Introduction Welcome to Elements CRM! This Quick Start Guide is designed to get you up and running quickly. Learn how to download the application as well as the basics in navigating through it. This Quick Start Guide also includes an Icon Quick Reference. Keep it handy your first few times in the system until you get comfortable. It won t be long before you are an Elements expert. 1. Install and Login Elements is unique from traditional web-apps. Its custom application is installed on your desktop which adds an extra layer of security, offers integration with Apple desktop applications and allows for an intuitive user interface. Download Elements to as many Macs as you d like, there are no limits. If you do not have Elements downloaded to a Mac that you need access to, follow the download instructions below. To download Elements to your Mac: a. Go to the Ntractive Website s Downloads Page b. Download Elements CRM and agree to the terms and conditions
c. Open the Elements CRM Disc Image (see image below) that will save to your Mac (most commonly the downloads folder.) d. Drag Elements CRM into the Applications Folder e. Drag Elements CRM into your dock Once installed, click on the Elements icon. Enter your username and password and click on the Login button. Note: your username must contain the three character precode which represents your company. 2. Configure Your Preferences Before you get too far into using Elements, you may want to configure a few preferences. To have Elements remember your username and password: a. Go to the Elements CRM menu at the top of your menu bar (next to the apple). b. Select Preferences. c. Click on Users. (see image below.)
d. Enter your username and new password in the appropriate fields. e. Check the box to Save my username and/or password. f. Click OK to close the window. Elements CRM has a restricted screen size. You may be wondering why you can t adjust the size to whatever you d like by dragging the edges of the Elements screen. To achieve the elegant look and feel of Elements, it was designed using an entirely new method, compared to traditional web applications. Its inner beauty requires strategic placement of each piece, thus limiting it to a single fixed size. We think it is a small price to pay to finally have an attractive CRM.
3. Learn the Layout Learn the basics of Elements CRM and navigation will be a breeze. Once logged in, you will see a beautiful canvas which will soon hold your company s important information. There s only a few pieces to learn so this should be easy. Toolbar The left side of the Elements screen is called the Toolbar, which contains all of the Elements applications. Your access permissions set by your system administrator determines which Elements appear here. To use an application (or Element), single click on the icon. The main part of the window dynamically changes to the Element you ve selected. Dashboard On the right side of the window is your Dashboard. These are mini versions of some of the Elements applications. For example, the Message Element has a Dashboard piece that shows messages in your inbox. Most of these mini applications are dynamic. As new messages arrive, they appear in the Message Dashboard. You may configure what
appears in your Dashboard by navigating to the Home Element > Prefs > Dashboard. Select the User Custom option to customize each main section of your Dashboard. Navigation Menus Each Element has its own set of navigation menus, which are found on the very top of the main (middle section) of the Elements screen. Main menus are listed on the top row. Each main menu contains sub-menus just below. Select a main menu, then navigate to the desired sub-menu. Data Viewer The Data Viewer shows a list of records. By navigating (using the navigation menus) to your desired location, you will see a list of records which are contained in the top half of the main Elements screen. The Data Viewer is designed to give you a snap shot of the main info about your records, not for editing them. In most cases, icons are located to the right and left of the items listed in the Data Viewer. Check out the Icon Reference Guide for more info. When numerous records are contained in a list, use the white arrows found in the upper right side of the header to page through your list. In some cases, the Data Viewer will not contain a list of records, but rather a place to set preferences or create an event. Data Editor The Data Editor is for editing your data. It is the bottom half of the main Elements screen and has numerous tabs, each containing important information about an account. Select a record in the Data Viewer to view and edit the details in the Data Editor. To edit most fields, simply click in the field and it will change into an editable field. Type in your changes and click on the icon to save them or the icon to reset the field. In some Data Editors, there will be many tabs and not all will be shown in the first view. Click on the arrows to the right of the tabs to view additional. Mini-Dock At the very bottom of the Elements window is a row of icons in what s called your Mini- Dock. These icons provide various tools and quick actions to commonly used functions. 4. Import Accounts
You may import accounts from your Apple Address Book or by importing a CSV file. To import business contacts from your Apple Address Book: 1. Drag the desired group (or single) vcard from your Address Book and drop it onto your Desktop. 2. In Elements CRM, navigate to the Sales Element > Accounts > Leads (or whichever account type you d like to import). 3. Drag the vcard(s) from your Desktop into the Sales Account window. (see image). Note: The Address Book importer into Sales > Accounts only imports fields labeled as work. If a client has a home or other address/phone number, etc., this data will not be imported. Personal contacts, such as your dentist or golfing buddy can be imported in the Contacts Element > Personal > Address Book by following the instructions above. If your contacts are in a spreadsheet format or if your Address Book contacts have additional fields you d like imported, please contact Ntractive Support about importing your records.
Conclusion You are off to a good start! Check out the full product manual for instructions on each Element. Don t forget to reference the Icon Quick Reference as well. Icon Quick Reference Here s a quick guide to many of the icons you ll see throughout Elements. You may want to keep this page handy for the first few times you use the system. ICON DESCRIPTION Add a record. You will see this in the lower left side of the Data Editor. Add something other than a record. For example, in Flashback, adds the current page. Delete the current record. Protected with Are you sure? alert. When editing a record, saves changes to the current field. When editing a record, discards changes to the current field. Indicates an attachment, click to download. Indicates a record is active. Click to deactivate. Indicating an inactive record. Click to activate. Edit something other than a data record. For example, a list of Bookmarks. Click to send an email from a sales account or to email a document. Click to view web page associated with a person or company (need valid URL). Click to open person s Linkedin profile. Click to call a person using Skype. Click to start an ichat conversation (represents person is currently logged in). Or, click to send an internal message from mini-dock. Represents person has ichat account but is not currently logged in.
ICON DESCRIPTION Click to create To Do Item from mini-dock. The current record has been shared by another user and may not be modified. Click to share the note or To Do Item with other users. Displayed when someone shared a contact or note with you. Found next to a documents, invoices, etc; click to view and print. Click to edit date, when appearing next to date in Notes Element, etc. Indicates To Do Items are complete. Click to create an invoice when in Sales Accounts. Click to schedule a followup call or to create a time sheet in the mini-dock. Opens the Create History Event window. Generates a quick report. Indicates an unpaid invoice or statement. Adds an item to your Apple Calendar. Displays list of all invoices for a client. Click to download vcard. Snapback button; brings you back to the previous page or the page listed, also used to reply to messages in the Message Element. Click to forward message. When in map tab, click to view directions to that location. Opens the Search Center. Also used to jump to a record.