What is MailScan
MailScan is an optional, additional cost module designed to handle each day's incoming mail without having to sort the documents or deal with them individually. Incoming mail typically includes letters and other documents from clients, ATO documents like Notice of Assessment, etc, relating to clients, and other documents like signed Electronic Lodgement Declarations.
The MailScan module allows HowNow to:
There are a number of steps involved in the successful implementation and use of MailScan. The following steps are typically done in conjunction with the Business Fitness support team:
Adding MailScan privileges for a User
Go to File > Administration > Organisation > Employees > Edit the employee > Privileges and switch on the option, Can Import Via MailScan. Then choose Other settings and enter a default path in the Default path to scanned files field.
Adding a Document Type to Knowledge
Go to File > Administration > Knowledge > Document Types and create a document type called MailScan Templates under Templates.
Adding the Additional Fields to Contacts
File > System Tools > General > Display Field Editor select Contacts from the drop down Tab and create the following fields, or their equivalent (if they don't already exist):
Title | Field Name | Select Name | Field Type | Field Size |
Estimated Value | EstimatedValue | C.ESTIMATEDVALUE | Characters | 20 |
Actual Value | ActualValue | C.ACTUALVALUE | Characters | 20 |
Form Year | FormYear | C.FORMYEAR | Characters | 4 |
Refund Type | RefundType | C.REFUNDTYPE | Characters | 10 |
Payment Date | PaymentDate | C.PAYMENTDATE | Characters | 16 |
Tax File Number | TFN | C.TFN | Characters | 25 |
Partner Name | PartnerName | C.PARTNERNAME | Characters | 30 |
Partner Initials | PartnerInitials | C.PARTNERINITIALS | Characters | 10 |
Manager Name | ManagerName | C.MANAGERNAME | Characters | 30 |
Manager Initials | ManagerInitials | C.MANAGERINITIALS | Characters | 10 |
Reviewer Name | ReviewerName | C.REVIEWERNAME | Characters | 30 |
Reviewer Initials | ReviewerInitials | C.REVIEWERINITIALS | Characters | 10 |
Modifying the External Database Connection (this step must only be done in conjunction with the Business Fitness Support Team)
Go to System Tools > Advanced > External Connection and modify the script to extract and populate the Estimated Value, TFN and Partner, Manager and Reviewer fields.
Scanning Sample Documents
Scan a sample of each type of form and save them into the Knowledge database as a TIF file under the special document type, MailScan Templates, and set them to current.
For best results, use the same scanning resolution (200 dpi or better) for the templates as when scanning normal documents.
Note: Only TIFF files can be used as MailScan templates. PDF files must be converted to TIF before they can be used. See Convert PDF to TIF.
Optional Settings
In the case where parent/child contacts exist but records are only saved to the parent contact, the system option, Save To Parent Contact, should be used to tell MailScan to save records to the parent contact and not to the child contact. For this option to work, the contact GroupName field must be populated with the parent client code for each contact.
HowNow can automatically file scanned documents according to the year of the form. For this to work, a form year must be associated with the appropriate record location. Go to File > Administration > Records > Record Locations and enter a year in the Form Year field on the appropriate locations.