Using the Quotas applet (r9)

Quotas are primarily managed in the Quotas applet by entering a maximum number (also called a quota target or quota "cap") for each quota group.

The Quotas applet can be found within the Field > Quotas group in the left navigation menu. You can navigate directly to the applet, or you can click on the main Quotas applet group button to be sent directly to the Quotas page.

Note, the Quotas applet is intended for controlling quotas with a fixed target number, e.g., 100, for each quota group option. The software will only consider this number when deciding if a quota has been met. However, quotas in the Audience Quotas applet are controlled by a calculated maximum quota. Here, the user inputs a total target number, and the software automatically assigns percentages to each quota group option, distributing the total target N accordingly across the quota groups. The software will consider both the quota's target and the permitted variance when determining if a quota has been met or not.

Overview

Each quota is represented by a table in the Quotas applet, with each row representing a different quota bucket (group). Individual quota buckets with assigned quota caps change colors depending on the progress being made against their targets. This helps call attention to rows with low counts, high counts, and overages in cases when quota variables have many buckets that need to be monitored. Cells that are editable are highlighted in light blue.

Quota filters

The Quotas applet includes filters for viewing and searching quotas. Users can search for specific quotas using the Quick search field or the Chapters dropdown menu.

The Quick search field allows users to search by quota names or descriptions; quota bucket text is not searchable. To clear the search filter, delete the text, or click the 'X' icon.

The Chapters dropdown displays the chapters containing quotas. Users may select one or more options from this menu, and also combine these selections with the Quick search field if needed.

Viewing options

The Quotas applet defaults to displaying large tables in a "full view." You may click the View button to switch to a "compact view." Click it again to return to full view. 

Bucket colors

All buckets start off without coloring. When certain percentage milestones are reached, they change colors. The colors and their corresponding percentage ranges are:

• Less than 50% - No color
• 50% to 79.99% - Green
• 80% to 89.99% - Yellow
• 90% to 99.99% - Orange
• 100%+ - Red

Setting quota caps

To set or alter a quota target, click into the cell corresponding to the quota group you wish to change. Then, enter your new maximum target. Click outside the cell, or press Tab or Enter, to save the new maximum. The quota bucket's row may change color to reflect its percent completion toward the cap.

Downloading quotas

To download the current quota information for a given survey, select the Download option on the left side of the action toolbar. An Excel file will automatically download, and a green confirmation message will appear at the top of the screen. The file name will include the survey ID, date, and time of the export.

The spreadsheet contains three introductory lines which include the Survey ID, survey Description, and the Date/Time the export was created. Beneath the introductory text is a table for each quota found in the Quotas applet. 

The heading for each table contains the field name and description of the quota variable, and each quota bucket is labeled with an ID code and description. The two columns to the right of the quota name are Total, which is the number of respondents classified in each bucket, and Quota, which is the maximum quota entered.

Uploading quotas

The downloaded spreadsheet is the starting template for using the quota upload tool. This feature is extremely useful for quickly updating multiple quota targets.

To upload new quota maximums, first download the quotas spreadsheet. After adjusting the totals in the Quota column of the sheet and saving the file, it is ready to be uploaded. Note, the sheet is intentionally protected to prevent any accidental edits outside of the Quota column. Do not edit text in any other cells, or the upload will fail.

Next, click the Upload button. A modal/pop-up will appear, prompting the user to select the file to upload. Click inside the dotted box to find the file, or drag and drop a file from your device into the modal.

Once the file has been selected or dropped, click the Upload button. When the file is uploaded, a green confirmation message will appear at the top of the screen.

When uploading quotas, all previous quota targets will be overwritten with the quota values in the uploaded spreadsheet. Changes should be verified by reviewing quotas in the applet to ensure they match the maximums entered on the spreadsheet. It may be necessary to click the Refresh button in the action toolbar to see the updated targets.

Scheduling emails

You can schedule email sends for a quota report by selecting the Schedule Email button on the action bar.

On the next screen, enter a description for the file. Click Save & Schedule Export to continue. You will be redirected to the Deliverables applet to continue the scheduling process.

For instructions on how to schedule an email, see the Schedule emails section in the Deliverables article.

Viewing the history log

The History button shows a list of all modifications to all quotas, including those managed in the Audience Quotas applet.

The changes are displayed in reverse chronological order, and the following information is displayed:

If there are more changes than what can appear on screen, page numbers will appear at the bottom right of the screen. You can click the page numbers to navigate forwards and backwards. All columns can be adjusted in width, and the Change Date & Time, Quota Field, Quota Group, and User columns can be sorted by clicking on the column's header. Click Browse Quotas to return to the main view at any time.