HRIS Integration FAQ's

What is a HR Feed?

The HR Feed is an automated process for transferring HR, payroll, or user management system data into Acorn PLMS. Data is transferred using secure file delivery and updated on a daily schedule for accuracy and consistency.

Why is a HR feed important or recommended?

It ensures user account information (e.g., divisions, positions, reporting structures, organisational supervisor hierarchy) and related HR data is kept up to date in Acorn. It ensures active users can resume access, as well as restricting terminated users from accessing Acorn. The most important aspect is the automation, as it drastically decreases the risk of human error when handling large sets of user data.

What are the benefits to using an automated HR feed process?

Automation of new user data – New users will be automatically created and this reduces the manual work for Admins. Less chance of human error when handling potentially sensitive employee information.

One source of truth – Keep your HR system as your single source of truth, and be confident it will be reflected accurately in your Acorn system.

Supervisor functions – Having a regular sync between your HR system and Acorn ensures your organisational supervisor hierarchy and reporting structures are up to date.

Cohort automations – Automate users being assigned/removed from cohorts based on their employee data. Set and forget.

Reporting – Apply filters or report directly on specific user groups based on their cohort assignments.
Content & Workflow Restrictions – Restrict content or apply certain workflows to specific user groups based on their cohort assignments.

What protocol is used for file transfer?

We use Secure FTP (SFTP) over SSH for all file transfers. This ensures your HR data is exchanged safely, with full encryption from end to end.

Do you support other file transfer methods?

Our standard is SFTP, as it’s the most secure and reliable option. Some customers may be familiar with alternatives like FTPS, HTTPS, or AS2, but these are not supported. If SFTP isn’t suitable for your environment, we recommend using our API endpoints as a modern and secure alternative for data exchange.

How do I provide the HR Feed file?

There are two options:

File Retrieved: You host the file on your SFTP server, and Acorn retrieves it on a schedule you define.
File Provided – Acorn gives you SFTP details to upload your CSV file directly to their server.

Reach out to our support team if you require further information regarding the options listed above.

What format should the HR Feed be in?

The feed must be provided as a CSV file with the following required fields:

First Name (firstname)

Last Name (lastname)

Email Address (email)

Username (If you are using different email and usernames)

Supervisor Email Address (manager_email)

Optional fields can also be included, depending on your organisation’s requirements.

How often should the HR Feed be processed?

It is recommended that the file is updated and delivered nightly between 1am and 6am. This ensures that user and organisational data in Acorn PLMS remains current each day.

What information does Acorn need to set up the HR Feed?

To configure the integration, the first step is confirming whether the file will be sent to Acorn or retrieved by Acorn from your server.

Once that is confirmed, you should provide:

The agency/company name

SFTP details (authentication credentials and IP address if uploading)

The exact spreadsheet filename
The expected schedule for updates (ideally daily)

What if new headers/fields are added to the feed?

If you plan to add new headers or userfields to your CSV feed, please notify the Acorn Support Team before making changes.
This ensures that:

The new fields are correctly mapped in Acorn PLMS.
No errors occur in the nightly upload process.
Data integrity and user provisioning remain consistent.

Are there other methods to provide Bulk update user data?

Yes. In addition to SFTP file transfer, Acorn also supports:

API Integration: Your development team can integrate directly with Acorn’s API to push HR data into the system, contact us and we can provide you with our API tokens.

Manual Bulk Upload: Acorn Admins can upload CSV files manually through the frontend interface.

These options may suit organisations that prefer real-time integration or require flexibility outside the scheduled SFTP feed.

Can we use manual bulk upload if SFTP or API feed is enabled?

No. If an SFTP feed or API feed is active, the manual bulk upload option is disabled.
This is done to:

Prevent user data from being overwritten or duplicated

Ensure consistency between your source system and Acorn
Avoid confusion caused by conflicting updates

Can I batch upload new users only through my HR feed without impacting existing user?

No, if you are using the HR feed to manage supervisor relationships, all existing users and their associated supervisors must be included in the upload.
Uploading only new users will create supervisor mappings only for those newly added users, resulting in an incomplete hierarchy for the rest of the user base.
To ensure supervisors appear correctly across the entire system, include both existing and new users along with their supervisors in each HR feed file.

Can one file transfer process service multiple Acorn tenancies?

No, each Acorn tenancy must have its own dedicated HR feed configuration and separate files. A single file transfer process cannot update or manage multiple tenancies simultaneously. To maintain data integrity and prevent cross-tenancy conflicts, ensure that each tenancy has its own feed with only the users relevant to that tenancy.

Who do I contact if I have issues with my HR Feed?

If you encounter setup or transfer issues, you can contact the Acorn Support Team.

Our technical support staff will assist in troubleshooting and ensuring your HR Feed integration runs smoothly.