Import OGSM from Excel
You have an OGSM in Excel and want to move it to OGSM.online. The import function does that in three steps: download the template, fill it in, and upload it. Afterwards your OGSM is ready in the OGSM of your choice.
What you need
- You are a main administrator.
- An existing OGSM where the items should land.
- The existing OGSM.
Step 1: Download the import template
- Go to Settings > Import and export.
- Click Download template. You receive an Excel file with five tabs:
| Tab | Content |
|---|---|
| Objective | The objective of your OGSM (one row) |
| Goals | The goals, each on its own row |
| Strategies | The strategies, each on its own row |
| KPIs | Per strategy: the related KPIs |
| Actions | Per strategy: the related actions |
Step 2: Fill in the template
Fill in the data on the right tabs. A few things to keep in mind:
Linking an owner
In “Owner”, enter the full name exactly as it appears in OGSM.online. If the name does not match exactly, the field is left empty. You can assign owners afterwards.
Linking KPIs and actions to a strategy
On the KPIs and Actions tabs, the first column shows the name of the related strategy. That name must match exactly what you filled in on the Strategies tab, or an existing strategy in the OGSM in OGSM.online. You don’t need to repeat the name on every row — it is carried over as long as it doesn’t change.
Date format
Use the format DD-MM-YYYY for dates, or a date format that Excel recognises. Unreadable dates are skipped and reported during validation.
Note: make sure names are unique
The import links owners and strategies by name. If there are two users with the same name, or two strategies with the same title, the import quietly picks one without warning. You won’t see this back in the validation screen.
Step 3: Upload and validate
- Choose the canvas you want to import the OGSM into.
- Select your filled-in Excel file and click Upload and check.
OGSM.online checks the file and shows a summary of what will be imported. You see how many items will be added and whether there are warnings or errors.
- All green? Click Import.
- Errors? The error message tells you exactly which tab and row are causing the problem. Fix the error in your Excel file and upload again.
What already exists is not overwritten
The import only adds new items. If an objective, goal, strategy, KPI or action with the same title already exists in the OGSM, the import skips it. So you can safely re-import an updated version of your file without losing existing data.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add to an existing OGSM? Yes. The import adds and does not overwrite existing items. Existing items with the same title remain unchanged.
What if a strategy on the KPIs or Actions tab does not match a known name? The KPI or action is then skipped. You see this back as a warning in the validation screen. Change the name in your Excel file and import again.
Can I import multiple OGSMs in one file? No. Each import goes to one canvas. If you want to import multiple OGSMs, do that in separate steps.
Which file types are supported? Only .xlsx (Excel 2007 or newer).