How To: Request data from an external data provider

Often the person with the easiest access to the required data is not directly involved in the carbon footprint project. You can request data from these "data providers" through the system.

1. Navigate to the Request view which is found in the sidebar menu.

   

   Select Request from the sidebar menu
2. As with the Inventory, requests are displayed in a table and show one reporting period at a time.

   

   Example Request table with 1 request
3. Requests can be created individually or automatically according to the boundaries that you have set up (see Boundaries).

Create a Request Manually

1. Click on the Add button at the bottom right of the table.

2. A new request will be added to the table, and you can fill out the details directly in the table or by clicking on the row and opening the details pane.

   
3. You will need to provide the following

   1. Activity

   2. Reporting Period - Automatically populated

   3. Organizational Unit - Set to the company by default

   4. Data Provider - A valid email address

   5. Deadline - This is optional and purely informational. The system will not enforce this deadline.

   6. Template type & file - If you would like to change the default template sent with the request.

Create a Request from Boundaries

1. Click the Create from Boundaries button located above the table.

   

   Create from Boundaries button
2. This will create requests for all combinations of organizational unit and activity category.

3. You will have the option to keep or delete any existing requests.

   

   Confirm the action and choose how to deal with existing requests
4. Confirm the action and the table will be populated with the automatically generated requests.

   

   Automaticall generated requests
5. This is just a starting point and you are free to edit, delete, or add requests as needed.

6. You will then need to fill out the data provider email addresses.

Send the Request

1. Once the details are all populated, you will see the options to preview the request, view and edit the email, and send the email.

2. Previewing the request also allows you to upload the data yourself if you have received it through a different method. (See How To: Supply data to a request)
3. If you have additional instructions or notes you wish to add to the email, click on the Edit Email button to edit the email that will be sent to the data provider.

   

   Edit the data request email
4. To see the final formatting and style, click the Preview Mail button.

5. Click the Send Mail button on the modal or on the detail panel to send the request to the data provider.

6. You will see the state change to Pending.

Importing the provided data

1. Once the data provider has added the requested data, the state will change to Awaiting Import.

2. Click the Import Data button.

3. Follow the import process as normal (see Import). The file from the request will be automatically applied.
4. Once imported, you can view the data in the inventory.

5. Attached to each imported entry, you will find the data file and any supporting documents that the data provider has uploaded.

Related Documents

How To: Import data in bulk

Import Templates