• I imported my contacts from Outlook into - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - . I look in the - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - database using the 'edit company/contact' button and see that I have 150 contacts linked to one company with a blank field. Why is that, and how do I create businesses and then link them to these contacts in - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - Contact db?

  • The contacts you have in Outlook don't have their Company field filled. - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - creates a company for every name it finds in that Company field and links all contacts to that company. However if you have blank fields, all your contacts will be linked to the 'blank field' company.
  • To fix it you create a new company in the  'edit company/contact' form, select the appropriate contac on the 'Contacts' tab and link them there (on the right) to the correct company with the 'Link Contact to other Company' button.
    

• Outlook 2002 (xp) is slow
  

  • Do : Tools, Options, Other tab and remove the Enable Instant Messaging check mark.
    If this brings no relief try: 

  • outcmd.dat, under "C:\Documents and Settings\(your name)Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook" might be Corrupt. Rename the file or delete it with Outlook closed. When you start Outlook again the file will be recreated.
     
    A View might be corrupt. Start Outlook from Startmenu - Run: outlook /cleanview 
    This may solve the problem. 
    
    A message in the inbox is corrupt. Start Outlook in safe mode with Startmenu - Run: outlook /safe , and move the messages to another folder. 
     
    A Outlook plugin (Plug-In/Add-In). Choose Tools -> Options -> Other-> Advanced Options -> Klik on COM Add-Ins, then Add-In Manager, and remove the select mark from the check box..

    "When an Exchange user tries to use public folders, the Exchange Information Store service checks the permissions on the public folders to determine what type of access to give the user. This occurs by reading the ACL of the public folder. Difficulties in resolving the entries on the ACL to Active Directory "Directory" service objects may slow down Exchange responsiveness while the Information Store requires server processing resources to complete the ACL resolution. Exchange users may report long response times after the selection of a public folder or general Exchange slowdowns. Users may also receive a message that is similar to the following:
    Requesting data from Microsoft Exchange Server. Outlook is retrieving data from the Microsoft Exchange Server ExchangeServerName.
    
    These slowdowns may be caused by ACLs that contain accounts that cannot be properly resolved to Active Directory objects. Each account that is listed on the ACL must be resolved in the Active Directory, and slowdowns may occur if problems occur during account-resolution attempts. A resolution difficulty would occur if an unknown account is encountered on the ACL. These unknown accounts are sometimes named "zombie" users. "
    

   

• The shared contact facility does not appear to work. Any new contacts disappear when synchronized.

• When you start using - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - you can import your contacts and the contacts of co-workers from the [Tools] menu, option [import personal contacts].

  You can continue to create personal contacts and continue to import. After this, the new contacts appear in the database and in the - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - contacts folder. However a better method is to create the contacts with the [edit company/contact] menu button.

  The idea behind - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - is that a database holds all information. That information interfaces with the user by means of Outlook items. This implies that even if you delete all items from the - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - folders in Outlook, these items will be created again by - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - at the next synchronization.
  It also implies that in order to share information it must be in the database. Either by creating it directly in the database or by importing existing outlook items. Appointments, Tasks and journal items can be created in the normal personal folders and they will go into the database automatically to be shared with others.

  So to be short, create or edit contacts in the database and create or edit other items in the normal personal outlook folders like you always did.

  If you find anything confusing or working not as expected please let us know.

   

• "You work with projects and subfolders in - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - . We do not, in our organisation, we have different codes and numbers to file documents with. "

  • They are called projects, but you are free to not give them a name but a number. If you don't need subfolders for a project, they are not displayed.
    

• "How many projects /codes /contacts etc. can the - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - database hold?"

  • A lot! > 100 000  The database is very simple and only contains a few strings per record. It is unlikely that it becomes to large with regards to what it can handle. But in time you might want to switch to a sql server to hold the db as performance increases with that. We tested on one contact card, holding 150.000 documents... 
    

• "Can I share the contacts?"

  • Sure. When you put the database on the network and all your colleagues connect to it you automatically share your contacts, AND documents AND Appointments AND Tasks.
    

• "Ok, but I have some documents I don't want to share!"

  • Then you create a project in OI and name it "Restricted", save one document in it and go on your server to the storage location. Edit the access rights so only you (and others if you wish) have access. 

    "I also have some private appointments I don't want to share!"

    No problem. Your private appointments are displayed as empty appointments in the Group calendar. People will see you are not available but can not read see any details on subject or body text of the appointment.
    

• "I'm confused, in - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - you give me "Projects", "Subfolders", "Codes", "Groups", "Contact", "Company". Where do I use what??"

  • Relax! It is not difficult at all. Two simple rules:

    • Project - Subfolder - Company - Contact  =  Document related properties

    • Code - Group = Company / Contact related properties.

    So:
    If you want to find companys to do a mailmerge with: use code-group
    If you want to find a document:  use company / contact or project / subfolder
    

• "I don't understand the different Synchronization options"

  • Try to understand the basics first: 

    You always make changes to companies or contacts in the database, not in the Outlook contact cards. But the contact cards will not automatically be available in Outlook. You must wait for a synchronization or initiate a synchronization by right-clicking on the tool in the system tray.
    The other two options in the - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - toolbar sync menu are used to sync the central network database and documents with your laptop (if you have it).
    

• "How do I setup replica databases for my laptop users ??"

  • The proper way to setup replication is:

  1. Install "- OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - " on a client;

  2. Move the local database to a server share and allways leave it there in the future;

  3. DO NOT, NEVER, MOVE THE DATABASE;

  4. Open the central database with ms access and create a replica. Store it on the local PS hard disk in "My Documents";

  5. Name it "Replica USER1 of - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - .mdb":

  6. Set - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - to use the local db and the db on the server.

Repeat for other users.

If you have a lot of users then you could do:

4. Open the central database with MS Access and create a replica. Store it on the network;

5. Copy it from the network to the local pc hard-disk;

6. Set - OpusFlow CRM for Outlook ® - to the local db and the db on the server.
   
   It's very simple.
   
   Stop systray sync when you make config changes and restart systray to let it read the new settings.