Online Help

Introduction

Downloading

Purchasing

Installing ContacTree

Appearance

Folders

ContacTree Toolbar

Axelerator input forms

Link Buttons

Drop-down Boxes

Contact Record

Key Contact

Organization Record

e-mail template

Office Location Record

Getting started

Importing Data

Scenarios

Tips & Tricks

 

Introduction

ContacTree is a unique and Patented* tool for managing business contacts. It is particularly intuitive to use because it utilizes the familiar functionality of Outlook. It enables many of Outlook's hidden features to be better utilized without adding further complexity. Indeed, is designed specifically to simplify some of the more frequently needed Outlook functions. (*Patents Pending)

All the communications features of Outlook are retained as standard, but ContacTree's new contact management Axelerator forms are provided to simplify and speed up the contact data entry process.

The ability to retain ghost records of contacts when they move jobs is also a unique feature of ContacTree. A summary of all recorded job changes can be made, creating a curriculum vitae, or resume for any contact. 

ContacTree automatically groups and links contacts by the organizations that they belong to, and the locations where they work. This makes it quicker and easier to manage input and any changes in data, especially in larger organizations. A ghost record can also be kept when an organization changes its name. 

Most importantly, facilities are introduced to record with each contact the name of that contact's manager. This information can then be used to automatically plot-out the relevant part of their company's organization chart. ContacTree has an exclusive relationship with the industry-leading OrgPlus™ for its charting engine, and has full compatibility with all OrgPlus™ software.

Groups of companies can be linked to their parent organization.

Downloading

Go to www.contactree.com and register. This will enable you to download your demo copy, which comes with a unique copy ID. Now every time you open Outlook you will be reminded how many days remain on your demo copy.You can decide to purchase any time within the 30-day trial period.

Choose which version you would like to try.

If you select Fullinstall you will get a 5MB file that includes:

ContacTree; plus MSXML which is required to develop the transfer data file; OrgViewer, licensed from Human Concepts inc. and a ClickYes routine that automates the acceptance of MS data security requirements.

If you select Mininstall you will receive a 2MB file of the basic core routines of ContacTree. If you want the ClickYes routine that automates the acceptance of MS data security requirements you can dwonload and install this separately. If you want to add the charting routines you can download the OrgViewer separately, or use OrgPlus Pro if you are already a licensed user.

If you have chosen CT Lite you will receive a version that does not have the charting facilities.

Once you have downloaded the file, you will receive a Zip file containing the relevant files. This will be directed to a suitable new folder on your local hard-drive, called ContacTree Download. The file should be unzipped to another new folder in your Program Files folder called ContacTree Installation. Make sure that Outlook is closed, and then double-click on the Contactree.exe file to install the program.

Purchasing

Go back to the www.contactree.com website and register your credit card details with NetBanx.

NetBanx will send you an Unlock Code. Close the NetBanx screen and go back to the program. To unlock your copy you must enter install a small file that will be emailed to you.

When you receive it you need to do the following to release the full version:

1/. Unzip the file contained in the Zip archive to your contactree program folder. This should be at c:\program files\contactree unless you have changed the default settings.

2/. Start Outlook and choose Tools, Options, Other, Advanced Options, COMAddins.

3/. This will list all the addins running on your machine – select the contactree one listed and click remove.

4/. Now click Add, and navigate to the file you have just downloaded (e.g. c:\program files\contactree\contactree u1.24.dll). Select it, click OK and then close Outlook.

5/. Restart Outlook and you have the full version running.

If you do not want to proceed, simply uninstall ContacTree – but remember to copy any new contacts back into an Outlook folder.

Installing ContacTree

If you now reopen Outlook the ContacTree will be visible in the folder list on your screen.

Appearance

Folders

ContacTree takes standard Outlook folder list and adds a set of specific ContacTree folders.

ContacTree                   contains a functional navigational diagram

ContacTree Contacts      contains both Contacts and their Organizations

Deleted Records             retains any deleted records for confirmation of deletion

ContacTree keeps all Contact and related information within a single folder to support its charting capability. Contact records not required for charting may be kept in the normal Outlook folders.

ContacTree Toolbar

Users will note an extra toolbar row, with functions specific to ContacTree. These include an Open Form selector box for opening forms such as Axelerator, Create New for opening new records, and View OrgChart for showing charts of selected organizations. Familiar Outlook boxes, such as Select View, are retained to allow the user to customize all record display formats. A new search box is also added for finding ContacTree records.

Axelerator input forms

The Axelerator is an abbreviated input form for the quickest entry of basic data for a new contact. Entry of:

Contact Name

Organization

e-Mail Address       

Job Title

Manager Name

Phone Number

Reference

… causes three new Outlook records to be automatically generated for the contact and his organization and for his manager, if not previously recorded.

Note that tabbing out of fields is the command for entering data; incorrectly entered data can be rejected at entry-point without saving unwanted records.

Entering in the Axelerator the e-mail address for a Contact causes a template to be created for that organization that automatically generates and auto-fills e-mail addresses for any future members of that organization. This mechanism recognizes all common extensions, such as .com, .co.uk, .net etc…

The Reference field can be used as a memo to log how or where or the name of the individual through whom you made the Contact. The date that the record is created is logged automatically.

Entries made through Axelerator forms appear in a scrolling list beneath as they are entered, from where they can be opened (by double-clicking) for the entry of additional information. Standard Outlook functionality is retained for customizing these lists, and the order in which they are sorted. (differing sort-orders in different views can be individually set)

Link Buttons

Whereas Outlook uses as single record for each Contact, ContacTree operates with linked records for the separable properties of each Contact. To facilitate navigation between linked records, green Link Buttons are used extensively on all record forms. These cause the linked record to open. Buttons are also used to generate Organization charts.

Drop-down Boxes

ContacTree also extends the use of the Drop-down Box (ddb) and List Boxes to speed up entry where data already pre-exists, and also to improve data entry quality and reduce data entry errors.

Contact Record

The contact record will be familiar to regular users of Outlook, but it comes with the addition of a number of new Buttons that open linked record. New link or action buttons include:

Organization

Location

Manager

Categories

Assistant

Key Contact

Photo File

Create Organization Chart  

..as well as the regular Outlook buttons to open:

Full Name

Address 

You may also record the number of individuals who report to your Contact (if you know it) and this information will appear on the Org Chart. (The number of recorded Contacts who report to this one will be deducted from the number on the Org Chart.)

A check-box sets whether this is the current job for this Contact. If not, it is retained as a ghost record. A Contact may in fact have more than one current job, and this information is presented in the tabbed page of the Contact record.

The familiar tabbed records contain further link information and the ContacTree Unique ID reference that is used to generate all charts.

Key Contact

The Key Contact field can be used to record anyone who is important to your relationship with this Contact. If that individual does not have a record, ContacTree will open one for you. This Key Contact function is also used in the Organization record.

Organization Record

While it is possible to enter a unique address for each new Contact, ContacTree provides a link to an Organization record for group of Contacts. This is based on an Outlook Contact-type record, with customization for this function.

Unfamiliar features include Key Contact at this organization, which functions the same as for a Contact record, Parent Organization and Office Location functions. The name of a Parent Organization may be entered here, or selected from the list of existing Organizations (it will also auto-complete).

This form may be used to create the initial Organization record, but this may frequently and most conveniently be initiated from an Axelerator which will perform functions such as generating the e-mail template.

e-mail template

If the e-mail template is to be generated here, the following conventions apply:

fisname@url.ext                              First Initial – Second (Sur-)Name @ web address. extension

List of e-mail templates understood for example of John K Doe

Fname.sname              john.doe

Sname                       doe

Initssname                  jkdoe

Fnamesname               johndoe

.Sname                      .sname

Inits.sname                 jk.doe               

Fisname                      jdoe

Fi.sname                     j.doe

Fname                        john

Fname_sname              john_doe

Snamefi                      doej

Changes made to this form that apply to members of the Organization can be applied to those members by pressing the Update Contacts button.

Buttons for Company Organization Chart allow charts with and without Ghost records to be generated.

If this Organization has more than one location, it may be convenient to create each Location address by using the Office Location box. If locations already exist, they will already be listed. To open the record for the location, press the Office Location button.

Office Location Record

The Office Location form may be accessed from the Organization form to set up different site addresses. It may also be accessed directly from the record option box, and then when completed, it may be attached to the relevant Organization record. Here, Employees at Site is a memo field only.

Auto-complete functions are used to speed up the process of entering data. Note that occasionally organizations or individuals have very similar names. To correct these and other data errors, ensure that the either the TAB function is used to save the new data, or SAVE, or SAVE & CLOSE.

Getting started

• Click on the ContacTree folder to view the opening screen. All you have to do to try out your new program is click on the ‘Open Axelerator' button. Let us now enter your first contact from a new organization (no history)
• From 'Open Form' box, or from Front Page, open Axelerator, enter name of contact (Jack Straw). >tab
• Enter name of company/organization (Her Majesty's Government). This creates a separate record for the organization. (but suggest using simple version, eg HMG, it can always be elaborated later). >tab
• Enter e-mail jack.straw@numberten.com address (this is not his real one). This sets the formula for other employees. >tab
• Enter job title(foreign secretary) if you know it, or description as you want it to appear on the chart. Remember that this will also appear on his address label. >tab
• If you know it, enter the name of his boss (Tony Blair). ContacTree will create a separate record for this individual. If you do not know his name, try a function like 'Purchase' -you can always correct it later. If you leave this blank ContacTree will assume that he is the boss and put him on the top line, along with any others like him.>tab
• Enter phone number. >tab
• Enter Reference. This can be the name of the person who introduced you, the name of a meeting that will remind you where you met, or a document or website (numberten.com). >tab
• Axelerator is now available for your next new contact but will keep the last Organization name (HMG) displayed since you may have a further contact from the same place. >tab
• You can now use the Toolbar or double-click on any of your new HMG contacts in the list you see below, click on Current Company Organization Chart, and hey presto!

Importing Data

Outlook Contact records

You can copy individual records, or groups of records directly from your conventional Outlook folder.

To do this, find a contact record in one of your old folders that you want to convert and COPY it to the ContacTree Contacts folder - then follow the instructions on the screen.

Once you are familiar with the way ContacTree works, you can start by copying one or two of your Outlook contacts into the ContacTree folder. (Note that because of they way these records are linked, they must ALL be in this one folder)

Do it one at a time to start, until you are familiar with the process - the order is important in some cases. If you move records, by drag and drop or cut and paste, you run the risk of losing data if you change your mind. A move that you abort can put your old record into the Deleted folder. If this happens you will discover it filed under the date it was ORIGINALLY created. Once you understand how this works you can highlight complete blocks of records or folders and copy them into your own ContacTree folder.

From Excel

This option is not currently activated.

 

Scenarios

In work

Tips & Tricks

Find box does not locate contacts.

Go to Properties and check 'Address Book' option

Contact has multiple jobs at the same time

Go to each record and confirm that 'current job' box is checked.

Only a single 'organization' box appears on a chart.

Save and close record, then re-open. Check that the Contact is associated with the correct Organization, and has the right Manager selected. Save, or save and close again. Close Outlook and re-open. In extreme situations, shut down and re-boot.

Your Contact's name is incomplete in the chart box.

Outlook sometimes takes the first name as a 'title'. eg Director, King, Mr, etc. To check this, open the Contact Record and click on the Contact's 'Full Name' button to amend it.

You want to delete a record

Highlight record, mouse right-click and delete. Note that because of the dependent relationships between groups of records, ContacTree has introduced a warning about deletion and requires specific confirmation. As with Outlook, the record remains in the deleted folder, but if re-instated the links with its related records must be re-established by opening the record and re-confirming the relationships with Organization and with Manager.

Record attaches to wrong 'Parent'

ContacTree uses the standard MS Office 'unique record ID' to identify hierarchic relationships. Microsoft regards this as a very high-integrity attribute. If your record has become incorrectly associated for any reason, and is reluctant to accept your normal instructions it may be necessary to over-ride this link. To do this, open the 'All Fields' tab on the record and delete the 50 character 'Manager ID' unique number. You may then easily use the Parent Organization as normal to attach your record to its correct Parent.