Guide to CSV Integrations

This is a guide on how to integrate your systems with Boards on Fire using ".csv" files.

What is a .csv file?

.csv (comma-separated values) files are similar to Excel files, with the difference that the values are not arranged in a table. Instead, the "columns" of values are separated by commas (","). Below you can see a comparison between Excel sheets and .csv files. CSV is an established standard, and many systems can automatically generate files of this type.

Excel file / .csv file

What should our .csv file contain?

A .csv file should contain values that are related to each other. By that, we mean you shouldn't mix KPIs such as OEE & Accidents in the same file. A file can have unlimited "columns" (values), but they should all belong to the same data source/entity. This also means that each data source in BoF that is supposed to receive data needs its own .csv file. Each "column" is matched with a field in the data source/entity you want to link the file to.

File Structure

In a .csv file, each row represents a date for an organization in BoF. In the example, the fields "GOAL" & "OUTCOME" have the values 1229.77 and 248.72 respectively for the date 2023-05-23 in the organization "T03".

Mandatory Values

There are two values (columns) that each row in your file must contain. These are:

• TIMESTAMP: Indicates the date for which the row's value applies. If you want to submit values on a weekly/monthly basis, the date should be the first for the current period (e.g., the date of Monday for the current week or the 1st of the current month). The format should be "YYYY-MM-DD".
• ORGANIZATION: Indicates the organization for which the row's value applies. It should correspond to an organization in your BoF environment.

Optional Values

These values (columns) represent the fields in BoF (in the example, "GOAL" & "OUTCOME"). There are some rules for them:

• The names of the values (column headers) must not contain special characters (e.g., å,ä,ö,æ,ø) or spaces (can be replaced with underscore "_").
• The values in the rows must not contain commas ( , ), semicolons ( ; ), or quotation marks ( " ).
• The value should correspond to a field in a data source/entity in BoF.

File Naming

The file name should not be altered during its use; therefore, it should not contain dates. For each upload, the file name must exactly match the first file you uploaded. Other rules include:

• Give the file a name corresponding to the data source/entity it should be matched with (e.g., "OEE.csv").
• The file name must not contain special characters (e.g., å,ä,ö,æ,ø) or spaces (can be replaced with underscores "_").
• If you upload multiple different files, their names should be unique

Uploading Your File

Once the file conforms to the above format, it's time to upload it to our server.

Where should the file be uploaded?

You will be assigned a folder on our server, accessible via an SFTP client. Once we have approved the file, you will receive login credentials for the server.

How long does it take to upload the data?

From the moment the file is placed on the server, it can take up to 5 minutes for the data to appear on your boards in BoF, although usually it takes around 30-60 seconds.

How often can we upload files with new data?

As a rule, the maximum frequency should be 1 upload every 15 minutes per file. However, there may be scenarios where the frequency can be increased. If desired, please inform our support department. With high upload frequencies, you can advantageously write a script that automatically sends the files to our server.

How does data get into BoF?

When setting up a CSV integration, each value (column) is mapped to a field in a data source/entity in BoF. When you then upload files to our server, each row is automatically read, and the values are sent to the organization described by the value in the "ORGANIZATION" column.

What happens to existing data in BoF?

If there is already a value for the organization, date, and field described in the file, it will be overwritten by the value in the file. Data that arrives in your BoF environment via an integration is saved permanently, just like any other data.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding integrations with Boards on Fire, you can always reach out to support@boardsonfire.com.