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Initializing your PLM database

The External Data Importer utility allows you to initialize your new PLM system from an existing list of engineering documents and/or manufacturing parts.

If your data can't easily be represented in the standard import file formats, or if this import process seems a bit too complicated or time-consuming, then we can initialize your PDXpert system for you.

In this procedure, we'll prepare and import:

1. All item master records, which include home organization parts and documents as well as your partner organizations' parts and/or documents.
2. The relationships between your parts and each approved manufacturing source for that part
3. The relationships between your items and their structure items
4. The revision files that should be attached to the item records' Revision lists, and copied into the file Library
5. The item files that should be attached to item records' Item lists, and copied into the file Library

Example data import

As an example, consider this assembly manufactured by our company, which we'll call "Demo Co." The assembly has 4 LEDs, purchased from a qualified source, that are added to a circuit board that Demo Co. has designed. Three files - an assembly drawing, the LED supplier's datasheet, and the bare circuit board fabrication drawing - are imported and attached to a part record.

The bill of materials has this assembly-component (parent-child) relationship:

• Demo Co. 100003 (Assembly): Indicator assembly, status, red LED
  1. Demo Co. 100001 (Designed): Circuit board, LED assembly - bare. Quantity = 1 each
  2. Demo Co. 100002 (Purchased): Red LED, clear lens. Quantity = 4 each

Our qualified LED supplier source has a parent-child relationship between Demo Co.'s internal part and the supplier's part:

• Demo Co. 100002 (Purchased): Red LED, clear lens. Quantity = 4 each
  • LEDtronics L200CWR3KF-30D (Purchased): LED, 5mm (T1-3/4) Standard Dome. Rank = 1

Each of the design files is related to a Demo Co. or supplier part record:

• Demo Co. 100001 (Designed): Circuit board, LED assembly - bare
  • D:\Drawing\100001-Rev-B-fabrication.grb
• Demo Co. 100003 (Assembly): Indicator assembly, status, red LED
  • D:\Drawing\100003-Rev-A-assembly.dwg
• LEDtronics L200CWR3KF-30D (Purchased): LED, 5mm (T1-3/4) Standard Dome
  • F:\Datasheet\LEDtronics-Dsdc0496.pdf

Based on this information, Demo Co's assembly is structured into these four files (assuming the External Data Importer's default values are OK):

ItemMaster.csv

ItemStructure.csv

ItemSource.csv

File.csv

Notice that all part master data for both Demo Co. and LEDtronics are imported on separate rows in the Item Master file. Relationships between these items are created when the Item Structure and Item Source files are imported. Design and datasheet files are added to the existing records by importing File.csv.

We could have also created document master records, assigned the files to those items, and imported the documents as references onto the parts' structures.

Obtaining the import file templates

Each import file template can be exported as a CSV file.

1. Select the appropriate format from the Item Type dropdown list.
2. Click on the External Data Importer tool's Export button, and save the file.

When there is no data in the database, the exported files will contain only the data headers as defined in the item file specification help topics.

When there's data already in the database, it will be included in the export. You can use this data to validate how PDXpert interpreted your import file. You can also obtain a new copy of the import template by deleting the data, retaining only the first header row. You can also use the exported item master data as the basis for on-going updates of item properties (such as part cost).

Preparing your database and item master import file

Your data files must conform to the import file format specifications. The import process can assign default values and create new collection members "on the fly". To avoid data errors and make this task as efficient as possible, read the other help topics on importing data before using this procedure.

The External Data Importer can detect certain errors in your data, such as inappropriate data types. It may not detect problems such as recursive (cyclic) BOM errors, assembly items assigned as children of component parts, or a single supplier with various spellings. A careful inspection of import results is your best protection against incorrect data.

If you don't normally have access to the computer containing the PDXpert Application Server, it may be useful to install a copy of the PDXpert Application Server on your local computer. After you've performed these import tasks, you can move the final database and library .PDXZ file to your production server, and uninstall your local PDXpert Application Server.

• Collect all of your item data into a single ItemMaster.csv file. Item data is everything that has a part or document number, from whatever source: home items and partner items; individual components, consumables, subassemblies and top assemblies.

• Ensure that file headers are correct (use the Export templates).

• Within PDXpert, enter or update any data that will be constant throughout the import process. This would include, for example, entering the assigned software license registration key (if any), entering company name & abbreviation, and setting up user accounts.

• If your items include custom attributes, create the Part Type or Document Type collection members as needed, and then define their custom attributes before importing the related items.

General procedure for each import file

1. Load your data into the import template.
2. Ensure that the Import Type dropdown list is indicating the correct import format.
3. Click the Import button, and navigate to your import file. When you accept the file, its data is immediately loaded into the database.

ItemMaster data import and validation tasks

You should be the only user logged into the system when using the External Data Importer.

For each item row, you can leave many of the columns empty and use the External Data Importer's default assignments. Blank (empty) values are assigned as specified in the Item Master import file definition help topic's ItemMaster.csv format column definitions table.

Repeat these steps until your imported item master data is accurate and complete:

1. Review and, if necessary, re-assign the default member of each collection used in the import file, as shown in the Data type column of the Item import file specification help topic. If the import file has a value that isn't yet a member of a current collection, and that value should be used as the default member for missing import values, create the missing member and set it as the collection default.

   You must specify a valid member for each item that doesn't use the default collection member.

2. Compare the set of existing collection members to your import data, and edit any mismatched data. For example, if your import data uses the abbreviation EA for each, decide which you want to retain and either edit the ItemMaster.csv file or modify the PDXpert collection member name.

3. Back up your database. This is the baseline dataset that can later be restored if you're dissatisfied with the subsequent data import.

   See the PDXpert Application Server > How do I...? > Back up the database help topic.

4. Import your ItemMaster.csv file.

   Review the status results to identify (a) the collection members that were created, (b) which items were assigned default collection members, and (c) which rows were not imported.

   Examine the collections to ensure that any newly-created members are correct. In particular, look for "almost duplicate" collection members. If an imported value has minor variations or errors (like each, EA, eahc), these will appear as separate entries in your collection. Modify your file to eliminate all but the preferred item.

Until you have a final "almost perfect" imported dataset, it's usually easier to restore your database baseline backup, update your import file and/or PDXpert collections, and re-import the ItemMaster.csv file. See the PDXpert Application Server > How do I...? > Restore data from a backup help topic.

Import your items' BOMs, approved supplier sources, and files

These files establish structure, source and file relationship between items, and specify relationship properties. All items in these files are simply matched to document and part records already in the database, and do not create any new item records. Your import of the ItemMaster.csv data should be complete before importing the relational data files.

Items, not revisions, are matched. Your imported data establishes relationships between the pending revisions of matched items.

Before importing each of these files, take a backup of your database. If you're dissatisfied with the import, you can restore the backup and then edit and re-import the file.

For each parent item row, you can leave many of the columns empty and use the External Data Importer's default assignments. Blank (empty) values are assigned as specified in the Relations import file definitions help topic's Import files column definitions table.

ItemStructure.csv file

The ItemStructure.csv file identifies the parent-child (or assembly-component) relationship between two items in the PDXpert database, and assigns to this relationship a find-item number, quantity, unit of measure and other data. Before you can import the ItemStructure.csv file, both assembly parent and component child must have previously been imported or created.

Parent items should only be parts, and child items can be parts or documents.

If you override any of the default values, ensure that each set of assembly records have no duplicate StructureFind numbers, that each StructureQuantity is a positive number, and the StructureUnit is compatible with (and preferably identical to) the Default unit of measure selection on the child item's record.

If you're assigning documents to a structure, leave the StructureQuantity and StructureUnit columns empty.

ItemSource.csv file

Each item-source (parent-child) pair can be assigned a relative preference, or rank, on the import row. Since an item in your PLM database can have more than one approved source, you can assign duplicate SourceRank values to interchangeable sources of a parent item.

Assign only child source parts to parent parts. A document record should not be parent to another part or document.

File.csv file

The File.csv file has separate columns for item files, revision files, and external files. An item in your PLM database can have more than one file attached to any (or all) of these file lists.

Each listed file is copied from the location specified into the PDXpert library, and the file attributes are extracted, then listed on the item record's appropriate Files list.

The appropriate Path[list] value must be provided. For example, if you're importing files assigned to item revision records, then the PathRevision is a required value. It must be a fully-qualified folder and filename to a local drive and a network share. If the file is not found at the location specified, then no file attachment record is created.

Final tasks

After you've imported/updated all of your part and document data:

1. Check that newly-created collection members have correct attributes. Your Sequences: Identifier collection should be updated to ensure that future item numbers will not conflict with your imported items' identifiers.

2. Re-index the database: Tools | Index Status... and click the Re-index button.

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Help topics describe the most current PDXpert PLM software release, and may differ from earlier releases.