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In ACT! and most high end business contact managers, one can edit groups of contacts to change addresses, categories, phone numbers, business name, user fields. Is there a way to do this in Outlook Business Contact Manager?
Imagine an area code change for several hundred contacts. That's what recently happened to me and it's a pain doing them one at a time.
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Marv,
Thank you for this feature suggestion! Please reply if you agree with Marv and have additional insights.
-- Visit team blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/bcm This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights "Marv" <Marv[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:1D2321FD-BB7F-49A8-95DE-24678A3CDA2E[ at ]microsoft.com... In ACT! and most high end business contact managers, one can edit groups of contacts to change addresses, categories, phone numbers, business name, user fields. Is there a way to do this in Outlook Business Contact Manager?
Imagine an area code change for several hundred contacts. That's what recently happened to me and it's a pain doing them one at a time.
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Well, as they say in Toronto, Hyah!
This is pretty much standard issue, guys, for most CRM's from even several generations ago ( Act!, Goldmine, Maximizer ). If a company changes a name ( and you have 113 records with the same company and are not using accounts per se ) or address, or you have a user field attached to records indicating the sales or employee count of their company, you need an easy way to update that. BCM is really behind the times on this. And also on 2 click mail merges to a single or more contacts. This kind of stuff just is crucial, and would be really really good to include for v3.1 and not wait til 4.0...
JM2c
"Clinton Ford [MSFT]" <ClintonFordMSFT[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in news:#5OF$U3XHHA.1388[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:
[Quoted Text] > Marv, > > Thank you for this feature suggestion! Please reply if you agree with > Marv and have additional insights. >
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Be prepared everyone for some of the age old BCM defender responses about how such changes will needlessly complicate BCM beyond the abilities of the average "Small Business" user, etc. It is nice to see reaction and polling for more input of this nature. It leads me to believe that someone is starting to pay attention. More proactivity from the BCM design team however is always welcome and very much needed.
Folks like Clinton Ford offer a breath of fresh air and hope that certain innane things with BCM's design might actually be improved sooner than later.
-THP
Ed Marmon wrote:
[Quoted Text] >Well, as they say in Toronto, Hyah! > >This is pretty much standard issue, guys, for most CRM's from even >several generations ago ( Act!, Goldmine, Maximizer ). If a company >changes a name ( and you have 113 records with the same company and are >not using accounts per se ) or address, or you have a user field attached >to records indicating the sales or employee count of their company, you >need an easy way to update that. BCM is really behind the times on this. >And also on 2 click mail merges to a single or more contacts. This kind >of stuff just is crucial, and would be really really good to include for >v3.1 and not wait til 4.0... > >JM2c > >> Marv, >> >> Thank you for this feature suggestion! Please reply if you agree with >> Marv and have additional insights.
-- Message posted via OfficeKB.com http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200703/1
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Actually there might be a market for upgraded BCM products just as there are operating systems from Home to Ultimate.
I would be happy to by add ins or third party programs to pick up such features for larger databases. Even a very small business can have hundreds and even thousands of business contacts. You guys helped create that capability. You should know.
"mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" wrote:
[Quoted Text] > Be prepared everyone for some of the age old BCM defender responses about how > such changes will needlessly complicate BCM beyond the abilities of the > average "Small Business" user, etc. It is nice to see reaction and polling > for more input of this nature. It leads me to believe that someone is > starting to pay attention. More proactivity from the BCM design team however > is always welcome and very much needed. > > Folks like Clinton Ford offer a breath of fresh air and hope that certain > innane things with BCM's design might actually be improved sooner than later. > > -THP > > Ed Marmon wrote: > >Well, as they say in Toronto, Hyah! > > > >This is pretty much standard issue, guys, for most CRM's from even > >several generations ago ( Act!, Goldmine, Maximizer ). If a company > >changes a name ( and you have 113 records with the same company and are > >not using accounts per se ) or address, or you have a user field attached > >to records indicating the sales or employee count of their company, you > >need an easy way to update that. BCM is really behind the times on this. > >And also on 2 click mail merges to a single or more contacts. This kind > >of stuff just is crucial, and would be really really good to include for > >v3.1 and not wait til 4.0... > > > >JM2c > > > >> Marv, > >> > >> Thank you for this feature suggestion! Please reply if you agree with > >> Marv and have additional insights. > > -- > Message posted via OfficeKB.com > http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200703/1> >
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Marv:
Until the new function is added to BCM, here's something you could try. BACKUP YOUR DATABASE before you try this, just in case I'm wrong.
If the field you want to change is part of the business contact record, this "should" work. I haven't tried it like this but have tried a similar procedure and it worked great... Export your business contacts to a CSV file. Open it in Excel and do a search and replace on the data you want to change. Save it and then import it back into BCM. Make sure you choose No Duplicates. BCM will change the data on each contact record because it matches on email address.
BTW, my experience with the BCM Team is quite optimistic. Yes Tim, in the past they've given out more "defender" responses but I've seen a much better attitude with 2007 version. I think everyone will be pleased with some of the updates they're working on that are a direct result of feedback from this discussion group.
Let us know if that works, please...
Thanks, Lon
___________________________________________________________ Lon Orenstein pinpointtools, llc Lon[ at ]pinpointtools.com Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager 800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104 www.pinpointtools.com
"Marv" <Marv[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:5E95A404-2E01-47BA-82E9-01A0045FFA39[ at ]microsoft.com...
[Quoted Text] > Actually there might be a market for upgraded BCM products just as there > are > operating systems from Home to Ultimate. > > I would be happy to by add ins or third party programs to pick up such > features for larger databases. Even a very small business can have > hundreds > and even thousands of business contacts. You guys helped create that > capability. You should know. > > "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" wrote: > >> Be prepared everyone for some of the age old BCM defender responses about >> how >> such changes will needlessly complicate BCM beyond the abilities of the >> average "Small Business" user, etc. It is nice to see reaction and >> polling >> for more input of this nature. It leads me to believe that someone is >> starting to pay attention. More proactivity from the BCM design team >> however >> is always welcome and very much needed. >> >> Folks like Clinton Ford offer a breath of fresh air and hope that certain >> innane things with BCM's design might actually be improved sooner than >> later. >> >> -THP >> >> Ed Marmon wrote: >> >Well, as they say in Toronto, Hyah! >> > >> >This is pretty much standard issue, guys, for most CRM's from even >> >several generations ago ( Act!, Goldmine, Maximizer ). If a company >> >changes a name ( and you have 113 records with the same company and are >> >not using accounts per se ) or address, or you have a user field >> >attached >> >to records indicating the sales or employee count of their company, you >> >need an easy way to update that. BCM is really behind the times on this. >> >And also on 2 click mail merges to a single or more contacts. This kind >> >of stuff just is crucial, and would be really really good to include for >> >v3.1 and not wait til 4.0... >> > >> >JM2c >> > >> >> Marv, >> >> >> >> Thank you for this feature suggestion! Please reply if you agree with >> >> Marv and have additional insights. >> >> -- >> Message posted via OfficeKB.com >> http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200703/1>> >>
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Lon,
I am encouraged to read of your optimism over BCM's future potential. I will seek to maintain whatever input I have to offer as constructive as possible.
-THP
Lon Orenstein wrote:
[Quoted Text] >Marv: > >Until the new function is added to BCM, here's something you could try. >BACKUP YOUR DATABASE before you try this, just in case I'm wrong. > >If the field you want to change is part of the business contact record, this >"should" work. I haven't tried it like this but have tried a similar >procedure and it worked great... Export your business contacts to a CSV >file. Open it in Excel and do a search and replace on the data you want to >change. Save it and then import it back into BCM. Make sure you choose No >Duplicates. BCM will change the data on each contact record because it >matches on email address. > >BTW, my experience with the BCM Team is quite optimistic. Yes Tim, in the >past they've given out more "defender" responses but I've seen a much better >attitude with 2007 version. I think everyone will be pleased with some of >the updates they're working on that are a direct result of feedback from >this discussion group. > >Let us know if that works, please... > >Thanks, >Lon > >___________________________________________________________ >Lon Orenstein >pinpointtools, llc >Lon[ at ]pinpointtools.com >Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies >Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager >800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104 >www.pinpointtools.com > >> Actually there might be a market for upgraded BCM products just as there >> are >[quoted text clipped - 41 lines] >>> >> Thank you for this feature suggestion! Please reply if you agree with >>> >> Marv and have additional insights.
-- Message posted via OfficeKB.com http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200703/1
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When you think about it, the couple of guys that have been posting here of late have been giving complete and helpful answers far surpassing what was available here before. I think they see that although poweful, BCM is still crippled in a few areas that prevents it from being a no-brainer refuge for Act! and other escapees. With all its problems, Goldmine ( underdeveloped of late ) and Act! still have great features. But the recent attantiveness and near-entrepreneurial involvement of the BCM guys here ( and the blog ) indicate that perhaps soon we might be able to get off our medication and start enjoying life with an actually-useful BCM.
Now if sql2005express would stop taking up 300-500 ram, that would be bloody helpful.
"mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" <u8453[ at ]uwe> wrote in news:6ecbb3ea9095e[ at ]uwe:
[Quoted Text] > Lon, > > I am encouraged to read of your optimism over BCM's future potential. > I will seek to maintain whatever input I have to offer as constructive > as possible. > > -THP > > > Lon Orenstein wrote: >>Marv: >> >>Until the new function is added to BCM, here's something you could >>try. BACKUP YOUR DATABASE before you try this, just in case I'm wrong. >> >>If the field you want to change is part of the business contact >>record, this "should" work. I haven't tried it like this but have >>tried a similar procedure and it worked great... Export your business >>contacts to a CSV file. Open it in Excel and do a search and replace >>on the data you want to change. Save it and then import it back into >>BCM. Make sure you choose No Duplicates. BCM will change the data on >>each contact record because it matches on email address. >> >>BTW, my experience with the BCM Team is quite optimistic. Yes Tim, in >>the past they've given out more "defender" responses but I've seen a >>much better attitude with 2007 version. I think everyone will be >>pleased with some of the updates they're working on that are a direct >>result of feedback from this discussion group. >> >>Let us know if that works, please... >> >>Thanks, >>Lon >> >>___________________________________________________________ >>Lon Orenstein >>pinpointtools, llc >>Lon[ at ]pinpointtools.com >>Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies >>Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager >>800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104 >>www.pinpointtools.com >> >>> Actually there might be a market for upgraded BCM products just as >>> there are >>[quoted text clipped - 41 lines] >>>> >> Thank you for this feature suggestion! Please reply if you >>>> >> agree with Marv and have additional insights. >
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Well stated Ed!
-THP
Ed Marmon wrote:
[Quoted Text] >When you think about it, the couple of guys that have been posting here >of late have been giving complete and helpful answers far surpassing what >was available here before. I think they see that although poweful, BCM is >still crippled in a few areas that prevents it from being a no-brainer >refuge for Act! and other escapees. With all its problems, Goldmine ( >underdeveloped of late ) and Act! still have great features. But the >recent attantiveness and near-entrepreneurial involvement of the BCM guys >here ( and the blog ) indicate that perhaps soon we might be able to get >off our medication and start enjoying life with an actually-useful BCM. > >Now if sql2005express would stop taking up 300-500 ram, that would be >bloody helpful. > >> Lon, >> >[quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >>>>> >> Thank you for this feature suggestion! Please reply if you >>>>> >> agree with Marv and have additional insights.
-- Message posted via OfficeKB.com http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200703/1
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