Cora Hub: Import Builder
Import Builder is a project-level screen where you define a reusable mapping template — which columns in an Excel or CSV file line up with which fields in Cora PPM — and then run that template against an actual file to bulk-load or bulk-update data. The mapping is saved, named, reusable, shareable, and ready to run again as new files come in.
A template can target one or more of nine data domains, called Section Types: Project Data, Project Financials, Project Progress, Project Smart Form Fields, Project Tasks, Project Registers, Project Benefit Profile Data, Task Activities, and Benefits Data.
Access Note: Import Builder is gated by a specific role assigned per user, the ImportBuilder custom role. If you do not see it and expect to, ask your Cora PPM administrator to grant access.
Why Customers Use It
Benefit | How It Helps |
|---|---|
Move Existing Data In | Bring in project data, financials, tasks, progress, or register records from another system in bulk without re-keying. |
Reuse Saved Mappings | Build the column mapping once, save it, and run it again against future files with the same layout. |
Validate Before Import | The Run step checks your file and reports row-level issues before data is written into Cora PPM. |
Generate Ready-Made Templates | Download Template creates a blank file that already matches your mapping, so contributors know which columns to complete. |
Automate Recurring Imports | A saved template can be used by Scheduled Imports to run unattended against files dropped in a folder or SFTP location. |
Keep Approval Controls | Where supported, Submit to Workflow routes bulk-loaded data through the same approval process as manually entered data. |
Common Use Cases by Project Environment
Manufacture-to-Order ?
Use Case | Example |
|---|---|
Bulk-Load New Orders | Import new order project data or financials from a quoting or ERP export using a saved New Order Import template. |
Bulk-Update Production Progress | Refresh task percent-complete values across many concurrent orders from a shop-floor extract. |
Standardize Planner Submissions | Provide production planners with a Download Template file that already matches the columns Cora PPM expects. |
Pharma ?
Use Case | Example |
|---|---|
Bulk-Load Study or Site Registers | Bring records from a CRO or clinical system export into a Standard or Cost Control custom register with row-level validation. |
Keep Approval Control | Use Submit to Workflow so imported financial or smart-form data follows the same sign-off path as manually entered data. |
Automate Recurring Feeds | Schedule the saved template via Scheduled Imports to pick up a nightly export from an SFTP location. |
Capital / EPC Projects ?️
Use Case | Example |
|---|---|
Bulk-Load Schedule Extracts | Bring in Project Tasks or Task Activities from an external scheduling tool instead of re-entering the schedule by hand. |
Import Flat Hierarchies | Use the Alternative Hierarchy register import path to create records such as a cost breakdown structure from numeric order and parent values. |
Standardize Similar Projects | Share one template across project managers running comparable capital projects so columns are mapped consistently. |
GovCon ?️
Use Case | Example |
|---|---|
Bulk-Load Financials or Registers | Use a Standard or Cost Control custom register for contract-style register data. |
Automate Compliance-Relevant Feeds | Schedule an import from a government-system export via Scheduled Imports and SFTP. |
Use Validation as a Data-Quality Gate | Review row-level error messages before contract-sensitive records are updated. |
Not Yet Available: Importing directly into hierarchical, named-identifier GovCon-style registers such as WBS, CLIN, OBS, and similar structures is a planned enhancement to Import Builder, not current functionality. Today, Project Registers support Standard, Cost Control, and Alternative Hierarchy register types only, and the Alternative Hierarchy path is create-only.
Acronyms & Terms
Term | What It Means Here |
|---|---|
Section | One mapping block within a template, targeting a single Section Type and, for registers, a single Section Sub Type. |
Section Type | The data domain a section imports into — Project Data, Project Financials, Project Progress, Project Smart Form Fields, Project Tasks, Project Registers, Project Benefit Profile Data, Task Activities, or Benefits Data. |
Section Sub Type | For a Project Registers section, the specific custom register the data goes into. |
FAQ
Can I delete a saved import template?
Not from Import Builder itself — there's no delete action on this screen for a whole template, only for individual mapping rows within it. If you no longer need one, consider renaming or overwriting it instead, or ask your administrator about removing it.Does saving keep the old version of my mapping?
No — Save updates the same template in place, with no version history. If you want to preserve a mapping before changing it, save your changes under a new Import Title first.Why can't I add a second section to my template?
Either your template is set to CSV format (which only supports one section — switch to Excel if you need more), or you've already used every available Section Type.Why is Project Identifier Type locked?
It locks as soon as your first section is added, since every section in the template relies on the same identifier to match rows to a project. Decide Order ID vs. Project ID before you start mapping.Can I bulk-load a hierarchical WBS or CLIN register directly?
Not currently. The Section Sub Type list for Project Registers today covers Standard, Cost Control, and Alternative Hierarchy register types. Full support for named-identifier, parent-child WBS/CLIN-style registers is a planned enhancement, not yet available.What's the difference between Import Builder and Scheduled Imports?
Import Builder is where you build a mapping template and can run it manually against a file. Scheduled Imports (an Admin screen) points a saved Import Builder template at a recurring, unattended file drop — a folder or SFTP location — so it runs automatically on a schedule.Does importing bypass my organization's approval workflows?
Not necessarily. Where a section supports it — Project Financials, or a Registers/Smart Form Fields section tied to an active workflow — you can choose Submit to Workflow so imported data goes through the same approval process as data entered by hand.Can I update existing records with an import, or only create new ones?
It depends on the section. Most sections support updating an existing record via its identifier. The Alternative Hierarchy register import path is the exception — it's currently create-only, and a row referencing an existing record's ID is rejected outright.Who can access Import Builder?
It's gated by a specific role assigned per user, not automatically available to everyone with project access. Ask your Cora PPM administrator if you don't see it and believe you should.What does the validation grid on the Run step actually tell me?
It lists every issue found in your uploaded file, identified by sheet and row, with a message describing the specific problem — so you can fix your source file without manually checking every row yourself.
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