Universal Updater allows you to update existing employee and contract records in bulk using a CSV or Excel file. Instead of editing records one by one, you can upload a file, review the proposed changes, and apply updates efficiently while maintaining visibility and control over the process.
Overview
Universal Updater is designed for situations where you need to update large volumes of existing data at once. This is especially useful when information comes from external systems, such as payroll or HR management tools, or when multiple employees or contracts require different updates.
Before applying any changes, the system shows a preview of the updates and highlights any differences between the imported file and the current data. This helps you review changes and avoid unintended updates.
When and why it should be used
Use Universal Updater when you need to:
- Update multiple employee records in a single action
- Update multiple contract records from a spreadsheet
- Synchronize information from external systems
- Apply different values across a large number of records
- Reduce manual work and the risk of human error
How to use
- Prepare a CSV or Excel file containing the records you want to update
- In your sidebar, go to Organisation
- Access the People tab
- Click on the three dots icon at the top of the list
- Select Edit employees from your file
- Choose a legal entity
- Upload your file
- Map the columns in your file to the corresponding fields in Factorial
- Review the preview of changes:
- Cells highlighted in blue indicate a change from the current value
- Cells highlighted in yellow indicate that an existing value will be removed
- Hover over a highlighted cell to see the current value stored in the system
- Review any unmatched records
- Rows that cannot be matched to an existing record will be skipped
- Confirm the update
- The update will be processed in the background
- You will receive a notification once the process has been completed
If some rows were skipped during the update, rows are skipped when the system cannot find a matching record based on the selected identifiers. To avoid this:
- Verify that employee email addresses are correct
- Ensure contract effective dates match existing records
- Check for formatting issues in your file
If you cannot see any changes in the preview, this may happen when the imported values are identical to the existing values stored in Factorial. Review your file and confirm that the data differs from the current records.
If the update is taking longer than expected, it is because large files may require additional processing time. The update runs asynchronously, and you will receive a notification once it is complete.
Tips and best practices
- Review your file carefully before uploading it to ensure identifiers are correct
- Use employee email addresses exactly as they appear in Factorial
- Pay special attention to fields highlighted in yellow, as they indicate that information will be removed
- Check the preview screen before confirming updates
- If you are updating contracts, verify both the employee email and the contract effective date to ensure accurate matching
- Keep a copy of your original file for auditing purposes
FAQ
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Can I create new employees or contracts using Universal Updater?
No. Universal Updater only updates existing records. Records that cannot be matched to existing data are skipped.
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How does the system identify the records to update?
Employee records are matched using the employee email address. Contract records are matched using the combination of employee email and contract effective date.
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What do the different highlight colours mean?
Blue highlights indicate a change to an existing value. Yellow highlights indicate that an existing value will be removed.
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Can I review changes before applying them?
Yes. The preview screen displays all detected changes before you confirm the update.
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What happens to unmatched rows?
Unmatched rows are skipped and not updated. The system provides feedback showing how many rows were matched and how many were skipped.
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Will updates be applied immediately?
Updates are processed in the background after confirmation. You will receive a notification when the process is complete.