Automated Tasks

The “Automated Tasks” feature in the ‘Settings’ area of Retention CRM allows Nonprofits, Associations and Chambers of Commerce to automate various maintenance and data processing activities. The Automated Tasks run at specific intervals or based on triggers to keep your data up-to-date and ensure the smooth functioning of your Retention CRM system.

General Functionality of “Automated Tasks” feature

Here’s a breakdown of the fields and settings you’ll find under ‘Automated Tasks’.

• Name (Frequency)/Description: This field provides a name for the job, typically indicating how often it runs (e.g., “Daily”) and a brief description of its function.
• Command/Parameters: This section specifies the Retention CRM API action to be executed by the job and any additional parameters required for that action.
• Last Run: This displays the date and time the job was last run.
• Enabled? This checkbox indicates whether the job is currently active and scheduled to run.
• View Job Log (all jobs): Clicking this link provides detailed information about the job’s execution history.

How to Use “Automated Tasks” feature in Association Management

A nursing association can leverage Automated Tasks to automate various tasks that improve data hygiene, membership management, and communication with members. Here are some examples of how:

• Dedupe Contacts (Daily): This job helps identify and merge duplicate member records, ensuring data accuracy.
• Update Membership Statuses (Daily): This job automatically updates member statuses based on defined criteria, such as expiration dates. This can be useful for tracking active members and sending renewal reminders.
• Process Pledges (Daily): This job updates pledge records, tracks progress towards goals, and can potentially send automated reminder emails to members with outstanding pledges.
• Send Scheduled Mailings (Always): This job ensures timely delivery of automated emails to members, such as newsletters, event announcements, or educational content.
• Send Scheduled Reminders (Hourly): This job can send automated email or SMS reminders to members about upcoming events, renewal deadlines, or other important dates.

Adding a New Automated Task

The “New Scheduled Job” section allows you to define and configure new automated tasks within Retention CRM. Here’s an explanation of the fields involved:

• *Name : A required field where you provide a descriptive name for the job.
• Description: An optional field to provide further details about the job’s purpose.
• Run frequency: Select how often the job should run (e.g., Daily, Hourly, Always).
• *API Call Entity : This defines the Retention CRM data entity the job will interact with (e.g., Contact, Mailing).
• *API Call Action : This specifies the Retention CRM API action the job will execute (e.g., update_greeting, process_membership).
• Command parameters: This field allows for additional parameters to be passed along to the chosen API action. Refer to Retention CRM’s documentation for specific parameters applicable to each action. 
• Scheduled Run Date: Leave blank for immediate execution. You can optionally set a date and time after which the job should first run, and the chosen run frequency will take effect thereafter.
• Is this Scheduled Job active? Check this box to activate the job and schedule it to run based on the defined frequency.

By configuring these settings, nursing associations can automate various tasks that would otherwise require manual intervention, saving time and effort while ensuring data accuracy and timely communication with members.

More Use Cases for Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Nonprofits

Automated Tasks for an Association

Automated Membership Management: Associations can use Scheduled Jobs to automate tasks related to membership management, such as:

• Update Membership Statuses (Daily): This job can automatically update member statuses based on defined criteria, such as expiration dates. This can be useful for tracking active members and sending renewal reminders.
• Process Dues Payments (Daily): This job can process incoming dues payments and update member records accordingly. It can also send automated receipts to members.
• Send Membership Welcome Emails (Always): This job can ensure timely delivery of welcome emails to new members, providing them with important information and resources.

Automated Tasks for a Chamber of Commerce

Event Promotion and Management: Chambers of commerce can leverage Scheduled Jobs to streamline event promotion and management tasks, such as:

• Send Event Reminders (Weekly): This job can send automated email or SMS reminders to members about upcoming events, registration deadlines, or other important dates.
• Publish Event Registrations (Daily): This job can automatically publish event registrations to the chamber’s website or social media channels, keeping members informed about event attendance.
• Send Post-Event Surveys (Daily): This job can send automated surveys to event attendees to gather feedback and improve future events.

Automated Tasks for a Nonprofit

Donor Management and Fundraising: Nonprofits can utilize Scheduled Jobs to automate tasks associated with donor management and fundraising activities, including:

• Process Donations (Daily): This job can process incoming donations and update donor records accordingly. It can also send automated donation receipts and thank-you emails.
• Segment Donors by Giving History (Monthly): This job can automatically segment donors based on their giving history, allowing for targeted fundraising campaigns.
• Send Birthday Wishes (Monthly): This job can send personalized birthday greetings to donors, fostering relationships and potentially encouraging future donations.