Frequently Asked Questions¶
Reporting Data¶
How do I report data?
There are three way of reporting data:
Reports Due: Use the top menu in the Sustainability Tool to navigate to the ‘Reports Due’ page. From here, you will be sent to a landing page listing all of the metrics you need to report against for the reporting period.
API: Functionality within the Tool allows for an API to automatically pull data through from existing external systems. Please contact charles.naud@actionsustainability.com to discuss set up.
Document Upload: Certain documentation can be asked for to be submitted alongside metrics. Document upload functionality (where setup) is seen at the end of metric rows on the ‘Reports Due’ page.
What happens to my reported data?
Once you have submitted your performance data for a reporting period, a notification will be automatically sent to User(s) responsible for reviewing your data. They will then evaluate the information for errors, before either accepting or rejecting the submitted report. The following is true for each:
Accepted: Your data will be collected and aggregated into the existing data within a company project. This information will visible on dashboards, project graphs and project tables.
Rejected: As the reporter, you will recieve and email notification that your submitted data has rejected. To amend your data, you will need to login to the Tool, access your reports submitted through the top menu, select ‘view’ on the rejected reporting package and then resubmit your data once you have made the amendments. To note, reviewers have the option to leave comments next to each metric so it should be easy to identify issues.
Why can’t I report against some metrics?
During the project setup, your account will have been designed so that you are only able to access certain areas within the Tool and are responsible for only reporting against relevant metrics.
It may also be the case that the reason you cant report against is that no data is requested for that period. Metrics have different frequencies meaning some may be needed monthly, with others only every 6 months. You can see the reporting frequency for a metric, and when it next needs to be reported, on the right of each row in your ‘reports due’ page.
If you are not able to report against a metric but believe you should be, please email charles.naud@actionsustainability.com
What do I do if I have submitted the wrong information?
If you have entered incorrect data incorrectly, please email your data approver. They will be able to reject the reporting package that needs to be edited which will then allow you to go back and alter the information.
For any altered data, please leave a comment next to the changed metrics to note what has changed and why.
Why can’t I see my reported data on the dashboard and graphs?
Your reported data will only be seen within the Tool once it has been accepted in the following areas:
Issue and Indicator Tiles
Performance Graphs
Data that has been submitted but not accepted is shown in the performance table at the bottom of a dashboard. This data is still visible once accepted, but it is the only place on the dashboard where non-accepted data is visible and accounted for.
Reviewing Performance¶
Why are some of my issue and indicator tiles grey?
The Sustainability Tool uses RAG rating to denote performance against targets and thresholds (red: below target+threshold, amber: between target and threshold, green: above target).
A grey tile is shown for two reasons:
That issue or indicator has no target set against it and therefore no descernible performance.
The metric data required to calculate the indicator has not been reported and therefore no performance can be measured.
If you believe an indicator has complete data and targets set for it, but it is still showing as grey, please contact charles.naud@actionsustainability.com
What is the difference between a sustainability issue and a sustainability indicator?
Put simply, indicators feed into issues, with the sustainability issues acting as categories within which indicators sit.
Performance against an indicator is calculated by reported metrics, whereas the performance (and RAG colouring) for the sustainability issues comes from the indicators within said issue. Therefore:
Metrics –> Indicator –> Sustainability Issues
Why can I see data in my performance table but not on the performance graph?
The performance tables collect and visualise all data that has been entered into the Tool (for that particular level and indicator) whereas graphs only display data that has been accepted by an approver.
Therefore if a table is showing three months of data but said data is not on the performance graph, it will likely mean that your data hasnt been accepted and/or data may have been reviewed and rejected. You can check the status of your submitted reports on the ‘reports submitted’ page, accessible through the top navigation menu.