Mail Merge menu

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The menu name Mail Merge is a bit of a misnomer because this topic actually deals with extracting information from the database for use in three different functions:-
Mail Merge, 
Report Writer.
Export 

Well we had to label the menu something!  The method of extracting the data wanted is common to all three functions and this topic covers the selection process.  The individual functions are discussed in separate topics.

The four menu choices of Landlords, Properties, Tenants and Suppliers is for performance reasons.  By assembling the general type of data mail merge is to deal with it reduces the volume of data the system needs to work with when any further selection is made by you.

If you already know how the selection process works then click one of the links above for function specific information, otherwise continue reading.


Record Selection 
Homing in on the relevant information starts at the Mail Merge menu where you select the main target or division the data relates to - landlords, properties, tenants or suppliers.  Regardless of the choice taken the next screen to appear consists of two sections, a header where further selection is made according to "group criteria" (e.g. has an email address) and a record display section where individual records can be excluded from the extraction process.

It should be no surprise to you that the header section for landlords, properties, tenants and suppliers will be different but the basic selection method is the same.  There is no intention to cover every selection criteria available and you should go to each of the Mail Merge menu selections and try the various options available to see the results.  The selection functions common throughout the system such as range, portfolio and so on are present and not discussed as they are covered in the Reports topic.  However, unique criteria are covered in the individual Mail Merge, Report Writer and Export topics.

Header Section
The Tenants - Export and Mail Merge is the most complex and is the only one to be discussed as this information readily transfers to the other selections.

The selection choices may seem a bit daunting at first glance but they are a merging of the Tenants menu > Reports > Arrears Report and the Properties menu > Reports > Inspection Report selections to which you can refer for more details if necessary.  You may  include the "dead" tenant accounts with the Show hidden Tenants check box.

You will probably make more use of this selection screen than the others combined.  In addition to the simple selections of sequence, range and portfolio you can select tenants in several different criteria, either singly or in combination.  Selection can be by the :-
  • ticking the Arrears checkbox on the left and the Arrears and Vacated Tenants settings will be populated by the settings from the last Arrears report run and will display the same tenants unless you have included other filtering in either program. 
  • inspection cycle allocated to their property to mail merge with your inspection form letter.
  • portfolio to which the tenant's property is assigned.
  • exclusion or inclusion of vacated tenants.

    Record Selection
    The record display section allows further refining by only processing the records which remain selected, that is in bold text.  Double clicking anywhere on any individual line will toggle the line between selected (bold) or not selected (non-bold).  Right mouse click will allow you to select and deselect all the records.

    Dragging the column headings can change the column order and dragging the column dividers will alter the width.  Any the changes made will be remembered if Setup menu > Preferences > Remember Grid Column Changes is ticked.

    Note also that only selected data fields are shown in the displayed columns but will be available through merge codes or as report and export fields. 

    Changing an entry in the header section will start the process all over again, so get that right first before dealing with individual records.


    After Selection
    Once you have selected the records you want press [Mail] if the data is to be merged into a document.

    Use [Export/Print] if data is to be exported to an external file or you wish to use the Report Writer.

    Follow these links to the Mail Merge, Report Writer and Export topics