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Animal Products E-cert Help Files

Tips for Increasing Efficiency

This information is not part of the E-cert specification.

Filling in lots of product items at once

If you have a number of product items to enter and they all have certain information in common, you can enter all the information, including all the process information, for the first product item and use the   button next to the heading for the product item to copy the information into all the other product items. Make sure you have the right number of blank items to start with.

Then all you have to do is edit whatever information is different in the subsequent product items. If you end up with more product items than you require, use the    button   to remove unwanted items. Take care though, because you can't undo this deletion.

Repetitive comments

If you use the same comments or transfer control declarations over and over again, type them into a word processor file and have it open while you are inputting EDs. You can then copy the declarations from the word processor file and paste them into the product item comments box to avoid having to repeatedly type them.

Container and seal numbers

To ensure there are no typing errors when manually entering these numbers into multiple product items, enter the first one then copy and paste it into the other product item container/seal number boxes. Alternatively use the Fill button as described above.

Comparing Certificates

You can look at an incoming certificate at the same time as you are looking at the outgoing one it supports. The following instructions are for Windows and Internet Explorer but other operating systems and browsers may have similar features.

1. Close or minimise all programmes that are running other than your web browser.

2. Press Ctrl+N (Internet Explorer or Netscape) to open another browser window.

3. Right click the Windows Taskbar and choose Tile Windows Horizontally (best for VA view) or Tile Windows Vertically (best for Industry view).

4. Arrange the outgoing certificate in one window and the incoming one in the other.

Minimising usage charges (consignors & consignees)

1. If a certificate has been set to Resubmit it will appear on the home page when you go into E-cert. Use the links on the home page where possible instead of clicking most recent in/out to avoid incurring additional E-cert usage charges.

2. Set your browser to check for newer versions of a page on browser start up rather than each time you view a page. In Internet Explorer on the menu bar click on Tools, then choose Internet Options and click on the Settings button half way down on the right hand side. Make sure there is a dot in the circle next to "Every time you start Internet Explorer" in the top part of the dialog box. If you have it set to "Every visit to the page", each time you return to a list of certificates it will re-run the query (database request) and you will be charged. (NB if you set it to "Automatically" it may not show you the up-to-date version of a page when it should). If you need to see the up-to-date version of a page, right-click somewhere on the page where there is no hyperlink and choose Refresh from the pop-up menu.

3. Use the browser back button to return to a list of most recent out certificates instead of clicking the Most Recent Out link again. This re-displays the list you had previously requested rather sending a new database request to the server. The same applies for any list of certificates you might have called up.

4. Exhaust used up incoming EDs. This costs you nothing. If you don't exhaust incoming EDs, every time you click the Most Recent In link that certificate will add to the cost of generating that list even if the ED doesn't appear on the first page of the list.

5. Make use of the Search screen and make the search parameters really narrow and specific, preferably with the actual shoulder number. The wider the search, the longer the server will take to find them all, the more certificates will come up on the list and the more it will cost you.

6. If you are entering more than one certificate, after you have submitted the first certificate use the back button to bring up the entry form again, amend all the details, including the certificate number, for the next certificate then submit again rather than click the Certificate Form link again.

7. Consider using batch files. They seem daunting at first but once you understand them they are the quickest and cheapest way of raising multiple certificates in one go and are ideal for repetitive similar consignments. A single certificate batch file with no errors will be raised with two fewer database requests than the same certificate entered via the online browser entry form. A batch file with 10 correct certificates in it will require far fewer database requests than for the same ones entered individually online.