Synch with Outlook ... how would you use it ?

Post your ideas here on new features you would like to see included in future versions of the Donor Manager.
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Do you use Outlook ? (full Outlook, not Outlook Express)

Yes
11
85%
No
2
15%
Yes, but I'm thinking of switching to something else
0
No votes
No, but I'm considering it
0
No votes
No, I use Linix or Mac
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 13

jmuehleisen
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Synch with Outlook ... how would you use it ?

Post by jmuehleisen »

Greetings all.

I am often asked if the Donor Manager can synchronize with Outlook, and the answer is "not automatically." I export my DM data and import it into Outlook manually, but the DM doesn't do it automatically.

But, I'm starting to work on some type of synchronization with Outlook for a future version and would love to hear how you would use OL and DM together.

For example, I have a few questions for starters:
  • - would you want your DM data in your Outlook Contacts?
    - would you prefer it to be in a separate "contacts" type folder, or would you prefer your DM contacts to be coded in some way in your main Contacts folder (perhaps using "categories")
    - Outlook stores its name data in a different format than the DM. To really benefit from the OL synchonization, it would require changes to the DM data structures. This might require a bit of manual "tuning" the first time it is done. Do you see this as a problem?
Let me know your ideas on this ... it will be help me to know how you would see an Outlook / Donor Manager integration.
John Muehleisen
Mentoring Emerging Christian Leadership in Africa for Excellence / Integrity / Innovation
ChrisO
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DM/OL integration

Post by ChrisO »

Yes, yes yes yes yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This would be a fantastic idea.

To answer your specific question-- I would prefer to encode my contacts with a category- this would reflect how i do it in DM (by using 'constituency' codes), and (for me) seems to enable the simplest data presentation in OL (i.e. all at once, unless I manually change the view to one based on categories, filter, etc...).
Because EVERYONE should know...
Eddie
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Post by Eddie »

I wouldn't want the contacts to go into my contacts folder because that already has far too much information in it. What would be really interesting is synching with Outlook and then with a Palm - that way when I meet people who might be interested in getting our newsletter I could enter the address on the Palm and have it import into DM at some point later.
jmuehleisen
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synch with Palm

Post by jmuehleisen »

Eddie,

I'm with you. That would be great. But, there would need to be some type of coding or categorization so the DM who to import, and who not to import.

The sound you hear is me, scratching my head ...
John Muehleisen
Mentoring Emerging Christian Leadership in Africa for Excellence / Integrity / Innovation
Jeff

OL

Post by Jeff »

I, too, think it's a great thing to consider OL synch'ing. Personally, it would serve me better to have a more flexible synch'ing option (of course, that's the hardest for you to develop also!!).
Suggestions:
1) import contacts from OL into DM. Cross-reference "category" tags. This would probably require the user to make sure that each category tag they use in OL has been manually entered into the DM. However, more user-defined tags would be necessary in DM. (Personally I use many category tags in OL). (For me this is more necessary, since many of my supporters are also friends I communicate with frequently, and some are also ministry resources-they all wear many hats in my address book!)
2) export contacts from DM back into OL. Again, cross-referece the tags. TOUCHES: any way these could also be exported to reflect OL journal entries? That would make it easier to keep up with who did/not receive my latest newsletter.
3) PDA synch'ing (just as Eddie described).
4) Exportable newsletter list (excel, csv, etc.) to website/ content management sites that maintain a newsletter list from within the website.
JRSmith
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Joined: Mon May 29, 2006 2:41 am

Post by JRSmith »

It would be great to be able to sync with Outlook and my Palm. There is so much duplication and it would save having to enter everything twice. However, I would need to be able to select groups.
J Smith
sendcroatia
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Outlook Sync Would be Wonderful

Post by sendcroatia »

I would like to be able to update my contacts in one place, i.e. Outlook, and not have to remember to update them in Donor Manager, too. I would be especially nice because then those contacts that were updated in Outlook automatically by a networking tool like Plaxo would be updated in DM! I would ask all of my contacts to join the same network and I would get less undelivered emails and letters. The synchronization of Outlook has made me consider switching to TNTmpd but I have a lot invested in DM and have been very pleased with everything else it does for me. I have also been pleased with the support I get from John when problems have arisen.
Michael

How will they hear unless someone is sent?
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