Contacts

Bulk Importing Contacts

Use the import feature to load contacts from a CSV or Excel file. This is essential when migrating from another CRM or spreadsheet.

Preparing Your File

The simplest approach is to export a sample file first:

1. Go to Contacts – switch to List view.
2. Click Actions – Export All Records.
3. Select these fields: Name, Company Name, Email, Phone, Mobile, Street, City, State, ZIP, Country, Tags.
4. Check "Export with External IDs" only if you plan to update existing records later.
5. Download the file. Use it as a template – delete the sample rows and add your own data.

Import Field Mapping

Key fields and how to populate them correctly:

Importing with Parent-Child Relationships

To import individuals under existing companies:

1. First, ensure the company contacts already exist in the database (import or create them).
2. Export the companies with External IDs.
3. In your individuals import file, use the "Parent Company (External ID)" column instead of "Company Name" and enter the External ID value.
4. This ensures individuals are linked correctly without ambiguity.

Post-Import Validation

After importing:

• Check the total count matches your source file.
• Spot-check a few records for data accuracy.
• Use the "Duplicates" filter (if available) to find potential duplicates.
• If errors occurred, Quickenerp shows a detailed error log. Download it, fix the rows, and re-import only the failed rows.

Contact Reports

Quickenerp provides several ways to analyse your contact database:

Contact Analysis (Pivot View)

Go to Contacts > Reporting > Contact Analysis. This pivot view lets you:

• Group by Country, State, City, Tags, Industry, or Sales Team.
• See counts of customers, vendors, employees per segment.
• Track new contacts created over time.
• Export the analysis to Excel for external reporting.

Contact List Export

For a raw data export:

1. Go to Contacts – List view.
2. Set up filters to narrow down to the contacts you want.
3. Click Actions – Export All Records.
4. Choose fields including all custom fields.
5. Export as CSV or Excel.

Contact Duplicate Report

To find and merge duplicate contacts:

• Use the "Duplicate Contacts" filter in the Filters menu to show potential duplicates.
• Select the duplicate records in the list view.
• Click Actions – Merge Contacts.
• Choose the master record that will survive. Quickenerp moves all related records (invoices, orders) to the master.

Activities on Contacts

Activities represent follow-up actions you schedule against a contact. They ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Activities are visible in the "Activities" kanban view across the entire system.

Types of Activities

• Call – Phone call to the contact.
• Meeting – In-person or virtual meeting.
• To-Do – A general task to complete.
• Email – Send an email.
• Demo – Product demonstration.
• Follow-Up – Generic follow-up activity. You can create custom activity types.

Creating an Activity

1. Open the contact record.
2. Click the Schedule Activity button (bell icon) in the top action bar.
3. Select the Activity Type (Call, Meeting, etc.).
4. Set a Due Date – when this activity must be completed.
5. Set an Alarm – remind you before the due date (e.g. 1 hour before, 1 day before).
6. Enter a Summary – brief description (appears in the kanban activity view).
7. Enter Notes – detailed notes for the activity (discussion points, preparation needed).
8. Assign to – yourself or a colleague.
9. Click Save. The activity appears on your dashboard, the contact's chatter, and the global Activities view.

Marking Activities Complete

From the contact record or the My Activities dashboard:

• Open the activity (click it in the chatter or the kanban card).
• Check the Done checkbox.
• Enter any additional notes about what happened.
• Click Save. The activity is moved to the chatter history.

Communication via Chatter

The chatter at the bottom of each contact record is the communication hub:

• Internal Notes – Type a message and click "Send" to add an internal note. Use @name to notify a colleague. Notes are visible to internal users only (not portal users).
• Email – Click the "Email" button to compose an email to the contact. The email is stored in the chatter. Replies from the contact (via incoming mail) are also attached.
• Log Note – A formal log entry (e.g. "Contract signed", "Support case closed"). Log notes are timestamped and appear in the chatter.
• Attachments – Drag and drop files (PDF, images, documents) onto the chatter. They are stored permanently against the contact.
• Field Tracking – If field tracking is enabled for any contact field, changes appear as automatic log notes in the chatter (e.g. "Email changed from old@email.com to new@email.com by John Admin").