Bulk Upload Guide#

Import multiple assets quickly and accurately using AssetVault's bulk upload feature.

Overview#

The bulk upload feature allows you to:

• Import 100+ assets in a single operation
• Validate data before committing
• Preview and correct errors
• Merge with existing data or replace

Prerequisites#

• Company profile configured
• Depreciation settings defined
• Asset data ready in Excel format
• Basic understanding of asset fields

Tutorial: Bulk Upload Walkthrough#

Step 1: Download the Template#

1. Navigate to Assets → Bulk Upload
2. Click Download Excel Template
3. Save the template to your computer

Expected Result: Excel file named AssetVault_Upload_Template.xlsx downloaded

Step 2: Prepare Your Data#

Open the template in Excel. You'll see these columns:

| Column | Required | Description | Example | |--------|----------|-------------|---------| | Asset Name | Yes | Descriptive name | "Dell Latitude 5520 Laptop" | | Asset Type | Yes | Category | "IT Equipment" | | Purchase Date | Yes | Acquisition date (YYYY-MM-DD) | "2024-01-15" | | Cost | Yes | Purchase price (no currency symbol) | "1200.00" | | Useful Life | Yes | Years of service | "3" | | Depreciation Method | No | "Straight-line" or "Reducing balance" | "Straight-line" | | Residual Value | No | Expected salvage value | "100.00" | | Serial Number | No | Manufacturer serial | "SN123456" | | Location | No | Physical location | "London Office" | | Department | No | Owning department | "IT Department" | | Notes | No | Additional info | "For marketing team" |

Tips:

• Keep headers exactly as shown
• Don't add or remove columns
• Use YYYY-MM-DD format for dates
• Numbers only for Cost, Useful Life, Residual Value
• Leave optional fields blank if not applicable

Example Row:

Dell Latitude 5520 Laptop, IT Equipment, 2024-01-15, 1200.00, 3, Straight-line, 100.00, SN123456, London Office, IT Department, For marketing team

Step 3: Fill in Your Asset Data#

Enter one asset per row:

1. Start from row 2 (row 1 is headers)
2. Fill in all required fields
3. Add optional fields as needed
4. Save the file (keep Excel format)

Best Practices:

• ✅ Use consistent naming (e.g., all equipment types the same)
• ✅ Double-check dates are valid
• ✅ Ensure costs are positive numbers
• ✅ Verify useful life makes sense for asset type
• ❌ Don't merge cells
• ❌ Don't use formulas
• ❌ Don't include currency symbols in Cost

Step 4: Upload the File#

1. Return to Assets → Bulk Upload
2. Click Choose File or drag-and-drop your Excel file
3. Click Upload
4. Wait for validation (may take 10-30 seconds for large files)

Expected Result: Validation summary displayed

Step 5: Review the Preview#

The system validates your data and shows:

Validation Results:

• ✅ Valid Assets: Count of assets ready to import
• ⚠️ Warnings: Non-critical issues (optional fields missing)
• ❌ Errors: Critical issues that block import

Preview Table:

• Shows first 10 assets
• Highlights errors in red
• Warnings in yellow
• Valid entries in green

Common Errors:

• Missing required fields
• Invalid dates (e.g., "15/01/2024" instead of "2024-01-15")
• Non-numeric values in Cost or Useful Life
• Unknown asset types
• Duplicate asset names within the file

Step 6: Fix Errors (If Any)#

If errors are found:

1. Click Download Error Report to get a detailed Excel file
2. Open the error report
3. Review the "Error Description" column
4. Fix issues in your original template
5. Re-upload the corrected file
6. Repeat until no errors remain

Error Report Format: | Row | Field | Error | Suggested Fix | |-----|-------|-------|---------------| | 3 | Purchase Date | Invalid date format | Use YYYY-MM-DD | | 5 | Cost | Non-numeric value | Remove '£' symbol | | 7 | Useful Life | Must be greater than 0 | Enter valid number |

Step 7: Configure Import Options#

Before importing, choose:

Asset ID Generation:

• ☑️ Auto-generate IDs: System creates sequential IDs (recommended)
• ☐ Use custom IDs: Provide your own ID column in Excel

Duplicate Handling:

• ☑️ Skip duplicates: Don't import if asset name exists
• ☐ Update existing: Merge data with existing assets
• ☐ Create new: Always create new entries (may result in duplicates)

Ownership Type:

• ☑️ Owned Assets: Standard fixed assets
• ☐ Leased Assets (ROU): Right-of-use assets under IFRS 16

Step 8: Import Assets#

1. Review the preview one last time
2. Click Import All Valid Assets
3. Wait for processing (progress bar shown)
4. Review the import summary

Expected Result:

• Success message displayed
• Count of assets imported
• Link to view new assets

Tutorial GIF: Complete bulk upload flow

Advanced Features#

Updating Existing Assets#

To update assets via bulk upload:

1. Export current assets to Excel
2. Modify the data
3. Upload with Update existing option selected
4. System matches by Asset Name or ID
5. Changed fields are updated

Use Cases:

• Update locations for multiple assets
• Change useful life across a category
• Add missing serial numbers

Asset ID Management#

Sequential IDs:

• System generates: AV-0001, AV-0002, etc.
• Cannot be changed after creation
• Guaranteed uniqueness

Custom IDs:

• Add an "Asset ID" column to template
• Provide your own IDs (e.g., "LAPTOP-001")
• Must be unique across all assets
• Useful for existing numbering schemes

Large File Handling#

For 500+ assets:

• Upload may take 2-5 minutes
• Don't close the browser window
• Progress indicator shows status
• You'll receive email when complete

Validation Rules Reference#

| Field | Validation | Error Message | |-------|------------|---------------| | Asset Name | Required, max 255 chars | "Asset name is required" | | Asset Type | Must match existing types | "Unknown asset type" | | Purchase Date | Valid date, YYYY-MM-DD | "Invalid date format" | | Cost | Positive number | "Cost must be greater than 0" | | Useful Life | Integer > 0 | "Useful life must be at least 1 year" | | Depreciation Method | "Straight-line" or "Reducing balance" | "Invalid depreciation method" | | Residual Value | Non-negative number, < Cost | "Residual value cannot exceed cost" |

Troubleshooting#

"File format not supported"#

• Ensure file is .xlsx (Excel format)
• Don't save as .xls or .csv
• Re-download template if unsure

"No data found in file"#

• Check that row 1 contains headers
• Ensure data starts in row 2
• Verify file isn't empty

"Invalid date format" errors#

• Use YYYY-MM-DD format only
• Example: 2024-01-15 (not 15/01/2024)
• Excel may auto-format dates - check cell format

"Unknown asset type"#

• Asset type must exactly match existing types
• Check for typos or extra spaces
• Create new asset types in settings first if needed

"Duplicate asset name"#

• Asset names must be unique within upload
• Consider adding serial numbers to make unique
• Or use "Update existing" option

Import hangs or times out#

• File may be too large (>1000 assets)
• Split into smaller batches
• Check internet connection
• Contact support if persists

Best Practices#

✅ Do:

• Test with a small file first (5-10 assets)
• Keep a backup of your original data
• Review the preview carefully before importing
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Validate data before upload (check dates, numbers)

❌ Don't:

• Upload files with formulas or macros
• Include thousands of assets in one upload (split into batches)
• Use special characters in asset names
• Mix owned and leased assets in one file

Video Tutorial#

Watch our step-by-step video guide: Bulk Upload Tutorial

FAQ#

Q: Can I upload leased assets?
A: Yes, select "Leased Assets (ROU)" option before importing. Ensure lease-specific fields are populated.

Q: What happens if I upload the same file twice?
A: With "Skip duplicates" enabled, duplicate assets won't be created. Use "Update existing" to refresh data.

Q: Can I delete uploaded assets?
A: Yes, navigate to each asset and click Delete, or use bulk delete from the asset summary page.

Q: Is there a limit on file size?
A: Recommended max is 1000 assets per upload. Larger files should be split into batches.

Q: Can I upload assets for multiple companies?
A: No, bulk upload is per company. Switch company context and upload separately.

Next Steps#

After successful import:

• Review assets in Asset Summary
• Verify depreciation calculations
• Export to confirm data accuracy
• Set up recurring depreciation schedules

Need Help?#

• Review Fixed Assets Guide
• Check Troubleshooting
• Contact support: [[CONTACT EMAIL]]

Pro Tip: Bookmark the template download URL for quick access to future uploads!