2091409 Import and Export Process for

Extended User Information

Version 8 from 06.03.2020 in EnglishShow Changes
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This KB article reviews the process for importing and exporting Extended User Data
(Personal Info, Background, and Trend Data).

Environment
 SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite
 SAP SuccessFactors Employee Profile
 SAP SuccessFactors Succession Management
 SAP SuccessFactors Platform

Resolution

Extended user information consists of supplemental data about users in your SAP
SuccessFactors system, beyond the "basic" user information such as name, job title,
and department.

To add or update extended user data for multiple users in one go, you can upload
user data files respectively for:

 Personal information
 Background Information
 Trend Information

To access the Extended User Information page:

1. Go to Admin Center
2. Update User Information
3. Export Extended User Information or Import Extended User Information.

Remember all the options and file types discussed here also apply to the FTP
process. You can import or export these files on an automated schedule, and can
choose what format and options to select just like we could do with manual import or
export.

Data Backup
It is recommended that you perform periodic exports of all three data files and save them
external to the application, in case you ever need to refer back to historical data and need to
restore old records that were deleted. Successfactors does not retain historical records that
are deleted by users, so it is important to backup this information regularly.
It is also recommended, that any time a manual import is done, of any live profile data, that a
backup of the data is exported first. This way, if a mistake is made (with the Overwrite
Existing Data option), the user can easily recover the previous data.

Personal Information Files

Personal information consists of supplemental "one-to-one" data about a user - that

is, data for which there is only one record for each employee.

Personal information might include:

 Personal data, such as date of birth or veteran status;

 Job information, such as start date;
 Talent flags, such as risk of loss or willingness to relocate.

Personal information in your instance is defined by standard elements and user-info

elements in Succession Data Model. Every employee has a database record for
each personal information field in your instance, even if it is blank.

The personal information import file does not include "basic" user information that is
included in the Basic Employee Import file used to add new employees to the
system.

You can limit employees (rows) and data fields (columns) to import by omitting them
from the import file. For example, if you do not want to import date, remove
the date column from the import file. If you include an employee and a column in the
import, it will overwrite any existing data, even if left blank.

This file will include custom fields, if created one to one custom fields for live profile.

Trend Data Files

Trend information consists of "one-to-many" rating data from your talent review
process - that is, data for which there may be multiple records for each employee.

It usually includes the following rating data:

 Performance
 Potential
 Competency
 Objective

It may also include up to two custom rating types (Custom01 and Custom02), if
defined in the Succession Data Model for your instance.

Each type of trend information (such as performance ratings) can include multiple
records for each employee (such as for each performance review cycle).

The trend information export, by default, only includes those ratings that have been
entered manually in the employee profile or the ones that are imported. It
does not include ratings that come from forms. To include form ratings, the option
"Include Form Data (Export Extended Data with User Attributes)" must be selected
under Specify Additional File Export Options.

In the import process, if the option Overwrite Existing Data is not selected, all
records will be added as new records, even if they are a clone of a record. And if the
option Overwrite Existing Data is selected, all records, in sections you are importing,
will be deleted before importing, except for those ratings from forms. This affects
ALL employees.

Background Data Files

Trend information consists of supplemental "one-to-many" background data about a

user - that is, data for which there may be multiple records for each employee.

Background information might include:

 Previous work experience

 Education history
 Languages spoken

Background information is entirely customized and different in every instance. It is

defined by the background elements in the Succession Data Model. Each type of
background information (such as education) can include multiple records for each
employee (such as for different educational degrees).

The background information import file can include multiple sections, on for each
type of background data. You can limit the import to certain sections and exclude
others, but you must include all columns for each included section.

In the import process, if the option Overwrite Existing Data is not selected, all
records will be added as new records, even if they are a clone of a record. And if the
option Overwrite Existing Data is selected, all records, in sections you are importing,
will be deleted before importing. This affects ALL employees.

Complete information on Validation of the Import File of Background Information is

available in the Managing User Information Guide.

Exporting Extended User Information

PREREQUISITES

User exporting must have the role-based permission of Export Extended User
Information under the Manage User admin permissions.

EXPORT DATA FILE PROCESS

1. Go to Admin Center
2. Export Extended User Information
3. Specify the type of data you want to export:
 o Personal Information
o Background Information
o Trend Information

3. Specify the locale and character encoding you want to use in the export
file. Note: If you are exporting data in a language that uses special character
types, such as Chinese, be sure to select the relevant character encoding so
that the data is displayed correctly.
4. Specify additional export options by selecting one or more of the following:

Export Option Description

Export as a batch process (only Select this option if you want the export to be run as a batch job ins
applicable to data and report) page and return to pick up the file later. If it’s a large report, it will

Valid users only Select this option if you want to exclude inactive users. If checked,

Remove carriage returns and line Select this option to remove any carriage returns and line breaks fro
breaks on export

Include Form Data (Export Extended Select this option if you want to include user attribute data from for
Data with User Attributes)

Export selected background This option is visible only when you choose to export background i
information information, select this option and choose the section from the drop

5. Select one of two export options to trigger the export.

o Use the Export Extended Data only to export the data that you want to
edit and import again. This option exports data in exactly the correct
format required for import.
o Use the Export Extended Data with User Attributes to export the data in
a more readable report. This option includes additional user data, such
as name and manager, in the export file, to make it easier to read.

All existing data in the system, of the selected type, is extracted and downloaded in
CSV format.

EXPORT TEMPLATE FILE PROCESS

1. Go to Admin Center > Export Extended User Information

2. Specify the type of template you want to export:

o Personal Information
 o Background Information
o Trend Information.

3. Ignore the local and exort options. They are irrelevant to the template export.
4. Click Export Template to export the template.

A blank CSV template file is opened. The template contains column headers
indicating the user data fields that should be entered in each column. For
background and trend information, there may be more than one row of headers, one
for each type of background or trend element configured in your system. The exact
user data fields available in the template are based on the configuration of your
instance's data model.

You can now add rows of data for any existing user in your system. For background
and trend information, you can add multiple rows for each user, one for each type of
background or trend element configured in your system.

Importing Extended User Information

PREREQUISITES

 User importing must have the role-based permission of Import Extended User
Information under the Manage User admin permissions.
 Note: Make sure users, added in the csv file, are included in the target
population of the role-based permission.
 The Employee Data user permissions do not affect the import.
 As long as the users have the Import Extended User Information role-based
permission and define the corresponding target population, they are able to
import user data.

IMPORT DATA FILE PROCESS

1. Go to Admin Center > Import Extended User Information;

2. Click Choose File and select the CSV import file prepared on your local
machine;
3. Specify the type of data contained in your import file:

o Personal Information
o Background Information
o Trend Information

4. Specify the locale and character encoding used in your import file. Note: If
you are importing data in a language that uses special character types, such
as Chinese, be sure to select the relevant character encoding so that the data
is displayed correctly after import. It is recommended to use the consistent
locale setting with overall language setting.
5. Expand the Specify Additional File Options section and set the desired import
options. Note: Always expand and verify the options in this section to make
sure that they are correct.
 6. Select or deselect the Stop import if invalid users found. Select this option to
stop the import process if an invalid user or reporting relationship is found in
the import file. This is useful when troubleshooting new files to make sure that
they are formatted properly. If you haven’t selected this option, the import
continues but the invalid user data isn’t imported into the system.
7. Select the overwrite behavior:
1. Select Import by incrementally adding data if you want to add new
records only without deleting any existing data.

2. Select Import by overwriting existing data if you want to overwrite

existing records with data in the import file, including blank values.

IMPORTANT:

o For background information, the Import by overwriting existing

data option is enabled by default and overwrites all data in each
background element that is included in the import file, for all users in
your instance, even if they are not included in the import file. You do
not have to import every background element in your instance; you can
import a file that contains only the background elements you want to
update. If you exclude background elements from the import file, this
background data is not impacted or overwritten by the import.
o For trend information, the Import by overwriting existing data option
overwrites all ratings data (performance, potential, competency,
objective, custom1 & custom2) that does not come from forms, for all
users in your instance, even if they are not included in the import file.
o For personal information, this option is required and is always checked.
There is only one record of personal information per user, so all new
records must overwrite the existing ones.

3. For background information, you can also select Import by overwriting

existing data but skipping unchanged data (Recommended) if you want
to update existing data with only new, modified, and deleted data in the
import file. Unchanged data remains untouched in the system. This is
the recommended option to improve task efficiency.

8. Click Import Extended User Data File to start the import. If you choose to
overwrite existing data with your new changes for background or trend
information, a pop-up window is displayed, asking for confirmation to
overwrite existing data. Note: The import job needs some time to finish. While
one import job is running, do not start another job until the current one is
finished. Otherwise, it leads to data corruption, especially when you run jobs
with the option to overwrite existing data.

 The extended user information in the import file is uploaded to the system for
relevant users.
 If you uploaded background information, you might receive two e-mail
notifications, one is for Background Sync, and the other is for Background
Import.
  This is expected behavior, because a background sync job is triggered
automatically in the backend as well as the import job.

See Also

Complete information is available in the section Managing Extended User

Information by Using Data Files of the Managing User Information Guide.

IMPORTANT:

 Background data handled by Employee Profile team.

 Trend data
o Live Profile as source, Config of sysOverall background portlets,
General questions: Employee Profile Team
o Forms as source: Performance Management
o Calib sessions as source: Calibration
o Matrix grid / 9box related queries: Succession Management team
 Personal Information handled by Platform team.

Keywords

SF, Success Factors, EP, SCM, PLT

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