Follow these steps to prepare for the next reporting cycle and effectively collect data from your portfolio companies.

1. Start a new year in the setup   ?

Before initiating reporting, a new year must be created in the platform to prevent data from overlapping with previous years. This ensures that the data remains distinct and is accurately reflected in both the Analytic and Tabulate Views.

Follow this guide in how to set a new year or contact your SPM.

2. Update and activate survey    

To achieve a high response rate and collect quality results, it is crucial to analyze responses and gather feedback from reporting companies. This process helps identify areas for improvement and streamlines the reporting experience. Your SPM can assist by offering guidance on best practices for effective data collection.

Refer to this guide for instructions on adjusting the survey or reach out to your SPM for further support.

Always consult with your SPM (Sustainability Platform Manager) before making any  changes if you have connected visualizations or scorings.

3. Update welcome email and text

A well formulated welcome text will aid the reporters in answering the survey and increase the chance of receiving responses within set deadlines.

Follow this guide in how to change the email and this guide to change the welcome text.

4. Update companies, tags and contacts   

Set the stage for successful reporting by ensuring respondent contact information is up to date for the welcome email.

Refer to this guide for step-by-step instructions on updating the contact person for each company.

5. Set clear deadlines   

Establishing a clear deadline helps set expectations for reporters and boosts response rates.

Make sure to include clearly defined deadlines in the welcome text and email communications. Learn how to add deadlines using placeholders in the welcome text here. Additionally, remember to include a deadline when sending out the survey!

6. Send out survey!   

All previous steps must be completed before sending out the survey. Once everything is finalized, you're ready to launch!

Remember to include a deadline, schedule reminders, and send the email. Refer to this guide for detailed instructions on how to send out the survey.

Note that Copy answers from previous survey means that the survey will be automatically pre-filled with last year’s  data.

Expert tips for successful data collection

• Gather feedback from portfolio companies after the reporting period to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with your SPM and SPA to optimize and refine your survey for better results.
• Craft a well-formulated welcome text with key information highlighted in bold or italic to ensure it stands out.
• Set and communicate clear deadlines to manage expectations effectively.
• Clearly specify who reporters should contact for any questions or assistance.
• Provide visualizations for portfolio companies to encourage reporting and engagement with their own data. Reach out to your SPM for support in enabling this feature!