Electronic Reporting Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who can receive and file data via internet?

The process for setting up a company to report electronically has changed for the 2007 Economic Census. All companies can report electronically via the internet. A company can click on Electronic Reporting to download forms and submit data electronically.

2. Where do I find the user ID and password?

The user ID (UID) and password (PW) are provided in the mailing label of the form. For previous electronic reporters, they are also predefined in the transmittal sheet we mailed to your company. Please see the Electronic Reporting page for more information.

3. How do I enter a time extension?

You can enter a time extension by clicking on Online Services, then click on Login Page. Continue through the next two screens and enter your user ID (UID) and password (PW), click Log In and when the next screen appears, click on Time Extensions.

4. How do I submit my responses?

Go to Tools | Submit Responses and follow on-screen instructions.

5. Are there other ways to send the data other than the Internet?

Yes. You can send data back via diskette or CD-ROM. Copy the data to a diskette or CD-ROM and mail to the following address:

Bureau of the Census
1201 E. 10^th St.
Building 61A
Jeffersonville, IN 47132-0001

6. Is there a way that I can find out the number of locations contained in Surveyor?

There is no tally of the number of prelisted locations displayed in Surveyor. The only way to find out the total is to count locations in the Inbox or to visit Online Services, and login using your user ID and password, and select "Filing Status". Also, you may view the establishments in the Workbook view, to see the number of establishments by form type.

7. Is there a way to find out which forms were completed within the software?

Yes. There is a Status column in the Inbox view of Surveyor which lists status by location. The status of the form is either 'Not Started', 'In Progress', or 'Submitted'.

8. What can I do if I am having trouble downloading the GIDS Surveyor?

Downloading trouble may be due to several reasons, such as:

• your firewall prevents software downloads,
• your company policy forbids downloads and/or installation of downloaded software,
• your company policy forbids access to the Internet

Please call our Electronic Reporting Operations Branch at 1-800-838-2640 for assistance.

9. I am getting an error message when loading the software. What do I do?

Please call our Electronic Reporting Operations Branch at 1-800-838-2640.

10. How do I add or correct store numbers?

You may correct store numbers in the Form or Workbook views within the Surveyor Software or in the exported spreadsheets from Surveyor.

11. How can I tab through questions?

Tabbing is only allowed between answer fields within a question. To move from one question to another, the user must click in the Item List or use the Next Item button.

12. How can I get a copy of the instructions to complete a form?

Instructions in PDF format can be found at our Business Help Site:

 Go to the Search For box.
 Input your keyword(s); i.e. MA-10000
 Click Search button.

13. Where do I find Item 30 on the electronic form?

The certification question (Item 30) does not appear on the CSAQ report form. There is a separate Response Certification form that you will complete as part of the data submission process.

14. There is limited space in the Remarks section. What do I do?

If you run out of space, send a secure message containing the additional information. You will need userid (UID)/password (PW) combination that was mailed to you earlier. Click on Contact Us | Secure Messaging Center (SMC)

15. Can I use Copy/Paste to populate data cells?

Yes, Copy/Paste for large quantities of data may cause a delay in processing. Allow the operation to complete before proceeding to another operation within the software. Verify your data after each Copy/Paste to ensure the data were entered correctly.

16. How do I Review Data for all forms?

In the Surveyor software, click on Tools|Review All Forms. Perform this task before submitting your data to the Census Bureau.

17. How do I delete data from a data cell in the Workbook view?

Double clicking on a cell in the Workbook view and pressing backspace or delete may not permanently delete data from the cell. Right Click on your mouse and select Clear Contents to delete data from the data cells.