Creating Contacts

From the e-automate menu, select People > Contacts to open the Contacts list window.

Click [ New] to open the New Contact window.

Complete the following fields as appropriate:

First Name: First name of the contact.

Middle name: Middle name or initial of the contact.

Last Name: Last name of the contact.
Note: To minimize the possibility of creating duplicate contacts, the system displays a warning if a contact's Last name and Email address match an existing contact's Last name and Email address OR if a contact's Phone 1 and Email address match an existing contact's Phone 1 and Email address. When the system detects a possible duplicate contact based on these criteria, the system displays a warning icon to the left of the applicable fields and a message explaining the warning. To view a list of potential duplicates for this contact, click the More info icon in the warning message or at the bottom of the New Contact or Edit Contact window. For additional information related to duplicate contacts, see the Reviewing Duplicate Contacts topic.

Preferred full name: Full name the user would prefer to be seen as in other areas in e-automate.

Preferred first name: First name the user would be prefer to be seen in other areas in e-automate.

Attention: Contact’s first and last name. Can be changes as necessary.

Address: Contact’s street address. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.

City: City in which the contact’s address is located. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.

County: County in which the contact is located. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.

State: State or province in which the contact is located. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.

Zip: Contact’s postal or zip code. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.

Country: Country in which the contact is located. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.

Sales Rep: Sales rep associated with this contact, if any.

Phone 1: Contact’s primary phone number. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.
Note: To minimize the possibility of creating duplicate contacts, the system displays a warning if a contact's Last name and Email address match an existing contact's Last name and Email address OR if a contact's Phone 1 and Email address match an existing contact's Phone 1 and Email address. When the system detects a possible duplicate contact based on these criteria, the system displays a warning icon to the left of the applicable fields and a message explaining the warning. To view a list of potential duplicates for this contact, click the More info icon in the warning message or at the bottom of the New Contact or Edit Contact window. For additional information related to duplicate contacts, see the Reviewing Duplicate Contacts topic.

Phone 2: Contact’s secondary phone number. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.

Fax: Contact’s fax number. This field is pre-populated from the customer record if creating a contact within a saved customer.

Email: Contact’s email address. This email address is used at the web login credentials if using e-info.
Note: To minimize the possibility of creating duplicate contacts, the system displays a warning if a contact's Last name and Email address match an existing contact's Last name and Email address OR if a contact's Phone 1 and Email address match an existing contact's Phone 1 and Email address. When the system detects a possible duplicate contact based on these criteria, the system displays a warning icon to the left of the applicable fields and a message explaining the warning. To view a list of potential duplicates for this contact, click the More info icon in the warning message or at the bottom of the New Contact or Edit Contact window. For additional information related to duplicate contacts, see the Reviewing Duplicate Contacts topic.

Web password: Contact’s web password.

Other emails: Additional emails to which you would like communication sent when sending invoices and other communication. You can enter multiple email addresses in this field separated by your SMTP mail client delimiter. For example, Microsoft Exchange uses the semicolon (;) as a delimiter. You can enter multiple email addresses separated by a semicolon and—when e-automate sends an email to the email address identified above—it will also send to the email to the email addresses identified in this field. You can place a space between the semicolon and the next email address.
Note: Do not put in carriage returns or use the <Enter> key inside the Other emails field; creating new lines prevents the system from using the additional email addresses.

In the Preferred Contact Method region, select the method you intend to use to contact this person. Be sure that you have populated the preferred method above. For example, if you selected Email as the preferred method of contact, e-automate verifies you have entered an appropriate email address. Phone and fax are verified by e-automate as well.
Note: This method of contact is used by e-automate as your method for automated meter reading requests.

If you want meter reading instructions included in auto-generated meter requests to this contact, select the Include Meter Instructions in Auto Meter Requests checkbox.

If you want the remarks identified on equipment records included when you send email communications, check the Include equipment location remarks in all communications checkbox.
Note: When entering supply orders, the remarks associated with the equipment are included on the packing list, sales invoice, and sales order when associated with this contact.

Once you have completed the Profile tab, you can edit or modify the following fields in the upper region as necessary:

Preferred full name

Preferred first name

Number

In order to record tasks on a contact, the contact must first be saved in the e-automate database. If you are creating a new contact, click [ OK] to save the contact. Then select the contact and click [ Edit] to open the Edit Contact window to add a task.

Click the Tasks tab to bring it forward.

Click [ Add] to open the New Task Detail window.

In the Customer field, use the lookup to select a customer.
Note: If this contact is associated with a customer, customers will display in the lookup. If this contact is not yet associated with a customer, the Customer lookup will be empty. A customer is not required on a task.

In the Task type field, use the lookup to select a task type that describes the interaction with the contact.

In the Assigned to field, use the lookup to select the person the task is assigned to.

In the Scheduled for field, identify the appropriate date.

In the Completed on field, select the checkbox and enter a date if this task is completed. If not completed, leave unchecked.

In the Follow up date field, select the checkbox and date to which a follow up will be assigned.

In the Description field, enter an appropriate description.

Click [ OK] to save the task on the contact record.

Repeat steps 3 through 11 to add more tasks.
Note: Tasks are more easily created and managed in the Accounts Receivable Console.

Click the Customers tab to bring it forward.
Note: Use this tab to set your customer’s access to your system via the Internet through e-info. You use e-info to offer your customers controlled and limited access to e-automate functionality. E-info can enable your customer's access to the following areas:

Equipment: Where a customer can view equipment on and off contract as well as submit service calls.

Sales Orders: Where a customer can submit supply orders for equipment.

Service Calls: Where a customer can submit service calls and view service history.

Meter Entry: Where a customer can enter meter readings directly to your e-automate database.

Account History: Where a customer can view customer account history.

Service History: Where a customer can view service history associated with equipment.

Order by Category: Allows a customer to order items by simply identifying the category of the item number.

User Management: Where a customer can make changes to their account.

Propagate To Locations: Determines all contacts associated with the parent customer inherit the rights that the parent location has for all locations.

Do any of the following:

To add a new customer and job title combination, do the following:

In the Customer field, do one of the following:

To enter an existing customer, use the lookup to select the customer you want to list for this record.

To enter a new customer, use the drop-down menu to select New. The system opens the New Customer window. For more information on creating a new contact, see the Creating Customers topic. When you complete the process, the system populates this field with the new customer you created.

In the Job Title field, do one of the following:

To enter an existing job title, use the lookup to select the job title you want to list for this record.

To enter a new job title, use the drop-down menu to select New. The system opens the New Job Title window. For more information on creating a new job title, see the Creating Job Titles topic. When you complete the process, the system populates this field with the new job title you created.

Click [QuickAdd]. The system adds the new contact and job title combination to the display on this window.

To update an existing contact and job title combination, do the following:

Select from the list the record you want to update.

In the Customer field, do one of the following:

To change the customer's name to a different existing customer's name, use the lookup to select the customer you want to list for this record.

To enter a new customer, use the drop-down menu to select New. The system opens the New Customer window. For more information on creating a new customer, see the Creating Customers topic. When you complete the process, the system populates this field with the new customer you created.

In the Job Title field, do one of the following:

To change the job title to a different existing job title, use the lookup icon to select the job title you want to list for this record.

To enter a new job title, use the drop-down menu to select New. The system opens the New Job Title window. For more information on creating a new job title, see the Creating Job Titles topic. When you complete the process, the system populates this field with the new job title you created.

Click [Update]. The system updates the display on this window.

To copy customer address information to this contact, replacing any previously entered information on the Address tab, do the following:

Select from the list the customer record containing the address you want to copy.

Click [ Copy Address]. The system displays a message asking if you want to copy this customer's address to this contact's address.

Click [ Yes] to confirm or [ No] to cancel.

To view a customer record, do the following:

Select from the list the customer record you want to view.

Click [View].  The system displays the View Customer window.

When finished, click the Close (red X) icon on the title bar or the [Cancel] button on the window.

To remove the customer contact association, do the following:

Select from the list the customer record you no longer want to associate with this contact.

Click [ Remove]. The system displays a message asking if you want to delete this customer' association with this contact.

Click [ Yes] to confirm or [ No] to cancel.

To categorize this contact, click the Categories tab to bring it forward

In the Contact Category field, use the lookup to select a category.

Click [ QuickAdd] to add the category.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have added the appropriate categories.

To remove a category, select the category and click [ Remove].

Click the Text Messaging tab to bring it forward.

Complete the following fields as appropriate.
Description: Description of the type of text messaging device.
Identification: Number for contacting this text messaging device.
Note: For example, a telephone number - area code and number. Be sure to enter only digits in this field. If it is an email address, only enter the portion of the address prior to the @ symbol.
Device Type: Device type or carrier for text messaging service.
Note: Popular text messaging services are already in the list; however, the domains change periodically. You should always verify the correct domain for your identified carrier. If in doubt, contact your carrier for the correct domain and make the necessary changes. If your carrier is not present, use the Action menu to select New to add your carriers settings. If you are using email, you can also identify your email domain.

Click [ QuickAdd] to set the device as the default.
Note: You can add multiple devices; however, only one can be the default device. You can also remove a device by selecting the device and clicking [ Remove].

Verify the Active checkbox is checked.

To enable this contact to access your system via the Internet through e-info, check the e-info enable box.

If the system detects this contact may be a duplicate of an existing contact, the system displays a Hide duplicate warnings contact.  If you want to review existing contacts to see if this contact is a duplicate, leave the Hide duplicate warnings box unchecked and see the Reviewing Duplicate Contacts topic.  If you want the system to consider this contact a valid contact (not a duplicate), check the Hide duplicate warnings box.

Click [ OK] to save the contact information.

For more information on creating contacts, see
Additional Info - Copying Customer Information to the Contact Record.