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Action Tracks In RE NXT - Will this happen?

Joe Moretti

How many folks use Action Tracks in RE Database View? Our organization uses actions tracks for our membership and it is VITAL for us. So far it seems that that action tracks will not be in RE NXT. How many folks find this to be detrimental to your organization? This is why I find disabling RE Database View down the road to be very problematic. If all the functions in RE Database cannot be in RE NXT, then Blackbaud should at least keep a barebones RE Database View available for just these types of functions. I for one and I am sure there are many others do not want to see RE Database go away completely.

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Austen Brown

@Joe Moretti - Could you use NXT Workflow in place of DBV Action Tracks? I'm not familiar with Action Tracks beyond the user guide having not used it at past orgs, but since NXT Workflow's primary purpose is adding actions and following conditions based on actions, I wonder if it could serve as a replacement.

Joe Moretti

@Austen Brown I am not sure if NXT Workflow would work since as it is now, it has to start based on a gift. If I create a workflow the first thing it ask (and the only thing it ask is gift). I don't know then if I apply the workflow, that a gift would need to go on the record first.

One of our many action tracks:

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Joe Moretti

@Austen Brown Another thing Austen, why this does not work like Action Tracks. Our membership department exports the information and then imports other information back into the system. With action tracks, you can connect to an action as a track template which you can query off of and import and export. Even though RE NXT does not yet have export or import, there is no way to query off of a Workflow. I found this whole disabling Database in the future very problematic and so do many others, since there will be vital things in Database not in RE NXT. I never like RE NXT and do not know why Blackbaud cannot keep Database View, even if it is the bare bones with items that will not be in RE NXT. This is problematic for many organizations that use things like Action Tracks and Action Reminders, which Action Reminders are not in RE NXT either, at least how they are in Database. Again another big SNAFU.

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Austen Brown

@Joe Moretti - Thanks for the explanation and screenshots. Recommend you go to the PUB on May 6 – if action tracks aren't directly mentioned, ask for an update through the Q&A feature on the webinar.

Here are a few ideas in the idea bank that may interest you -

Ability to Add Action Tracks in NXT Webview: https://renxt.ideas.aha.io/ideas/RENXT-I-7871
Enable assignment of Action Tracks through web view of RE NXT: https://renxt.ideas.aha.io/ideas/RENXT-I-438
Add “Notify" filter for Actions: https://renxt.ideas.aha.io/ideas/RENXT-I-1000
Action tracks: In Webview, when an action is completed, trigger the next action: https://renxt.ideas.aha.io/ideas/RENXT-I-6626
Moves Management with Action Tracks in NXT: https://renxt.ideas.aha.io/ideas/RENXT-I-410
Implement Action Track functionality in web view as it is in database view: https://renxt.ideas.aha.io/ideas/RENXT-I-3033

Joe Moretti

@Austen Brown Thanks Austen!

Hallie Guiseppe

@Joe Moretti
I used Action Tracks at a previous organization and now use RENXT Workflows instead. While they don't function exactly the same, we’ve been able to adapt them to meet our needs.

We currently have several workflows in place, and some of the most impactful have been a series of actions related to individuals who respond to our planned giving communications and our birthday email workflows. We've also used workflows to manage incentive mailings during appeals—including sending an automatic email to donors letting them know their incentive item has been mailed.

One important thing to keep in mind: once a constituent completes a workflow, they cannot go through it again. This is ideal for processes like stewardship series, but for workflows you might want constituents to enter multiple times, you’ll need to plan for periodic maintenance.

If you're looking for more flexibility, particularly around adding or updating actions based on an import file, you might want to explore using Power Automate. It opens up options for greater customization based on your business needs. Alternatively, if you stick with Workflows, I suggest creating a specific action category, type or description (all mine start with WF_….) for actions added by the workflow. That way, you can easily query and manage them later.

Julie Michaelson

@Hallie Guiseppe , Thank you for sharing this knowledge. Do you know where I can find the Power Automation application for installation?

Alex Wong

@Julie Michaelson
you do not need to install Power Automate (although there is a “desktop” version for automating desktop task, it is not the one Hallie is talking about), you access it by going to https://make.powerautomate.com/, assuming you have a Microsoft account.

You may want to check out the getting started guide https://docs.blackbaud.com/microsoft-connectors-docs/ relating to how Microsoft's Power platform (including Power Automate) helps with Blackbaud products.

Hallie Guiseppe

@Julie Michaelson

Hi Julie,

Power Automate is a tool that you can use create customized processes. If you have Blackbaud RENXT-Pro your contract likely includes 25,000 API calls which you can use with Microsoft Power Automate. There are several resources available to learn more about how to connect and use Power Automate. @Austen Brown has a fantastic community post that lists many ways you learn more.

I also recommend attending #bbdevdays Days. This is a virtual conference and Blackbaud offers a free pass that let's you learn what other users are doing at no cost. I will be presenting this year demonstrating how I use Power Automate to import data into RENXT.

Joe Moretti

@Hallie Guiseppe Thanks for the info, but how we use action tracks will not work for any of the options. For how much we pay for Blackbaud, which is super expensive, I expect everything that worked in database should work in RE NXT. This whole thing is BS and I am sure others feel the same way. Also tired of having to purchase third party apps, etc. Blackbaud has been disappointing with this whole RE NXT thing. So all of a sudden things organization have used for years now has to disappear with no exact option in RE NXT. Instead of Blackbaud buying up products that are not in sync with RE or making things pretty, make RE NXT do the things that Database does and then some. It is also VFERY tiring for sales people and consultants to sell their products because Blackbaud cannot get their S**T together. It gets so tiring!

AND for this amount we pay for Blackbaud, we should not have to buy other products or find “work arounds”. Everything should just plain WORK.

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Julie Michaelson

@Alex Wong is there a cost to use this application?

Alex Wong

@Julie Michaelson
SKY API is free

Power Automate is $3 (or was it $5) per user per month. At a minimal, you only need 1 user license to do all automation.

Julie Michaelson

@Alex Wong thanks for all the info! I assume it easy to set up with their templates?

Alex Wong

@Julie Michaelson
Start a new post (don't take up more of this original post's intention).

Aldera Chisholm

@Joe Moretti I totally get your frustration. There are a couple of little things that may make Workflows more of an option for you. When you go to start one, as you noted the criteria must be based on a gift. But, if you choose a list as the base instead, you can base it on non-gift criteria. In some cases I have created a dedicated action type, for example to note when someone has completed a welcome series of emails. I use that to easily compare who was triggered to be in that workflow vs who completed the full series. (Didn't opt out, etc.) Good luck!

Briget McAninch

Our organization also uses action tracks in a unique way. Workflows can't do the same thing. Is Blackbaud considering making it available, or will it be completely gone?

Joe Moretti

I certainly hope it carries over to RE NXT. In fact, everything in Database View should be in RE NXT. I mean that is what we all signed up for and to not do that is total BS and irresponsible and unprofessional on Blackbaud's end.