2088000 - Data Imports & Exports: What are User Data files? - Platform

What are User Data Files? (User imports, import files, employee import)

SAP SuccessFactors HXM Suite

The user data file is a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file that contains information about your employees, such as username and manager hierarchy, as well as any optional information your company uses.

• Often these files are automated for you via our scheduled Jobs.
• You can also manually import this file anytime via Admin Center > Manage Employees > Update User Information > Employee Import

The content in the data file typically comes from your company's HR database. You can easily keep your user data file up to date and in sync with your HR records.
To obtain a copy of your existing data to use as a template, go to Admin Center> Manage Employees > Update User Information > Employee Export.
If you need to create your own user data file, use this export file as the basis for your new import file.

You can upload the data file at any time, but if you're using an HRIS system, you might want to set up a regular schedule that coordinates with your company's HR system updates.

This can be helpful if an automated schedule was missed. Obtain a copy of your csv file (make sure it's not encrypted) and manually import it to keep records up to date until the next automated import occurs.

When you upload the user data file, your existing file isn't replaced. Instead, SuccessFactors reads the file you're uploading then updates the existing file as needed. Because SuccessFactors always reads the entire file, large files take more time to process, even if there is only one change. Depending on the size of the file, the upload might take a while, ranging from a few minutes to half an hour or more. You can speed up the upload process by submitting a partial data pull from the HR database, containing only the changed information. If you're interested in this process, contact your HR database administrator.

After the upload is complete, you'll get the User Import Process email notification showing the details of the upload.

To automate the upload process contact SuccessFactors Customer Success to discuss your options.

Considerations

There are a few considerations to keep in mind when working with your data files.

• Be very careful working with data files to avoid data in columns from being incorrectly sorted.
• Be careful to keep the data in csv format.
• Do not rearrange the order of the first 2 rows.
• If your userIds or usernames have  leading zeros, such as 0001234, If your userIds or usernames have leading zeros.
• You can't manually import files that have been encrypted.
• You can manually import a file as many times as you like in a day, however you should wait until you get the confirmation email that the file was imported before importing another file. 
• You can import just one or a few records at a time. It does not have to be a full file. 
• You don't have to import all the columns but you do have to import all required columns as set in your datamodel. We recommend you use the template created from an employee export.
•  If your file includes multiple languages be sure to select the correct character encoding.

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