Create External Mail Merge

The Create External Mail Merge function is a method for generating a file that can be used as a mail merge data source in a word processing package such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. This allows for customized letters since the letters that can be generated from this software, called Create System Letters, is not customizable.

Frequency: This function can be run at anytime.

 1. From the Main menu click Letters:

2. Move the mouse over Create External Mail Merge and click this option:

3. The following selection screen appears:

4. The selection criteria:

• TYPE
• ORDER
• INCLUDE
• DATA
• RECORDS
• LAYOUT

TYPE:

Click the to choose

• Notification - select from all debtors, whether have been setoff or not
• Setoff - select only those that have been setoff
  • Setoff Date: choose the particular date of the setoff by clicking the down arrow for the calendar



 

Calendar Selection	Description
	Backwards one month
	Forward one month

Click the selected setoff date to set the selection and return to the menu

 

• ORDER:

  

Click the to choose the order of the created file

 

• INCLUDE:
• 

Choose one of the two:

• Include all Debtors - all debtors will be included if

OR

• Date Range: only debtors added within the selected beginning and ending date range

 

• DATA:

Select any or all data items by a to include into the created mail merge file. The items

will appear in this exact order.

 

• RECORDS:

Click the to choose one of the two:

• One per Debt - creates a separate mail merge record for EACH debt. Thus, someone with 10 debts would have ten separate mail merge records and subsequently would receive 10 different letters
• Sum Debts - combines the debt amounts of all debts into one so the debtor would only receive one letter
  • Multiple Separator - enter any type of character that will be used to separate the Account Numbers, if there are multiple ones, when the Sum Debts option is chosen

 

• LAYOUT:

Click the to choose one of the three:

• Comma Delimited - the standard for most word processors mail merge functions. Used by Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect
• Comma Delimited with Quotes - used with older versions of WordPerfect
• Fixed Length - for import into other computer systems, such as a mainframe, AS/400 or other system for an I.T. staff to use as a file for letter generation

 

The options:

 

• To cancel and return
• To execute and create the file, click
  • A progress bar displays while the file is being created:



• Once completed the following displays:



 

• the file: Merge Notification.txt has been created in the folder specified above, in this example: C:\Program Files\Debt