Welcome To Collect!

Welcome to Collect! for Credit and Collection Professionals.

If you are a new user, you do not have to change any of the default settings displayed on this form. Our default new user, OWN, has access to every aspect of the system.

Just select the START button to open the DEMODB database.

From this 'Welcome To Collect!' screen, you can select a Database To Open and a Database Access mode.

Select the TUTORIALS button to view the FLASH format Tutorials videos which demonstrates basic functions in Collect! that you will use every day in your business operation.

The LICENSE button gives you access to your License details.

Press F1 for more information or select the START button to begin.

Welcome to Collect! Screen

Top Menu Bar

Selecting any of the Top Menu bar selections would normally drop down a submenu to allow you to access different commands within Collect!

As you are on the Welcome To Collect! screen and have not opened the database (or you have not selected the START button yet), most of the menu choices will be unselectable. The menus will be fully operational once you are in the database, provided you have access rights to the menu option.

Select the START button to open the database displayed in the field labeled Database to open. When you select a menu option, pressing F1 or selecting the Help Button will display detailed help on your selection.

Toolbar

Selecting any of the Toolbar icons would normally allow you to access different commands within Collect!. As you are on the Welcome To Collect! screen and have not opened the database (or you have not selected the START button yet), most of the Toolbar icons will be unselectable. These icons will be fully operational once you have opened a database, provided you have access rights to the Toolbar icon.

Select the START button to open the database displayed in the field labeled Database to open. When you select a toolbar icon, pressing F1 or selecting the Help Button will display detailed help on your selection.

Database To Open

This field displays the database Collect! will open when you select the Start button. This field is automatically filled in when you choose one of the databases in the list. Only registered databases registered are displayed in this list.

If you wish to temporarily open another database, select the SELECT DATABASE button to view the registered databases that you may choose from.

To set the default database to use on opening, please review the Help topic Database Preferences.

Master Database

Select MASTERDB from the list of databases to choose the database in the MASTERDB directory. Normally, this is the database used as your working database. When you select this database, the Database To Open field displays "MASTERDB."

Demonstration Database

By default, when you first install Collect!, the DEMODB database will be selected. We highly recommend you familiarize yourself with Collect! in the DEMODB before entering your accounts in the MASTERDB database. When you select this database, the Database To Open field displays "DEMODB." This database is useful to experiment with and to try the system out, and it is strongly suggested that you make use of this excellent function.

When you are ready to enter accounts, do not use the DEMODB database. Enter your information in the MASTERDB database, where you will have a clean slate to work in.

Whenever you enter the DEMODB, you will advised that this is not for production. You can shut off the prompt by selecting the DISABLE MESSAGE button. This will turn off the prompt until you exit completely out of Collect!.

Client Prospecting Database

The PROSDB database is useful to enter Clients that you may be approaching to gain their business. The PROSDB database offers full contact management and batch letter processing capabilities. When you get files containing prospects, you can import the information directly into this database. The only thing it can't do is add your particular brand of salesmanship and charm.

To access this database, select PROSDB from the list of databases. When you choose this database, the Database To Open field displays "PROSDB."

Database Access

This setting determines whether or not you will be able to share simultaneous access to the database with other users. To use a database exclusively, sign on as EXCLUSIVE. To share the database, sign on as SHARED.

Shared

SHARED means that more than one person can simultaneously share the database. The number of users that can sign in simultaneously depends on the license you purchased. Select SHARED when you are operating Collect! on a network and you want others to access the database at the same time as you.

If you are experiencing problems trying to sign on as SHARED, refer to help on Network Setup. Almost all database sharing difficulties are a result of incorrect network or hardware configuration.

Exclusive

Signing on as EXCLUSIVE means that only one person can access the database at any one time. If another user tries to open the database, they will be stopped and a message will inform them the files are already in use. Because of the difference in demands on the system, EXCLUSIVE operation is faster than the SHARED operation.

Two tips we should mention here:

1. EXCLUSIVE should be selected when you intend to run database maintenance. After you finish performing maintenance, then you MUST reset the Database Access to SHARED so that your users can sign in normally.

2. Using EXCLUSIVE allows you to perform many functions faster, as no one else has access to the database while one user is signed in. This is useful when you are importing or running complicated reports that process a lot of files from the database.

Don't forget to reset back to SHARED when you are ready to have your users sign in again as they would normally.

Select Database

Select this button to choose a different database to open. You will be presented with a list of databases registered with the CV11 server. You may select an existing database or create a new empty one.

Each existing database contains its own set of Clients, Debtors, reports and information relevant within Collect!. If you create a new database, it is completely empty and ready for you to fill as needed.

You can set up different companies and different aspects and operations within companies when you use multiple databases.

You Are Signed On As Operator

The Operator ID you are signed on as is displayed in this field. When you select the START button, you will open the database using this Operator's settings and access rights.

If you want to sign on as a different operator, please select the LOGOUT button to return to the Collect! splash screen where you can enter a different valid Operator ID and Password.

License Remaining

This box is only visible if your license is about to run out. When you have seven days or fewer left, you will see this reminder to renew your license.

To obtain a license code for Collect!, call support at 250-391-0466 or fax 250-474-2622 a few days before
your license expires. Normally, for all temporary license codes, we fax a license to you on the same business day as you order the license.

When you have 0 Days left, Collect! will pop up a form that allows you to REQUEST LICENSE. When you select REQUEST LICENSE, you will be taken to the Collect! web site, Request License form. Collect! fills out a lot of the details automatically. You just complete the rest of the information to your satisfaction and press the SUBMIT button.

Start

Select the Start button to open the selected database.

Before selecting the START button to sign into a database, you need to set the Database Access, to have others share the database at the same time, or to access the database yourself, exclusively.

Also notice which database you are about sign into by the database name displayed in the Database to Open field and the operator you are signed on as. If everything is as you wish, then select the START button to open the database. According to your operator settings, you will be presented with the Main Menu or the Work In Progress.

If you are signing in with an operator ID that has user level 99, you will see a cautionary message. It is advised that you get your user level changed to something other than level 99. This is set in the Operator Security form.

License

When you decide to purchase Collect!, we will email, fax or call with a new license number to enter which will allow you to continue to use Collect!.

A new License Code will be sent to you every time you purchase a new User or a new feature. You will receive a yearly License Code when you have completed any purchase contracts arranged through Comtech Systems Inc.

Your License Code tells Collect! the number of Operators who may simultaneously access your database. As well, it activates the options you have elected to use.

Select this button to go to the License Information form. There you can enter a new License Code or review the options that you are licensed for.

Demo users automatically get 30 Days to use the program without entering a License Code. All options are active when the Demo period is active.

Tutorials

Select this button to access an overview of Collect!'s features and functions. The presentations are in FLASH video format and may be run from the HTML page.

Logout

Select this button to exit from the program and return to the Collect! splash screen. As well, you can also press ALT+F4 to exit Collect!, or select FILE from the top menu bar and select EXIT from the drop-down choices. Each of these methods will return you to the Collect! splash screen.

You can also select the X in the top right corner of the Collect! screen to exit quickly. You will be asked if you are sure you want to exit Collect!. Selecting YES will return you to your Windows Desktop.

If at any time, you get network errors or any other problems, it is always good policy to EXIT from Collect! and either reboot your computer to clear all system errors or just re-enter Collect!. If errors persist, you will want to do a system maintenance on the database you are accessing.

Help

Select this button for help on the Welcome To Collect! form and links to related topics.

Legal Note

The casual copying and sharing of software between unlicensed users continues to plague the software industry. As a software publisher, we rely on the revenues derived from the sale of licensed software to further develop and deliver affordable, high quality software products to industry.

We design, develop and publish software for a price that translates to pennies per use. Unfortunately some people still insist on 'getting it for nothing'. Our philosophy is simple. Give people the highest quality software for the lowest possible price.

We want to continue providing you with affordable access to the world's greatest software. Please respect the terms of our license agreement, and do your part to help stamp out software piracy.

Date And Time Status Line

Date and Time are presented to you in the top right corner of Collect!. You can always see the date and time and there are other reasons, as well, for making this information quickly accessible.

This date and time are taken from your local computer system's clock. This is a quick way to confirm that the date and time are set correctly. If your date or time is not current, you should exit Collect! and reset these. Refer to you computer manuals to reset these values. If they are not correct, contacts and many time stamps related to using Collect! will be inaccurate and misleading. Also, you may have trouble entering your license code if the date is not set properly. Assure that the date you use is the same as that on your computer.

See Also

- How To Start Using Collect!