Click on the ‘import’ button (Figure 1). You can find it on the Product Overview page, the Object Library, and the Mobius Homepage. Upon clicking the button, a pop-up will appear where you can import your file, as well as example import files available (Figure 2).

If you have modeled a product already or used a template, you can export the product’s structure to obtain its Excel format - this is also the import file. Click on the green Tools button in your product’s inventory, and click on ‘export structure (CSV)’ (Figure 3).

This first column is crucial for creating and structuring your import file. The levels determine your inventory's structure, and how your product or object is shown in Mobius. Specify the level using integer numbers only.

The Name column defines the names given to your products or objects. The column is mandatory because each item modeled in Mobius must have a unique name. Names can be defined using any alphanumeric symbols. These can be direct names (e.g. materials), but can also be strings of digits (e.g., codes extracted from an ERP system). Names of products and objects can always be changed at a later moment through the interface directly in Mobius.

You can add textual descriptions to each row, further defining the items in your import file. Potential ways to fill the description field include:

Specify the composition and numeric amounts used of your inputs for the product you want to import. Products on Level 1 should ideally be defined per single, unitary amount (1). If your Level 1 product’s amount deviates from ‘1’, Mobius automatically re-scales the import and all the inputs, so the final product on Level 1 is redefined per single (1) amount.

Most inputs in your product’s inventory are measured in a certain unit (e.g., kilograms (kg), kilowatt-hours (kWh), square meters (m2)). Use alphanumeric symbols to denote the unit in which the amount in column D is expressed. For your end product, this could also be a ‘neutral’ unit (e.g., piece (pc), pallet, or item). If you keep the fields in this column blank, Mobius will prefill it with a generic ‘Unit’ name.

This tells Mobius where the items should be created - on the Products page or the Object Library. We recommend storing your end products on the Products page and storing all necessary inputs to manufacture the products in the Object Library. If you leave this field blank, Mobius places all items in your import file in the Object Library. You can always move a product or an object to another place manually in Mobius, or at a later stage re-import the file with updated fields to overwrite the initial import.

The benefit of working this way with Mobius is having one list in your Object library that provides a nice overview and quick insights into your materials. Additionally, it makes managing objects easier, as you will only have one place where you need to change or update object data.

Some companies prefer to define objects in Mobius in line with the codes they use internally. The benefit of this is that everybody looking at the model internally will know exactly what you’re talking about, as internal codes are the same for everyone. You avoid the risk of different Mobius users modeling things differently.

In essence, importing such lists is similar to importing lists as described in the previous use case above. The only difference is that you must add an additional level in your structure in column A. Notice in Figure 10, how Level 1 defines the list, Level 2 always defines a certain code, while Level 3 specifies the inputs representing a certain code on Level 2. For instance, the code in row 11 is a component made of unalloyed steel, and also already includes the transportation element from the Supplier (in Vienna) to the Manufacturer (in Amsterdam).