As a Manager level account, you may have permissions to create (and manage) User Accounts on Spark.
You can do this by creating accounts individually, or you can create many accounts simultaneously using the Bulk Import feature and a spreadsheet file.
Bulk Import Users
If you have a large number of users to add to the system, this can be done by bulk import using any of the following formats: .CSV (comma-separated values), .TSV (tab-separated values), Excel spreadsheet (.XLS/.XLSX) or .XML. It is recommended to use a .CSV or .XLSX format with minimal/no formatting.
Before You Start
Before you are able to Bulk Import, you will need to ensure you have two completed tasks.
- A correct file with the User Details you wish to add to the platform; and
- Organisation Units set up in the Spark LMS or organise your users into and report on.
Your file is recommended to be in .csv, .xls or .xslx format to maximise compatibility. Avoid any blank rows, filtering, or colour formatting. It must include all of the required minimum fields:
- First Name;
- Last Name;
- Email Address (or Mobile Number if no email is available); and
- Organisation Unit.
Your file can include other columns for fields that have been set up in the platform as well.
Ensure that you label the column headings as such so that the fields can be easily mapped on import.
You may wish to include a column for Tags, depending on the complexity requirements of your training rollout. When you upload your file, it will apply an automatic tag relating to the date of the import.
Uploading your File
To bulk import multiple users simultaneously, begin by clicking on "Users" in the main navigation:
Click the drop-down arrow at the end of the "+ Create new user" option, and select "Bulk import users".
Click "Choose file" and select the file you wish to import, and then click "Continue" to move forward.
On the next step of the process, the Spark LMS will auto-detect the filetype, columns in the file that match the data fields in the system, and the number of users. If this has detected correctly, click "Continue" to proceed. If this is not detecting all of your fields, you may be able to correctly match them in the next step as well.
The Field Mapping step will allow you to confirm your column headers against the field titles in the platform. In the Source Field dropdowns, select the correct field from your spreadsheet file that corresponds with the platform field shown on the left.
If you do not have a field that matches and is not a required field, e.g. you do not have a Mobile numbers column but have listed an Email Address for each user, or you do not have a Tags column, you should leave those fields blank.
The last step before the review stage is called Value Conversion. This is where you will be able to confirm the conversion of some fields into other fields that already exist.
The most common occurrence for this is the Organisation Unit field, where you will be able to confirm that each Organisation Unit will correctly map into the correct locations of the Organisational Structure.
It is on this step that you will also be able to add any overall tags to be applied to the users in this upload, or change the Timezone of the users from the default. The Additional Tags field will include by default an import tag referencing the date of this upload.
If you are intending to distribute training to this specific group of users after the import is complete, it is advised that you make note of and retain the auto-generated tag.
Once you have reviewed/confirmed the fields as correct, click "Continue" to proceed to the review stage.
The Review step will show a summary of the identified valid and rejected records.
If you have records that are marked as rejected, you will be able to review them at the bottom of this page.
To review why the records were rejected, you can click the "View full details" button. This will display the issue that caused the record to not pass validation.
You cannot edit records during importing. Any changes will need to be made to the import file and reuploaded, or the rejected users will need to be uploaded separately as a different upload.
The valid records can then be imported into the platform by clicking "Import X valid users". This is the final step of the import process, and will add the users to the platform.
Once the import is complete, you will see a temporary message to confirm that the import has been successful, as well as an option to distribute training to that group of trainees.
If you do not choose to distribute training at this time, you will be able to do so at a later time using the tags you have created for the users, the Organisation Units that they have been associated with, or on an individual basis.
Create Individual Users
To create an individual user account, click on "Users" in the main navigation:
It is recommended that for individual user creation you search for their email address/mobile number before creating a new account to confirm if an account already exists for them.
Select the button "Create new user".
The Create new user view will allow you to fill in the profile details for a new user account.
For minimum requirements, you will need to fill in the details for:
- First Name;
- Last Name;
- Email address (or Mobile Number);
You may see account status options for the user creation. This will allow you to set the status of the created account, as well as determine how the account functions - for example, if they will appear in searches, if they are disallowed from participating in training content, or if they will not be sent any system communications. These settings can be changed after user creation as well.
It is recommended that you also associate a user to an "Organisational unit". This will help you report on and distribute training to that user, as well as provide any manager of that Organisation unit with access to their account.
You may also see fields on this screen that relate to specific features enabled for your LMS, or custom fields that have been set up.
Once you have filled in the relevant details for your user, click the "Create user" button to complete the process.
The user will be created, and you will then be able to manage their account and distribute training content, where relevant.