The Exceptions feature allows you to process exceptions in myAvail. If you have permission to process Exceptions, this card will be visible to you.
Exceptions are data from vehicles that do not conform with expected values. Passenger counters and the farebox generate these data. myAvail assigns ridership and fare data with the following values:
- Operator ID
- Block ID
- Run ID
- Route ID
- Trip ID
- Stop ID (when action occurs at a stop)
The system validates these values both individually and in relationship to each other when they are assigned to a single record. myAvail verifies that the stop is valid for the trip, the trip is valid for the run, and the run is valid for the block. If any of these validations do not pass, the record will be an Exception.
Accurately correcting these errors improves the accuracy of all future reporting.
Picking a Probe Date
After opening the Exceptions card, the only item that you can select is the Probe Date drop-down list (pictured below). This list displays the probe dates that are ready for processing. You can only select the first date available. The system restricts choice in this case because it is crucial that you process exceptions in chronological order to produce valid data for myAvail’s Business Intelligence.
After you complete the processing for the first probe date, the system automatically selects the next available probe date for processing if multiple Probe Dates are available. If there are no exceptions in the system, myAvail prompts you to transfer data to the Farebox tables.
Selecting a Test
After you select a Probe Date, myAvail enables the test buttons. Green checkmarks identify tests that do not have any exceptions. A red circle with a number indicates that a test has that many exceptions. Click a test to begin correcting exceptions.
Correcting Exceptions
After you select a test, several grids appear. The large grid that fills the width of the page is the Exceptions Grid (pictured below). myAvail displays all the exceptions for a test in this grid, and it is where you make the corrections.
- You can edit all columns in this grid except for Record Timestamp, Service Date (Sdate), and Vehicle Id. Edit a value by clicking it. After the editor is open, choose a value from the drop-down list or free- type it to enter it in the field. All values in all drop-downs are sorted numerically for ease of use. You cannot type in values that are not included in the drop-down list.
- Click the Cancel button at any time to discard your changes. Cancel can affect multiple rows
- myAvail highlights columns in red when it contains exceptions for the validation test. For example, in the above grid, myAvail highlights the Operator Id column. myAvail does not consider a record as being corrected until you modify and save.
- After you correct all the records for a vehicle, click the Save Changes button to save your update and the record will be removed from the exceptions list and moved to the reporting database. If you update a record with an incorrect value and click Save Changes, the software keeps the record on the screen for you to re-update correctly.
IMPORTANT TIPS
- You should avoid using the Accept or Accept All buttons when managing exception records. Using the 'Accept' or the 'Accept All' buttons removes your opportunity to scrub the data to ensure accuracy, before moving it to the reporting database where it becomes available information in ridership reports. Use the 'Accept' button for very rare cases when the software declines a record as valid but you know it is correct. IMPORTANT TIP: Use the Replay Tool to verify what really happened on the road at the vehicle level BEFORE using the 'Accept' button.
- When you click 'Accept', the system takes that record ( or any records you've highlighted) ‘as is’ and will be undefined in your ridership reports.
- When you click 'Accept All' the software will move all records for the selected probe date over to the reporting database 'as is'- meaning the data will be incorrect and undefined in your farebox and APC reports related to ridership metrics.
- To accept a record you know is correct, highlight the record(s) that you want to accept and click the Accept button on the toolbar above the grid. The system uses a green highlight to identify the records that you accept, and it will remove them from the exceptions grid the next time changes are saved. Read additional important info here.
- You can manage multiple records at one time by clicking and dragging on the grid, holding the CTRL key and clicking records, or by holding the SHIFT key and clicking two records to select all records between:
- Use Case: "All these records belong to the same trip for vehicle X yesterday. Let's do a group update for them for trip Y. I'll click the first record for vehicle X, hold the shift key down, then click on the last record for vehicle X, and update to trip Y- all at one time. Press 'Save' to finish."
- If a driver enters an incorrect Driver ID# or Run ID# the system now will autocorrect these. This significantly reduces the number of exception records you'll see when processing them.
- Processing of the APC exception data will be automatic and not apparent to the person processing the exceptions.
Editing Multiple Records
The Group Editing function of the Exceptions Grid allows you to edit multiple records simultaneously. It is located on the right side of the toolbar above the Exceptions Grid.
The first drop-down list in the Group Editor allows you to select the column of the Exceptions Grid that you want to edit. The second drop-down list contains a list of valid IDs for that column. By default, the column that is being reviewed is selected. After an ID is chosen, the Set button modifies all selected records that contain that ID.
Suggestions
By looking at both schedule and historical data, myAvail will provide suggestions for many exceptions. These suggestions are shown in the Suggestions Grid located in the lower left of the Exceptions tab.
When you select a single record on the Exceptions Grid, the Suggestions Grid displays suggestions that myAvail has found. To correct a record using a suggestion, click Select next to the suggestion.
Record Context
The record context displays records that the system received around the same time as the record you selected. The record you selected is highlighted in blue. Records that are exceptions in the current test are highlighted in red. This information can assist in figuring out which update to make.
Record Info
The Record Info grid, located on the tab titled ‘Record Info’ at the bottom right of the Exceptions tab, provides cash counts, fare counts, and farebox inputs for the currently selected record. Records with monetary values attached should not be deleted.
Deleting Records
Deleting records works similarly to accepting records. To delete a record, highlight the record(s) that need to be deleted and click the ‘Delete’ button on the toolbar above the grid. The system highlights the records in red and removes them from the exception grid the next time changes are saved.
Other Exceptions Grids
While most of the procedures above apply to the Vehicle ID and Fare Type tests, there are several differences that you should note.
VEHICLE ID TEST
Because a vehicle has many records associated with it, a Vehicle ID exception can comprise several records. Consequently, a Vehicle ID test displays as a single row but has many records under it. To show the records related to a Vehicle ID exception, click the arrow located on the left side of the exception.
FARE TYPE TEST
Use this test to correct invalid farebox inputs. The Fare Type test works on fare records. In this grid, you can modify only the Farebox Input column. If you see errors here, confirm that your fares are mapped to the correct routes, service levels, etc. in DataPoint ( Operations Product Suite).
SERVICE DATE TEST
While this grid appears to be the same grid that myAvail uses for many other tests, a crucial difference is that you can modify the Service Date column in this grid. When you modify the Service Date, myAvail updates the SL ID (Service Level ID) to reflect the Service Level that is active on the new Service Date. Unlike the other grid editors, which are drop-down lists, the Service Date editor is a calendar from which you choose a date.
Making Data Ready For Reporting
After all the records have been corrected, myAvail asks if you want to make these data ready for reporting. Click ‘Yes’ to transfer data from the Holding Tanks to the Farebox tables, where the system can include them in reports. This process can take over a minute to complete.
Two errors can prevent myAvail from preparing the records for reporting. The first error, record IDs in the Holding Tank tables already exist in the Farebox tables, is corrected by myAvail automatically. The second type of error, caused by multiple active items sharing Farebox IDs, cannot be corrected automatically and requires intervention from Avail or a system administrator.
If you decline to make data ready for reporting when the prompt is shown, you can still move data over by clicking Probe Date again.