Inprotech: Contact Addresses

Time goes so quickly. I had an intention of writing an article every one or two weeks as I have a long list of topics but before you know it a month goes by! I promise to do better.

My little article today is about contacts and names & addresses. The Inprotech database has a highly normalized set of data structures where the name is a separate data object from the address, which is separate from the telecommunication numbers. Each of them has their own set of attributes and they can be linked to each other with the goal of only having the information recorded in the database once, removing the potential for extra data entry and error.

The user interface tries to hide this complexity, providing structured input forms that attempt to lead the user to enter the information in a manner similar to how it is provided on paper and then the system builds the appropriate links and pointers. For example, an employee of a company is simply added as a name and the system defaults the address pointer to the company’s address pointer meaning that the address doesn’t need to be entered again. If the employee has a different address this is entered and the software breaks the link. A new address data item is created and linked to the employee. Same thing applies to phone numbers, faxes and the like, although, for direct telephone numbers, the choice is whether to override the number or use the Direct Line number type.

It is then possible to use the advanced functionality to link numbers and addresses to each other and to different organizations and contacts however my experience has been that users generally find this all very confusing and my recommendation is that, unless you are prepared to invest in training and good procedural documentation, avoid it completely.

Of course, with all these high ideals, the human factor kicks in with names added in a variety of different ways over the years simply because of the practicalities of day to day life. People come and go, some are trained, some are not, some understand, some don’t and some care and some don’t.

So the question that was raised: how can you tell if all contact names for an organization are linked to the same address. Here is my suggestion.

Use the Names program as the enquiry tool:

1. Enter the company name as the Associated Name.
2. Select the relationship “Employs” (this is the system relationship used for contacts).
3. Select the Reverse relationship check box (Employs becomes Employs By).
4. Remove the Has Code check box (contacts are unlikely to have a name code).
5. Check the Fast Correction check box in the tool bar. (Fast Correction was created to allow quick changes to a defined list of names without having to go backwards and forwards between screens).
6. Enter.

You will then be presented with a list of names and their associated addresses. Simply scroll through the list and if the address isn’t blue (and the same) then you have a duplicate address for the contact! To correct them you need to good into the name by double clicking and linking but, hey, at least you found them!