The Raiser's Edge Cleanup Series: Configuring Configuration Tables

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Hi again everyone, back for the next installment in our quest to make your database the best it can be. Today we attack the nerve center of your data entry world: Configuration Tables.

But before that, a request: I want to hear from you. I can idly type out whatever comes to mind during these posts, but I might be missing something big. So if there is something that is bugging you bigtime in your database and you think it would make for a good post, just respond in the comments below.

In my experience, there are many factors to ensuring a clean database. First, you need to have a set of rules that everyone should follow. Second, you need to regularly fix any problems that arise. But thirdly, you need everyone in your organization to buy-in to making this a priority. After all, the work that you are doing in the system will save them hours and hours of time down the line.

Part of that buy-in process is making it clear that somebody cares. Two of the most common issues I see when working with organizations are duplicate and meaningless Phone Types. So, in addition to home, email, and cell phone, you'll see e-mail and e mail and somebody's phone number as a phone type. It may be subtle, but everyone else working in your database can see that something isn't quite right. By making sure that the most visible areas of your program are as well-maintained as they can be, everyone will put more thought and effort into the maintenance of the database.

Table Cleanup

To begin, we travel to Configuration->Tables. This is where The Raiser's Edge stores every single list that can be modified by your organization. One of the most common problem areas in the database is the Address Types table. Much like the Phone Types table from above, it often includes duplicate, outdated, or erroneous types, which needlessly clutter the database and make mailings much harder.

For this example, we're going to talk about dumping old address types. Let's say you have Winter Home, Summer Home, and Vacation Home as separate address types. You've decided that instead of using Winter and Summer Home as a type, you'll added seasonal dates instead. Now, you're going to consolidate Winter, Summer, and Vacation Homes into a single type. For example, if Robert Hernandez has a Winter Home, a Summer Home, and a Vacation Home, after this process he will have 3 Vacation Homes.

In the narrow center column, ensure Address Types has been selected. Then in the taskbar at the top of the page, click the Table Cleanup button. The window that pops up is divided into two sections. In the top part, select the address types that will be replaced, in this case Winter Home and Summer Home. The second part is Replace With, where you select the new home for the Winter and Summer Homes, in this case Vacation Home. Finally, if you want Winter and Summer Home to disappear forever (you probably do), then leave the checkbox marked. After clicking "Replace Now", you now have a cleaner Address Type table.

Efficiency Through Altruism

Wherever your organization may be, you probably deal with the same locations over and over again. Since I'm based up here in Massachusetts, I know we most commonly deal with MA, RI, NH, ME, VT, CT and NY in that exact order. So why should we have to scroll halfway down our States table to find what we use the most?

There are many little tips and tricks you can use in your database to ease life as data dictator, and sometimes it just might make you a little more popular around the office. We're going to reorder our most important tables so that the most-used data appears right at the very top.

In the narrow center column, click the States table. Select the first state you wish to move up to the top, and in the taskbar at the top center of the screen, click the Up button. Now, i'm lazy, and years of constant computer use haven't been kind on my wrists, so I have a pain-saving tip: You ever notice how certain letters are underlined in Windows, like the U on the Up button? That's an old-school Windows tip where you can hold down the ALT button and the underlined letter to activate that button. So instead of clicking dozens of times, select the state you wish to move and hold ALT and U until it hits the top. Do this for every remaining state you would like to relocate, and you should now have States in the most efficient order.

Standardizing Phone Formatting

Chances are, you're going to want all of your phone numbers in the same format, such as (###) ###-####. The Raiser's Edge will include 4 built-in ways to automatically reformat phone numbers. Click on the Phone Types table in the narrow center column, and then double-click on the desired Phone Type. You will see the four different formats available for each phone type.

Of course, these are just a means to an end in the program, and should always involve a greater examination of your organization and its needs. One of my favorite classes to teach, due to the consistent strength and depth of its discussion, is Policies and Procedures for Configuration and Administration.

Additionally, I would be remiss if I didn't go into the Database Doctor series, which is a series of courses on the hows and whys of Configuration, along with how-to's on the cleanup operations themselves. If you've already taken courses on configuration, but feel you want a greater examination of what you should enter into your configuration, this is the place for you. And if you already have the Learn More or Learn Everything training subscription, it's completely free!

I'll see you all next time as we talk about my magnum opus, as it were: scrubbing my addresses and phone numbers.
News Raiser's Edge® Blog 07/01/2013 9:43am EDT

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