Quick tips to help with data entry

Recently, I was able to learn more about how customers use Blackbaud CRM to accomplish everyday tasks like processing gifts in batch. I bring these learnings and insights to future Blackbaud development efforts, but also wanted to share a few tips with you.

 

Did you know…

 

• You can use shortcut keys in batches to help reduce time spent going between the mouse and the keyboard. For example, CTRL+Enter will take you to the next row in the batch. And CTRL+m will show shortcut keys for the main and revenue tabs in Enhanced Revenue Batch. You can press ESC and the shortcut keys are no longer displayed.

 

• You can set up your batches to auto-save each row as they work so the data processors do not have to remember to save their batch half way through.  You can enable auto-save in the batch template or when creating individual batches.

 

• Make sure your gift processors know about the “Go to” button in Enhanced Revenue Batch that brings them directly to the constituent record in a new tab. They will need to go back to the tab that had the batch open in instead of trying to navigate back to the batch in the new tab.

 

• You can add annual or monthly scheduled pledges even if they have irregular amounts for their installments. Just enter if the pledge will be paid annually or monthly, along with number of installments, and then click the "Edit installment designations" button to change the individual installment amounts. This will provide better data integrity by having the annual/monthly pledges listed as annual/monthly instead of irregular, which will allow others in the organization to easily see how frequently a donor pays on their pledge and when to expect payments in the future. It also allows for more accurate reporting based on frequency of pledge installments, such as wanting to know how many annual pledges your organization has.

 

• If you are processing large batches (500+ records), set up a schedule for these batches to commit overnight. https://www.blackbaud.com/files/support/guides/enterprise/400/batch.pdf#page=140

 

• Check the virus scan setting on your computers and servers to see if the virus scan is running during gift processing hours. If it is running during that time it could cause the machine to run slower giving the perception of system slowness. Check your machine for other things that may be taking up computer resources and causing your system to be slow.

 

• Consider creating custom batch fields for high value and time saving operations. For example, one Blackbaud CRM customer has created a Batch extension to add the Designation Name field for quick entry. This could save your gift processors from having to open up the designation search to validate that they have typed in the correct lookup ID for the designation. This is something customers can implement today using the SDK and that Blackbaud will consider for a future release.

 

• Download a spell check extension for your browsers. Data entry folks like to know that they are spelling things correctly, especially for tributes. Having a spell check for the browser will allow the data entry folks to stay in the browser window they are in to check spelling instead of having to open another program and copy and paste their text into it. Check with your IT department to decide which spell check extension is right for you.