The Import Asset and Export Asset processes together create a complete cycle in IFS Fleet and Asset Management (FAM), managing serial structures by importing uploaded asset data and exporting them after maintenance.
The Import Asset process gives a structured way to bring asset data into the system and turn it into a usable FAM serial structure. It starts when fleet maintenance engineers or other users responsible for asset induction or setup upload asset data in CSV format in the Import Asset page.
Import Asset uses the External Files toolkit capabilities in IFS Cloud. The CSV file must follow the required format and map to a valid template structure to ensure appropriate configuration rules are applied. During upload, a preliminary check runs to ensure that all mandatory information is included and that the data is readable according to the settings in the external file template. The template, VimSerialLoaderFileTemplate, defines the format and characteristics of the data being read into the system.
Once the data is successfully loaded, the overall import status and line-level status are set to Loaded. You can then run the Validate Asset command to check for errors and warnings. If errors appear, they should be corrected either directly in IFS Cloud or by updating and reloading the CSV file. Warnings, on the other hand, can be acknowledged without blocking serial creation. You may also exclude specific parts if they do not need to move forward into the serial structure or remove the loaded asset data entirely if it was uploaded incorrectly or if the induction is no longer required. The validation process can be repeated until the overall status changes from Validation in Progress to Validation Completed. The line-level status values are:
When the overall import status is set to Validation Completed, you can run the Process Serial Structure command. For assets that do not exist in FAM, a serial structure will be generated using the uploaded data. This becomes the internal representation of the asset’s configuration in FAM. The overall status is then set to Imported.
Note that only one import exists for an asset at a time. Uploading a CSV file for the same asset removes any existing import and restarts the process.
The Export Asset process allows you to extract and analyze the current state of a serial structure by generating a CSV file. Maintenance planners and other users responsible for maintenance and shop visit closure often use this after a maintenance event or shop visit closure to capture the reassembled structure. On the Export Asset page, you can search for the required structure and select the Generate Export File command. This creates a background job, which generates a CSV file containing all relevant details of the serial structure at that specific point in time.
The Export Asset process allows maintenance planners and other users responsible for maintenance or shop visit closure to generate a CSV file of a serial structure (asset) after maintenance. The file includes part numbers, serial numbers, and the latest operational usage values for TIME (or the primary parameter) and CYCLES. Once the job completes, the time and person who generated the file are included on the Export Asset page. The CSV file can then be downloaded locally by running the Download Export File command.