Fulfilling Your Publishing Business Requirements With SdB

Media Automation, Inc.
PO Box 390418
Edina, MN 55439

(952) 844-0512

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SdB NEW SUBSCRIPTION TRANSACTION

The new subscription entry screen includes numerous features to enhance data entry speed and accuracy. These include:

Auto-fill of city and state given a zipcode
Auto-fill term, amount due & paid
Standardize an address line using USPS abbreviations
Shift address lines up or down
Jump to the notes entry field
Open an account log entry window
User requested error scan during entry

The Auto-fill term, amount due & paid function is almost identical to the renewal transaction auto-fill except that a mailing class code is required in addition to the term (in years). For example, entering "2" "C" in the auto fill window would result in the term set to 48, amount due and paid set to 79.00, mailcode set to "C" and the cursor moved to the payment type field ready for entry.
The account log entry window is a feature not detailed previously. This popup window (which is also available from any menu after a record is located) will post a 64 character message with a volume-issue and date stamp to the transactions for an account. It is a handy way of logging phone calls, problems, adjustment notes or any information where a date reference may be useful.

Most of the fields on the entry screen are self-explanatory. The remainders are:

"#auto acct#" - an auto-fill field set to the next available system account number. The SdB convention is the date of entry (ANSI) followed by a sequential count that day. Thus, 125 new subscriptions entered on 6/23/2000 would receive account numbers 0006230001 to 0006230125.

"Reference" - used for typical reference source codes like PHONE, PROMO or REN99.

"Current status" - indicates the subscriber is New, a Donor (gift recipient/comp), a Gifter or a Bulk account (multi-copy). Note that New subscribers will be set to status code "R" upon renewing.

"Mail class (& Solicit)" - indicates the type of mail delivery (detailed in the utilities-system setup description to follow) and do not solicit codes for exclusion from list rental, telemarketing and/or email solicitation.

"Begin mailing" - usually the first issue ever mailed, but may be used for the specialized function of beginning a new class of mail at a given volume and issue.

"Email code" - used for flagging email newsletter subscriptions.

"Notes to be attached" - general text to be attached in the account's memo field (capable of storing hundreds text pages).

Finally, although the payment code field is self-explanatory, one of its functions is not. If on-line credit card processing is enabled, entering payment codes A, D, M or V (Amex, Discover, Mastercard or Visa) will pop up a credit card entry window ready to capture all data required for batch processing charges.

A new subscription entry screen complete with data and a sample credit card entry window follows on the Next page.

Account log entry window sample

Auto-fill term, amount due & paid window sample