Whether you're entering the data yourself or have a few people in your office who handle your data entry, it's important to know your options for capturing the information that is important to your agency.

What you enter is often determined by what, when, and how you receive the orders, invoices, and/or commissions from your manufacturers. 
What data do you receive?

• Commission reports
• Orders - individual order forms or order reports
• Shipping reports - individual shipment notices or shipping reports

What's included?

• From: bare minimum - total sales & commission by customer
• To: a lot of detail - PO#, Order#, Invoice#, Dates, Line Item Details, Sales, Discounts, Customer, End User

When do you receive the data?

• daily
• weekly
• monthly

How do you receive the data?

• paper copies by mail or fax
• digital copies individually or via a report 
  • variety of report formats (.csv, .xlsx, .pdf, etc)

The answer to these questions, along with what you want to capture, will determine the data entry option you choose.  

Link Documents to Companies

When you have an important file you want to retain for your records, you can link the file, from whatever you use to store and share your files currently, e.g. Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc., to a Company.  For instance, you want to keep a quote you provided to a company, or you want to hang onto a credit application for a new customer so you don't have to ask for the information when they buy from a second or third manufacturer you represent.

The best place to keep a link to the file is in Companies.  Read on to learn how.
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While an Order or Invoice is a request to purchase, ship, and pay for something (a product or products), a Line Item represents a single entry on an order or invoice.  An Order/Invoice can have multiple Line Items on it.
For example:

Order/Invoice #123:

• 10 cases yellow caution tape @ $2.00 each
• 15 cases red caution tape @ $3.00 each
• 5 cases blue caution tape @ $1.00 each

Order/Invoice #123 has 3 line items on it.

MRSweb has the capability to import Order or Invoice line item details.  When a manufacturer provides line item details in a report they send, it only takes seconds more to import those details.

Why capture the details? 

Knowledge is Power.  Knowing who is currently buying a product or product group and who has stopped buying a product or product group gives you the insight you need to assist your customer build their sales.  Whether it's helping to pull product through a customer's warehouse or notifying a customer of product availability or helping your customer get the best price based on quantity purchased, line item details provide you with the information you need to stay ahead of your competition.​
  

The Appointments Sidebar provides Data View Styles similar to the other pages.  However with Appointments, the most popular view style is Calendar.  In the Calendar View Style there are 5 Tabs:

• Day
• Week
• Month
• Year
• Agenda

Depending on the screen size of your device you may prefer one style over another.
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One of the most robust features in MRSware is the ability to add, edit, or update, at the same time, an attribute  or an unique or distinctive component found in any table within MRSware.  This saves the User an enormous amount of time and effort.

In MRSweb the feature is called Batch Edit; in MRSware Desktop it is called Bulk Update.  Though the steps may be different, the results are the same.

Here are some examples of Batch Edit:

• update System Type on multiple companies or individuals
• assign Categories to companies or individuals
• assign or update Sales Rep assignments on multiple customers, territories, or invoices
• apply a Commission Split Rate to all selected invoices
• apply an Account Number to all selected invoices for a customer
• apply a Payment to all invoices on a commission statement

Perhaps you've run into a situation where a company you do business with decides to change their Email address and that means you have to update all of your records -- not just a company Email address (and there may be branch locations that need to be changed, so not just a single address) -- but also everyone who works for the company (all of the individuals' Email addresses).  In some cases this may be 100's, while in others it may be a dozen or so.

The number of addresses to be changed may determine how to change the addresses:

• If there are 100's of addresses that need to be changed, you may want to make the change in a spreadsheet and then import the sheet into MRSware.  MRSware will update the addresses during import.
• If there are only a dozen or so addresses to change you may want to make those changes directly in the system.  This is where Inline Editing can be very useful.

The traditional steps to edit an entry, whether working in Desktop or Web, are: Open the contact record, enter the new address, Save and Close, repeat.

In MRSweb you can use Inline Editing to save time.  The steps are: Click or Tap next to the email address you want to change, enter the new address, repeat.  

When searching for information, you can sort and filter the table column headers or you can use the Search feature found on each page.
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Click or tap the Search icon to open the Search field.
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​You may have sales rep entries in your system that are duplicated, either from an error in a file that was  imported or from a typing error.  The example below shows 2 sales rep entries with the same name, but with a misspelling in the second first name.  You can remove the unwanted entry(ies) by using MRSweb's Merge duplicate process.

One of the advantages of using a CRM system is the ability to aggregate data.  One of the best ways to form a group is to use terms or attributes to define a company, individual, appointment, journal, or project.  In MRSweb, these attributes are called categories.

Categories are attributes created and assigned by you to aid in searches (think of them as keywords for your searches and grouping).  In MRSweb you will find categories for Contacts, Appointments, Journals, and Projects.  Each of these areas has its own Categories list, so that you can have entries that just apply to that area. 

​When setting up and using categories it is important that all Users in your company be consistent in their use.
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What are the best selling products for a manufacturer?  Who's buying a specific product?

This type of information can be invaluable.  Rather than go to the manufacturer and ask for the information, run a report in MRSware to find the answer.

As usual, in MRSware, there's more than one way to find out this information.
​
Here's how to run a report showing top selling products by manufacturer.
(In the example, we're looking at Toys and Games Co)

1. Click on "Report Explorer" in the Shortcuts panel 
OR
1. Click on the "Report Explorer" icon on the Shortcuts tool bar
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When you have 2 or more people working on a project, you want to have a central location for all activity that's taking place.  Knowing how and where to report on project activities keeps everyone in the loop.  

In MRSware, you can group appointments, reports, tasks, files, communications, and opportunities in a Project so all team members can update their activities and check on the results of others' activities as well as the overall status of the project and make sure the project's timeline is on target.  

​​Here's how to give and/or get a project update:

In MRSware - 
To get a project update:
1. Open a Project
2. Click on the "Activity" tab
3. Click on any of the activities to see what's going on

i You can see who added the activity by looking at the "Owned By" column on the right side of the table.

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​To give a project update:
1. Link your activity (appointment, journal, task, opportunity to the project by adding the name of the project in the Projects field at the bottom of the dialog
2. Save and close your activity dialog
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In MRSweb -
​To get a project update: 
1. Open a Project
2. Tap on the "Activity" tab
3. Tap on any of the activities to see what's going on
​

To give a project update:
The Project linking field is in development

In addition to tracking the new rules, regulations, and guidelines being put in place during the Phased re-openings of business, you will want to track any individual preferences that will make it easier for you, and your customer, to do business together. 

Although there are different kinds of preferences in MRSware - email preferences, table column view preferences, data view style preferences, and more - the preferences referred to in "Part 2 of the CRM in the Pandemic Era" series "Tracking Customer Preferences" is all about capturing and tracking your customers' preferences for communicating and doing business with you.

One way to enter the information is in the Contact's Additional tab.

Here's how:

In MRSware -
1. Open a Contact card
2. On the menu bar, click on "Additional -> New"
3. Enter a title in the "Description" field, e.g. "preferred method of contact" or "communication preference"
4. Enter information in the "Value" field, e.g. "no in-person meetings, e-mail, or Zoom only"
5. Click "Ok"

You can set up as many Additional fields as you like.  Additional fields are searchable.

In MRSweb -
The Additional tab feature is in development

On your phone -
1. Tap on Contacts
2. Select a Contact
3. Tap "Edit"
4. Tap "Notes"
​5. Enter the new communication preference in the contact's company
6. Tap "Save"

On your phone, once saved, the information will be Sync'd with MRSware Sync, so you have access to the information wherever you're working. ​

Companies are setting up new regulations, restrictions, and guidelines to follow when re-opening for business.  Every business is different in how they want their employees to interact with the public, including vendors.

Sorting and organizing all the various rules is a like a jumble - confusing if you don't have a system that allows you to track and share them.  In  MRSware you can track and share these guidelines to make it easier to work with all businesses you interact with.

One way to enter the information is in the Contact’s Note field.

Here's how: 

In MRSware -
1. Open a Contact card
2. In the Notes field, enter the new regulations for doing business with the contact's company
3. Click "Save and Close"

On your phone:
1. Tap on Contacts
2. Select a Contact
3. Tap "Edit"
4. Tap "Notes"
​5. Enter the new regulations for doing business with the contact's company
6. Tap "Save"

Once saved, the information will be Sync'd with MRSware Sync, so you have access to the information wherever you're working.
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When you add your events to your calendar from your mobile devices or Google website, you have the option to select which calendar it goes into.  The 2 calendars from Google that we are sync'ing with MRSware are your personal one (usually just shows your gmail email address as the name) and your "Myname's MRSware Appointments" calendar.

When you add something on your phone/Google, if you put it in your "Myname's MRSware Appointment" calendar, the default is "Business".  If you put it in your private Google calendar, it will default to "Private" in MRSware.  You can adjust these defaults by going to the "Go To" -> "MRSware Sync" -> "Edit Subscription" menu in MRSware.

A Private Appointment can only be see by its creator, and anyone directly invited to it via the Attendees tab.  A Business Appointment can be seen by anyone in the User's Management chain, as defined in the System Administration Roles and Filters.

MRSware Sync provides Users with the ability to synchronize MRSware and Google Calendars so your Appointments appear in both places.  Any changes made in either calendar will be updated in the other. 

The multi-calendar synchronization allows you to keep in-sync both your personal calendar in Google as well as your Shared calendar in MRSware.  Although you may want to show your dentist appointment in your work calendar, you probably don't want the details shared with others in your office.  MRSware Sync will keep your private and shared appointments separate so only you can see your personal appointments, while blocking out the time in your MRSware shared calendar.  

You have the option to sync or not sync each of the calendars in your Google account.  If you choose to sync multiple Google calendars, you'll use your Sync Subscription settings to choose a color for your Google Private/Personal Events and a color for your Google Business Events.  These colors will indicate in which of your Google calendars the appointment fits (Personal or Business).  When you set up an appointment on your mobile device, you'll select the color that indicates a personal or business appointment; the appointment will sync in MRSware as either a personal type (not shared) or business type (shared).  When you set up an appointment in MRSware you'll select the Type - Personal or Business; the appointment will sync in your Google calendar with the color that indicates it's either a personal or business appointment. 

To set up your Sync Subscription you can either go to https://sync.mrsware.net/ to set up your account or contact your office administrator if you are not sure what your login information is.

Tracking sales for Distributors with multiple branch locations, Manufacturers who do drop-shipments, and Wholesalers outside your own agency's territory requires that the sales be tracked to their final destination within your territory.  This allows for proper credit to the sales rep for the final destination as well as accurately tracking sales by geography.

In Invoice Entry, the person entering or importing the sales numbers will mark the Invoices with the final Ship To location or import this Shipping Address from a spreadsheet of sales history.  That final location can be individually entered per Invoice, as an "Alternate Ship To" location; can use the Customer's Shipping Address from their Company card; or can be the Customer's main Business Address.

In Data Analysis, we have a Dimension in the grid named "Ship To".  This field is the reflection of either the "Alternate Ship To" address entered on the Invoice, or the Shipping Address of the Customer.  If there is no shipping address information in the system for customer, then the word **MISSING** will appear to denote that there is no information entered in either the Customer's Company card or the individual Invoice.

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You may want to find a single invoice among many to be paid.  If the invoice numbers are long it can be confusing.  The easiest way to find the one invoice is to search for it in the Payment entry table.  To do this:
​
1. Right-click on the column header "Invoice Number" and select "Find".
​

​2. In the "Expression Builder" dialog enter the invoice number.  

3. Click "Ok".
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The selected invoice number will be highlighted.  Check the box to pay the invoice or right-click and select "Adjust/Partial" if necessary.
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When making a payment in Payment Entry, you can choose to run a Commission Reconciliation report showing the invoices paid.  Click the checkbox "Run Commission Payment Reconciliation Report on Save" (see screenshot below left) and click "Save".  The report opens automatically (see screenshot below right).  

 
If you forget to check the checkbox and save your payment, you can still run the report by going to the Shortcuts panel.  Click on "Report Explorer", then select "Commission Payment Reconciliation" (see below).  

​Once the Report Prompt opens, enter the Title of the Report and the Payment Reference number and click "Ok".
If you've forgotten the payment reference number, go to the Payment Entry table to find the number.
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I was noticing delays in retrieving emails, even when my email app on my Android phone was set to grab them every 15 minutes.  Turns out there is a feature in newer versions of Android that will "optimize" your battery by restricting programs' ability to use the data connection in the background.  Basically, despite telling your email app to fetch new messages every X minutes, the device is not allowing it to do just that.

There are 2 settings of interest around this, the Battery Saver mode and the Battery Optimization settings.

Battery Saver is something that the user can activate manually to reduce battery consumption when needed, and also automatically activates when the battery is at a critical level, perhaps 10%, 5%, or another preset level.  Battery Saver, among other things, will turn off the background data of most apps.

Battery Optimization is a separate setting that the device automatically turns on for some (most?) apps.  It applies the same background data restrictions as Battery Saver mode, but is active all the time, regardless of how much battery is available!  To review the list of apps that are being "optimize", and to disable this feature for your email app, click on the Battery Optimization selection in the Battery Saver menu.

The Home page of MRSware has a panel labeled "News".  By default it shows our 3 MRSware blogs with the latest information and updates about what is going on in the MRSware world.  However, this panel is actually a full RSS Reader and can be used to keep track of your favorite news feeds from around the web.

Here is how:
​1. Click the word "News" in the panel header and you will get the configuration screen, where you can add new feeds and change existing ones.

A while back we posted an article on integrating MRSware File Share with Box, Dropbox, Google Drive and others.  In that article, we talked about setting up the sync app for those various file sharing services to use a folder within the My MRSware Files folder on your computer, and this anything placed in that folder in MRSware would be synchronized with your online service account, and from there with your various devices that are also connected to that service.

Today, I just want to point out another way to sync the entire My MRSware File folder structure and files with Google Drive specifically, and point out one of the great reasons to do this: use Google Docs, Google Sheets, and other Google Apps directly with your company files stored in MRSware.

Move the My MRSware Files folder to Google Drive

In the Preferences section of MRSware, Users can move the My MRSware Files folder to anywhere they like.  The My MRSware Files folder is where MRSware places copies of the File Share files you are working on your computer's hard drive.  Moving the entire folder to your Google Drive folder will put all future contents you are working on directly into Google Drive.
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MRSware email can be set to automatically check the spelling in a message before sending it.  To enable this option, select the Tools menu and Always Check Spelling before Sending when creating a new email.  The option will remain enabled until unchecked by the User.

Access the Demo Installation with Sample Data

MRSware Desktop

In order to install MRSware click on the Try It link here or at the top of the MRSware.com menu bar and fill out the form.  The page you are brought to has the 1-2-3 Steps download links to install the Microsoft .Net Framework and the MRSware Desktop software.  At the same time you will be mailed the Demo Installation Keys to use -- be sure to keep an eye on the email address you entered in the form; if you don't see the email, be sure to check your Spam folder as well.

MRSweb (in the browser)

​To access the web browser version, MRSweb, from desktop, phone or tablet, go to https://web.MRSware.net/ and click Login and then Sign-Up Now.  Please use your work email address to sign-up.  You will be sent an email to confirm your accounts, after clicking that you will have access to the Demo Installation and sample data.

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New MRSware Users with Company's Installation

To install the MRSware Desktop software on a new computer, follow the MRSware Desktop instructions above.  In step 3, instead of entering the Demo Installation keys, enter your company-specific keys that were emailed to you and can also be found in the Welcome to MRSware letter.  If you access to a computer with MRSware already installed, and are installing on a new computer, you can find your keys under the "Help" menu's "Installation Settings".

To access your company's data via MRSweb, either follow-up the steps above to create your MRSweb account, or simply login if you have already done so.  Once you are signed-up with your own MRSware installation, and use your work email to login to MRSweb, you will automatically be directed to your company's data.

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If you need technical assistance please contact [email protected].