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Import Clock Punches

You can easily add clock punches to Avanti from a third party using Import Clock Punches. These clock punches create Time Cards, which flow into payroll.

If Import Clock Punches isn’t on your System Menu yet, go to How to Add New Items to Your Avanti Menus for more information.

File Requirements

  • You can import a .csv file or an excel file with an extension .xls or .xlsx. If you’re importing an excel file, only the first sheet imports.

  • A sample import file can be found as a link at the bottom of this article.

  • You can import from a file on your network or an FTP site.

  • If you’re importing a file from an FTP site, the import file:

    • Must be on the root directory of the FTP site; it cannot be in a subfolder.

    • Is automatically removed from the FTP site once it’s successfully imported.

    • If there’s an error in the file and it doesn’t import, it remains on the FTP site.

  • Date and Time, Event Type and Employee Number are required to import.

    Go to the How To Prepare the File section at the bottom of this article for more information about creating the import file.

  • Avanti imports every row in the import file. If there’s a header row describing the columns in the file, please remove it before importing.

  • The column order in the import file must match the format outlined below. If you’re not importing information for a column, leave the column blank.

 Column

Description

Contents and Format

A

Date and Time

The date, followed by hours, minutes and seconds, separated by a dash, colon, period, slash (/), space, or comma. Seconds are optional.

If you’re importing a .csv file, the time must be in 24-hour clock format.

B

Clock Punch Type

A two-digit code for the type of clock punch. Typically, one of these types:
1 - Clock In 3 - Clock Out
65 - Out For Break 67 - Back From Break
99 - Clock In/Out
All Clock Punch Types are in the How To Prepare the File section at the bottom of this article.

C

Employee Number

The number of an active employee. For more information, go to the How To Prepare the File section at the bottom of this article.

D

Work Code Type

The ID of the work code.

For additional information about creating the import file, go to the How To Prepare the File section at the bottom of this article.

How to Import Clock Punches

This section guides you through importing punches from a file saved on your network. If you’re importing from an FTP site, skip to the How to Import Clock Punches from an FTP section below.

Step 1: Open Import Clock Punches in the Avanti Desktop Application.
By default, this can be found in Time & Attendance >> Time Cards.

Step 2: Select the arrow beside Import File, and locate the file to import.

Step 3: Select the Date Format for the Date and Time.

Additional Information
You’ll only need to update if you’re importing a .csv file.

Step 4: Select OK.

Step 5: If the file is error-free, select Yes to import the file.

Step 6: Once the file imports, you can archive the file.

  • Select Yes to add it to an Archive subfolder of the Import File Folder, with the import date added to the file name.

  • Select No to leave the file in its current location.

How to Import Clock Punches from an FTP Site

During the import, the file is downloaded to your network and removed from the FTP site. The import file must be on the FTP site's root directory; it cannot be in a subfolder.

Before you can import, you need to connect to the FTP site. Please contact your IT Team to get the Server, Port, Username and Password, if you don’t already have it.

Set the FTP Site

The first time you Import Clock Punches, you’ll need to connect to the FTP site. If you’ve already connected to the FTP site, skip to the Import from the FTP Site section below.

Step 1: Open Import Clock Punches in the Avanti Desktop Application and select FTP Settings.
By default, this can be found in Time Clocks.

Step 2: Enter the Server, Port, User Name and Password for the FTP site.

Additional Information
If you don’t have this information, contact your IT Team.

Step 3: Select Test FTP.

If Avanti successfully accessed the FTP site, a success message displays, and you’re ready to start importing clock punches from the FTP site.

Step 4: Select OK to save your changes.

Import from the FTP Site

Step 1: Open Import Clock Punches in the Avanti Desktop Application.
By default, this can be found in Time Clocks.

Step 2: Select the Import File.

Additional Information
The Import File must be a folder located on your network. The file downloads here from the FTP site for import.

Step 3: Update the end of the Import File to match the name of the files you’re importing, replacing anything unique to the file name with a *.

Additional Information
This lets Avanti know which files to import.
For example, if all the files have the naming convention of EmployeeClockPunches, followed by the exported date and you’d like to save it in C:\Avanti\, the Import File is C:\Avanti\EmployeeClockPunches*.xlsx.

Step 4: The format for the Date.

Additional Information
You’ll only need to update if you’re importing a .csv file.

Step 5: Select OK.

Additional Information
If there’s a validation error during the import, the punches won’t import, and the import file remains on the FTP site.

Step 6: If the file is error-free, select Yes to import the file.

Step 7: Once the file imports, you can opt to archive the file.

  • Select Yes to save the import file to an Archive subfolder of the Import File Folder. The import date is added to the end of the filename.

  • Select No to remove the file from the FTP and your network.

Just like that, you’re all done importing your employee’s clock punches. These now populate the time cards in Avanti. If you need to make any changes to the clock punch, go to Maintain Punches on ASSP or the Avanti Desktop.

How to Prepare the File

To create the import file, you can copy each column into a new excel file. The columns of the file must be in the order below. If you’re not importing information in a column, leave the column blank in the excel file.

Date and Time - Required
In the first column, column A, the Date and Time must be included in the file to import the punch. If you’re importing an excel file, the cell format must be a date with the time.

If you’re importing a .csv file, all dates must be in one of the allowed date formats below. Don’t forget to select the correct date format when you import the .csv file.

The date and time format is the date, followed by Hours, Minutes, Seconds. Separate each with a dash, colon, period, slash (/), space or comma. Don’t separate the date from the time with a comma. The time must be a 24-hour clock format. Seconds are optional.

Allowed date formats are:

YY-MM-DD

YY:MM:DD

YY.MM.DD

YY/MM/DD

YY MM DD

YY,MM,DD

MM-DD-YY

MM:DD:YY

MM.DD.YY

MM/DD/YY

MM DD YY

MM,DD,YY

DD-MM-YY

DD:MM:YY

DD.MM.YY

DD/MM/YY

DD MM YY

DD,MM,YY

YYYY-MM-DD

YYYY:MM:DD

YYYY.MM.DD

YYYY/MM/DD

YYYY MM DD

YYYY,MM,DD

MM-DD-YYYY

MM:DD:YYYY

MM.DD.YYYY

MM/DD/YYYY

MM DD YYYY

MM,DD,YYYY

DD-MM-YYYY

DD:MM:YYYY

DD.MM.YYYY

DD/MM/YYYY

DD MM YYYY

DD,MM,YYYY

Clock Punch Type - Required
The second column, column B, is two-digit code for the type of clock punch. The allowed Clock Punch Types are:

Type

Description

 

Type

Description

Type

Description

0

No Data Entered

62

Callback

81

Regular Shift With Position

1

Clock In

63

Split Shift

82

Callback With Position

2

Back From Lunch

64

Other Shift

83

Split Shift With Position

3

Clock Out

65

Out For Break

84

Other Shift With Position

5

Back From Break

67

Back From Break

98

Door Access

7

Callback

68

Back From Break With Position

99

Clock In/Out

31

Clock Out

80

Position Transfer

999

Message Read

61

Regular Shift

Employee Number - Required
The first column is the employee number of an active employee in Avanti.

If you allow alphanumeric employee numbers, make sure to include any leading zeros in the employee number. If you plan on saving this as an excel file, you’ll need to change the column format to a text field; otherwise, Excel removes the leading zeros when you save the file.

Work Codes - Optional
You can add a valid work code for the clock punch. The work code can be one of:

  • Position Code

  • GL Segment

  • Task ID

The type of work code used is selected on the Options tab in Time & Attendance Parameters. By default, you can find Time & Attendance Parameters in Time & Attendance >> Installation & Maintenance.

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