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How to: Upload an award file with AwardFilePlus™

Boryana
  • Updated

When it comes to sending awards en masse to your people, we know that it works best (and makes the biggest impact) when the process is swift and as seamless as possible.

That’s why we’ve made the Reward & Recognition file uploader “self-service”. It means clients can skip the middleman in the file upload process and save precious time, making it quicker and smoother to send out bulk awards to employees!

How does it work?
It’s simple - from Reward Manager, just create a file template, upload the file containing the relevant data for the awards, and the awards will be sent out to your people according to your program set-up (i.e. email, post or onsite alert). Read through our step-by-step guide below for more details.

Note: In order for clients to upload their own files, they will need the "RR Budget Holder" permission in Reward Manager.

 

Step 1: Create an Award File Template

The first time you upload an award file, you will need to create a template.

A template does not create any awards that are sent to employees. Its purpose is to match the fields in your award file to the fields required in Reward Manager, so you can use the same blueprint to create awards more quickly in the future.

You don't need a full award file to create a template. All you need is to make sure the format follows these rules:

  • Your file is in one of the supported formats (we recommend .csv)
  • All the required fields (listed in article AwardFilePlus™ Client Welcome Pack)
  • Every column has a heading
  • At least one or two lines in your test file are filled (no blank cells; you can use dummy data)
  • All fields are in ‘plain text’ format, with no formulas or filters

Read the instructions below and watch the video to see how to create a template:

  1. Click Upload File in your AwardFilePlus™ program
  2. Click Create a new template to begin the process
  3. Give your template a unique name, so it's easier to recognize in the future
  4. Select your file from your computer and click Continue
  5. Match every column in your file to one of the required fields in the AwardFilePlus™ program (listed above).
    • Any fields that are not required in Reward Manager can be ignored
    • If a required field is missing or not mapped, you will not be able to create the template
  6. Click Continue to create your template. As long as there are no errors or missing data, a success message will appear
  7. Click Import Awards at the bottom left of the screen if you want to upload an award file using the template you just created

Going forward, the system will expect the same file structure every time you use this template. This means the columns in your award files will need to have the same columns, and be in the same order, every time.

At the end of the process you'll have the option to create more templates, if you plan to upload award files with columns that have different names or are in a different order.

If the Communications type of your AwardFilePlus™ program changes, the fields required to upload an award file will also change, so you will need to create a new template before creating more awards.

Step 2: Upload your award file

Once you have created an award file template, you can reuse it again and again to upload more files that include the same data fields. These uploads will create awards that can be sent to employees in bulk.

Using an existing template will save you time, as you won't need to repeat the step of matching the columns in the award file to the fields required in Reward Manager.

Before uploading an award file, make sure the format follows these rules:

  • Your file is in one of the supported formats (we recommend .csv)
  • Columns are in the exact order you have set up in the template
  • All the required fields (listed at the start of this article) are included in the file
  • All rows in your file are filled (no blank cells)
  • All fields are in ‘plain text’ format, with no formulas or filters
  • All employee IDs in the file correspond to eligible users in Reward Manager
  • All the award import codes in the file match the award types you have created in Reward Manager
  •  

Read the instructions below and watch the video to see how to use a template to upload an award file:

  1. Click Upload File in your AwardFilePlus™ program
  2. Select an available template
  3. Select your file from your computer and click Continue
  4. The system will assess your file and highlight any errors that need correcting before moving forward.
  5. If there are no errors or missing data, you will be able to click Complete Update to complete the upload, and a success message will appear

 

 

What happens once an award file is uploaded?

At the end of your file upload, click the Dispatch link at the end of the upload process. The button will lead straight to a page that lists all award batches in the program (the page is described in this guide). This is the page you should head to if you want to send out the awards you've created, as you can see in the video below. Read the guide to managing your program to see what other actions you can take on this page.

Depending on the program's Communications type, the award may be sent to employees as follows (based on a process without manual award claiming and codes):

  • Email Communications type (i.e.award winners receive an email notification)
    • You do not need to click the Dispatch button for Email batches. Awards within these batches will be sent automatically to recipients. This may take around 45 minutes to complete (clicking the Dispatch button will not speed up the process).
    • Once the award batch is dispatched, award winners receive an email, sent to the email address included in the award file (even when this is different from the one they registered with). They also receive an onsite alert
    • If the award file does not include email addresses for all award winners, the system will not allow completing the upload
  • Postal Communications type (i.e. award winners receive a letter and onsite alert)
    • Postal batches need to be dispatched manually, through the Dispatch button on the Dispatch Batches page
    • Once the file is uploaded, the system generates a PDF file with letters for all award winners. This is downloadable through the Export Letters button within the batch
    • Distribution of the letters is arranged at the employer's end. This allows clients the flexibility to upload award files as much in advance of the dispatch date as they would like, and come back to dispatch the awards at their convenience.
    • Once the batch is dispatched, users also receive an onsite alert on their next login
  • None Communications type (i.e. award winners do not receive any emails generated in the RG system - other internal communications are arranged)
    • Batches with the None communications type need to be dispatched manually, through the Dispatch button on the Dispatch Batches page
    • Before dispatching the award batch, the system does not generate any communications
    • Before dispatching the award batch, any communications to notify award winners can be arranged at the employer's end. This allows clients the flexibility to upload award files as much in advance of the dispatch date as they would like, and come back to dispatch the awards at their convenience.
    • Once the batch is dispatched, users also receive an onsite alert on their next login

To learn about the receiving experience for employees awarded through AwardFilePlus™, take a look at this guide.

 

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