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Contacts, Vendors & Companies Features in Detail
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Batch Import Utility for Contact Records

There are many reasons for importing large quantities of contact records in a single batch: transferring data from a legacy system to your new PortalProdigy system, loading newly purchased data as in the form of purchased prospecting lists, etc. The batch import utility makes importing new contact records and updating existing records a fairly simple, quick and easy procedure.

 

The common format for importable records is called a CSV file. CSV stands for “Comma Separated Values”. In computer professional speak, the comma used to separate values is called the delimiter. Characters other that commas are often used as delimiters. For example, tabs are generally the default delimiter for Microsoft Excel spread sheets saved to a text file. Since PortalProdigy’s import utility only recognizes commas as delimiters, one must export or save a Microsoft Excel file as a CSV format file before it can be imported into Portal Prodigy.

 

The content of a CSV file might look like the following:

 

FirstName,LastName,Street,City,State,Zip,Phone

Stephen,Reuning,510 Horizon Center,Robbinsville,NJ,08691,609-584-4474

John,Jones,2 Smith Street,Perth Amboy, NJ,07728

 

In such a case, the top row is called the header row and it is used to designate the field name of the data between delimiters.

 

The order of the field names is important because it is used to map the fields in the CSV file to the fields of the PortalProdigy Contacts Database in what is called a CSV file to Contact Database Map. For our example above, the fields shall be numbered and mapped as follows:

 

FirstName = 1                            

LastName = 2                            

Street = 3                                   

City = 4                                      

State = 5                                    

Zip = 6                                       

Phone = 7                                  

 

The Import Contacts Data Management Page

 

Select the Utilities Access Icon  located in the Site Management menu column of the Main Administration menu (Ctrl-Alt-m) to view the Utilities Menu page.

 

 

Clicking on the Utilities Menu Import Contacts Edit  button accesses the Contact Profiles page.

 

 

Contact Profiles are records used to store the CSV file to Contact Database Maps created for use with specific data sources.

 

One can review or edit a CSV file to Contact Database Map by clicking on its label or add a new one by clicking on the  button.

 

 

  • Profile Name Entry Field – Enter a descriptive name here. It will be displayed in Contact Profiles page selection list.

 

  • Select a CSV file to be imported Browser – Used to browse the user’s wok station in order to locate the CSV file to be imported.

 

 

  • Select Data Subscription File Field - For each field included in the CSV file, enter the number corresponding to the order of the field in the CSV file. A zero is used to indicate that the field is not in your CSV file.

 

Values Included Section:

 

If the import file contains a header row, then check the Ignore first row which contains column headings checkbox  .

 

Check all fields that should have their existing value replaced by the imported value if a record already exists for a contact in the import list.

 

Empty fields in existing contacts records will always be updated with the import value. All fields will be imported for new contact records.

 

 

Automated Login Name Creation - For new contact records the program will automatically assign the contact’s email address as the Login Name. If there is no email address for the imported record, the Login Name will be set to the contact’s First Name plus Last Name without a space between them. If the First Name plus Last Name Login Name already exists, a number will be added to make the Login Name unique. For new contact records the password will automatically be set to the First name plus the Last Name.

 

The import always preserves the Login Name and Password for contact records that already exist. If the imported record does not contain a contact’s name, the Company Name will be used instead.

 

Importing Media Types

 

The Press Release Feature provides for delivery of press releases to its internal database of media contacts.  In order to send a press release PORTALPRODIGY needs target recipients. Those recipients are identified in the Contact Database by a checked Media Contact Type box. The media contacts may be further classified into PR Media Types such as Magazine, Newsletter, Newspaper, etc.

 

Media types is a customizable list that can be modified by at the PR Media Types Management page which can be reached by clicking on the Features Edit Icon  located in the Site Management menu column of the Main Administration Menu and then clicking the PressRelease link and then clicking the PR Media Types link  of the Press Release Manager Features Management page.

 

The Media Types section of the Import Contacts Data Management page is used to designate contacts that are bulk imported as Media Types and load their PR Media Type classification.

 

 

  • Replace Contact Media Types Checkbox - Check the  box when you want existing Media Contacts to be have their old Media Type assignments replaced by imported values.  When left unchecked, new media type assignments are added in addition to the existing ones.

 

  • Column # Field - For each Media Type field (column) in the imported CSV file, enter the column number in the Column # text box of the corresponding Media Type listed on the on the Import Contacts Data Management page along with the value that is used to indicate that the Media Contact belongs to that Media Type (such as “X” or “Yes”).
  • Value Field - For each Media Type value used in the Media Types field (column) in the imported CSV file, enter the column number in the Column # text box (note that all the Media Types will share the same column number) along with the value that is used to indicate the Media Type (such as “Periodical”, “Radio”, etc.).

 

 

 

 


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