Using Process manager

Process Manager can help you work more efficiently and effectively. As a Process Manager user, you have access to opportunities, tasks, and communications features that help you move potential projects to a successful win.

In This Article 

Using projects

A project is any circumstance that could result in a positive action for your organization, such as a purchase, donation, or registration.

Table 1: Understanding the types of projects
Project Tasks Communications
View View Generate email messages
Define Edit Generate MS Word documents
Attach a document   Run reports
Close   Export reports

Viewing a project

Do the following to view a project:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. iMIS displays all projects for which you have security access privileges.

Defining a project

Do the following to define a project:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Select a project. The tabs along the top of the project page define general information about the project:
    • The Summary tab displays the details of the project, the contact, and related opportunities.
    • The Definition tab displays summary information for editing.
    • The Action Plan tab displays the action plan assigned to the project and the status of each task.
    • The Security tab displays security access rights for the project.
  3. The tabs along the side of the project define detailed information about the project:
    • The Groups tab displays the individuals associated with the project and their group roles.
    • The Tasks tab displays required tasks, status, and notes.
    • The Documents tab displays related documents.
    • The Activities tab displays all activity within a prospect's record (from their profile page).
    • The History tab displays actions and progress in the project.

attaching a document to a project

You can attach documents that are related to the project, such as proposals and letters sent to the contact.

Do the following to attach a document to a project:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Click the project to open it.
  3. Click Documents.
  4. Either browse to an existing file in the Document system or create a new file type:
    1. Click New, and then select the appropriate file type.
    2. Browse to the new file.
    3. Click Open.
  5. Click Upload.

Closing a project

When you close a project, the project status changes to Complete and the project remains in the system for historical reporting purposes. The task history is saved with the project.

Do the following to close a project:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Click the project to open it.
  3. (Definition tab) In the Project Status drop-down list, select Closed.
  4. Click Save.

Using tasks

Process Manager helps you manage the tasks associated with projects and opportunities. It is easy to see the tasks that are assigned to you and to prioritize your efforts to move a project to success. After you complete a task, you can mark it complete and determine whether there are other tasks needing your attention.

Viewing tasks

Do the following to view tasks:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Click the project to open it.
  3. Click Tasks. The tasks assigned to you are displayed. If you are the Opportunity Owner, the system displays all tasks for the project.

Editing tasks

If you have editing access rights, you can modify tasks, including marking them complete.

Do the following to edit tasks:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Click the project to open it.
  3. Click Tasks.
  4. Click select to select the task.
  5. Perform your edits.
  6. Click Save.

Managing projects

If you are an Opportunity Manager, Opportunity Creator, or Opportunity Administrator, you can perform the following actions, in addition to user tasks:

Table 2: Understanding the types of opportunities
Opportunities Communications
Create Select message recipients
Edit Select report data
Delete Copy, edit, delete, and create output processes

Setting up and editing projects

If no Opportunity Owner is specified, the creator of the project becomes the default owner.

Creating a project

Do the following to create a project:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Click Create New Project.
  3. Select a Process Type:
    • Donor
    • Member
    • Sales
  4. Click OK.
  5. Enter a Description for the project and identify the Primary Contact for the project.
  6. (optional) Click select to select the Source Code associated with the project.
  7. Click Save.

The Products, Subscription, and Distribution fields can be specified by selecting values from a drop-down list, if the underlying tables have been set up:

  • For Sales Opportunity types, the Products drop-down list is populated by the members of the Products table.
  • For Member Opportunity types, the Subscription drop-down list is populated by the Billing products. Go to Membership > Billing products.
  • For Donor Opportunity types, the Distribution drop-down list is populated by the Distributions.

If the Primary Contact has one or more sales representatives or regional managers associated in relationships, these people will be assigned to the project automatically. You can view the assigned salesperson and manager information by opening a project and selecting Groups > Owner Roles.

Note: If a solicitor is designated for the primary contact, the solicitor will also be assigned to the new project.

If you need to create more relationships that create group owners automatically, you can update the string parameter "OpportunityDefaultOwnerRoles" in the SystemConfig table. The current string is: 'Salesperson!<solicitor>!SALES,Sales Manager!MB,Regional Manager!RM'. Additional relationships can be added by Adding ,[Role Name]![Relationship Name] to that configuration string.

Editing a process type

You can override the default settings for a project when you create the project. If you are the Opportunity Owner, you can make changes to the project at any time. The options for editing are the following:

  • Edit the project summary
  • Change the default action plan
  • Bypass a stage in the action plan
  • Add tasks
  • Change the task owner
  • Edit project security settings
  • Edit project group roles

You can add new contacts to opportunity group roles. Before a new contact is added to the database, you are notified of possible duplicates. At this point, you can continue or cancel the insert.

Contact records that are added from a project follow the same data entry standards as regular records added, except:

  • The values for the Major key (on user profile pages) and Major key must be unique (Settings > Contacts > System options) fields are not relevant.
  • The system does not consider whether the Disable auto flow down of organization address information field on the Settings > Contacts > System options window is enabled.

Editing the project summary

Do the following to edit the project summary:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
    • Select the project to edit:
    • (Definition tab) Edit general project information.
    • (Summary tab) In the Primary Contact area, select the primary contact's name to view or edit prospect information.
    • (Summary tab) Scroll to the Related Projects area. Select a project to edit a related project for this contact.
  2. Click Save.

Deleting a project

When you delete a project, the Project Status changes to Cancelled and the project remains in the system for historical reporting purposes.

Do the following to delete a project:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. For each project that you want to delete, select the corresponding checkbox.
  3. Click delete selected.

Editing action plans

Do the following to edit action plans:

Replacing the action plan

The project owner can replace the action plan for an active project at any time. All completed tasks, notes, and email notifications are preserved in the project history.

Do the following to replace an action plan:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Select a project.
  3. (Action Plan tab) In the Replace Action Plan With list, select the desired action plan.
  4. Click Change Action Plan.
  5. Click Save.

Bypassing a stage in the action plan

The project owner can easily bypass any intermediate stage in the action plan, if that stage has become irrelevant to the completion of the action plan. When you bypass a stage in the action plan:

  • The next stage starts.
  • All incomplete (or never begun) tasks, notes, and email notifications from the bypassed stage are marked with a Cancelled status.

Do the following the bypass a stage in the action plan:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Select a project.
  3. (Action Plan tab) In the Current Stage list, select the desired current stage.
  4. From the Update Previous Stages Status list, select the status of the stage to be bypassed.
  5. Click Change Current Stage.
  6. Click Save.

Adding tasks

Do the following to add tasks:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Select a project.
  3. Click Tasks.
  4. Click add. Complete the task information.
  5. Click Save. The new task appears on the task list.

Changing the task owner

If you have access privileges, you can change the owner of a task to any Opportunity Owner who has a defined user record.

Do the following to change the task owner:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Select a project.
  3. Click Tasks.
  4. Click select for the task you want to modify.
  5. Next to Assignee, click the browse button to find a new person that you want to assign as the new task owner.
  6. Click Save. The task appears in the new owner's task list.

Editing security settings and roles

Do the following to edit security settings and roles:

Editing project security settings

Project security settings specify the access rights of participants.

Do the following to edit project security settings:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Select a project.
  3. (Security tab) Select the desired Access Settings:
    • Select Use a preconfigured security set to select preconfigured access rights, for example, select Everyone Full Control to grant full control to all users.
    • Select Make this available to to customize the access rights:
      • Select a Name in Specific Roles to customize permissions.
      • Select a Group in Specific Groups to customize permissions.
      • Click Add user in Specific Users to add a specific user, and define permissions for that user.
      • Select a Name in Specific Member Types to customize permissions.
  4. Click Save.

Editing project group roles

Project group roles describe the responsibilities of participants.

Do the following to edit project group roles:

  1. Go to Marketing > Process Manager > Projects.
  2. Select a project.
  3. Click Groups.
  4. Select the group role name (Contacts, Owners, Competitors if enabled, others).
  5. Click Edit Role Members.
  6. In the Select From area, select a query from the Select a Query list.
  7. Select the member to add to the Current Members list.
  8. (optional) Add a new member:
    • Click Add New.
    • Enter the information.
    • Click Save.
  9. Click Save.

Editing project types

If the default project types are similar to those your organization uses, you can simply change the default properties. Changes to process type definitions are not retroactive to existing projects.

Managing project communications

Process Manager gives you the power to manage effective communications with your prospects and within your organization. As an Opportunity Manager or Opportunity Administrator, you can:

  • Use queries to select message recipients
  • Use queries to specify report data
  • Edit, copy, or delete output processes that specify reporting, or email processes.

    • Note: The following procedures assume that you have already created the relevant output process (see Creating output processes).