To import service charge scheme components en masse

The purpose of a Service Charge Template is to create the resulting scheme elements - the Cost Centre, Functional Unit and Group (comprising the subset of charges for targeted assets) - in the most efficient way. For all identified Service Charge Templates, there are two methods of record generation: (1) Individually by template, and (2) En masse via bulk upload. The Data Import Framework facilitates the upload and mapping of source records aligned to the desired scheme components across multiple service charge templates, providing the mechanism by which applicable charges can be cascaded at the outset. The successful transfer of constituent scheme elements into Civica Cx Housing, along with their defined characteristics, is made possible through the file import type: Service Charge Scheme.

Step 1: Prepare the Source Data

To import all constituent elements of a service charge scheme, the prescribed file structure must be aligned to the data mapping fields accessible through the supporting import type, as summarised in the following table:

Field Caption	Function
Number of Detail Lines	Captures the total number of rows included within each source import file.
Asset Reference	The unique identifier assigned to each asset record stored on the database.
Template Name	The name of the service charge template controlling the creation of each new scheme component.
Scheme Name	The common descriptor to be replicated across the resulting Cost Centre, Functional Unit and Service Charge Group records once a successful import has been conducted. Note - The underlying import routines verify that the proposed name is unique across all three component types.
Effective From Date	The commencement date ascribed to the new service charge scheme.
Asset Hierarchy Name	The unique name of the 'parent and child' relationship structure to which each asset is linked. Note - The population of this field ensures that the same asset record can appear multiple times in a single import file, with individual instances reflecting its inclusion across different hierarchies.

Step 2: Define the Data Import Template

Navigate to Quick Menu > System > File Import > File Import Templates and create a new import template of type Service Charge Scheme.
Once saved, the Details tab reveals all data fields that are intrinsic within this import framework; these can be mapped to counterparts within the prepared source file.
For more information, refer to the topics To create a new data import template and To define the field properties of a data import template.

Step 3: File Import Batch Management

Navigate to Quick Menu > System > File Import > File Import and create a new batch linked to the defined Service Charge Scheme import template.
Click on Import Data to perform the batch upload of all constituent scheme elements held in the external source file.
A post-import results summary is compiled, ready for further analysis and subsequent action.
For more information, refer to the topic To create a new data import batch.

See related topics...

Service charge template maintenance overview

To create a new service charge template

To generate the scheme components for a service charge template