How Do I Use The Update Existing Budgets Import?

This guide shows you how to import budget changes using the Budget Updates Import. This import allows you to change budgets in bulk rather than one at a time.

If you are unable to complete any of the steps in this guide, you can use the Submit a request button at the top right of this page to contact our team for help.

This guide uses the following level numbers and names. 

Level 1 - Client
Level 2 - Project
Level 3 - Activity

These are set on the 'my company' page, and your number of levels and names may be different.

Index
Import Budget Updates Example
All Budget Updates Fields
Budget Updates Validation

Import Budget Updates Example

1. Click Imports and select Budgets

   
    

2. Import Type
   Change the import type to Update Existing Budgets. 

   
    

3. Export Budgets
   When updating your budgets, you can choose which budgets to export and amend to import your changes. 
   Client - Sets whether budgets should be exported for a single client or all clients.
   From Date - Sets the date range for exporting budgets. Budgets that started on or after this date will be exported.
   To Date - Sets the date range for exporting budgets. Budgets that finished on or before this date will be exported.

   
    

4. Export
   Clicking export will create a CSV of your budget data. You can then amend the data and import it to Timemarker.

   
    

5. Updating Your CSV Example
   You can amend the budget allocation from date to date, Hours, Cost value, or bill value for the displayed budgets. 

   
    

6. Uploading The Updated Budgets To Import
   Add the import file to Timemarker by dragging & dropping a CSV file into the dashed region, or clicking Choose File and selecting it.

   
    

7. Validate Button
   With a file selected in the Choose File section, click Validate to check for any issues. 

    
    

8. Validation Page 
   If an orange or red validation message is displayed, the corresponding data on the validation page will be displayed in the same colour. For additional information, hover the mouse cursor over the orange/red text to display a dialogue box. 
   
   In our example, we have a red validation message and red-highlighted data. Hovering over the red text shows us the message "This value cannot be interpreted as a date."
    

   
     

9. Importing Data 
   Once you are happy with the data to be imported, click the import button to add these changes to Timemarker. 

   

10. All Budget Updates Fields
    The example above shows how to update existing budgets. A list of all import fields, with explanations, is provided below. 
     

    1. Budget Id
       This is the budget's unique identifier for Timemarker. This ensures that any changes are made to the correct budget.
    2. Company Name
       The name of your company in Timemarker. 
    3. Client / Project / Activity
       These are the names of your Client structure levels. These level names are set on the Settings / Company page. You can have up to 5 levels.
       Add the names of the levels to which you would like to add a budget.
       Example: Client 1, Project A, Activity 1
       Budgets cannot be moved between levels. 
    4. Budget Allocation
       This determines whether the budget you are adding applies to all staff members or to a single staff member. Either enter a staff member's name to set the budget for only that account, or type "all staff members" to set the budget for all accounts. 

    5. Staff ID
       This is completed only if the budget is set to a staff member's name. This is used to ensure the budget is allocated to the correct account, as you may have two staff members with the same name. 

       A staff member's ID can be found by running "Export Staff Update". For a guide on exporting staff data, please click here. 

    6. From Date
       This sets the budget's start date. Any timesheet data before this date will not be included in the budget when you run the detail or summary budget reports. 
    7. To Date
       This sets the budget's end date. Any timesheet data after this date will not be included in the budget when you run the detail or summary budget reports. 
    8. Budget Hours
       Sets the number of hours for this budget. 
    9. Budget Cost Value
       Set the total cost value for this budget.
    10. Budget Bill Value
        Set the total bill value for this budget.
11. Budget Updates Validation
    The import budget updates function has validation to prevent data issues. A list of common validation scenarios has been provided below. 
     
12. Deleting budgets
    When a budget is imported with no values for Hours, Cost Value, or Bill Value, the budget will be deleted. This is indicated by the row number on the validation page being shown in orange. 
13. Moving budgets
    Budgets cannot be moved between levels. Changing the budget location will result in a validation warning. A solution is to delete the budgets by setting Hours, Cost Value, and Bill Value to blank, then use the New Budgets import to add the budgets for the correct item. 
14. Budget conflicts - dates
    Budgets cannot overlap dates for the same staff member. This is to prevent the staff member's time records from being included in multiple budgets. 
    Example: You can have budgets for multiple different staff members with the same dates. You cannot have multiple budgets for the same staff member that overlap on the same dates. You cannot have a budget for a staff member with the same dates as an all staff member budget.
15. Budget conflicts - Client structure
    Budgets cannot be set at multiple levels, as this could create issues when running budget reports.
    Example: If a budget is set at level 1, you cannot have a budget set at any of the lower levels. 
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