Table Of Contents:
 | About versions of this form
This page contains information for two different versions of the Setup Interactions form, one version for Metrix 1.3 and the other is for Metrix 1.4 and later. |
Setting Up Interactions
See also:
Note: Only the Metrix Administrator is able to access the Customize Interactions form. Users who need additional or Interactions need to make those requests to the Metrix Administrator.
About Interactions
Metrix has been designed to maximize flexibility in allowing you to track customized data regarding your relationships with contacts. Interactions are the means by which customized data is captured – details such as the type of contact or organization, to communications back and forth, to money received and appointments kept.
 | Note
Only the Metrix Administrator is able to set up Interactions. |
There are no limits to the number and types of Interactions you can create and there are no limits to the type of information tracked using this feature.
There are two primary ways of using Interactions:
- Simple Interactions using built-in features
- Custom Interactions, which make use of custom tables
Simple Interactions can be maintained and updated by the Metrix Administrator. If your organization wants to incorporate Custom Interactions, we recommend that you work with a consultant or staff member who has experience with Microsoft Access development. See the Implentation Guide for more information about customizing Metrix.
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Setting Up Simple Interaction Definitions
An Interaction is made up of several elements:
- Title (required): the unique title assigned to each Interaction. This title is what users will see and so they must understand its meaning. Therefore, in creating the Interaction title, you must be descriptive, yet succinct. For example, you may wish to have an Interaction entitled, "Campaign Payment."
- Categories are assigned to each Interaction as well. Categories allow you to group the Interactions for ease in selection and viewing and also allow you to aggregate on the Category level. As an example, you could log all payment-related Interactions under the Category1 value of "Fundraising". There could be other categories under the 1st-level category of "Fundraising" such as, "Payment" or "Communication" or "Event."
- 1st-Level Category (required): the 1st-level category is required for every Interaction. Each Interaction belongs to a group that defines it. For example, an Interaction that records a donation received might belong to a category called "Fundraising" or "Development."
- 2nd-Level Category (required): this category level serves the purpose of further defining an Interaction. For example, continuing on the above example, you may wish to use this category to define the donation received in the 2nd-level category of "Payment", to distinguish this Interaction from other types related to fundraising.
- 3rd-Level Category (optional): this category level is optional and can be used to define an Interaction even further. Continuing on our above example, you may wish to use this category to define the fiscal year of the a payment. Or you might leave the 3rd-level category blank and conduct any searches by the date of the contribution rather than through defining a new Interaction for each fiscal year.
These elements collectively make an Interaction Definition. When developing your set of Interactions, keep in mind who will be using the database and the purposes of its use. Interactions can be searched in queries and reports not only by title but also by each category, therefore it may be useful to use the second or third category for a particular program or type of activity if it is something you will search by often.
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Creating Definitions for Simple Interactions
- Press New Interaction on the Setup Interactions form.
Figure: Creating a New Interaction
- Enter a title for the Interaction and select the 1st- and 2nd-level categories, which are both required.
You can add a 3rd-level category if desired. If a category needs to be created for any level, simply type in the text and when you enter or move to another field. You will be asked to confirm that you wish to add this new value to the available drop-down list.
Figure: Defining Categories for Interactions
You can enter other details for the Interaction Definition as well (optional). This can be valuable if the Interaction Definition is an event, for instance, and you want to log information for this event that will be applicable to every instance of this Interaction logged for all contacts. Rather than having to enter this detail for every Interaction you add to every contact, you could define it here at the definition level.
Figure: Entering a Supplemental Description
The Metrix Interaction table will automatically be updated each time you create a new Interaction. This table will be displayed in the Tables to Use window. You can select additional tables in this window, such as the Payments table, if you are recording payment information.
If you have added custom tables, such as child tables that form a one-to-many relationship with other Interaction Definitions, you can also select the name of that table here. To learn more about adding custom tables, please see Custom Tables and Interactions.
Figure: Specifying Tables for an Interaction
Once you select the table(s) associated with this Interaction, you will need to choose the fields to use for this Interaction Definition details.
- Click on the column names in the Available Columns window and press the right arrow button > to move them to the Columns to Display window.
These are the fields into which you would add information when adding this Interaction for a contact. You will see the available fields from all of the tables you chose above in a list on the left, and will select which columns to display by selecting a column name and using the . These are the fields that will appear on screen when you add this Interaction to a contact record. You can repeat this step for all tables you have associated with this Interaction Definition.
Figure: Selecting Fields to Include in an Interaction
- Press OK and you will be returned to the Setup Interactions form where you can view your new Interaction Definition in the list.
Your new Interaction Definition is ready for users to apply to the contacts in Metrix.
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Editing an Interaction Definition
Interactions can be easily accessed and edited using the Setup Interaction form.
Figure: Selecting an Interaction to Edit
- Locate the Interaction you want to edit and in list and click edit.
You can make such edits as adding tables to include in the Interaction, selecting fields to include in the Interactions form, or changing the category, title, or description.
- Make the edits and press OK to save your changes and return to the Setup Interaction form or press Cancel to cancel your changes and close the form.
Figure: Editing the Interaction Definition
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Copying an Interaction Definition
Metrix allows you to copy an Interaction Definition and rename the title to make entering new Interactions within the same categories easier.
- Locate the Interaction that you want to copy and click copy.
Metrix will ask your to confirm that you want to copy the current Interaction.
- Press Yes to make the copy.
Figure: Copying an Interaction
You will then be prompted to enter a new title.
- Type over the existing text and then press OK.
Figure: Naming a Copied Interaction
- Finally, you will be brought to the Edit Interaction form for this new Interaction to make an edits.
- Press OK when finished and you will be returned to the Setup Interactions form to view your new Interaction.
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Deleting an Interaction Definition
 | Warning
Deleting an interaction definition that is in use will erase the interaction from contacts' history. You will lose vital information.
An Interaction Definition should only be deleted if it was entered by mistake, has not been applied to any contacts, and will not be used in the future. Interactions which are no longer relevant should be inactivated rather than deleted. See Marking an Interaction Definition Inactive
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By deleting an Interaction Definition, you will also be deleting this Interaction for all contacts. You may wish to make an Interaction inactive by clicking the checkbox at the bottom of the Edit Interaction form rather than deleting it. This will enable you to hide this Interaction as a choice to add to future contacts, and maintain data integrity and history.
- Find the Interaction Definition in the list and click edit.
The Edit Interaction form will be displayed.
- Press Delete.
You will be prompted to confirm the deletion.
- Press Yes .
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Marking an Interaction Definition Inactive
You can inactivate an Interaction Definition if you no longer want it to appear as an option that can be associated with a contact record. Interactions can become inactivated because they are outdated or no longer applicable. Inactivated Interactions, however will still appear as a part of a contact's history.
- Find the Interaction Definition in the list and click edit .
The Edit Interaction form will be displayed.
- Check the Inactivate check box to mark this Interaction Definition as inactive.
A check mark will appear if the Interaction is inactive. If you ever need to use this Interaction Definition again, you can simply check the Inactivate area again and the check mark will be removed.
Figure: Marking an Interaction as Inactive
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Setting up Interactions in Metrix version 1.4 and later
All of the functionality on the Setup Interactions form has remained the same as in version 1.3, although some new features have been added:
- Module - Displays the module to which the interaction definition belongs
- Sorting - You can now sort the columns on the form
The steps for adding, copying, deleting, and marking an interaction definition inactive are the same in version 1.4 as they are inversion 1.3, with the exception of specifying a module (see Adding and Editing Interaction Definitions below). To perform these tasks in version 1.4, see the material under the appropriate headers.
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The Setup Interactions form in version 1.4 and later
The Setup Interactions form in version 1.4 includes an important new column: Module.
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Module Name
The Module column displays the name of the module, a unique identifying title that distinguishes the filters and interaction definitions that are user-created, i.e., don't ship with Metrix when you first install it. See "Module Strategy" in Metrix Version 1.4 Key Enhancements and Features for more information about modules.
Figure: Viewing the Module column
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Adding and Editing Interaction Definitions
When adding, editing, and copying interaction definitions, you can specify the module to which it belongs by typing a name in the Module field (see image below).
Figure: The Module field for an interaction definition
The default module name for new interaction definitions is "CUSTOM" but that can be changed by typing a new name into the Module field. The default module name for interacion definitions that ship with Metrix is "MTX."
| Be consistent with the module name you choose. |
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Sorting the Columns
- Click the -All - Sub-Categories, Interaction Title, and Module column headers to sort each column.
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