CM-A  Enter Contact Accounts

Purpose of the Program

Use this program to maintain general master file information on sales prospects and customers.  From this program you can enter contact history notes, reminders, assign classification codes, enter multiple contacts, and track key dates.

Field Explanations

Acct Code

A user-defined code that identifies this sales prospect or customer.  While Customers and Contacts are stored in separate files, the same coding method must be used so that wherever you have a customer with entries in both the Contact Manager and customer master files, they have the same account code.

When a prospect becomes a customer, you can create an instant customer record from this program.  Click the Customer button, and a new customer record is automatically created with all common information between the two files transferred over.

Company

The actual company or account name.  This is a 30 character alphanumeric field.

Alpha Sort

Various reports sort either by customer code or by this alpha sort field.  Enter the first few letters by which you want reports sorted alphabetically.  The first six letters of the Company field default into this field, where they may be overridden.

Address 1 - 3

Three address lines.  These are 30 character alphanumeric fields.

City

The account's city.  This is a 26 character alphanumeric field.

State

The account's two character state code.

Zip

The account's zip or postal code.  This is a 10 character alphanumeric field.

Country

If you have customers in multiple countries, enter the country name or code here.  This is a 30 character alphanumeric field.

Contact

The first or primary contact for this account.  Unlimited additional contacts may be defined by clicking on the Contact button, which brings up the additional contacts window.

Title

Contact 1's title.

Telephone

Contact 1's primary telephone number.  Contacts can each have up to 10 telephone numbers (office, Mobile, home, etc.), maintained in the multiple contacts window accessed by  clicking on the Contact button).  This is a 25 character alphanumeric field.

Fax

The account's fax number.  This is a 25 character alphanumeric field.

Currency

If multiple currency has been turned on in IM-A  International Configuration then this is the Currency assigned to this contact.

SIC Code

The Standard Industrial Code for this account.  This is used for reporting purposes and is a seven character alphanumeric field.

Start Dt

The date the account record was created.  It defaults to today's date, but can be overridden.

Ship Via

Thedefault shipping method to be used.

Lead Source

You can set up user defined lead source codes through SM-I-A  Enter Lead Source Codes to identify where the account sales prospect originated from (advertising, referral, etc.).  This is used for reporting purposes and is a five character alphanumeric field.

RTM Print Group

An optional field that can be used to use different print formats for different customers or contacts for quotes, invoices, and other forms.

Price Code

The price code assigned to be used for generating Quotes and Sales Orders

Discount Code

The price code assigned to be used for generating Quotes and Sales Orders

Default Terms

The payment terms assigned to be used for generating Quotes and Sales Orders

Taxable & Tax Group

The Sales Tax status assigned to be used for generating Quotes and Sales Orders

Territory

The account can be assigned a user-defined territory code for reporting purposes, set up through SM-I-B  Enter Territory Codes.  This is a four character alphanumeric field.

Class Codes

This window displays user-defined classification codes that have been assigned to this account.  These are used primarily for mailing list sorting and for reports.  To set up class codes, use SM-I-G  Enter Class Codes.  To assign class codes to an account, click on the Class button while in this program to bring up the class codes entry window.

Key Dates

Key date codes can be set up to record significant events, such as the first sales meeting, first order, etc.  The key date codes, dates, and descriptions display in this window.   Key date codes are set up through SM-I-H  Enter Key Date Codes.  To assign key date codes and dates to an account, click on the Date button while in this program to bring up the key dates entry window.

Web Site

Enter the company website URL which can be accessed by clicking the Internet Explorer icon in the toolbar in the upper right.

Other Buttons

Find Previuos

Moves to the previous contact record in the file

Lookup

Brings up the lookup grid

Find Next

Moves to the next record int eh file

Add

Clears the screen to enter a new contact record

Delete

Deletes the current record (only if there is no pending sales activity)

Clear

Clears the screen but does not delete the record

Credit Card

If you are using the X-Charge credit card processing, then this can be used to wnter or view credit card information.  If not, you can store the last 4 digits and expiration date as a reference but the full card information is not allowed due to security regulations.

Notes

Opens the Notes screen to view or add Notes relating to the contact

Links

Opens the Links window to view or add links to the contact

Google Maps

Opens Google Maps passing the contact address so you can get directiopns

Pricing

Once a part number and quantity are entered, the pricing in effect based on price and discount codes is displayed

Contacts

Displays a list of individual contact names.  Selecting a contact opens a screen with 10 slots for phone numbers, 10 email addresses, 10 miscellaneous entries and 10 datest per contact.

Reminders

Opens a Reminders calendar window so you cna add, edit or dismiss reminders

Class

Opens a Class window to view, add or delete a class

Key Dates

Opens a Key Dates Window to add, edit or delete Key Dates

Sales Orders

Opens a window listing open Sales Orders

Shipments

Opens a window listing shipments

Quotes

Opens a window displaying quotes

General Program Operation

Entering Account Information

To bring up a record, either enter the Acct Code or press F2 (or click on the Lookup button) for a pop-up window.

Once the account is displayed, as soon as you press <Enter>, any Class Codes or Key Dates will display in their respective windows, for information purposes only.

If this is a new entry, enter all the relevant fields according to Field Descriptions above.  If this an existing record, make changes as required.  You can save the entry at any point by pressing the F10 key (or clicking on the Save button).

Entering Notes

You can enter notes of phone conversations and meetings through history notes.  To access notes for an account, click on the Notes button while the account record is on the screen.

You are first presented with an opening list of previous notes, if there are any.  To enter a new record, click on the Add button.

Entering Reminders

Entering Reminder lets you program in a follow-up date and time that alerts you to perform some form of follow-up activity, such as a return phone call.

Entering Class Codes

Class codes allow you to classify an account an unlimited number of ways, primarily for mailing list selection and reporting classifications.  To assign class codes to an account, click on the Class button while an account record is on the screen to display the class codes entry window.

Enter a class code or select one from a pop-up window by pressing F2.  After pressing <Enter> through the description, you will be asked if you wish to save the record.  Continue assigning as many class codes as you wish.  When you wish to return to the Enter Contact Accounts screen, press <Esc>.

Entering Additional Contacts

You can enter additional contact names, titles, phone numbers, email addresses, miscellaneous information and dates by clicking on the Contact button while an account record is on the screen.  This will bring up the additional contacts entry window listing the available people.  Click Select to bring up the next screen with the contact detail information.

Entering Key Dates

Key date codes and dates can be used to record important events for statistical reporting purposes.  To enter key dates, click on the Date button while an account record is on the screen to access the key dates entry window.

Enter a date code or select one from a pop-up window by pressing F2 (or clicking on the Lookup button).  The description will display automatically.  Enter the date.  You will be asked if you wish to save the record.  Enter additional codes and dates, or press <Esc> to return to the Enter Contact Accounts screen.

Switching to AR-A, Enter Customers or AR-Q View Customer Information

You can toggle back and forth between Enter Contact Accounts and AR-A  Enter Customers or AR-Q View Customer Information depending on your user menu access by clicking on the Cust button) while an account record is on the screen.  If the account has a corresponding record in the customer file, the record will be fully displayed without having to enter the account code.  From AR-A, Enter Customers, you can return to CM-A, Enter Contact Accounts, by closing the Customer screen.

Make Customer Button

If this contact is not yet a customer, you can click the Make Customer button to create a record in AR containing the same code and pertinent information.  This feature can be disabled via the Allow Make Customer in CM setting in SD-O Contact Manager Defaults