Import Menu

The Import Menu allows you to choose a file format, enter the name of the file being imported, choose between several automatic default activities, and load the file into Collect!. You can attach incoming Debtors to a specific Client, and also assign a fixed fee and various other attributes of the files as they are loaded. Separate contact plans may be run on imported data, for new accounts or modified accounts. This provides many possibilities for automatically processing the data that you import.

Select File from the top menu bar to access the Import/Export menu and then select Import File from the submenu to open the Import Menu form.

File Format

This is the type of file you are importing. Press F2 to select from the list. You can define a new file format from the Main Menu.

File Name

This is the name of the file. By default, Import loads the file name from the File Format specification.

The top two lines of *.cio files are reserved.

The .cio extension on a file causes Collect! to write system information into the top two lines of an exported file. Collect! does not read the top two lines of imported .cio files as user data.

Client

This is used when importing a file from one particular client. Otherwise, leave this field blank. If you have more than one client with identical names, enter a Client Number as well so that Collect! can find the correct client.

Press F2 to pick from your Client list. This selection should not be used with CIO files.

Client Number

Enter a Client Number to use when importing. Import will use this value as a key to find the client. If this field is blank, Collect! will use the name in the Client field. This field is updated when a client is selected in the Client field.

Client Fixed Fee

The fixed charge is loaded into every Account record as it is being loaded into the database. This field is the ' Precollect Charge' shown in the Debtor Detail form in Collect!. It is not currently used for accounting purposes.

Interest Rate

This is the interest rate that will be used to calculate the interest the Debtor owes. Interest will be automatically calculated from the interest date, read from each account in the import file. Leave this field blank if you do not charge interest.

This field will not override any existing data in accounts being imported. If, for example, some accounts have an interest rate and others do not, the interest rate will only be applied to those accounts that have no existing interest rate at the time of importing.

Commission Rate

This is the commission rate you are charging your Client. Leaving this field blank results in 0 commissions being charged, something which may be useful when importing Pre-Collect accounts.

Starting File Number

When importing new accounts, the internal Collect! Debtor File Number is of vital importance.

You may use this number to relate different record types as you import them. For example, you may import transaction records and attach them to the correct account using the File Number.

If the file number is imported with each record, that file number will be assigned to the Debtor. If this number duplicates an existing file number within the Collect! database, the existing record with that file number may be updated. To do this, use imported data, depending on your import specification, for each of the fields being imported.

If no file number is imported with the account, Import will use the Starting File Number field to start numbering the Account file numbers. Collect automatically assigns the next highest available file number.

If no Starting File Number is included, file numbering will continue from the highest existing file number in the receiving Collect! database. Import automatically loads this number when the Import menu is opened. As each account is imported, the number is incremented.

Assign Accounts To Collector

This ID will be assigned to each account as it is imported. Press F2 to pick from your list of Operators.

Run Plan On New Accounts

This Contact Plan will be run after Collect! imports all data creating new accounts.

You can set additional options by choosing a Contact Plan. These include scheduling review contacts and letters to be sent, in addition to a number of other details to help automate your account processing.

For example, you can have the system automatically schedule a letter to be printed into the next batch, in addition to automatically posting fixed charges to the Client, and scheduling other letters or Operator contacts.

Run Plan On Updated Accounts

This Contact Plan will be run after Collect! imports all data to existing accounts.

Since contact plans can contain conditional processing (based on field values in the database) you can embed quite a bit of intelligence into the processing of incoming accounts. This eliminates human error and increases efficiency.

Edit Format

Select this option if you need to modify an import map or you want to create a new one in the currently loaded import library. The list of all File Format Specifications will be displayed. Select the import you wish to view. This will show you the File Format Specifications for the import map you selected. If you wish to create a new import map, select the NEW button when you are viewing the list of all File Specifications.

Browse

Choose this to open a dialog where you can pick a file to import.

Help

Press this button for help on the Import Menu screen and links to related topics.

Totals

Select this button to display the Accumulator form.

The Accumulator form will be blank if you have not used this advanced feature of Import/Export. It is possible for Collect! to keep running totals when records are imported. Press F1 when the Accumulator form is displayed to see more help.

Close

Select this to close this form and return to the previous form without running an import.

Import

This button starts the import process. You will be prompted before any new information is written to your database, and you will have every opportunity to cancel importing.

As Import Runs

As records are being imported, each record is displayed and the program presents you with a few options.

- would you like to import this report
- skip this record
- load all remaining records without prompting you
- cancel importing

You should confirm at least the first few records to ensure that all information is being loaded properly. If any of the fields you expect to be there are not displayed, or are in the wrong places, then your import specification has some kind of error.

The following options are presented as each record is loaded, just before it is written to the database.

Yes

If you choose Yes, Import will store the record in the database and prompt you again when the next record is ready for importing. This can continue until you are sure that the records are importing properly. Then you can choose to load all the remaining records without further prompting.

No

If you choose No, the record will not be stored in the database and Import will move to the next line in the import data file.

All

If you choose All, Import will continue loading the records remaining in the file without prompting you further.

Cancel

If you choose to cancel, the import process will terminate and you will be returned to the main Import Menu.

For more information on the predefined CIO file formats, use the Help menu Index option and choose the topic Inter-Office Data Transfers.

Other information is available in the Help Index under File Format Specification. Press the Edit Format button in the Import menu to access this form and its details. Press F1 when you are on the form to bring up help.

Importing And Exporting

Please review the Help on File Format Specifications, and then create a file specification matching your requirements. Refer to qualified technical support for assistance.

Comtech Systems Inc. can provide fee based File Transfer Format development services. Please create a list outlining your needs, then fax it to (250) 474-2622 or phone (250) 391-0466 for an estimate.