The CRM Control window is the primary method of managing all the core tasks within the CRM module.

The main use of the CRM Control window is as a Search utility to locate Prospect and Customer records so that you can work with them.

The window provides extensive search facilities split across five tab cards. The search criteria fields and the data columns displayed on each tab card can be customised so that they suit your normal method of working.

The toolbar provides lots of functionality which can be applied to the records you have retrieved using the search.

When a list of records has been returned to the window, you can multi-select records using Shift-click or Ctrl-click. You can then apply toolbar functions, such as a Bulk Update, to all the selected records.

First, use the search to locate and display records, and then select a record with which you wish to work. Click Edit to open the Data Entry window in Edit mode (or double click on the record).

When you have finished editing the record, you can use the Save and Close button on the Data Entry window to save the changes and return to the CRM Control.

Alternatively, you can continue working with other records from the list by using the Save and Next or Save and Previous buttons. The changes will be saved and the next/previous record from the list will be opened in Edit mode.

Select the appropriate button to insert a new Prospect or Customer record.

For both records types, the Postcode Search window will open before the CRM Data entry window. You can use this window to locate the postal address of your Customer or Prospect. If you do not want to use the search, just click Ignore Search to continue with the creation of the new record.

The CRM Data Entry window will open displaying a blank record ready for you to enter the details of the new prospect. You can save this record at any time by clicking the Save now button. This will create the new Prospect/Customer record and leave the record open and in edit mode to enable you to continue to work with the record. Click Save and Close to complete the record and return to the CRM Control window.

If you wish to view the new record in the CRM Control window list, you must run a search to refresh the list. For this reason you might consider adding the Date Created field to the search criteria so that you can easily locate the records you have created today.

This will delete the currently selected Customer or Prospect record.

You cannot delete records if there are transactions held within the system for that record. These transactions must be deleted first, using the Period End routine.

The Search List will open. Double click on the name of the saved search you wish to open.

The list can be limited to display just the searches you have saved by clicking the Load Mine button or all saved searches can be displayed by clicking the Load All button.

The name of a search can be changed by clicking the Edit Search button on this window. This will re-open the Save Search window to enable you to change the name of the search and save the revised record.

Saved searches can be deleted from this window by selecting the line and pressing the delete button.

You can only change the values stored within searches by selecting the search, viewing and changing it on the tab card and then selecting Save Search to overwrite the existing record.

A window will pop up to prompt you to enter a name for the saved search.

Try to give the search a name that will identify the purpose of the search or the values saved within it.

You can save searches for each of the tab cards, only those relevant to the currently selected tab will be offered in the Select Search window..

Clears the search fields on all the search tabs.

Any record displayed in the list on the tab can be removed from the list by selecting the line and clicking Remove Line.

Once you have built a list of records, a double click on any record in the list will open the record in the Data Entry window so that you can begin to work with that record. From the Data Entry window, you can move through all the records in the list you have built without having to return to the CRM Control window.

When you return to the CRM Control window, the records you have finished working with can be removed from the list and you can continue working with the rest of the records. This is an alternative to re-building the list by re-running the search.

You can remove multiple lines by using a Shift-click or Ctrl-click to select multiple records before clicking the Remove Line button.

Activates the search for the currently selected tab and lists records that match the search criteria you have entered.

In the Options window you select the search criteria fields and which columns to display on each tab.

The Postcode Management function allows you to assign your Prospects to the Customer Partners who will be looking after them, by area according to the postcode of the Prospect record.

Using Bulk Update, multiple records can be updated or multiple fields can be updated on single or multiple records.

The Campaign details on the selected records can be updated in bulk using this option.

Records can be added to a campaign and records that are already part of a campaign can be moved to a different stage or removed from the campaign. See Update Campaign.

The Letters window will display all the active letters registered using the Letter Setup window. These letters will have been prepared using Access Office Integration and MS Word to create a Word Mail Merge document that contains links to the Dimensions database.

Using the Letter Setup window, you can save links to Word template documents so that they are available for mail merge within Dimensions.

This allows you to keep a record of documents related to the currently selected record. Please see the general Documents topic for an overview of this functionality.

You can convert Prospects to Customers in CRM by selecting the record that is to be converted and clicking this button.

This button links to the Sales Order Processing > Estimates window. The transaction window will open with the details of the currently selected Customer or Prospect already populated ready for you to enter the estimate details. See Entering SOP Estimates.

This button links to the Estimate Batch within Sales Order Processing. The Customer or Prospect code of the currently selected record will be transferred to the Batch Selection window so that you can immediately display any batched transactions.

Available for Customer records only, this button will open the Sales Transaction Enquiry window for the selected Customer.

The currently displayed list can be output to an Excel worksheet.

Each column displayed in the list will be converted to a column in the worksheet and each line, including the headings, into a row.

This will display the Outstanding Estimates Enquiry window for the selected Customer or Prospect.

Each tab's header pane contains the search criteria fields; the grid pane displays the search results under column headings.

The search is activated by clicking on the Display button. If no search criteria have been entered on the currently visible tab card, a message will be displayed warning that this type of search will take some time. The time the search takes will depend on the number of records existing on your database.

Once you have built a list of records, a double click on any record in the list will open the record in the Data Entry window so that you can begin to work with that record.

From the Data Entry window, you can move through all the records in the list you have built without having to return to the CRM Control window.

When you have finished working with the records in this list, return to the CRM Control window to build another list and continue in the same way.

The drop-down list, found on the window header alongside the search tabs, enables you to filter the records to display only Customer records, or only Prospect records that meet the search criteria.

Each tab, and the differences between the search that it executes, is described later in this topic.

The search criteria for each tab card is selected in Options to make it a simple process to locate the records that you wish to work with.

The grid pane displays search results under column headings selected in Options.

The first columns of the grid on each tab card will always be:

C/P - a Customer or Prospect function to indicate the nature of the record.

Code and Name - the code and name taken from the Customer/Prospect record.

Use this search tab if you are only interested in retrieving records that have been allocated to you.

A search criteria of Allocated User = User Id of the current user will always be applied when using this search.

Additional search criteria can be used, the search tab should be configured as described above.

Pre-set criteria will be applied when you activate a search from this tab. The criteria will ensure that only records that have been allocated to you and that have pipeline records associated with them will be listed.

A search criteria of Allocated User = User Id of the current user will always be applied when using this search.

Only records that have pipeline records associated with them will be listed.

Additional search criteria can be used, the search tab should be configured as described above.

The status bar, at the foot of the window, will display the number of records found and the pipeline value of those records.

The search results will be displayed in the grid as a row for each record found. If the One Line Per Company option has been selected (on the General tab in the Options window) there will be one row for each pipeline record found.

Use this search tab to locate Contact records that have tasks associated with them.

Pre-set criteria will be applied to ensure that only records that have task records associated with them will be listed.

The search results will be displayed in the grid as a row for each record found. If the One Line Per Company option has been selected (on the General tab in the Options window) there will be one row for each pipeline record found.

Use this search tab for general searches. No pre-set search criteria will be applied. the tab should be configured as described above.

The search criteria have a mixture of entry fields.

The Search Criteria for the My Records, Pipeline, Tasks and Search tabs includes search fields for Stock Code, Stock Sort Key and Stock User Sort 1 – 3.

When the Stock code field is added to the search tab, there will be the usual binocular button to enable you to open the Stock list window to select a stock code.

The Campaign tab is very different to the other tabs and does not need to be configured.

You should use this tab when you want to "work" a campaign, e.g. make calls, send letters, or arrange visits. You should build a list of the records currently at the same stage of the campaign using the Campaign tab on the CRM Control window.

By selecting a campaign, and a stage of that campaign, you will be able to build an action list of all the contacts that are currently at the selected stage. You can then work through the list dealing with the requirements of that stage, be that calling the contact or sending information or arranging a visit.

As you complete the work for each contact, and move to the next in the list, you will be prompted to update the campaign to the next stage.

The search fields on this tab are:

Campaign Code - this is a drop down list containing all the currently active campaigns.

Stage - this pane will be populated when a campaign has been selected from the Campaign Code list. A list of all the stages that form part of the campaign will be displayed; you just need to tick the stage or stages for which you want to search. More than one can be selected if appropriate.

My records only - tick this option if you wish to find only the records that have been allocated to you.

Exclude records edited today - tick this option to exclude records that have been updated today.

When you have finished working with the first record, clicking on the Save and Next Campaign function on the toolbar will take you to the next record automatically.

As you leave the first record you will be prompted to update the campaign stage. If you select the No button, you will be taken to the next record in the list; alternatively, if you select Yes, a window will open to enable you to do this. See below for further details.

If you have already changed the campaign stage by editing the record on the campaign tab, then you should select No.

If you select Yes but then change your mind, you can just Cancel the action to close the window and move to the next record.

There is a choice of three updates that can be made from this window. You may only select to action one update.

Change current campaign - The campaign list will include all the campaigns for which the Prospect or Customer has been targeted. Select the campaign you wish to update. The current stage will be displayed, select the stage to which the record is to be progressed.

Add to another Campaign - The campaign list will include all currently active campaigns. Select the campaign to which you wish to add this Prospect or Customer. Select the stage of the campaign that is to be applied first.

Move to another Campaign - Select the campaign from which the Prospect or Customer is to be removed. Select the campaign to which you wish to add this Prospect or Customer. Select the stage of the campaign that is to be applied first. When you have made your selections, click OK to action the update.