Data Services

Navigate:Reports and Interfaces > Data Services

Description

Setting up and maintaining the data service is the first step to setting up Correspondence.

 

What Is a Data Service?

A data service exists for each of the various correspondence report datasources used to generate all Aumentum correspondence, including bills, notices, mailings, letters, etc.

For example, for real property tax bill correspondence, the data service would include fields such as Legal Party Name, Mailing Address, Situs Address (the revenue object and real property being taxed), and Amount.

When generating the correspondence, the data service would look, for example, in Records for the legal party name, associated  revenue object(s), and mailing/situs addresses; the data service would look in Levy Management for the generated tax bill amount associated with that legal party and revenue object(s). The data service pulls the non-value (name, address, etc.) and value data (amounts) into the associated generated correspondence field so that it is printed in the correspondence output file.

 

What Is a Correspondence Report?

The correspondence report is the specific piece of correspondence. It is named the same as the correspondence you are generating, for example, 10-Day Notice, Refund/Surplus Notice, Delinquent Notice, Past Due Notice, etc.

  • The data service is associated with the correspondence report via the Correspondence > Report Setups task.

  • The correspondence report is associated to a template, also via the Correspondence > Report Setups task.

 

What is a Template?

The template associated with the correspondence and data service defines the look and feel of your correspondence document. The template is created and maintained in a separate tool with report output options including:

  • Mail Merge

  • Crystal Reports

  • XML

  • CSV

  • PDF

 

Data Services Tasks

With the appropriate Admin privileges, you can use the Data Services task to:

  • Select and maintain the particular existing data service for a specific Aumentum correspondence datasource or create a new data service.  

  • Create a new data service for new correspondence.

NOTE: The (Undefined variable: Variables.Implementation) may initially set up certain data services, depending on the data services and depending on your jurisdictional requirements. Please contact your implementation team if you need assistance.

Steps

  1. Search for the data service on the Manage Data Services screen.

  2. Select the service to navigate to the View Data Service Detail screen.

  3. Click New on the Manage Data Services screen to set up a new data service, or click Edit on the View Data Service screen to set up or maintain data services on the Edit Data Service screen.

 

Attaching Extracts to Data Services and Adding Attachments to Records

You can optionally attach extracts to data services using the extract configuration and selection task via Reports and Interfaces > Attachment Extract.

You can select attached documents and add various documents to certain records using the Attachments sidebar from the particular screen from which you are generating correspondence.

You can use the Attachments sidebar to add attachments of documents and images to records in, for example, the various Manage Payments processes in Accounts Receivable and the Tax Information records in Info Center > Tax Detail.

 

Data Services Registration, Correspondence Template/Report Setup, and Keywords

IMPORTANT: Please contact your (Undefined variable: Variables.SupportRep) for assistance when setting up and maintaining data services.

Data Service

The Data Service is created through the registration tool like any other Data Service:

  • The inputs of the Data Service become the input parameters of the Correspondence report.

  • For Correspondence created with Microsoft Word Mail Merge templates, only the Data Service’s first output table is used, except in the case of master-detail reports (see below).

  • It’s important for any keywords to be associated with the inputs and outputs when applicable so that Correspondence knows how to provide the inputs and to associate the final documents it produces with the relevant entities in the application.

Report Template

Once the Data Service is created and registered in the application, the next step is to create a template for the report. This is done in a third-party reporting tool, such as:

  • Microsoft Word Mail Merge.  The fields are downloaded in CSV form, which can then be imported into Microsoft Word (in Office 2010, this is done via Mailings > Select Recipients > Use Existing List…).

  • Crystal Reports. The fields are downloaded in XSD format, which can be used as an ADO.NET/XML Data Source in the Crystal Reports application.

For these options, the first step is to download the definition of fields that are exposed by the Data Service using the Edit Report Setup screen.

NOTE: In addition to the output fields of the Data Service, an additional field named SCANCODE is available when creating templates for Correspondence. This is a special code that can be embedded in a barcode or OCR line so that the correspondence document and its context is called from the application when necessary, such as when the correspondence is mailed back by a taxpayer.

Once the template is created and saved locally, it must be uploaded to the application via Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Report Setups > [Manage Template] >  Manage Templates.

Report Setup

The final step is to create a Report Setup that registers the association between the Data Service and the template, along with other options for the report, via Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Report Setups task. With the appropriate permissions, you can configure the following:

  • Description: This description will be shown throughout the application wherever Correspondence is available.

  • Category: This is a Systype from the user-expandable category “CorresCat”). It is optional, and is provided only for organizational purposes.

  • Data Service: This should be set to the Data Service that will provide the data for the report.

  • Output Engine: This is used to select the type of report: Microsoft Mail Merge or Crystal Reports.

  • Template: The template to use to merge the Data Service’s data. For Mail Merge, this is generally a Word document (DOC or DOCX). For Crystal Reports, this is the RPT file.

  • Records per output file: Correspondence will always generate individual documents for each row of the Data Service. However, for mass-mailing purposes, dealing with individual documents is not practical. This option tells Correspondence to generate combined output files (in addition to the individual files) to make mass printing easier.

  • Event type: Correspondence will generate an event for each document it produces (see Events and Attachments below).

NOTE: Report setups and templates already exist for many correspondence items for various jurisdictions.

Master Detail Reports and Keywords

Correspondence can also generate master detail reports from hierarchical data. For a report to be a valid master detail report, the following must be set up:

  • The Data Service must have two output tables. The first table is the master table, and the second is the detail table.

    NOTE: Three levels of table hierarchy can exist in a data service for Accounts Receivable correspondence.

  • The two output tables must have at least one keyword in common. This keyword (or keywords) is used to associate the rows between the two tables. A separate document is generated for each row in the first table along with all of the matching rows from the second table.

  • For Mail Merge templates, all references to the child table fields must be wrapped within the special fields:

    • TableBegin:Detail

    • TableEnd:Detail

This section is then repeated for each row in the detail table(s).

NOTE: In Crystal Reports, you can use grouping or subreports to achieve the same effect.)

To insert theTableBegin:DetailandTableEnd:Detailfields, you must follow these steps:

  1. Select Insert > Quick Parts > Field…

  2. In theField namescombo box, select MergeField.

  3. In theField nametext box, typeTableBegin:DetailorTableEnd:Detailas applicable.

 

Generating Correspondence from a Module

Many modules, such as Accounts Receivable and Delinquents, for example, have a Correspondence task available on their menu.

Typically, you select the particular correspondence and any other applicable parameters and reporting criteria groups, and then generate the correspondence (also called the correspondence report), either in real time or to batch processes.

 

Correspondence Events and Attachments

Whenever you generate correspondence within a module, an event and an attachment are created for each generated document.

The event type is configurable via Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Report Setups > Manage Report Setups.  The event and the attachment are associated to all of the particular Data Service output keywords, which refer to entities, typically keywords that end in Id.

You can then recall the attached document using the Attachments sidebar from any page that exposes those same entities as contextual keywords; in other words, context sensitive screens such as the Info Center Tax Information screen (Info Center > Tax Detail > Tax Information). .

 

Generating Contextual Correspondence from the Sidebar

You can print correspondence from any context sensitive screen, meaning the correspondence contextual information is available, via the Correspondence sidebar icon .

NOTE: Context sensitivity is typically set up initially by the (Undefined variable: Variables.EngImpSupp).

When you select the Correspondence icon, the Correspondence - Webpage dialog popup opens for selection of the report and any other applicable and required parameters with the option to generate the correspondence in real time or add it to the batch queue.:

Contextual Information and Keywords

IMPORTANT: This particular task and screen must contain contextual information to work. Otherwise, the message No contextual information is currently available is displayed on this screen. This screen exposes keywords that are set up for the jurisdiction by the engineering team. Once set up, report and other selections are available.

For example, if the keyword set up is revobj (revenue object), then you can generate correspondence from any Aumentum task that exposes revenue object information. So, if you navigate to Info Center > Tax Detail > (search/select) > Tax Information and click the PIN on any of the Tax Detail screens, you navigate to the Revenue Object Detail Information screen. If you click the envelope icon on this screen, you can generate correspondence from that screen.

IMPORTANT: The (Undefined variable: Variables.Engineering):

  • Has keywords set up on various screens within the application, such as in Info Center > Tax Detail and on the Create Revenue Object List screen (Records > Other Revenue Object Maintenance > Revenue Object List screens.

  • Must set up all screens to be context sensitive for your jurisdiction to generate correspondence from that particular screen. Please contact your (Undefined variable: Variables.SupportRep) for context-sensitive correspondence setup

Here are additional notes about how keywords work on this screen.

  • The screen displays only those reports for which Data Services have input keywords that match those in state.

  • At least one keyword match is required.

  • All non-matched inputs on the Report are non-keywords.

  • The matched keyword values are shown.

  • Certain object types, such as RevObjId and TaxBillId, are shown as PIN and Bill Number, respectively.

  • Chaining of event groups is also available via this task with the applicable keyword

  • If the page exposes multiple values for the same keyword, but the report only accepts a single value, a dropdown list is shown for you to select the applicable value.

  • If the report has any non-matched, non-keyword inputs, a dynamic UI displays to prompt for those values

  • If the DataService is defined with a PickList:

Resolving Inputs

When the Correspondence sidebar icon is clicked, a popup displays to select any report that can be printed based on the current contextual information. For a report to be printed from a particular screen, each one of its inputs must be handled in one of the following ways:

  • The Data Service input has a keyword that matches a keyword in the current context. In this case, Correspondence will automatically provide the contextual input to the report. The value that is being used is shown on the screen.

  • The Data Service input can be prompted for. In general, a Data Service input can be prompted for if it has a PickList, or if it has no keyword, or if it is a string, date, Boolean, or decimal type. In this case, Correspondence will display a prompt to allow the user to select a value before generating the report.

  • The Data Service input is not required. In this case, Correspondence will simply not show the input.

  • If any of the Data Service’s inputs do not match at least one of these criteria, the report will not be available. Additionally, at least one input of the Data Service must be supplied from the context.

Printing Context Sensitive Single Correspondence

NOTE: Single Correspondence is the default option. The screen capture above shows an example of a typical Print or Schedule Correspondence screen. The screen varies greatly, depending on the particular setup and jurisdictional requirements, and depending on the task from which you are accessing the screen.

  1. Click Show context (bottom of screen) to view the Current Context popup of keywords associated with the context.

  2. Select the Reportto display additional options. In this particular example, the PIN displays.

  3. Define any other parameters as applicable to the Report selected. Any required fields are indicated by a red asterisk and must contain information to generate the correspondence.

  4. Check the Execute immediately checkbox to generate the correspondence now and close the Generate Correspondence screen.

    NOTE: To view the process, go to the View Correspondence Process History screen (Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Outbound Document Queue > Manage Outbound Document Queue > [View History] > View Correspondence Process History) and click View to view the details.

  5. Rather than generating the correspondence immediately, you can instead submit it to the Outbound Document Queue. Click Add to Queue to add the correspondence to the Outbound Document Queue(Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Outbound Document Queue) and to close the Generate Correspondence screen.

    NOTE: To execute the correspondence from the Outbound Document Queue, go to Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Outbound Document Queue > Manage Outbound Document Queue, select the particular correspondence from theQueued Jobspanel, and clickProcess Selectedto process the selected job and navigate to the View Correspondence Process screen.

Printing Context Sensitive Package Correspondence

Package correspondence is used when generating a packet of, for example, PDFs.  

IMPORTANT: Package correspondence must first be set up via Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Setup > Report Package Setup. (Undefined variable: Variables.AumTech) initially sets up various components of correspondence, such as the data service, keywords, and context-sensitivity. Please contact your (Undefined variable: Variables.SupportRep) for assistance with package correspondence setup.

  1. Click Package Correspondence.

  2. Select the Report Package.

  3. Define any other parameters as applicable to the Report selected. Any required fields are indicated by a red asterisk and must contain information to generate the correspondence.

  4. Check the Execute immediately checkbox to generate the correspondence now and close the Generate Correspondence screen.

    NOTE: To view the process, go to the View Correspondence Process History screen (Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Outbound Document Queue > Manage Outbound Document Queue > [View History] > View Correspondence Process History) and click View to view the details.

  5. Rather than generating the correspondence immediately, you can instead submit it to the Outbound Document Queue. Click Add to Queue to add the correspondence to the Outbound Document Queue(Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Outbound Document Queue) and to close the Generate Correspondence screen.

    NOTE: To execute the correspondence from the Outbound Document Queue, go to Reports and Interfaces > Correspondence > Outbound Document Queue > Manage Outbound Document Queue, select the particular correspondence from theQueued Jobspanel, and clickProcess Selectedto process the selected job and navigate to the View Correspondence Process screen.

 

Dependencies, Prerequisites, and Setup

Security Configuration for Data Services and Correspondence

Set security rights for the Data Services task.

  1. Go to Configuration > Security and User Maintenance > Roles > Maintain a Role > Edit Role Details.

  2. Select Reports and Interfaces from the Granted Menu Items panel.

  3. Click on Data Services and Correspondence, respectively, and set security rights for each.

Set security rights for the Correspondence task.

  1. Go to Configuration > Security and User Maintenance > Roles > Maintain a Role > Edit Role Details.

  2. Select Reports and Interfaces from the Granted Menu Items panel.

  3. Click on Correspondence and set security rights for:

    • Report Setups

    • Outbound Document Queue

Setup Notes to Implementation

See additional setup notes related to data services and correspondence in the Dependencies, Prerequisites, and Setup and Notes to Implementation section of the Correspondence topic file.