Data Management Capabilities > Managing Projects > Projects and Programs > Action Items > Working with Action Items in Microsoft Excel > Using the Action Items Template
  
Using the Action Items Template
Windchill provides a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet template that allows you to create multiple action items at once to import back into Windchill.
Use this template to create multiple new action items simultaneously.
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You can also use the Edit and Export to Excel action to create new action items to import into Windchill.
The advantage to using the Edit and Export to Excel action is that you can copy information from existing action items to create new ones. However, the disadvantage is that the exported spreadsheet includes multiple columns that are not editable, making the information more difficult to maneuver. Sorting and filtering an exported spreadsheet can also result in additional complications.
For more information, see Editing an Action Item.
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An administrator can customize the attributes that are available for new action items. For more information, see Customizable Action Item Attributes.
1. Navigate to the Tasks table and select Actions > Download Template.
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You might receive a warning that the template is in a different format than the file extension. Click Yes.
2. For information on completing the template fields, see Creating an Action Item.
The following rules apply when completing attribute fields in the action item template:
If you leave the Assignee field blank, this field is automatically populated with the name of the user who imports the spreadsheet into Windchill.
Some fields (such as Status and Assignee) include drop-down menus. The menu options are pre-populated with information based on the Windchill context.
Any formatting changes you make to the template are lost when importing the spreadsheet back into Windchill.
3. Save the template.
Do not change the file type. Only Microsoft Excel XML files can be imported into Windchill.
If you want to change the file name, enter it inside quotation marks (for example, “My Action Items.xls”). The quotation marks indicate that the file is not in XLS format, even though it has an .xls extension.
4. Import the template to create new action items.
a. Navigate to the Tasks table and select Actions > Import from Excel.
b. Browse to the template file and click OK.