Most of our customers are small businesses, charities, and clubs, so they never need customization because / has everything they need. For collection agencies providing services for outside clients, / provides limited customization services with the purchase of an agency license, and then charges for additional customization on a piecemeal basis. The same service is available to non-agency clients.
/ customization comes in 4 forms; `reports', `letters', `phone scripts', and `engines'. Reports are generated by the / menu, and can produce virtually any sort of summary information desired. Letters and phone scripts are generated automatically by `engines' and when certain events are entered through the / menu and can be manually invoked via /. Engines control automatic processing. The built-in engines are used to process automatic letters, perform interest calculation, make phone calls, remind of disputes, etc.
Our customization is normally a two step process. First, we get payment in the mail along with a specification from the user, and create and test a prototype which we then send back for user testing. Sometimes, the customization we generate isn't quite perfect or the user wants a slightly different customization than was originally anticipated, and the user takes the second step of returning the customization disk to us along with an output and written notations telling us how it should be changed. We then make changes and return the final version.
To customize reports, we require a detailed and accurate picture of what the report should look like, and details on how to calculate any calculated values to be put in the report. Keep in mind that we only have the data you enter into /, and we cannot report on information we do not have. Normally, a sample report is sent to us so there is no misunderstanding.
In most cases, letters are customized by simply editing the entries in the `Letters' directories, but in some cases, complex calculations are required. In this case, the process is basically the same as for reports.
Phone scripts are considerably more complex to specify and customize because they involve a series of interactions. In this case, it is necessary to script out the entire telephone calling process, complete with all of the questions and answers that can ever occur, and what to do in each circumstance. Normally, this is first perfected as a manual process using pieces of paper. Once the paper version works perfectly, it can be automated. For this customization, we normally get a copy of the user's phone script and automate it.
Engines are the most difficult thing to customize. The engines provided with / control the manner in which the collection process moves from status code to status code and what it does in the process. All of the parameters specified in the / impact the engines, and the engines call upon all of the features in / in order to perform their functions. Customers rarely require engine changes. When they do, they specify the entire collection process including all transitions from status code to status code, what letters get sent when, what appears on the screen at every step, and all other information about the desired system.
If you have considerable programming experience and want to do ongoing and substantial customization, you may want to purchase a copy of the / customization manual.
To perform your own customization, we also advise that you purchase the `Mulisp' language available through `The Soft Warehouse' in Hawaii. This will provide an environment in which you can experiment with customizations, and get you details on all of the functions available to you in the customization process.
You can also customize on your own without our manual by simply looking at the existing letters and scripts and making changes you desire. Please be careful when making changes, since without professional advice, you may mistakenly violate a law or regulation, and the courts have historically held collectors responsible even for unintentional mistakes.
Most of the letters and scripts are simply text files, and except for the parts where debtor information is inserted by /, they can be altered with relative safety.
The most common change is the alteration of the `LetHead.Pro' files which dictate what information is used on your letterhead. If you use your own letterhead, you may want to replace the letterhead information with blank lines and move the date information around on the page.