Edit: Used proper explanation from PTC instead
"Once importable spreadsheets have been created, they can be imported using the “Import from Spreadsheet” action available on the Action menu of the desired Product or Library.
You can import part and product structure data from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet into a library or product. Importing allows you to build product structures from existing parts, create new parts, or update existing parts using data in the import spreadsheet.
You can import the following types of data:
- New parts or modifications to existing parts.
- For example, a component engineer receives a spreadsheet from a vendor with updated part data for a particular manufacturer. The spreadsheet contains both new parts (replacement for obsolete) as well as modifications to existing parts (for example, changes to the life cycle status or environmental regulatory compliance data). When the component engineer imports the spreadsheet, new parts are created in the target library or product, and modified parts are iterated.
- A new bill of materials (BOM) or modifications to an existing BOM.
- For example, a design engineer may need to send a completed design to an external manufacturing partner for review. The design engineer exports a product structure to a spreadsheet and sends it to the manufacturing engineer. The manufacturing engineer reviews the spreadsheet, makes changes, and sends it back to the design engineer who can then import the modified spreadsheet back in Windchill PDMLink to create a new Manufacturing view of the BOM.
When you export parts or product structures from Microsoft Excel to Windchill
PDMLink, consider the following:
- You can import a spreadsheet with multiple worksheets.
- In Row 1, the first cell contains a string that defines the type of data to be imported:
- For parts: ImportSheetType=PART
- For a BOM: ImportSheetType=BOM
- Rows 2 through 5 of each worksheet are reserved for comments. If you previously exported the spreadsheet from Windchill PDMlink, row 5 may contain logical IDs for the attributes included in the spreadsheet.
- Row 6 contains column headers.
- Rows greater than or equal to 7 contain the data to be imported.
- The order of columns in the spreadsheet is not fixed.
- If you want to exclude one or more worksheets from import, leave the first cell of the worksheet empty or change the value for ImportSheetType, for example, set it to ImportSheetType=NONE. A worksheet that does not list the correct value (PART, AXL, or BOM) will be excluded on import."
Taken from https://learningexchange.ptc.com/tutorial/124/using-the-import-from-spreadsheet-action-in-windchill-pdmlink
