MEMNET Mail Generation Mail Merge User Guide Version 1.2

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1 MEMNET Mail Generation Mail Merge User Guide Version 1.2

2 Contents 1 Mail Generation Mail Merge Template Creating your Merge Template Invoice Template Receipt template

3 1 Mail Generation The Mail Generation module allows you to step through the screens required to generate and distribute a mail merge document and to create a data extract for labels creation. Mail Merge documents and s are distributed to people within a membership, that is, the main contact person and additional people. The first step is to select the mail (communication) type. There are three options available for mail type and one option for labels. You can: Distribute an with a mail merged pdf attached or print for posting Distribute and with a fixed file attachment Distribute an only Produce labels csv compatible with Avery labels The Mail Generation facility is written as a 7 step wizard that: Allows you to obey or override Member correspondence preferences Use a new or existing Microsoft Word template to personalise and attach to the Use a new or existing HTML template with full HTML editor Support and print correspondence preferences Multi and/or single selection criteria to target your communication (including list import) Include salutation and signatures in the Automatically record contact history records. 3 -

4 2 Mail Merge Template When creating your merge template it is important to note that matching person merge field tags are required at the start and end of the section of merge fields. The person tags are added as <<TableStart:Person>> and <<TableEnd:Person>> within your merge document; ensure your merge fields are constructed with the correct mail merge template fields. The Help Tab contains a document called MEMNET Mail Merge Fields. Please note: The above Merge fields are case sensitive. If the correct case is not entered into the merge fields your document will not correctly merge. 2.1 Creating your Merge Template To begin creating a simple Mail Merge Template, you will need to create a document in Microsoft Word. Step 1 : Start the document by inserting a mail merge field with the field name TableStart:Person. You can insert the merge field by going to Insert > Field (Or Insert > Quick Parts > Field in later version of MS Word). On the Field pop up screen select the Category Mail Merge and the field name MergeField. You can than type in the Field Name. In this instance we type TableStart:Person. Step 2 Write your document inserting mail merge fields with the field names you require to display in the document. Step 3 : End the document by inserting a mail merge field with the field name TableEnd:Person 4 -

5 3 Invoice Template MEMNET allows you to generate charges against a member record. These transactions may be of a number of different types, including Subscriptions, event registrations, donations or other ad hoc charges. A different invoice template can be created for each transaction type or the same template used for many or all transaction types, including credit notes. Creating an invoice template is an extension of creating a mail merge template as described on the previous page, but has added complexity as a greater depth of data can be displayed. As a member may have multiple transactions to be displayed and each of those will have its own header details and potentially multiple line item details and none or many payments (Part payment of invoices can result in multiple payments per invoice.) so too does the complexity of the merge fields within the template. A separate dataset exists for each of these collections of data that may be added to the template. Whilst the mail merge template just had person data available, invoices allow for access to other data sets within the person data, and in turn other data sets within them. i.e. Person TransactionHeaderSummary TransactionHeader TransactionDetail TransactionPayment It is necessary to start and end (using TableStart: and TableEnd:) each dataset with the data set it appears in, for example to access the invoice line item description you would need the following construct throughout your template document: <<TableStart:Person>> <<TableStart:TransactionHeaderSummary>> <<TableStart:TransactionHeader>> <<TableStart:TransactionDetail>> <<Description>> <<TableEnd:TransactionDetail>> <<TableEnd:TransactionHeader>> <<TableEnd:TransactionHeaderSummary>> <<TableEnd:Person>> Note, it is not possible to cut and paste these merge fields from this document, they are included as example of how the finished template should appear in part. The merge fields need to be added individually to the MS Word document. Spacing is to allow for ease of reading only, Word will include all whitespace around merge fields in the final merged document. The document MEMNET Mail Merge Fields available from the help menu within MEMNET lists all of the fields available within each dataset, the names of each field should be selfexplanatory, if not clear please contact the helpdesk for an explanation. Template Sample: A generic invoice template is available for download and editing from within the Manage templates section of the Administration Company Settings area. 5 -

6 4 Receipt template Like the invoice template, a receipt template has multiple nested data sets available to be merged. Whilst it is possible to drill down on most of the same information using either an invoice template or a receipt template the invoice and receipt data structures are different. Where an invoice begins with the invoice header(s) and drills down to the payment details, a receipt begins with the payment details and drills down to the invoice headers and line item details of the invoice(s) those payments have been applied to. The structure of the receipt data sets are: Person PaymentHeaderSummary PaymentHeader TransactionPayment TransactionHeader TransactionDetail Note that is a template using the receipt data structure is used in an invoice position within MEMNET, or Vice versa then generating the document will fail. (Depending on the template it will either give an error or the data will not be merged into the document correctly.) 6 -