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Importing and exporting assets

Importing and exporting assets

Overview

This part of the Assets module lets you load fixed Assets in bulk from an Excel or CSV file, and export the complete asset inventory to those same formats. It is mainly used by the system administrator or the asset owner when migrating information from another system, doing an initial inventory load, or when a full copy of the register is needed for external analysis.

How to get there

Import Assets

Path: Assets -> the Import button (in the asset list's action bar)

Direct URL: /Assets/import

Export Assets

Path: Assets -> the Export drop-down -> choose Export to Excel or Export to CSV

The export runs from the asset list itself (/Assets) without opening a separate screen.

Key concepts

Term Definition
Asset code The asset's unique identifier within the company. The import uses this code to decide whether the asset already exists (update) or is new (create).
Upsert The operation that creates the asset if the code does not exist, or updates the existing record if it is already in the system.
Column mapper Step 2 of the import: it ties each ActivoHQ field to the matching column in the uploaded file.
Preview The summary before importing, stating how many Assets will be created and how many updated, without writing any data yet.
Plan limit The maximum number of Assets allowed by the active subscription plan. If the import would add more Assets than the plan allows, the whole process is blocked until you upgrade.
Related entities Location, Cost Center, Custodian, Depreciation Book and Assigned Employee are referenced by their Code (not by name); the Asset Model is referenced by its Name or its Model Number. They must all exist in ActivoHQ before you import.

How to use it

Export Assets

  1. In the side menu, click Assets.
  2. In the top action bar, click Export.
  3. Choose the format you want from the drop-down:
    • Export to Excel - produces an .xlsx file with every asset of the active company.
    • Export to CSV - produces a .csv file with the same content.
  4. The file downloads automatically, named Assets-YYYYMMDD-HHMM.xlsx (or .csv).

The exported file contains exactly the same columns the import accepts, so you can use it as the basis for preparing a bulk load.

Import Assets (3 steps)

Step 1 - Upload a file

  1. In the side menu, click Assets.
  2. Click Import. The import screen opens.
  3. (Optional) Click Download template to get a CSV file with the right column headers.
  4. Click the upload area (the dotted zone with the file icon) or click Choose a file... and select the file from your machine.
    • Accepted formats: Excel (.xlsx) or CSV (.csv).
    • Maximum size: 25 MB.
    • The first row of the file must contain the column headers.
  5. The system reads the file and shows the file name and the number of rows detected.

If the file contains no data rows (headers only, or empty), a warning notification appears: No data rows were found in that file.

Step 2 - Map your columns

Once the file is loaded, the column mapper appears.

  1. For each ActivoHQ field (left column), choose from the drop-down (right column) the column in your file that holds that data.
  2. Fields marked with * are required.
  3. If your file's headers match the field names exactly (in English or Spanish), ActivoHQ maps them automatically. Review and fix any mapping that was not detected automatically.
  4. For fields that do not apply to your file, leave the drop-down at - Not mapped -.

The Asset Code field enables the preview (Step 3) as soon as it is mapped. If you change that mapping, the preview is recalculated immediately.

Step 3 - Review and import

  1. Once the Asset Code field is mapped, the preview tags appear:
    • new: how many Assets will be created.
    • updates: how many existing Assets will be changed.
    • Plan limit / in use: if your plan has a limit configured, it shows how many Assets you currently use and how many the plan allows.
  2. If the file's new Assets exceed your plan's available headroom, the notice "Upgrade to import these Assets" appears and the Import button is disabled. Click Upgrade plan to go to the subscription page.
  3. If nothing is blocked by the plan limit, click Import N rows to run the import.
  4. While it runs, the button reads Importing... and the screen stays locked.
  5. When it finishes, the results appear:
    • created: new Assets saved.
    • updated: existing Assets changed.
    • skipped: rows with an error that were not processed (up to 100 error messages are shown).
  6. To cancel and go back to the list, click Cancel.

Import / export file fields

Field Header in the file Required Description Validation
Asset code Asset Code Yes The asset's unique identifier. It decides whether the record is created or updated. Text, cannot be blank.
Name Name Yes The asset's descriptive name. Text, cannot be blank.
Asset model Asset Model Yes The asset model (the type) the asset belongs to. It is looked up by Name or by Model Number. The model must exist in the company. If it is missing, the row is skipped stating that the Asset Model is required or was not found.
RFID EPC RFID EPC No The EPC code of the RFID transponder tied to the asset. Free text.
Description Description No An extended description of the asset. Free text.
Serial number Serial Number No The manufacturer's serial number. Free text.
Location Location No The location's code (it must exist in ActivoHQ). If the code is not found, the field is left blank and a warning is logged. An existing location code.
Cost center Cost Center No The cost center's code (it must exist in ActivoHQ). An existing cost center code.
Custodian Custodian No The responsible custodian's code (it must exist in ActivoHQ). An existing custodian code.
Depreciation book Depreciation Book No The depreciation book's code (it must exist in ActivoHQ). An existing book code.
Assigned employee Assigned Employee No The code of the employee the asset is assigned to (it must exist in ActivoHQ). An existing employee code.
Acquisition date Acquisition Date Yes The date the asset was acquired. Recommended format: YYYY-MM-DD. Standard date formats are also accepted.
In-service date In-Service Date No The date the asset went into operation. Recommended format: YYYY-MM-DD.
Acquisition cost Acquisition Cost Yes The asset's purchase value in the account's currency. A decimal number (decimal separator: a period). Example: 12500.00.
Salvage value Salvage Value No The estimated value at the end of the useful life. A decimal number.
Useful life (months) Useful Life (months) No The useful life in months for the depreciation calculation. A whole number.
Total estimated units Total Estimated Units No Total estimated production units (for the Units of Production method). A decimal number.
Depreciation method Depreciation Method No The method to apply. Accepted values (case-insensitive): StraightLine, DecliningBalance, UnitsOfProduction. If the value is not recognized, the asset's current method is kept. One of the three values listed.
Status Status No The asset's status. Accepted values: Draft, Active, FullyDepreciated, Disposed, Retired. If the value is not recognized, the current status is kept. One of the five values listed.
Availability Availability No The asset's availability. Accepted values: Available, CheckedOut. If the value is not recognized, the current value is kept. One of the two values listed.

Note on related entities: Location, Cost Center, Custodian, Depreciation Book and Assigned Employee are resolved by their code, not by name. If the code in the file does not exist in ActivoHQ, the asset's field is left blank and a warning is added to the error list (the row is not skipped entirely, unless the error is on a required field).

Permissions

Available to users with access to the Assets module, as configured by your administrator.

Notes

  • Upsert logic: if the Asset Code already exists in the active company, the asset is updated with the file's values. If the code does not exist, a new asset is created. The comparison is case-insensitive.
  • Plan limit: if the file would add more new Assets than the plan's available headroom allows, the whole import is blocked (no rows are partially imported). Upgrade your plan from Assets > Import > Upgrade plan or on the subscription page.
  • Row errors: individual errors (asset model not found, invalid date, a required field blank) only skip the affected row. The system carries on processing the rest. Up to 100 error messages are shown on screen.
  • Maximum file size: 25 MB per upload.
  • Date format in the file: the system tries the ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD) first. Use it for the best compatibility.
  • Number format: use a period (.) as the decimal separator in numeric fields (for example, 1500.50).
  • Export: the export downloads every asset of the currently selected company. It does not apply the filters active in the list.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely cause Resolution
"No data rows were found in that file." The file is empty or has headers only, or the format is not recognized. Check that the file has at least one data row below the headers.
"Could not read the file: ..." The file is damaged, password-protected, or is not a valid .xlsx/.csv. Save the file again in Excel or a text editor and upload it once more.
"Map all required fields: ..." When you clicked Import, one or more fields marked * had no column mapped. Go back to Step 2 and choose the matching column in the drop-downs for the named fields.
A row appears as "skipped" with an Asset Model error. The model named in the file does not exist in the company, or the cell is empty. Create the model under Master > Asset models, or fix the name or model number in the file.
The Location, Cost Center and similar fields are blank after importing. The referenced code does not exist in ActivoHQ. Check that the matching master records exist and that their codes match the file's exactly.
The notice "Upgrade to import these Assets" appears. The file would add more new Assets than the active plan allows. Delete existing Assets to free up headroom, or click Upgrade plan to buy a plan with a higher limit.
The export downloads an empty file (headers only). The active company has no registered Assets. Check that you selected the right company in the company selector in the top bar.
"The export failed: ..." An internal error generating the file, usually a temporary server problem. Wait a few seconds and try again. If the error persists, contact support.

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