Metrics User FAQ
Metrics Basics
How do I delete a market?
Market organizations do not have the ability to remove markets, but FMC staff do. If you created a market that you now want to delete, please fill out a Help Desk Ticket specifying the name of the market you want to be deleted. If a market is deleted, all of the data will be deleted with it.
How do I delete a week of data (market day data, visitor survey data, visitor count data, or SNAP eligible goods data)?
Market organizations do not have the ability to remove an entry – only FMC staff can do so. If you created an entry that you now want to delete, please fill out a Help Desk Ticket specifying the date of the entry and the data in that entry. Before requesting a deletion, consider the fact that you can edit every field on every entry (including the market day).
Can I upload data into Metrics from past seasons before we were subscribers?
Instead of storing data from past seasons in Metrics, our recommendation is to export your Metrics data into a spreadsheet and conduct offline comparisons. You can also request a customized Summary Report for data from past seasons that does not exist in Metrics. Email metrics@farmersmarketcoalition.org for assistance with offline analysis, to request a custom report, or for more information.
The site won't let me click on the buttons
Metrics works best when used in the internet browser Google Chrome; some web browsers such as Internet Explorer’s security features interfere with site use.
It seems hard for markets operating one market to use Metrics. What do you suggest?
You are definitely right that serving all of the US market field is still not within Metrics grasp- but we are trying to get there! We continue to seek the level of support and functionality that will allow more of the smallest markets to collect and use data on their own, although what we have found so far is they are usually reticent about embarking on the level of analysis and marketing that Metrics engagement would require from them. That is why we began with those markets interested in collecting and using data for their (usually) larger or multiple markets, and also to work with network leaders. Still, we know that day is coming for the small markets too and we expect to be ready soon for that. We’d suggest approaching your state association or a program partner of the area’s markets to see if a network account would be beneficial.
Logging in
When I try to log in, I get an error screen.
In many cases, this is because the market’s email for login is different between the FMC member log in and the Metrics application. In order for the system to validate their access, they need to match. An important caveat is that all FMC news and emails will go to this email, so bear that in mind when choosing.
I want multiple people in my organization to be able to enter data into Metrics. Does everyone get a separate log in?
Every operating organization gets one login for their account. If you are going to be sharing a username and password, here are a few suggestions to consider:
- The username is an email address. This email will be used to send important messages about Metrics. It will also be used to recover passwords, so it should be one that is checked regularly.
- Come up with a shared place to store the username and password in writing so that everyone can access it (keep the username in a different place than the password)
- Users cannot delete data from Metrics, but they can edit it. Make sure anyone using your Metrics account is trained how to use it to ensure your data is as accurate as possible.
I'm logged in but I can only create my profile, it doesn't let me add data.
From your home screen, if your User Status is “Active Limited” this means that you do not have full access to Metrics. This could be because you have not yet registered for Metrics, or because your user status has not been updated. To sign up for Metrics, use this link.
Market Profile
What do I do if the Market registration isn't accepting my market address?
The market address field is regulated by Google’s mapping API – sometimes, it won’t accept an address as put in by the user. in those instances, we recommend that users delete the entire address, and then type just the street number, and perhaps the first couple letters of the street. At this point, the field should auto-populate a drop-down of options for this address and similar. If you see your address listed in the results, click on it. If there are too many results, continue to add one or two letters to the street name until your address shows up. Click on it to save the address.
Vendor Management
The only entity with access to an individual vendors raw information would be that vendor, any market in Metrics in which they are vending correct?
Yes only the market manager, the vendor and FMC can view vendor data, as per our Privacy Policy. If that vendor is linked to multiple markets, each of those markets can view basic demographic data about that vendor, but cannot see data unique to another market, such as sales data or attendance. This privacy policy also addresses our security measures, which is Secure Socket Layer technology, which means data is transferred encrypted from the point of entry to the server. However, as you mentioned, this is all very low-risk data, so vendors should feel secure in the data being in Metrics.
What do I do if my vendor doesn't have an email address?
We recommend creating one for them, sharing the profile data with the vendor and keeping a separate record of it for your tracking purposes. Additionally, if you have Amish vendors, they may have a ‘man of business’ email which can be used.