Flat File Format - FAQ

Edit online

Review the frequently asked questions to find out more about using the Flat File template.

Question: You have multiple account styles that have primary consumption, multiple secondary fields, and/or multiple cost fields. You want to upload data into IBM® ESG Suite in a single file. Should I use this data loading process?

Answer: Yes.

Question: What happens to a record when you overwrite it or try to update it?

Answer: When you update an existing record, you are always overwriting that entry in the platform with the data from your file. This results in the loss of any attachments or notes that are linked to the record that is being overwritten. If you are concerned about losing any supporting information such as attachments or notes, remove the relevant records from the template and update those records manually by using the user interface.

Question: You are manually inputting data into a template for upload into Envizi ESG Suite for a large number of records, is this the right template to use?

Answer: No. It’s recommended to load the data through the process defined in Uploading data for a single account style that tailors the extract and loading process in more detail to a single account style at a time, which horizontally presents each record as a row.

Question: Why is my single Envizi ESG Suite record presented across multiple rows?

Answer: The flat file format is structured to present a single record in Envizi ESG Suite across multiple rows. This structure is better suited to system to system file transfer or technical transformation tools.

There is a row in the file for every account style and field combination for a given record. Where rows are duplicated for a given record, the organization, account style, account and record details like start date and end date are duplicated also.

Question: Why does the files processed page show more records in than records out for my file loading result?

Answer: The nature of the flat file format is that a single record is presented over multiple rows. Because the account style fields run vertically down the file, a single record might be presented across multiple rows in the flat file format. Where all of the following fields are the same across multiple rows in the file, the account style field labels and value information are loaded as a single record into the platform.
  • Location
  • Location Reference
  • Account Style Link
  • Account Number
  • Record Start YYYY-MM-DD
  • Record End YYYY-MM-DD
  • Record Invoice Number
For this reason, it is expected to see more records in compared to records out (that is, loaded into Envizi ESG Suite) when using the flat file format.

For more information, see Using the flat file template to upload data.

Question: How can I load event data like Fuel or Flight transactions where there may be multiple records of consumption for the same account, account style and date period?

Answer: The nature of the Flat File Format is that the data runs vertically down the page. To logically load it as a unified record, the platform must establish a primary key. If there are duplicate records (for example, same location, account, account style, and record period) to be loaded, you must use the Record Invoice Number to differentiate the unique records. For example, storing the car registration plate or a transaction number for fuel or the booking reference for flights would achieve the desired outcome. Otherwise, the flat file format loads the latest instance of the record rather than load them independently.

For more information about how data is ingested, see Using the flat file template to upload data.