Import Options

When importing, you may want some automatic processes performed, such as scheduling a letter, or planning a review of the account by an Operator. To assign accounts to clients, Operators and others, schedule file reviews, letters, or contact plans, use the options in this form.

Client

This is the name of the Client for whom you usually import this type of file. If you import the Client number or name, the imported value overrides any Client specified here. You can change the Client in the Import menu just before you import. If Import can't find the Client, it will create it for you.

This field is auto-filled when you select a Client Number first.

Client #

This is the number of the Client for whom you usually import this type of file. If you import the Client Number or Client name, the imported value overrides any Client Number specified here. You can change the Client Number in the Import menu just before you import. If Import can't find the client, it will create one for you.

This field is auto-filled when you select a Client Name first.

First Line Contains Labels

When this switch is ON, Collect! ignores the first line of the file and starts importing on line 2. This is useful for files created by Excel, and other similar systems, that put field labels on the first line of the file.

Recalculate Accounts

If this switch is checked, the import will automatically recalculate all imported accounts when it is completed. If the switch is unchecked, you will be prompted as to whether you would like to recalculate the accounts.

Manage Promises

Switch this on to manage promised payments when the import is run. With this switch enabled, Collect! will consider any active promises set on an account and take the appropriate action before importing the next transaction. This will allow for the Promise contacts to be revolved ahead or back, or completed, as if you were posting manually on a debtor.

Use Transaction Type - Before

This switch enables you to apply transaction type settings BEFORE you bring in your data. When you put a check mark in this field and you import a transaction, Collect! does the following.

1. Recalculates the debtor up to the Payment Date
on the transaction, EXCLUDING the new transaction.

2. Loads transaction details from the Transaction
Type imported and performs a breakdown as needed of the transaction.

This step brings in the Commission Rate from the Debtor and writes the amount to the new transaction, unless you have a value in the Commission Rate field.

3. Recalculates the debtor up to the Payment Date,
including the new transaction, and updates the Debtor record in the database.

When there is no data coming in to determine a transaction type for the 'Use transaction type' settings, Collect! will attempt to use the 'Default value' in the Type Field Specification for a match.

Use Transaction Type - After

This switch enables you to apply transaction type settings AFTER you bring in your data. When you put a check mark in this field and you import a transaction, Collect! does the following.

1. Recalculates the debtor up to the Payment Date
on the transaction, INCLUDING the new transaction.

2. Loads transaction details from the Transaction
Type imported and performs a breakdown as needed of the transaction.

This step brings in the Commission Rate from the Debtor and writes the amount to the new transaction, unless you have a value set in the Commission Rate field.

3. Recalculates the debtor up to the Payment Date again,
including the new transaction, and updates the Debtor record in the database.

When there is no data coming in to determine a transaction type for the 'Use transaction type' settings, Collect! will attempt to use the 'Default value' in the Type Field Specification for a match.

Importing Specific File Numbers

By default, newly imported accounts will be assigned the next available file number. Checking this switch overrides this default behavior and allows you to specify file numbers in your import file.

Don't Copy Operator To Sales

When you turn this switch On, the Sales field in the transaction record being imported is not automatically filled in. Instead, it must be filled in by the import program specifically.

In the past, the Sales field was filled with the same ID as the Operator field in the transaction record.

In order to leave the Sales field blank in the transaction records being imported, turn this switch On.

If this switch is Off, the Sales field will be filled with an appropriate Operator ID, if at all possible. If you have existing imports that work properly, do not turn this switch On in the existing import specifications, or you may lose desired Operator commissions assigned after importing transactions.

Schedule Review After

The import will automatically schedule an Operator to Review imported files if you put a check in this field. The number of days to delay from the current date for the Review Contact Due Date to appear in the collector's WIP list will be entered in the adjacent Day(s) field.

Print Notice

Import will automatically schedule a letter if you put a check in this field.

Select which letter from your Print Menu by clicking the drop-down arrow to the right of the adjacent field.

Notice

To choose the letter you want printed, click the drop-down arrow to the right of the field adjacent to Print Notice, or press F2. Use the arrows to select from the list.

The letter contact will be scheduled in the current day's Due Date print batch.

To schedule more complex letter series and Review schedules, create a Contact Plan for this purpose that contains all the requisite events.

Load Debtors Across All Clients

Switch this ON with a check mark if you want Collect! to consider all clients when matching records during the import. If this is switched OFF, only the client displayed in the Client or Client # field will be processed.

Switch this OFF if you have multiple accounts in your database with the same "Use as key" value and you want to ensure that Collect! only considers records belonging to the Client or Client # you have specified.

WARNING: If this switch is OFF and the Client and Client # fields are BLANK, then the incoming data will be associated to the FIRST CLIENT in your list!

Apply Client Settings

When switched ON with a check mark, the client settings will be applied to newly imported debtors just as they are when the debtors are created manually. For example, Client Sales ID, Operator ID, Currency, Commission Rate, as well as other settings, are applied to new debtors as they are imported.

Fixed Client Fee

This is a fixed charge that is loaded into the account's Fixed Fee field in the Client Settings form. Collect! does not currently use this for financial calculations.

To post a charge that will be used in financials, you should create a transaction type with 'Use Dollar Amounts' on, and enter the amount of the fee. Then, create a contact plan that contains a contact of type Transaction, and reference the transaction that posts the fee.

Interest Rate

The interest rate is used to automatically calculate interest on the account if the Debtor's 'Charged' date (also called the Incurred or Writeoff date) is also imported.

Interest is calculated, assuming the interest rate is annual, based on the number of days since the Interest Date. If you tell Import to import the Interest Rate field, the value you set here will only be used if the Interest Rate field imported is blank. Otherwise, the imported Interest Rate value will be used.

Commission Rate

Commission Rate is used to calculate commission for payments from accounts. You can enter a value here if you want to apply it to all the records that you are importing.

To recalculate imported transactions automatically and post the commission amount, switch ON 'Use transaction type - Before' or 'Use transaction type - After'.

If your import map brings in a Commission Rate from the incoming data or has a default set in the Field Specification for Commission Rate, then that will be used instead of this value. Please refer to Help topic, Importing Commission Rates for details.

Assign Accounts To Operator

This is the ID code of the collector to whom these accounts should be assigned. Press F2 to pick from the Operator list. If you tell Import to import the Collector field, the value you set here will be used only if the Collector field imported is blank. Otherwise, the imported Collector value will be used.

Run Plan On New Accounts

The contact plan will be run on each Debtor imported. You will be prompted after the import runs and before the contact plan is run.

To pick from your list of contact plans, press F2.

To create a new contact plan, press F2 and then F3 to add a new contact plan in the list.

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.

OK

Selecting this button will save any data you have entered and return you to the previous form.

Cancel

Select this button to ignore any changes you may have made and then return to the previous form.

Help

Press this button for help on the Import Options dialog and links to related topics.

See Also

- File Format Specification
- How To Use Import/Export
- Import Menu
- Export Menu
- How To Setup Transaction Types
- How To Use Contact Plans
- Import/Export Topics