Module 2: Navigating the Application

The IQCS is based on a commercial off-the-shelf software package from PeopleSoft. It is an internet application that does not require you to install any client software on your individual computer. With valid user security you can access the application through most of the popular web browsers 24 hours a day. The application is not available via an Apple device. 

The online flexibility of the IQCS enables you to choose from a variety of methods to access information within the application. You have the ability to modify how some pages display columns and data.

INSTRUCTIONS - LOGGING IN TO THE IQCS

1. Navigate to the IQCS website.
2. Select the Login to IQCS link on the top menu bar.
3. If you possess a USDA/DOI PIV or a Login.gov account, select the I Agree button. 
4. Select the Sign in with FAMAuth button.
5. Select either the Login.gov or the e-Authenticate. 
6. Whatever method of logging into FAMAuth you use, after successfully logging on, you will be redirected to IQCS.

From your Home page, you can view pagelets, navigate to pages and utilize saved favorites. Some displays and pages are available to all roles while some are only available to designated roles. To view pages available per role, visit the Standard User - Role Matrix under User Accounts on the IQCS website, https://iqcsweb.nwcg.gov/ 

The menu with in the application is a drop-down structure. When a folder is selected a submenu will cascade to the right. The submenu may contain additional folders and/or pages. The folders signify that another submenu will cascade to the right of the higher-level menu. The single page icon represents a single page to open.

The IQCS allows you to save frequently used pages as your favorites. These pages can will appear in the Favorites area of the menu and can be renamed to a more familiar title to you. Favorite pages can be added in addition to your Recently Used pages.

If you ever need to provide the navigation path of one of your favorites to someone else, select the saved link. The new window will open with the breadcrumbs displayed at the top of the page.

INSTRUCTIONS - ADDING FAVORITES

While on the page you wish to mark as a favorite, select Add To in the menu bar, upper right-hand corner of the page then select Favorites.

1. When prompted, you can retain the default name or add your own description.
2. Select OK to add to the favorites list. Select Cancel to return to previous screen.

INSTRUCTIONS - EDITING FAVORITES

If you need to edit an existing favorite, select Edit Favorites from the Favorites menu, upper left side of the screen. Change the link's display name, set or change the display order, or delete the favorite altogether. Select Save once the changes have been made.

INSTRUCTIONS – ADDING OR REMOVING FAVORITES ON THE NAVBAR

1. While on the page you wish to add to the NavBar, select the Add To drop down and choose NavBar.
2. On the NavBar, choose the gear icon and then the red x for those that you want to remove.

Pagelets are small pages that provide display-only snapshots of useful and relevant content to a user. Like other menus and locations in the IQCS system, access to a pagelet is controlled by permissions and roles and will return data specific to a user’s roles. A pagelet that is viewable by one user may not be viewable to another user due to differences in roles. Home page content and layout can easily be personalized by each user to display the information that they want or need.

LINKS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Links & Announcements is turned on for all users and cannot be moved or turned off. The IQCS team will use that area to display useful links and major announcements. The IQCS Website is the primary source for news updates.

The content and/or content structure displayed by a pagelet is set; however, the user can select what pagelets are displayed if they have the corresponding role and the location that the pagelet holds on their IQCS home page. Once added to a home page, pagelets can be refreshed, minimized, expanded, or removed by simply selecting the buttons on the top right of each pagelet.

PERSONALIZE CONTENT

In the upper right-hand corner, you will find two links, Content and Layout.

Click the Content link to personalize content on the My Page. Applications and pagelets, if available, can be selected.

Menu sets the menu to show vertically down the left side of the screen. No selection will default to menus across the top of the page.

My Reports provides a link to the Report Manager.

Report List displays your completed reports. This has been turned on for all users and cannot be unselected.

My Active Course Sessions is turned on for users with the account manager, nomination coordinator, training coordinator and training officer role. It will display active course sessions for which you are the session coordinator. 

INSTRUCTIONS - PERSONALIZE CONTENT

1. Select the Content hyperlink.
2. Select or unselect the items you want to appear or not appear on the page.
   • Pagelets displayed on this page correspond to role access.
   • If a pagelet is identified as required, the check box will be grayed out.
3. Select the Personalize Layout hyperlink to arrange the pagelet(s).
4. Select the Save button, changes to both content and layout will be saved.

PERSONALIZE LAYOUT

The default position is the left column. Select the Layout link in the upper right-hand corner of your homepage to personalize the layout on the Personalize Content: My Page. The page can be changed from 2 to 3 columns. The arrows to the right of the columns move the pagelets and applications from on column to another or change the order.

INSTRUCTIONS - PERSONALIZE LAYOUT

1. Select the Layout hyperlink.
2. Select the pagelet and then use the arrows to more it up down or over to a neighboring column.
3. Select the Personalized Content hyperlink to add/remove the pagelet.
4. Select the Save button, changes to both content and layout will be saved.

To find existing values of data, you must use a search. A search page displays when you select a component or a prompt. Typically, you will use various field values to narrow your search. There are typically two search options to choose from: Basic and Advance.

The more fields or characters you enter, the more specific your search results become. This will reduce the number of rows of data returned from which you will make a selection. You can scroll through the search list to find the specific value. Select the row of data that you want to view to access that data.

Regardless of the search type, the list box displays the first 300 records in the table that match the value(s) you specified in the search area. If the search results display 1-100 of 300, there are more than 300 records. This is a good indicator you should refine your search criteria.

BASIC SEARCH

The basic search is used to search within one data element with a set search parameter. The Search By drop down is defined by the data table and the user can only select one at a time in the basic search.

ADVANCED SEARCH

The advance search allows the user to search across multiple data elements using different search parameters and criteria. The search criteria fields are defined by the data table.

You can refine your search using the dropdown arrow on each search field. The search parameters are: begins with, contains, =, not=, , >=, between, and in.

Use as many of the search fields as you wish to refine your search.

Search criteria can be defined and saved for future use in the Advance Search option. Criteria must be defined prior to selecting the Save Search Criteria hyperlink.

WILDCARD SEARCH

Wildcard search only works with the begin with and contains operators.

Wildcard characters

• % match one or more characters
  • S%ANFO in last name will return all last names that begin with S and contain “anfo” in the last name. For example, Stanford, Sanford, Stanforth.

The IQCS is an Internet application, it functions similar to many web pages you use regularly. You can tell if you are able to select a link because the cursor will switch from an arrow to a small hand. Some features are unique to PeopleSoft.

OPENING A NEW WINDOW

You can open multiple new windows from within the IQCS. This is useful when you need to access information on one page while still referring to the information on the original page.

Select the New Window link in the upper right corner to open a new window. This window will either open in a new browser window or in a new tab within your current browser, depending on your browser settings.

Once the new window opens, you can navigate to the additional desired menu item.

NOTE: Each new window launched or each instance of the IQCS running in another browser will share the 20-minute timer on page expiration. Once one window times out, all windows timeout.

ACCESSING INFORMATION

There are multiple ways in which you can access information within the IQCS. You may not be able to use all options due to the security and roles you have been granted. Additionally, not all pages will allow you to correct history.

• Include History This action works allows the user to review not only current and future rows of information, but also historical rows of data.

• Correct History The most inclusive of action types. This action is not available on all pages. The goal is to preserve true historical data. Use this this action judiciously. If, a correction is needed and the Correct History button is not available, contact your IQCS Agency Representative or the IQCS Help Desk.

USE OF EFFECTIVE DATES

When you update information in the IQCS, you run the risk of overwriting, or eliminating, historical data. The IQCS has a system in place to help prevent this.

To retain history, select the + (plus) button to add a new Effective Date row. You can then set the effective date of the change being made. You can just accept the default date of today's date, but there are some instances when you will want to use some future date as the effective date. the IQCS recognizes three types of Effective Date rows:

• Current Rows: The data row with the most recent effective date that predates or is equal to the system date (typically today's date). There can only be one current row.
• History Rows: The data rows with effective dates that precede the current row. There can be multiple history rows.
• Future Rows: The data rows with effective dates that are in the future. There can be multiple future rows.

Effective sequences are only used when more than one action is taken on an Effective Date row during the same day.

This function will download data from the screen to an Excel spreadsheet. Any page with the icon shown can have the data downloaded into an Excel spreadsheet. A limitation of this process may be your computer settings.

INSTRUCTIONS - DOWNLOAD DATA TO AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET

1. Select the download icon to download the content of the grid into an Excel spreadsheet.
2. Depending on your browser, the File Download window may appear.
3. Select Open.
4. A Microsoft Excel window may appear.
5. Select Yes.
6. Excel will open with the data.