Executing a Job

When executing a job you have several options available to you:

• You can test the settings by performing a dummy run (the database is not updated and the panelists are not reserved).
• You can perform a “real” sample selection procedure with or without final reports.
• If you create a sample file you can specify whether it is to be uploaded automatically into a project, and if so, which project.
• You can define when you want the execution job to be performed, and whether or not you want the job to be repeated at specified intervals.

Proceed as follows (note that the process is divided into sections depending on the selections you make):

1. In the Current Job > Execution tab, check the details presented on the tab and make the appropriate settings.
2. In the Job Execution (upper) section, click Execute Job.

The Execute Job Properties dialog box opens as shown below - . Use the options in this dialog to select the desired type of result.



Figure 1 - The Execute Job Properties dialog box

• Update Panel – ensure this box is checked if you wish to create a sample and update the database. This action will reserve the selected panelists for the job, ensuring they cannot be used for other jobs during the exclusion periods.

Click in the box to deselect it if you wish to perform a “dummy-run” of the sample selection process. Forsta Plus will then apply all the expressions and exclusions, will check the system setup, and will present a report with all the appropriate information, but no changes will be made in the database and the panelists will not be reserved. Use this to test the job setup to ensure you get the required panel. You can perform as many dry-runs as you wish.

Note: If you execute the job with the Update Panel option selected, you can remove the panelist reservations from the database afterwards. To do this, click the Remove Job from Panel button that appears in the tab’s toolbar.

• Generate Sample File – ensure this box is checked if you require the sample file (the list of panelists reserved for the job) to be created. Note that you cannot Upload the sample if the sample file is not created.

Note: If you select to generate the sample file but not to update the panel database, then Forsta Plus will have no record that the selected panelists have been involved with this job. These same panelists may then be included in later jobs, and will not be excluded automatically by date and/or category.

Note: When the sample file is generated, each panelist is assigned a random mailcode value from 0 to 9. This code is used to determine which batch the panelist is to be included in for email invitations and reminders. When the number of batches is selected, the panelists are divided amongst the batches according to their mailcode value. If only one batch is to be used, the mailcode value is ignored and all panelists in the sample file are included. If for example the number of batches is set to 2, then panelists with mailcode values 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be allocated to the first batch and those with values 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 to the second batch. If the number of batches is set to 10, all panelists with mailcode 0 will be in the first batch to be sent, all panelists with mailcode 1 will be in the second batch to be sent etc.

• Comments – type any comments into the free-text data field.
• Upload Sample - check this box if you wish to upload the resulting sample file directly into a project. When checked, the two options below are activated. Note that if you select this option you must click Next and then make further selections (go to Upload Sample Properties for more information).
• Existing Project - select this option if you wish to upload the sample file to an existing project.
• New Project - select this option if you wish to upload the sample file to a new project.
• Start Time – specify the time when the task is to commence. Click the down arrow to open a drop-down list of the options available:
• ASAP – start the job as soon as possible. The job will be queued behind any other jobs awaiting processing in the database, and will be run as soon as the processor is available.
• Schedule for later execution – select this option if you want to run the job execution procedure at a later time. If this option is selected, when you click OK, a dialog opens in which you can set the required time and date for the procedure to be run, and whether you want the job to be repeated.
3. Select the required options and click Next or Finish as appropriate.

If you have selected to upload the sample, when you click Next the Upload Sample Properties page opens (go to Upload Sample Properties for more information). If you have not selected to upload the sample, when you click Finish the sample selection task begins as defined by the specified Start Time. While the task is running a Progress and Information window is displayed to keep you informed of progress, as shown in the example below - .



Figure 2 - Example of the Execute Job task information page

The task may take some time depending on the size of the panelist database and the exclusion criteria set. When the Execute function is completed, the text "Task Complete" appears at the bottom of the task list.

4. When the task has completed, click the Back button (see the figure above) to return to the Execution tab.

Once the task is complete, if the sample file has been created, you can upload the file into a Forsta Plus project. In this case, an Upload button appears in the Job Runs (lower) section on the Execution tab (go to Uploading the Sample File for more information).

Note: Unless the Preapproved box on the Execution tab has been checked, the sample list you have created will now need to be checked and approved by a manager. The manager’s Forsta Plus access will have been set up by the system administrator, and when the manager logs on and opens the job, the Execution tab will have two additional buttons; Approve and Decline. The manager will check the sample list and then click the appropriate button.

Deleting a Job from the Execute List

Once a job is scheduled for execution it will be listed in the Scheduling window. Go to this window to delete a job before it is executed (go to Aborting the Execution of a Sampling Job for more information).