Bulk Inserting Pickups

Discovery's Bulk Insert option facilitates the swift creation of multiple Pickups, provided all necessary pickup data is organized into an Insert template file*. All Insert template files are included in a single downloadable file available for download on the Bulk Imports page under Settings.

Import Template Fields

The provided Insert template file (pickups.csv) needs to retain all fields (columns), in no particular order, even if the fields are not required.

The following fields are required to have data for each Pickup record:

  • location_id | Generated by Discovery upon Location creation**.
  • material_type_id | Name of ID of the material type to be used for this pickup (not required if service_id is provided.
  • weight_value | Number of weight units recorded on this pickup.
  • weight_unit | The unit this pickup's weight value is recorded in. Must be one of the following:
    • kilograms
    • pounds
    • short tons
  • weight_value_is_estimated | The weight value is either estimated or actual. Must be one of the following (0 for Actual, 1 for Estimated)
    • 0
    • 1
  • start_date | The start date of the pickup
  • disposal_method | Indicates how this pickup was disposed (not required if service_id is provided.) Must be one of the following:
    • Composted
    • Incineration
    • Landfill
    • Recycling
    • Reuse

The following fields are optional and do not require data for each Location record:

  • service_id | Generated by Discovery upon Service creation.
  • work_order_id | Generated by Discovery upon Work Order creation.
  • estimated_percent_full | Must be one of the following:
    • 0
    • 25
    • 50
    • 75
    • 100
  • end_date
  • cost
  • container_size
  • times emptied | The number of times the bin has been emptied
  • external_reference_id

Most Insert template files can leverage an external reference ID. This allows you to utilize existing reference labels from your current database or system for all entities in Discovery (vendors, locations, clients, etc.). Moreover, external reference ID's can be substituted for required "_id" fields in Discovery's Insert templates allowing for faster importation of data. To learn more about how external reference ID's are used, please see the External Reference ID's article.

Once all Pickup records have been added, upload the Insert template file using the New button on the Bulk Imports page under Settings. For more on how to do this, please visit the Bulk Imports Overview help document.

*Import file name and its column headers cannot be edited.

**When any ID field is required (_id), this indicates an ID that is generated and assigned by Discovery to a unique entity. You'll need to retrieve these ID's from Discovery. The general method to retrieve ID's in bulk is through a Custom Report. Please see the Export ID's with Custom Reports article covering how to generate a Custom Report to retrieve specific entity ID's.

If you have additional questions or need more in depth information, please feel free to send us a message using the help beacon in the lower right-hand corner.