time the template is downloaded, it uses a unique file name with the following convention: "vs_Plant Import Template_YYMMDD-HHMMSS.xlsx".

  • There are 2 Excel template options:

    A blank template - used to on-board new machines to the Virtual Super.

    A populated with existing plant template - used to edit existing machines in bulk and upload back to the Virtual Super.

  • When editing existing machines via the populated template, you are only able to edit the plant ID/rego no or the secondary plant ID/rego no for machines that have identifiers in both of these fields.  If you try to edit a machine which has just one Plant ID/Rego No (i.e. has no Secondary Plant ID/Rego No), you will create duplicate machines in the Plant page of the Virtual Super.
  • When entering the details for new machines into the template, the identifiers entered in the plant ID/rego no and secondary plant ID/rego no must be unique.  Meaning - the identifiers must be different from one another and from other machines in the system.
  • When entering data for weights and axles, enter numerical values only, for example in the Axle field enter '4' not '4 axles'.
  • When entering data into the Excel template, duplicate cells by selecting one cell, then dragging and copying down a column.
  • When dragging and copying numbers, ensure the rows aren't incrementing, e.g. when copying a Plant ID/Rego No.  To stop the number incrementing - select the copy cells option in your spreadsheet.
  • Data copied from another source (i.e. not the Excel template) is not checked for validity and can stop the import to the Virtual Super.  To work around this, choose the Excel option paste with values, which triggers a validity check.

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