ALFD Newsletter December 2007

What Does it Mean?

What is a TTB ID Number? This is a unique 14 digit number that is assigned by TTB to track each COLA. You probably could have figured that part out without a newsletter to tell you, but did you know that each group of digits tells you something about the COLA to which it is assigned? The first five digits represent the calendar year and the Julian date on which the application was received by TTB. The middle three digits signal how we received the application (001 for e-filed, 002 and 003 for regular and express mail, and 000 for those that are hand-carried to TTB). The last six digits are a sequential number that resets each day and for each of the four received codes.

If you know the TTB ID number, it is the best way to search for individual COLAs. The TTB ID number for eApps is supplied to the submitter in the “Application Submitted” confirmation message.

Greetings!

As 2007 draws to a close we want to thank you, our loyal subscribers, for your support of COLAs Online eNews. This month marks our sixth edition, and we hope that the information we provide facilitates your understanding of the system and streamlines approval of your eApps. Don’t forget to send your suggestions for future editions to COLAsOnlineEnews@ttb.gov.

Announcements

Back by popular demand! The first COLAs Online Workshop for 2008 will take place on February 5, 2008, in Deerfield Beach, Florida (near Ft. Lauderdale). This year we will hold two specialized half-day sessions. Session One will provide potential users with the benefits of filing online and the tools needed to successfully file eApps. Session Two will provide our current users with additional assistance in problem areas and help in resolving image issues. Both sessions will include the opportunity for hands-on learning with TTB labeling specialists available to answer your questions. Although the workshops are free, to help us plan we request that you register to attend by January 28, 2008. You may access the registration form by clicking here or by visiting the labeling pages on ttb.gov.

We are still finalizing the details, but our other 2008 workshops will be held in:

March – Dallas, Texas
July – Charlottesville, Virginia
August – Boston, Massachusetts

Specific dates and times will be listed on our Web site and in future editions of COLAs Online eNews as locations are confirmed. We hope to see you at one of our 2008 workshops!

You Aren’t the Only One Who Asked Us...

How often do I have to change my password, and why do I have to change it at all?

For your security and privacy and in order to protect the proprietary information contained in the label database, we require that each person who uses COLAs Online have a user ID and password. New users are assigned a unique user ID and initial password. The first time that you login to COLAs Online, you are prompted to change your password. Going forward, you use your user ID and newly defined password to login. On a periodic basis you are required to change your password. By changing your password on a periodic basis you are helping to protect yourself and COLAs Online from unauthorized users accessing the system.

You have 30 days from the time that your COLAs Online account is first activated (or reactivated) to log in with your new user ID and initial password. The first time that you log in you are required to change your password. If you do not access your new account within 30 days, your account will be locked and you must contact the TTB Help Desk at 1-866-240-0835 (Option 2) to have it unlocked.

Your password is valid for a period of 90 days from the date that you last changed it. At this time we are unable to notify you when you are nearing your password expiration date, so please be sure to mark your calendar with a reminder to change your password again in 90 days from the re-set date. If you forget to change it you will be locked out of your account and you must contact the TTB Help Desk at 1-866-240-0835 (Option 2) to have it unlocked. You should also call the Help Desk if you forget your password.

Check our COLAs Online FAQs on ttb.gov for more information about creating and maintaining passwords.

Tip of the Month

We suggest that you have more than one registered user of COLAs Online at your business who can access your eApps.

Did you know that it is a violation of your COLAs Online user agreement to share your user ID or password with another person? This prohibition helps us to ensure the integrity and security of all your sensitive and proprietary information contained in the system.

So what happens when the only employee at your business who has access to COLAs Online is out sick and you suddenly have a “labeling emergency” or you need to revise some eApps that were returned for correction? Unfortunately we cannot accommodate requests to register new users on an expedited basis, and we cannot grant access to an account to anyone but the registered user, so we suggest that you plan ahead for emergencies.

Each new user must complete TTB F 5013.2, COLAs Online Access Request so that we can verify the identity of the new user and assign a unique user ID and password. If you are adding a new or additional user from your company please check the New User box in section A and complete all of the items in sections B, C, and D.

It takes us approximately 20 days to process each request, so remember that it pays to plan ahead!

How do I...

How do I submit additional information such as a formula or organic certification with my eApplication?

You may submit a variety of information supporting your eApp under the “Upload Other Attachments” section of Step 3 of the application process. Most of these attachments are required for certain kinds of alcohol beverages; however, you may upload additional information with any eApp. Examples of common attachments are pre import letters, formulas, lab analyses, organic certifications, and photos of bottles with etched or clear labels. If you do not have electronic versions of these documents you must first scan them and create electronic files. You may use the following file types for these attachments: .doc, .txt, .pdf, .jpg and .tif. You may upload up to 10 separate files but each file must not exceed 450 KB in file size.

You are then taken to a new page that contains detailed step-by-step instructions regarding browsing for and uploading attachments. We recommend that you always open and view attachments AFTER you upload them to ensure that we will be able to read them.

Bonus Tip: Be very careful to upload ONLY images of your labels in the Upload Label Images section, and ONLY additional information in the Upload Other Attachments section. If you confuse them, your eApp will be sent back to you for correction.