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Data > File Consistency

KEY TOPICS:

  • What is a File Consistency Check?
    • How you can Make Corrections after the Scan is Run
  • Fine-tune File Consistency Check Settings
    • Display File Consistency Check Settings
    • Include or Exclude File Consistency Issues
    • Include a Comparison between the Prior and Current Rosters
  • Run File Consistency Scan and Display Results
  • Resolve Issues in Individual Employee Records
    • Change Record Type to Resolve an Issue
    • Ignore an Employee's Record
  • Solutions for Common Issues
  • Run: File Consistency Report and Batch Operations
  • Correcting Issues in a Master Plan

Scan Data Records to Flag Potential Inconsistencies

What is a File Consistency Check?

BalanceAAP runs a check for Data > File Consistency across each employee’s set of records to support the accuracy of plan results. While some inconsistencies reflect incorrect data entries or missing records, other issues may be acceptable within your organization’s data entry framework.

Quick Tip: All personnel actions in the data set must be associated with action dates (e.g., Promotion Date, Transfer Date) for these records to be included in the check. For more information, see: BalanceAAP Data Requirements Guide.

How you can Make Corrections after the Scan is Run

Once File Consistency tools are used to flag critical issues, the issues may be reviewed and addressed:

  • At the record level (as described below, under: Resolve Issues in Individual Employee Records)
  • Globally (as described under: Perform Batch Operations)

Fine-tune File Consistency Check Settings

Display File Consistency Check Options

On entry to File Consistency, the Edit Settings tab is active.

The first step is to open the Options menu to determine what issue types should be included in (or excluded from) the inspection. Click on the [Plus sign] on the right side of the Options header bar to display a list of options for tailoring the check to your needs.

Include or Exclude File Consistency Issues

The system will provide default options, but you can deselect or check off the options that work best for your organization’s data. The options, and associated issue definitions, are:

  • Personnel Action Not in Date Range — The records falls outside of the plan date range.
  • Employee Still In Roster — The employee remains on the Roster after being terminated.
  • Employee Not In Roster or Terminations — An employee with a personnel action is not reflected on one of these two tables.
  • Old Job does not match last New Job — An employee was hired, promoted, or transferred, and the Roster fails to reflect the current or latest Job Code. The system will also flag a mismatch in the progression of Job Codes.
  • Employee was Terminated — An employee with a personnel action after being terminated.
  • Hire Date is After Plan Date — The employee’s hire date occurs after the plan’s data evaluation period.
  • Missing New Hire Record — The employee is on the Roster with a hire date, but lacks a New Hire record.
  • Old Job Matches New Job — After a personnel action occurs, the employee’s starting job matches the end job. (Unchecked by default.)
  • Old Job Matches New Job and Old Department Matches New Department — The department remains the same after a personnel action occurred. (Unchecked by default.)
  • Employee was Already Hired — The employee has more than one New Hire record, without a Termination record between them.
  • (Master Plans) PA Plan Code does not match Roster Plan Code — The personnel action and Roster records for an employee have a Plan Code discrepancy.
  • Multiple Transactions on the Same Day

Include a Comparison between the Prior and Current Rosters

This setting is only available if:

  • The current Annual Plan is linked to a History > Source (prior balanceAAP plan or Start Point Analysis History plan)

    • OR

  • You are working in an Update plan (because it will be linked in the system to an Annual Plan)

If one of the above applies, navigate to: Prior Plan. Then, retain one or both of the default selections to:

  • Include prior year roster
    • Prior Year Roster Does Not Match
    • Not in Prior Year Roster

Run the File Consistency Scan and Display Results

Click the [Check File Consistency] button.

Once the system completes the File Consistency scan, the Issues tab displays in the tab header. (A tab also becomes available to run a Report on discovered issues, if desired.)

Navigate Between Issues

You may review (and resolve) the issues individually in the order the system presents. However, the following tools provider finer levels of control:

  • Click [Previous Employee] or [Next Employee].
  • Click the View Employees tab, and choose an employee (by Employee ID or in alphabetical order).

Records requiring attention will remain on the Issues tab until resolved.

Resolve Issues in Individual Employee Records

The Issues tab will display each employee’s single transaction or set of transaction records — one employee at a time — for resolution.

Spanning the top of this work area, a global banner reacts to whether a highlighted transaction record was found to have an issue OR the record is clear or serves as the governing record (e.g., Roster item). When the "issue" record is clicked, the banner will display the issue type and potential tools for resolving the discrepancy. Highlighting the "non-issue" or governing transaction will cause a green banner to display, reminding you of that finding.

The column header/toolbar for a transaction record will contain Edit and Delete icons for each one, and appropriate fields will be editable. For an "issue" record, this header will have a red background.

Quick Tip: After you type a few characters in an activated transaction Field, the system will provide suggested entries.

Change Record Type to Resolve an Issue

Also available while editing a transaction record, the Record Type, or personnel action (in the record's first row), may be updated by selecting a different option from the provided drop-down menu.

Ignore an Employee's Record

An employee can be removed from both the File Consistency check and the plan's calculations until further research is conducted. Simply click the [Ignore] button while the record(s) are displayed.

When the File Consistency check is run (or rerun), visit the Edit Settings tab and make selections on the Ignored Employees menu to:

  • IncludeExclude ignored employees (Default)

    • OR

  • ExcludeInclude ignored employees

Solutions for Common Issues

The following are some solutions for File Consistency issues:

PA Not In Date Range:

Check the personnel action date for missing or inaccurate information. If the action occurred outside the plan date range, delete the personnel action.

Still In Roster:

  • Add to the New Hire table — If the employee was re-hired
  • Remove From Roster — If the employee was terminated and not re-hired
  • Remove From Termination — If the employee was not terminated

Not In Roster or Terminations:

  • Add to Roster — If active as of the plan date
  • Add to Termination — If terminated following the personnel action and as of the plan date
  • Delete the Record — If either the roster record or the personnel action record is invalid

Last Job Does Not Match:

  • Add PA — To explain the job change from one action to the next
  • Edit Record — To change the start or end job for one or both of the actions
  • Delete Record — If one of the records is invalid

Employee was Terminated:

  • Add New Hire — Add a New Hire record to show the employee was rehired
  • Delete Record — If one of the records is invalid

Employee was Already Hired:

  • Add Termination — Add a Termination record to show employee was rehired
  • Delete Record — Delete one of the New Hire records

Hire Date after Plan Date:

  • Edit Record — Edit the hire date of the employee
  • Delete Record — Delete the Roster record if the employee was not employed on the plan date

Missing New Hire Record:

  • Add New Hire — Add a New Hire record to reflect the new hire date in the roster
  • Edit Record — Edit the hire date of the employee