Custom Fields

The “Custom Fields” feature in the ‘Settings’ area of Retention CRM allows Association, Chamber of Commerce and Nonprofit to tailor the software to their organization’s specific needs. Here, you can define extra data points to capture additional information beyond Retention CRM’s standard fields. This information is then displayed and managed throughout the CRM system.

General Functionality of “Custom Fields” feature

A typical report might include fields like ID (unique identifier for the field), Set (group the field belongs to), Enabled? (whether the field is currently active), Used For (which Retention CRM record type the field applies to), Type (text, date, dropdown, etc.), Order (display order within the set), and Style (how the field is presented).

Here’s a breakdown of the additional options available when creating a new “Custom Field Set”:

• New Custom Field Group: This simply names the group of related custom fields (e.g., “Certifications”).
• Set Name: Enter a descriptive name for this set of custom fields (e.g., “Member Certifications”).
• Used For: Select the Retention CRM record type where this set of fields will be used (e.g., Contact).
• Order: Define the order in which this set appears relative to other custom field sets.
• Collapse this set on initial display/Collapse this set in Advanced Search: Choose whether the set is initially collapsed to save screen space.
• Is this Custom Data Set active?/Is this Custom Data Set public?: Control whether the set is currently used and visible to all users.
• Pre-form Help/Post-form Help: Provide optional instructional text displayed before or after the custom fields on the data entry form.

Using “Custom Fields” feature in Association Management

Now, let’s see how a nursing association can leverage this functionality. Imagine they want to track their members’ certifications. They can create a new “Custom Field Set” named “Certifications” under “Used For” – Contact. Within this set, they can define individual custom fields. For instance, a “Certification Type” field (Type: Dropdown) might list options like “RN”, “LPN”, and “CNL”. Another field, “Certification Expiry Date” (Type: Date), would capture the expiration date for each certification. These fields would be displayed on the member’s contact record, allowing the association to maintain a comprehensive member database. By effectively utilizing “Custom Fields,” a nursing association can significantly enhance Retention CRM’s functionality to manage member data specific to their needs.

More Use Cases for Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Nonprofits

Track certifications of its members (Association)

Associations can use custom fields to track certifications of its members. They can create a custom field set named “Certifications” under “Used For” – Contact. Within this set, they can define individual custom fields like “Certification Type” (Dropdown) and “Certification Expiry Date” (Date). This allows the association to maintain a comprehensive member database with up-to-date certification information.

Track the products and services (Chambers of Commerce)

Chambers of commerce can use custom fields to track the products and services offered by their member businesses. They can create a custom field set named “Products & Services” under “Used For” – Contact (Organization). Within this set, they can define custom fields like “Product Category” (Dropdown) and “Product Description” (Text). This allows the chamber to maintain a directory of member businesses and their offerings, which can be helpful for potential customers searching for specific products or services.

Track the volunteer interests and skills (Non-Profits)

Nonprofits can use custom fields to track the volunteer interests and skills of their volunteers. They can create a custom field set named “Volunteer Preferences” under “Used For” – Contact. Within this set, they can define custom fields like “Areas of Interest” (Checkbox) and “Skills” (Text). This allows the non-profit to match volunteers with appropriate volunteer opportunities based on their interests and skills.