Summary

Note: you can disable accounts but you can't delete accounts through batch upload. 

Access permissions for batch user upload

The rule of thumb: if you, as an admin, can access a user's account and change their details, you can run a batch upload for the same user account.

Comma-separated value (CSV) file basics

Spreadsheet applications use CSV files to share data with minimal formatting, and no calculations or indexing attached to the data. CSV files, and similar files which use tabs or pipes (|) to separate values, are broadly called 'flat' files. 

The formatting conventions CSV files do use are:

• line: each record in a CSV gets a single line

• commas: commas separate individual values for an item on a line
• double quotes: enclose any strings of text, like a long group name, in double quotes

For Safety Made Simple use, the column headings in your CSV file are not case-sensitive. The CSV sample template uses lowercase by default, but accepts an uploaded file with capitalized columns. 

The batch file upload does require exact matches of column heading spelling and spacing. If you add a column of custom user data, the column heading must use the same spelling and spacing as the custom user data field in Safety Made Simple.

Example: if you create a custom user data field called Department, your column title in the CSV must be Department, not Dept or Dep.

Batch upload interface options explained

Upload file - Select to browse your drive for your CSV file.

Separator character - Pick the separator character used in your file:  comma (default), tab, pipe, or other. For other, enter a custom separator character.

Send Invites to new users?  You either create (default) or invite (not recommended) new users:

• creating users lets an admin create user profiles, and the admin can assign users to groups and enroll them in courses. It requires an admin to set an initial password for each user, using the password column in the CSV file

• inviting users sends an auto-email with a link for users to respond to and set their own password. The admin can assign users to a group in a batch upload, but the users are pending until they respond to the invite

Search “Add users to your portal” for more information.

Update existing users?

This option lets you update lots of existing learners' data in your portal, with one uploaded file.

Safety Made Simple relies on the unique identifier - username - to identify users. In a batch upload, Safety Made Simple overwrites any other changed data associated with a unique identifier.

You cannot update the unique identifier for existing users by batch upload: this step requires the Safety Made Simple interface.

Example: existing learner johndoe123 has the firstname and lastname values "John" and "Doe" respectively. Your next batch upload for johndoe@abc.com can provide new values of "John" and "Smith", but cannot change the username johndoe123.

Note: to update existing users without changing their passwords by accident, select both Send Invites to new users? and Update existing users?

The Send Invites to new users? option doesn't require a password column in your CSV. If you are working solely with existing users, Safety Made Simple updates these accounts, but doesn't assign them a new password. 

Search and select groups to assign

Enable this option to add all the users in the batch upload to the same group, or groups. The application prompts you to search for the group, or groups, to assign your users to.

The groups must already exist in your portal: you cannot create new groups with this option. See “Group your users” about creating groups.

To add users to several different groups, or to change groups, use the assign_groups or group_sync columns in the CSV file, rather than the interface option.

Note: this option disables the option to add users to courses through the same batch user upload.

Perform user/group upload sync?

This option lets you assign users to groups listed in the group_sync column. The data you upload synchronizes users and groups, making sure users are assigned to, or removed from, groups as required.

If you invite new users while using group_sync, the users are assigned to their groups when they accept the invite.

WarningWarning: take care when using Update existing users? and Perform user/group upload sync? together. When you leave fields blank for existing users, Safety Made Simple removes that info from their profiles.

For example:

·        

if you leave an empty value in group_sync, then the application removes existing users from all groups

·        

if you leave a custom user data value empty, Safety Made Simple removes that data from the user's profile

Perform unenrollments during user/group sync?

If you have assigned groups to courses or learning paths, Safety Made Simple can unenroll users from the courses and paths when removing them from groups.

Enable this feature, to process these unenrollments for any group removals that occur as part of your sync.

Note: This unenrollment applies only to learners who have not started a course, or whose courses are in progress. Completed courses always stay in a user's training history.

Enroll users in courses?

Set this option to enroll users in multiple courses.

Note: this option disables the option to add users to groups in the same batch upload. 

Re-enroll completed users?

Set this option to re-enroll users who have completed any of the courses you assigned in a new enrollment.

Example: if your learners need to retain a certification, or renew their training regularly, this option ensures learners stay enrolled.