Introduction
to
PICS CRM
Document Version: 2.45
Release Date: 08/02/17
INTRODUCTION TO PICS CRM
ABOUT PICS
The Provider's Integrated Client System from Pellcomp Software is a market leader in learner tracking software.
Widely used by training providers since 1991, it is regularly updated for this ever-changing sector. PICS manages data
for programmes run by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA), Department for
Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills in Wales (DCELLS) & JobCentre Plus (JCP) programmes. It can also
manage details of privately funded learners.
Supported by our experienced and highly-rated help desk, the PICS user group covers hundreds of providers
throughout the country, from Northumberland and the North West to the Midlands, West Country, East Anglia and
the South East.
PICS features include:
• Easy to use data entry screens that match SFA/EFA, DCELLS & JCP forms wherever possible.
• In-built data checks and validation reports.
• Track learner progress on all qualifications including NVQs, Units, Elements and Assessments.
• Record Reviews and other Contacts and print learning plans.
• Database of partner organisations and visits, e.g. employers, placements, schools.
• Profiles for SFA/YPLA/JCP and reports that monitor actual figures against them.
• SFA/YPLA funding calculator and JCP Claims generator.
• Data export and reconciliation routines to TDS (The Data Service) and DCELLS.
• A range of standard reports to meet provider, SFA/EFA, DCELLS and JCP needs.
• A powerful ad-hoc reporter for users to build their own reports.
• Options for remote access by field staff.
• A detailed on-line help system and set of training guides.
• Full password protection and encrypted data files.
WHAT IS PICS CRM ?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. In PICS terms, it refers to data held on your staff, contacts and
partner organisations, including employers, schools & colleges, suppliers etc.
The various PICS CRM modules enable you to manage and report a lot of information on these organisations (we've
used that as a general 'collective' term throughout the system):
•
Identify staff & contacts
•
Plan health and safety checks
•
Record insurance renewal
•
Hold details of meetings and conferences
•
Set up unlimited user-definable appointments and visits
•
Record phone calls, messages and emails both made and received (additional licence)
•
Show tasks and actions agreed (additional licence)
•
Link external documents (additional licence)
•
Manage vacancies (additional licence)
•
Create surveys (additional licence)
•
Report all these activities, to help plan schedules and identify actions done or outstanding.
Note that some of these facilities are additional sub-systems which require the purchase of additional licences.
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HOW PICS WORKS
You enter basic learner details from the start forms (ILR, REF2/SL2, LLWR etc) and then add all the other details to
track their Learning Plans. There are help prompts and pick-lists for entry options in many fields. You can move
quickly between learners and learning programmes or report system-wide.
PICS uses all this data to generate financial values for Starts, On Programme Payments, Weeks, NVQ and Framework
achievements, Job Outcomes, Milestone Events and so on. It produces a periodic return and/or data transfer which
providers can use to produce or check their claims.
PICS has reports for managers, admin teams and field staff, which can be seen on screen, printed out or exported to a
word processor or spreadsheet. These range from a training plan for a single learner, to occupancy lists and a diary of
reviews or visits, Ofsted reports and user defined searches via the Adhoc reporter. Pellcomp has a separate guide and
training events for reports.
Data can be uploaded easily from PICS to The Data Service (for SFA/YPLA) and DCELLS for their respective systems.
Much of the data validation is done to meet the requirements of the government departments and ensure that your
data is as correct as possible. It’s important to ensure the information you enter is accurate as it affects both your
financial profile and MI returns, and local and national statistics.
FEEDBACK
Your views on the operation and general ‘feel’ of the system are always welcome. Please pass any comments to
Pellcomp ([email protected] )or, if you are on a course, to your trainer. Don’t think if you’ve never used PICS
before that your comments aren’t worthwhile - we want the system to appeal to new as well as experienced users.
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CONTENTS
INT RO D UC T ION
About PICS
What is PICS CRM ?
How PICS works
Feedback
TO
P IC S
CRM
1
1
1
2
2
AIMS FOR THIS TRAINING
Prior Knowledge For PICS training
SECTION 1.
4
4
GETTING STARTED WITH CRM AND ORGANISATIONS
5
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO PICS
How to use PICS help screens
5
5
INTRODUCTION TO CRM & ORGANISATIONS
6
USING THE CRM/ORGANISATION MAIN SCREEN
How to search for an organisation
How to view the basic details of an organisation
7
7
8
SECTION 2.
ORGANISATIONS AND CONTACTS
9
MAINTAIN ORGANISATION
Creating a new organisation with basic details
Editing organisation details
Organisations and head offices
9
9
10
11
MAINTAIN CONTACTS & OFFICERS
Adding a new contact record for an organisation
Linking an existing contact record to an organisation
Editing a contact
Using the Contacts main screen
Transferring Contact data between PICS and Outlook
Importing new Contact data from Outlook to PICS
12
12
13
14
14
15
15
SECTION 3.
MANAGING CRM ACTIVITIES
16
APPOINTMENTS
Recording an Appointment
Editing or deleting an appointment
16
17
18
CALLS, EMAILS, MESSAGES ETC
Recording a new call
Recording a new email, fax, letter or message
19
19
20
TASK MANAGEMENT
Creating a task
21
21
WORKSPACE
22
OTHER CRM ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Money transactions
Notes
Relationships
Opportunity tracking
23
23
23
24
25
CRM DATA & OUTLOOK
Exporting Contact and Activity data from PICS to Outlook
Importing Contact and Activity data from Outlook to PICS
27
27
27
SECTION 4.
CRM REPORTS AND OUTPUTS
29
CRM REPORTING FROM THE ORGANISATION SCREENS
Using the activity calendar
My Calendar and To-do bar
Export or print organisation details
Export or print contact details
Exporting tables
29
29
30
31
31
31
CRM FORM & LETTER GENERATOR
Create a new standard Word form or letter
31
31
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Use an existing form or letter
Edit an existing template
32
32
CRM REPORTING FROM THE PICS SWITCHBOARD
33
SECTION 5.
ADDITIONAL PICS SUB-SYSTEMS AND CRM
File attachments
Cases
Surveys
SMS text messaging
Applicants
Vacancy Manager
34
34
34
35
35
35
35
SECTION 6.
CRM/ORGANISATION HOUSEKEEPING AND ADMINISTRATION
Maintaining appointment types
CRM/Organisation configuration
Merging organisations/contacts
CRM/Organisation screen styles
36
36
36
36
36
SECTION 7.
ORGANISATIONS AND LEARNERS
Linking a learner to a placement or other organisation
37
37
SECTION 8.
38
FINAL CHECK ON WHAT YOU’VE COVERED
AIMS FOR THIS TRAINING
Learning to use a new computer system takes time. This guide won’t make you an instant expert but it should give
you a good introduction to PICS CRM facilities. With time, and especially by using the system, you should be able to
reinforce what you learn and add to that knowledge. Pellcomp will help you with queries you may have when using
the system.
This guide introduces you to the basic key operations for CRM in PICS; by the end you should be able to:
•
•
•
•
Enter the basic information to set up employers and other organisations;
Be able to link those organisations to learners
Record activities such as appointments, calls and tasks.
Be able to run reports on organisations.
At the end of this guide is a checklist of the things that have been covered. We hope you’ll be able to tick each item
positively - if not, please speak with the trainer or contact Pellcomp.

Throughout the guide, actions for you to follow are indented with a mouse bullet like this line.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE FOR PICS TRAINING
You don't need to have had previous experience of other versions of PICS or be a computer expert to get something
from this guide. It will help if you understand the funding structure and business rules that your local
SFA/EFA/DCELLS/JCP office uses and are familiar with the standard forms used for your programmes. This guide does
NOT cover any of these subjects.
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SECTION 1.
GETTING STARTED WITH CRM AND ORGANISATIONS
This section shows you how to:
• Start PICS
• Select and view organisation details
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO PICS
This is covered in more detail in the guide 'PICS Intro data entry' available from our website but here's an overview.
This varies depending on how your PC is set up. A common action to start from Windows would be:

Click on the [Start] button then select Programs - Pellcomp - PICS. Alternatively, you may have an icon on your
desktop – your PICS administrator can advise.

Enter your user name and press the [tab] key; then enter your password and click on the [OK] button to login.
(The user name and password are not case-sensitive.)
PICS now loads the data files and shows a progress bar as it does so.
Sometimes at this stage you may be prompted to perform certain housekeeping functions, to reindex the database,
run a system backup or check for updates to the software. Check with your PICS administrator or Pellcomp if you’re
not sure what to do about these. The reindex prompt is one that you would normally accept (click [Yes]) but the
others may be done by other staff.
Once opened, PICS should show a screen similar to that below.
Main Menu bar
Status Bar
Action Bars
Note the following features:
•
The side Action bar has a button to open the CRM/Organisation maintenance screens.
The top Action bar gives access to [Help] and [Release notes] plus the [Quit] button to close PICS.
•
At the top of the screen is the Main Menu bar with options like Main, Group, Action etc. This controls access
to most functions and processes in PICS.
•
The Period, Training Programme, Cohort, PICS software version and Funding Organisation selected are shown
on the Status bar.
HOW TO USE PICS HELP SCREENS

Press [F1] to start the Help system from any screen.
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The help screen should now appear. It’s split in two, with a list of subjects down the left-hand side and detailed help
on the selected aspect of PICS on the right. In the help section, click on blue highlighted text to move to a related
piece of information. The file has a section explaining how to use it - see ‘Using PICS On-line Help.

To leave the help screens, go to the Menu bar at the top of the screen, select ‘File - Exit’.
That’s a very brief look at the help facility. Have a go with it as you work through this guide, looking at the different
screens/pages.
INTRODUCTION TO CRM & ORGANISATIONS
In PICS you can record the details of organisations such as employers, work placements, schools, colleges, TtG brokers
and delivery providers. You can then link your learners to the organisations as required.
For full details on using the Organisations facility in PICS to manage your relationships with partners please see the
PICS help file section ‘CRM, employers & other organisations’.


From the PICS main screen click the button [Organisations];
or from within the learner placement details screen click on the button [Organisations].
A navigator bar on the left hand side is used to access the many different features outlined below.
This bar can be hidden or shown using the [«] and [»] buttons. You can also drag the borders of most bars and
frames within the screen to adjust the space required.
Finally, be aware that the screen shots in this guide may be slightly different to what you see on screen - PICS
CRM has several different style formats for the user to select as explained on page 36.
The main CRM
sections are opened
using the buttons in
the bottom left hand
corner:
[Organisations] allows
you to search and
filter the selection
table and see basic
information of a
selected company.
[Contacts] has similar
facilities for contacts
(external and internal)
and other staff.
[Activities] contains
details of
appointments, calls,
emails, tasks and
other events relating
to an organisation.
[Calendar] shows a monthly view of appointments, calls and tasks (e.g. health & safety checks) for all organisations.
Note that other buttons may appear according to your licence, e.g. for Workspace, Applicants and Vacancies.



If your database has any existing organisations they will be shown in a list on the left of the [Organisations] page.
Have a quick look through each of the navigator bar buttons in turn, Contacts, Calendar etc. Note that each
section has a sub-menu, to show Details, Learners, Activities etc. We’ll look at these later.
You can leave the CRM screens by clicking on  in the top right hand corner.
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USING THE CRM/ORGANISATION MAIN SCREEN
This screen is used to find, view and open existing companies and also has buttons for adding new organisations (this
is explained on page 9).


If it’s not open already, start the process by clicking on the button [Organisations].
Start by resetting the list to show all Organisations in your system. In the bottom right hand corner of the page
click the button [Reset]. This should show all companies etc that have ever been entered.
Current live companies will be shown in black lettering. Any in blue lettering have been set to Dormant status, those
in red have been Archived, whilst any in green are Unapproved (i.e. new).
The number of Organisations shown appears at the top of the list, e.g. 'Showing 23 of 45 organisations'.
HOW TO SEARCH FOR AN ORGANISATION
You have several options for this.
Simple key searches and sort:



You can search the list shown by clicking once on the first name in the list and then typing the first few letter of
the company name you are looking for. The cursor will go to the first organisation with the letters you have
entered.
Right click in the organisation list and, in the menu shown, select the option ‘Order by’ for choice of sort value Name, Code and Postcode.
At the top of list you have a search text box. Just type a few
characters of the company name you are looking for and click on
the button shown. The system will filter the list to just those
organisations whose name includes the text entered. You can clear the search filter by clicking
.
Detailed filters:



Also when you have selected the search text box above you have access to a
button giving ‘More’ specific filters, e.g. for postcode, EDRS number, SOC
codes, sector etc.
These can be added individually or collectively, applied or cleared using the
buttons labelled and will saved for the duration of your session under the
[Recent] button.
Exit these filters using the [Close] button.
In the ‘Filtering Options’ section at the bottom of the page there are a number of options that you can apply or
select to filter the list down to show a selection of organisations.
For instance, if you type the first few letters of the company name into the field 'Name has' then the list will
display only those firms having those characters in their name.
Alternatively, you could type
the first few character of
their postcode into that filter
field. The example shown
here is looking for
accountants with a Plymouth post code area .
You can also select or deselect particular roles, e.g. if you only want to view colleges, or select a single status
value, e.g. to list only Live Organisation
To remove all filters and show all Organisations click [Reset].
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HOW TO VIEW THE BASIC DETAILS OF AN ORGANISATION






Find a live organisation as above.
Single-click on a company name to highlight it but remain in the [Organisations] screen.
For any selected Organisation you can see basic details of the organisation on the right of the
screen.
To see further details, such as contacts, linked learners or activities, select the required options
from the submenu. We'll look at these pages in more detail later on. (Not all the menu options
shown here may appear - it depends on your PICS licence.)
For example, to see a list of learners at an Organisation click on ‘Learners' in the
submenu.
You can then choose to show all or just current learners using the filter option
at the top if the learner table.
To see a simple table of the companies shown in your organisation list, from the ‘Home’
ribbon ‘Show’ box click the [List] button at the top of the screen. The list can be output
to Excel. You can switch back using the [Detail] button.
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SECTION 2.
ORGANISATIONS AND CONTACTS
MAINTAIN ORGANISATION
CREATING A NEW ORGANISATION WITH BASIC DETAILS


Go to the Organisation page.
From the ‘Home’ ribbon Actions box click on the [New] button. The initial Details capture
screen will be shown. As in the learner screens, you can use the mouse or [tab] key to
move between fields.
(Note: there is a system option to prompt you to check the company name and postcode
among existing records before continuing; your PICS administrator can advise if this is enabled.)
Organisations [Details] page

Enter the new Organisation Name and [tab] to the next field for Code.
Code is a unique value to
identify the organisation in
PICS. It usually defaults to a
shortened version of the
name.

Enter a code with any
combination of up to
six letters and/or
numbers (e.g. Pellcomp
might have a code of
‘PELLCO’).
Complete the rest of the
Details screen, using the
mouse or [tab] key to move
between fields.






Enter the address,
phone, fax, email,
Health & Safety risk,
UPIN, UKPRN etc.
EDRS URN. The
button can perform a
search on the EDS national system for the employer's unique reference number (URN), a mandatory value for
the ILR. You need to request a username and password from EDRS for this - click on the button and the basic
process is explained. More details are in the help file or the Pellcomp Support team can confirm the simple
configuration in PICS.
Status can be live, dormant, unapproved (e.g. for new enquiries) or archived.
This significant setting allows you to exclude certain Organisations from some reports and pick-lists.
You can also delete an Organisation but PICS does not allow this if the details have been used in some way.
You have buttons to select a Main Officer/Contact for the organisation. This process is explained later on page
12 so leave them blank for now.
If shown, Categories are part of an additionally licensed product and are defined locally for reporting.
Roles are very important as they control the picklists in which the organisation appears. A single Organisation
can have one or more Roles in PICS - for example a school might also act as a placement for learners. For this
example select 'Placement' and 'Delivery Location'.
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Once you have completed the Details screen, you can either:
- click the [ Save & Close] button to complete the new entry and return to the Organisation list page; or
- click the [ ] button and continue to another page on the side menus to enter further details of this record.

In this case do the latter - save the record and then on the Information side menu click ‘Additional’; if you don't
save the record first you will be prompted to do so before continuing.
Organisation Information menu
To take a brief look at the remaining pages on the Information side menu:
Additional page

Either enter the address in or click on the button to [Copy main address details]. Enter other
details as appropriate.
Provisions page
This optional screen allows you to record information about the SOC/SIC/Sector/Occupational Areas
appropriate to the organisation.

Click on the buttons to add a new SOC/SIC/Sector/Occ Area. This allows you to limit Organisation selection lists
accordingly. Codes can be removed by clicking on the [Delete] button.
Contract Agreements page
Agreements entered can be selected against learners on the programme.

Click on [New] to create a new agreement.
Enter or select the Agreement no, dates and delivery volumes etc as appropriate.
Then click [OK] to save the agreement.
Sites page
Sites are an optional facility, used to limit access to organisations, contracts, learners etc to a specific team or office.
They are set up by the PICS administrator in Basedata Maintenance.

Tick the site(s) to which this organisation is linked. If no sites are selected then the organisation is visible to all
users.
Additional Forms, Subcontractors, Vacancies and Surveys pages
These are only shown if you have a licence for these subsystems. Both are explained in their own training guides and
not covered in any detail here.
Organisation Related items menu
Many of the additional CRM facilities are available from the lower of the two menus, which is
activated once the new organisation is saved. We’ll look in more detail at these later on - for now
just be aware that they can be accessed here and from the side menu in the organisations main
list.
Save and exit the Organisation

Finally click on [
Save & Close] to save the new record and return to the initial Organisation screen.
EDITING ORGANISATION DETAILS


In the Organisation list double-click on the organisation name or from the ‘Home’ ribbon click the [Edit] button
to open the maintenance screens.
Make the changes and click on [
Save & Close] to save and close the record.
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ORGANISATIONS AND HEAD OFFICES
You can create organisations with a Head Office role for companies with many Placements. For example, Barclays
Bank might be a Company Head in PICS, with branches created as separate Placements. However, this facility is
optional - you don't have to have a Company Head set up in order to create or use a Placement.





In the main Organisation selection list click once on the branch organisation which you want to link to a head
office.
From the 'Tools' ribbon 'Maintenance' section click the button [
Change Parent].
This gives a list of all Organisations. You can search using the text box or change the order by clicking the column
headings.
Double click on the required Organisation.
You will be prompted 'Do you wish to make [Company A] a division of [company B] ? Click [Yes] to continue or
[No] to stop the process.
If the company selected is not marked as having the role of 'Head Office' you will be prompted to add this role.
Again, click [Yes] to add it or [No] to leave it.
The 'Tools' ribbon has a button in the 'Maintenance' section to [Maintain Tree]. This allows you to 'drag and drop' one
company onto another in order to build the 'Head Office' linkage.
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MAINTAIN CONTACTS & OFFICERS
You can create records for both external contacts and your own members of staff. These can be linked to
Organisation records, CRM activities, learners, applicants and, for staff, PICS user accounts. Contact and Officer
records can be accessed direct from the ‘Organisation - Contacts’ sub-menu or via the separate Contacts list.
ADDING A NEW CONTACT RECORD FOR AN ORGANISATION
This process allows you to easily add the main contact and staff records for an organisation. To add records without
linking them to an Organisation see the section ‘Using the Contacts main screen’ on page 14.







In the Organisation list, single-click on the required company to highlight it but without opening the record to
edit.
In the submenu select 'Contacts'. This will display a table of contacts for the organisation.
At the top of the screen, the Home ribbon has buttons to either
create a completely new contact in PICS and link it to the company,
or link an existing contact/staff member (or unlink someone as
well).
Click the arrow on the [New ▼] button and select either:
[Contact] to add an external contact at the company.
[Internal Officer] to add a
member of your staff.
The Contact Details screen
will appear. You need to
complete mandatory
personal details:
- enter the surname and
first name;
- code (usually an
abbreviation or initials of
the person concerned but
must be a unique value);
- ensure that the correct
role(s) are selected;
- set the status to live.
All other fields are
optional.
If the contact/officer is
being linked to an
Organisation, make sure
the correct one is shown
or use the [Main Org] button to change/select it.
You can link a Picture to the contact record using the button shown at the top of the page.
Once you have completed the Details screen, you can either:
- click the [ Save & Close] button to complete the new entry and return to the Contacts list page; or
- click the [ ] button and continue to another page on the side menus to enter further details of this record.

In this case do the latter - save the record and then on the Information side menu click ‘Additional’; if you don't
manually save the record first you will be prompted to save it before continuing.
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Contact Information menu

Take a look through and see what is possible and useful for you to complete on the menu most of the fields are self-explanatory.
Additional

This can hold the PICS Username, which forms a very useful tool in other aspects of the CRM,
such as personalised calendar and toolbar (see page 30). Also hold details of qualifications,
subjects etc in text boxes.
Learner Organisations

This identifies organisations to which the contact is linked indirectly, i.e. via a learner record.
Provisions page
This optional screen allows you to record information about the SOC/SIC/Sector/Occupational Areas appropriate to
the contact.

Click on the buttons to add a new SOC/SIC/Sector/Qual/Occ Area etc. This allows you to limit some selection
lists accordingly. Codes can be removed by clicking on the [Delete] button.
Sites page
Sites are an optional facility, used to limit access to organisations, contracts, learners etc to a specific team or office.
They are set up by the PICS administrator in Basedata Maintenance.

Tick the site(s) to which this record is linked. If no sites are selected then the organisation is visible to all users.
Additional Forms and Surveys pages
These are only shown if you have a licence for these subsystems. Both are explained in their own training guides and
not covered in any detail here.
Organisation Related items menu
Many of the additional CRM facilities are available from the lower of the two menus, which is
activated once the new contact is saved. We’ll look in more detail at these later on - for now just
be aware that they can be accessed here and from the side menu in the contacts main list.
Save and exit the Contact

Click [ Save & Close] to save the new contact. If the organisation has no 'main' contact you
will be prompted if this person should be set to this role (this value can also be set or adjusted in the
Organisation Details page).
LINKING AN EXISTING CONTACT RECORD TO AN ORGANISATION





In the Organisation list, single-click on the required company to highlight but not open it.
In the submenu select 'Contacts'. This will display a table of contacts for the organisation.
Click the arrow on the [Link ▼] button to select either:
[Contact] to link an external contact at the company.
[Internal Officer] to link a member of your staff.
display a list of people who already have the role selected.
This will
Double click on the appropriate name to add them.
You can
link as many people as required. If the organisation has no 'main' contact you will be prompted if this person
should be set to this role (this value can also be set or adjusted in the Organisation - Main page).
If you can’t see the person required in the list you have two options:
1. Adjust the list content using the ‘Look for’, ‘Filter’ and ‘Search’ boxes.
2. If they aren't in the list at all click [New] to add their details, being careful to give them the correct role(s).
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EDITING A CONTACT


In the Contacts table, double click on the contact name. This will open the maintenance screen.
Edit details as required and click on [
Save & Close].
USING THE CONTACTS MAIN SCREEN
As well as maintaining contact details via Organisations, you also have a dedicated screen set to manage all your
external and staff Contact records - effectively an electronic address book. You can add and edit all contacts through
the main screen.


If it’s not open already, from PICS main screen click the button [Organisations].
Now click the button [Contacts].
This gives you a list of all
your staff and contacts.
The basic operation of
Contacts is very similar to
the Organisations screen
set (see page 6 and 7) so
we’ll just summarise it
here.








A search by name
box is available at
the top of the list.
Some filters are
available from the
Search test box.
A set of filters at the
bottom of the page
allows you to
control which
contacts and
officers are shown.
You have a [Reset] button to remove all search and filter settings and show all contacts.
To create new contact and officer records, on the ‘Home’ ribbon 'Actions' section use the [New Contact] and
[New Officer] buttons.
The data entry screen is as explained on page 12. Note that, if required, you will need to manually select the
organisation to which they belong.
To open an existing Contact record, double click on a name in the list.
A sub menu to the left of the list shows details of organisations, activities, learners, file attachments etc to which
the officer/contact is linked.
To see a simple table of the contacts shown in your list, from the ‘Home’ ribbon ‘Show’ box click
the [List] button at the top of the screen. The list can be output to Excel. You can switch back
using the [Detail] button.
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TRANSFERRING CONTACT DATA BETWEEN PICS AND OUTLOOK
Please note this facility requires a licence in addition to the PICS CRM licence.
The ability to share information with Microsoft Outlook is one of the great advantages of PICS CRM - you can
exchange details of individual contacts with your address book in Outlook; you can also transfer appointments and
tasks, and generate emails with Outlook. It's also possible to update the information in Outlook and then import it
back to PICS.
For details please see the section CRM data & Outlook on page 27
IMPORTING NEW CONTACT DATA FROM OUTLOOK TO PICS
If you have a set of contacts in Outlook that you want to import to PICS there are several options for doing this.
1.
You can create an export file of all contacts from Outlook that can be read into PICS - normally this would be
a one-off transfer to get PICS Contacts set up.
2.
You can also do a drag and drop of a selected contact record from Outlook into the Contacts page of CRM.
(note that drag and drop does not work in the other direction).
3.
Pellcomp can also quote for bespoke transfer of CRM data into PICS
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SECTION 3.
MANAGING CRM ACTIVITIES
Activities are used to record a number of differing planned and actual visits and communications with an organisation
and run reports to identify these for a particular officer and time period. Activities include:
•
Appointments (available to all users)
•
Calls in/out.
•
Emails, letters and other messages.
•
Tasks.
•
Cases or groups of Activities
Please note that all except Appointments require an additional CRM licence.
Activities details can be accessed from many place: your Workspace (page 22); from the Organisation or Contact
selection lists; from the side menus available in the Organisation/Contact edit screens; via their own maintenance
screen; or through the calendar.
APPOINTMENTS
Appointments are mainly used to record visits to an organisation, although you can use them for all sorts of activities.
Eight different appointment types are predefined in PICS (e.g. Health & Safety, Insurance) and you can add to these
for local requirements.
Appointment details can be accessed easily from the Organisation selection list.


In the Organisation list, single-click once on the required company to highlight it but without opening the record
to edit.
In the submenu select the option ‘Activities'. This will display a table of all Activities for the organisation.
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At the top of the screen in the ‘Home ribbon’ you have a number buttons for the main actions, including a filter which
controls the appointments shown. Some of the main buttons you will use are explained below - note that Calls, Emails
and Tasks required the CMR licence. Please make a note of these buttons as they are referred to later on.
New Appointment
New Call
Click  for options
New Email/Message
Click  for options
New Task
Click  for options
Filter
Click  for
options
Click main button
to apply/disapply
RECORDING AN APPOINTMENT






Find and select the required organisation in the list.
From the 'Home' ribbon 'Activities' box click on the button to create a new appointment.
Complete the 'relationship'
fields as required. These
have pick-lists of
appropriate values
(organisations, contacts,
learners, PICS users etc) The various ‘Relates to’ pick
lists are explained below.
- Location should be shown
already but can be selected
or changed if not.
- Organiser is the person
arranging or running the
meeting
- Required and Optional are
for other people attending
the Appointment.
- Regarding is for people not
attending but to whom the
Activity relates.
(note - these terms have
been used for consistency with Microsoft Outlook).
Using the ‘Relationship’ pick lists.
Click on the relevant button for the pick
list.
First select/confirm the required value to
'Look for' from the drop down.
This brings up a table of valid values – if necessary us the ’Filter by’ option to narrow it further; or enter some
text to refine your search by name and click
.
Each time you double click on the person or other value required they appear in the [Add] line below the table. Repeat the process
to link other people.
Dates and times. Enter as required (or select 'All day'). The End date will be blank until the appointment is
completed.
Status. Select from the list, Pending, In progress, Completed etc. You would normally change this when the
activity is carried out.
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






Type. Select a Type from the drop list. A number of these are set up by default but you can create your own
additional activity types (see page 36).
Subject. Enter a short title for the call. This is visible in the table of calls.
Description. This is a large text field to hold full details of the call and can be completed before, or after it takes
place. You can copy and paste text in here and perform some formatting using the buttons shown.
Owned by User. Select a PICS user who made or received the call.
Click on [ ] at any time to save the appointment but continue working on it.
If you have a full CRM licence you will have a side menu with many additional options. These facilities are
explained later on.
Click on [
Save & Close] to save and exit the appointment.
EDITING OR DELETING AN APPOINTMENT






Find the required organisation and select Activities on the submenu.
As necessary use the filter button to adjust the Activities shown, e.g. just Appointments, and Recent Activities.
Double click on the required appointment.
Make changes as required, for example enter an end date (the date the activity was carried out or finished) and
set the status to Completed.
You can also click [ Mark Completed] to change the status to completed, set the end date and time (to the
current values) and close the edit screen in one quick process.
You might also enter further details of the appointment in the Description field.
If you have licences for the products concerned, it is also possible to generate a Task from the appointment or
import an external file, e.g. a picture or scanned document.
Click on [
Save & Close] to exit the appointment.
To delete an appointment, single click on the required appointment to select but not open it.
From the 'Home' ribbon 'Activities' box click on the [Delete] button and at the confirmation prompt click [Yes].
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Note: The following facilities for Calls, Emails and Tasks are available to users with any PICS CRM licence. Please
contact Pellcomp for further details.
CALLS, EMAILS, MESSAGES ETC
You can record phone calls, emails, faxes etc to and from organisations. They can be entered directly or generate
them from existing activities (to which they then remain linked). Calls can also be linked to a PICS User, a Contact at
the organisation or a Learner to assist reporting. They appear in the Activities table with a suitable symbol in the
Activity ID column to help identify them (these match those symbols used by Microsoft Outlook) but remember to use
the filter button to show and hide Activities - this may make it easier to find the ones you want.
Note that this process is only concerned with recording the call, mail etc. – it is not actually generating a message.
RECORDING A NEW CALL
In the main organisation screen:



Find and select the required organisation in the list.
In the sub menu select 'Activities'.
From the 'Home' ribbon 'Activities' box click on the button to create a new phone call - remember to use the
symbol on the button to specify if the call is going 'In' or 'Out'.

This will display the call entry
screen, which is similar in principle
to the appointment screen but
with some different fields.
Complete the fields as
appropriate. The relationship pick
lists are explained below.
•
Organisation. Ensure the
correct firm is shown - you can
change it by clicking the […]
button.
•
From, To, Regarding. The
various relationship pick lists
(From, To, Regarding etc) are
explained on page 17. Click the
relevant button for the list and
select/confirm the required
value to 'Look for'. This will bring up a list of valid values - find and select one as appropriate, using the filter
or text search if necessary
•
Date and Time of the call will default to the present values - adjust as required and enter the Duration.
•
Status. Select from the list, Pending, In progress, Completed etc.
•
Subject. Enter a short title for the call. This is visible in the table of calls.
•
Description. This is a large text field to hold full details of the call and can be completed before, or after it
takes place. You can copy and paste text in here and perform some formatting using the buttons shown.
•
Owned by User. Select a PICS user who made or received the call.
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

Click on [ ] at any time to save the call but continue working on it.
Click on [ Save & Close] to save the call. An ID for the call is allocated by PICS on saving if you want to give the
caller a reference code for their enquiry (IDs are used for all activities).
At the Activities table you have buttons to [Edit] or [Delete] a selected call/item. This is the same process as for
appointments as explained on page 18 (but using the call screen).
RECORDING A NEW EMAIL, FAX, LETTER OR MESSAGE
This is very similar to recording a call. In the main organisation screen:





Find and select the required organisation in the list and in the sub menu select 'Activities'.
From the 'Home' ribbon 'Activities' box click on the button to create a new email/message - remember to use
the symbol on the button to specify the precise item and if the mail/message is going 'In' or 'Out'.
This will display the email/message entry screen, which is similar in principle and format to the call screen above.
Complete the fields as appropriate, referring to the call section of the guide if necessary for guidance.
Using the various relationship pick lists (From, To, Cc, Regarding etc) is explained on page 17. Click the relevant
button for the list and select/confirm the required value to 'Look for'. This will bring up a list of valid values - find
and select one as appropriate, using the filter or text search if necessary.
Click on [ Save & Close] to save the call. An ID for the call is allocated by PICS on saving if you want to give the
caller a reference code for their enquiry (IDs are used for all activities).
At the Activities table you have buttons to [Edit] or [Delete] a selected call/item. This is the same process as for
appointments as explained on page 18.
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TASK MANAGEMENT
This facility is available to users with any PICS CRM licence.
You can enter Tasks directly or generate them from existing calls or activities (to which they then remain linked in a
case). Tasks can also be linked to a PICS User, a Contact at the organisation or a Learner to assist reporting.
CREATING A TASK
To create a task directly:






Find and select the required organisation in the list.
From the 'Home' ribbon 'Activities' box click on the button to create a new task.
Complete the fields as appropriate:
•
Under 'Relates to' click on the button [From/For/Regarding] and select/confirm the required value. The
relationship pick lists are explained below.
•
Due Date and Time. Enter as appropriate.
•
Status. Select from the list, Pending, In progress, Completed etc.
•
End Date and Time is normally left blank until the task is completed.
•
Subject. Enter a short title for the task. This is visible in the table of tasks.
•
Description. This is a large text field to hold full details of the task and can be completed before or after it
takes place. You can copy and paste text in here and perform some formatting using the buttons shown.
•
User. Select a PICS user who created this task.
Using the various
relationship pick lists
(From, For, Regarding
etc) is explained on
page 17. Click the
relevant button for
the list and
select/confirm the
required value to
'Look for'. This will
bring up a list of valid
values - find and select
one as appropriate,
using the filter or text
search if necessary.
Click on [ ] at any
time to save the task
but continue working
on it. This also
enables the side
menus for related items.
Click on [
Save & Close] to save the task. An ID for it is allocated by PICS on saving.
At the Activities table you have buttons to [Edit] or [Delete] a selected task/item. This is the same process as for
appointments as explained on page 18.
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WORKSPACE
This very useful facility is available to users with any PICS CRM licence.
The Workspace gives an at-a-glance view of all your CRM activities, notes, organisations, opportunities, vacancies etc,
plus links to your caseload of learners and applicants. You can filter the list and add and edit items.
Note: To see the Workspace you must be logged in with an account linked to an officer record.







Click the main button [Workspace].
To see the details, select the required options from the Workspace submenu, e.g. Activities, Incoming/Outgoing
messages, learners, opportunities.
Use the filters above the table to control the items shown. These may default to show
just open or current items.
Double click on a line in the table to open the item.
Right click in the table for options to export it to Excel and adjust some display features.
Use the buttons on the [Home] ribbon above the table to add new items, activities,
applicants, notes etc.
You can also [Edit] and [Delete] selected items or create an Overview display of all items.
Two buttons at the top of the screen give a quick link to your own record in the Contacts page:
[My Record] will open your contact pages for editing.
[Locate Me] will go to your record in the Contacts list.
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OTHER CRM ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
These facilities are available with any PICS CRM licence.
MONEY TRANSACTIONS
You can enter details of financial transactions with a partner organisation, linked to a learner, applicant, vacancy etc.
To create a new transaction:





Find and select the required organisation in the list. In the submenu select 'Money'.
From the 'Home' ribbon section 'Money for...', click the button [New].
Complete the fields as appropriate (the ‘Organisation’ will be selected automatically):
•
'Raised for' & 'Regarding'
have multiple selection
lists, for learner,
applicant, vacancy etc.
•
Enter dates and select
status.
•
Enter the amount &
currency.
•
Select a type and enter a
reference.
•
Enter any notes in the
text box.
•
Select an 'Owner' for the
transaction.
You can use the [Make ]
button to link the
transaction to a Case if
required, either to make a new one or join an existing case. With the relevant licence you can use the
‘Attachments’ page to import a file.
Click on [
Save & Close] to save the task. An ID for it is allocated by PICS on saving
At the Money table you have buttons to [Edit] or [Delete] a selected transaction. You can also filter the table to show
only 'Open' transactions (where the transaction status = Expected or Withheld).
NOTES
You can enter Note records and link it to a particular organisation, contact, activity, applicant etc .
To create a new Note for an Organisation, Contact or Applicant:





Select the main button required, Organisation, Contact etc.
Find and select (single click) the required company or person in the list so it is highlighted but do not open it.
In the submenu select 'Notes'.
In the 'Home' ribbon click one of the buttons
for adding new Notes.
Enter a subject and then the main text of the note (you can copy and paste text).
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


If you have the system licence to link external files then you can attach an external document in a similar usual
way to other screens.
Click [
Save Note] to exit.
The new Note should
appear in the table. You
have links to edit and
delete the Note.
To create a new Note for an Activity:



Find and open the Activity.
In the Related items menu select ‘Notes’.
Click the button to [Add a new note] and continue as above.
Notes linked through an Activity are only viewable from the Notes tables of that Activity, not the Notes tables of
connected Organisations or Contacts.
RELATIONSHIPS
This facility is available to users with any PICS CRM licence.
CRM relationship builder allows you to define your own links between the different items that comprise the system,
e.g. between an organisation and a contact or a learner and an organisation. The relationship ‘type’ must be created
first in the CRM configuration and then linked to the items concerned.
For example: In Organisations you already have 'main' contact and officer options. You could use the relationship
builder to add a new contact, perhaps for training manager.
Creating relationship types







From the Organisations main screen, click the
button and select 'Options'.
Select the tab [Relationship Types] and click the button [New].
Enter a title for the relationship, e.g. Training Manager
Select the 'From' and 'To' data types.
'From' identifies the primary item, in this example an 'Organisation'.
'To' identifies the secondary item, in this case a 'Contact'.
i.e. a contact belongs to an organisation.
Leave the status = Live.
At the top of the page click [
Save] to save the type.
At the bottom of the page click [
Save] to save all Options.
Adding relationships to CRM items




From the CRM main screen select the button for the primary item, [Organisations] in this example.
Single-click the required Organisation in the list and in the sub menu select 'Relationships'.
On the 'Home' ribbon click [+ Link].
Select the relationship type in the drop list and click [OK].
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
Select the required secondary item, in this case a Contact; if the item/person doesn’t exist you may be able to
add them at this stage.
The relationship appears in the tables for both primary and secondary items.
OPPORTUNITY TRACKING
This facility is available to users with any PICS CRM licence.
Opportunity tracking is a feature found in many sales-orientated CRM systems. It allows you to identify a business
opportunity, track the effort that goes into converting that opportunity, and identify how much of it is converted into
sales/starts.
For example: An Opportunity allows you to identify how many staff an employer might need to be trained, show how
many applications are generated from them and eventually how many become starts on your programmes.
Opportunities appear in your CRM Workspace and some reporting will be added to the AdHoc reporter.





Find and select the required Organisation in the list
In the sub menu select 'Opportunities'.
In the 'Home' ribbon, 'Opportunities' box click the [New] button.
Complete the Details page. Most items are self-explained by the title but note the following:
Organisation. This is taken
from the company you
selected in the main list.
Owner. Select from your
staff/officer records with a
role = Main Adviser).
Status is pre-defined in the
system (open, won, lost)
Sub status. You can define
these values to track
progression in more detail
(e.g. Awaiting initial meeting,
Opportunity identified, Sign
up arranged). Please
consider carefully the
structure and order of items
that you want to use to track
each opportunity, before
creating the list.
On the ‘Details’ ribbon, click
[Edit sub statuses] to open
the maintenance screen; click
[New] and enter a description for the status and click [OK] to save. Repeat as required then click [Exit].
Status effective date is mandatory.
Conversion Rates. The number of places available is taken from Provisions (see below). As Applicants and
Learners are linked to the Opportunity (also see below), those totals and rates will update automatically.
Status History view table displays a history of status changes (see below) and is visible to all CRM users.
Click [ ] to save the opportunity basic details.
Additional data capture on the Opportunity is available through the sub menus at the left hand side. After entry to
each page click [ ] in the top right hand corner to save and continue with the record.
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




Status history. This records changes to the Status and Sub status values; users must have the access permission
to edit PICS basedata to be able to view/update this section.
Click the [New] button, select or enter the new values and click [ Save]. A new entry is added to the table and
can be seen in the History table on the details page.
Provisions. From the Information sub menu select Provisions.
Select the provisions required by click each button at the top and selecting from the list.
You will be prompted to specify how many places to fill under each provision. These contribute to the conversion
rates on the Details page above.
Applicants and Learners. These records can be linked to the opportunity from the Information sub menu options
or using facilities in their own maintenance screens. The Applicants screen also has an option for adding and
linking a new Applicant record.
In the Applicant record 'Additional' page you can see/change the linked Opportunity. Where an Applicant record
is imported as a start to PICS, the learner record is automatically linked back to the Opportunity.
Notes, Activities (appointments, calls etc) and Cases can all be linked into the Opportunity if required, using the
Related sub menu options.
You can create an Opportunity from within an activity using the [New Opportunity] button.
Click [
Save & Close] to exit the Opportunity details.
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CRM DATA & OUTLOOK
This facility is available with any PICS CRM licence.
The ability to share information with Microsoft Outlook is one of the great advantages of PICS CRM. It means that at
the click of a button you can exchange details of individual contacts with your address book in Outlook; you can also
transfer appointments and tasks, and generate emails with Outlook. It's also possible to update the information in
Outlook and then import it back to PICS. Obviously you need to have Outlook set up on your PC/server, so that PICS
can link with it.
If you have any technical issues or queries regarding your PICS-Outlook set up please contact the Pellcomp helpdesk.
We can't guarantee to resolve them but can give you some pointers.
Before continuing with this section you will need to know how to create Contacts and Activities in PICS CRM. You
must also be familiar with using Outlook itself, to add and view contacts etc.
Briefly, the following settings need to be made in PICS for this facility to work:
1.
The contact/officer record needs to have a PICS user name entered.
2.
The activity needs to have the relevant Adviser/Officer selected in the field ‘Owned by User’ and you need to
be logged on as that user.
If you have any technical issues or queries regarding your PICS-Outlook set up please contact the Pellcomp helpdesk.
We can't guarantee to resolve them but can give you some pointers.
Before continuing with this section you will need to know how to create Contacts and Activities in PICS CRM. You
must also be familiar with using Outlook itself, to add and view appointments, tasks etc.
EXPORTING CONTACT AND ACTIVITY DATA FROM PICS TO OUTLOOK
First create a Contact/Activity in the usual way; alternatively you can open an existing record. You should also have
Outlook open before sending the data from PICS.





Once you've entered the information, click the
Close' at this stage).
button to save the item but leave it open (do not
'Save &
On either the 'Details' ribbon (for Contacts/Officers) or 'Home' ribbon (for Activities) find the
'Outlook' section which will have three buttons.
Until the data has been transferred to Outlook only one, the [Push] button will be available.
[View] and [Pull] will be available to see the information in Outlook, or import it back to PICS, once it exists
there.
Click [Push]. PICS will now connect and synchronise with Outlook and try to export the data.
Please be aware that this process can take some time, especially the first time of use - possibly 90 seconds.
If it can't connect an error will be given; assuming it connects, a New Contact/Appointment/Call/Task etc
window will be opened in Outlook, although you may need to check your Windows 'button-bar' to find and
display it.
Check the details in Outlook are OK then save the appointment as usual. Note that if you make any changes to
it, you need to manually 'pull' it back to PICS as explained below (there is no automatic or dynamic link - it is a
deliberate action to send data between the two systems).
The item will now be available to view in Outlook, e.g. in the address book or calendar or task list.
Go back to PICS CRM. You can now click on [
Save & Close] to exit the Contact/Activity.
IMPORTING CONTACT AND ACTIVITY DATA FROM OUTLOOK TO PICS
This process allows you to make a change in Outlook to a Contact or Activity (appointment, call, task etc) that was
created in and sent from PICS CRM, and then 'pull' it back to PICS. It is not possible to create an Activity in Outlook
and then send it to PICS.

First create a Contact or Activity in PICS, send (push) it to Outlook and save it as explained above.
Then, using this example, open the item in Outlook and make a change, e.g. to the name, title, phone number or
date.
Finally save and close the item in Outlook.
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


In PICS CRM find and open the original Contact/Activity that you made. Notice that on the
'Details' ribbon all three of the buttons in the 'Outlook' section should be enabled.
To import the amended data from Outlook, click the [Pull] button.
PICS will now connect and synchronise with Outlook and try to import the data.
Assuming the data is imported OK the information will be updated in PICS CRM to match the change that you
made in Outlook. You can now click on [ Save & Close] to exit the item.
Note, if you just want to see the Outlook data for a Contact/Activity from within PICS, use the [View] button on the
CRM ribbon to connect and open the Outlook item. No data exchange takes place with this process.
You can also drag and drop Contact and Activity values from Outlook to PICS CRM - this is explained in the PICS Help
file section ‘Import CRM data from Outlook to PICS’ - Press [F1] in any PICS screen to open the help file.
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SECTION 4.
CRM REPORTS AND OUTPUTS
Having put all this data into PICS you naturally want to get something out of it. PICS has many reports to display and
export your data. Not all the reports are detailed here, some are explained in other training guides and the PICS help
file; references and links have been added in these instances.
CRM REPORTING FROM THE ORGANISATION SCREENS
The PICS Organisations screens include a calendar showing activities arranged - typically these will be things like
health and safety checks or insurance renewal. By default the calendar simply shows all activities but has options to
filter to selected values and, most usefully, show a separate 'My Calendar, with only the current user's activities. The
'User' field is significant in activities as it can be linked to a PICS username and thus create a distinct calendar per user.
USING THE ACTIVITY CALENDAR
(The basic calendar is available for all PICS licences.)


From the main PICS screen click on the button [Organisations].
or from the learner placement details screen, click on the button [Organisations].
Click the button [Calendar].
This shows a monthly view of Activities with either a summary or details of those for a selected day. Normally the
calendar will default to the current date. You have several options to adjust the display and navigate the screen.


To change the month in view use the [<<] and [>>] buttons to scroll back and forward by month.
In the side Calendar box, and  will move a month at a time,  and  change the year; you can also click the
month and year titles to select a different value.
Month/Schedule/Timeline view buttons allow you to view activities by month or day.
Month: To increase/decrease the level detail shown in the calendar days, on the 'Home'
ribbon in the 'Show' box click the button [Month Counts/Detail]. Counts (above) just
shows the number of activities per day and is recommended to save space; Detail (aside)
shows the type of activity, company code or user code.
Schedule/Timeline. These are useful to identify commitments/spare time across schedules. They give an hour
by hour view of the activities for the selected day for all selected calendars, in a vertical or horizontal format.
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
In month view, as you click on a day in the calendar, more information of the activities found is shown in the
[Detail] table beneath the calendar. For instance it may show 'Details (2)' on the tab and then list each one, with
the due date, company, user, type, status, description etc.
To open the maintenance page for the activity double click on a line in this table and view/edit as usual.
To adjust the activities shown in the calendar, use the [Filter] tab below it (next to the [Detail] tab]). This works
a bit like the filters in the learner client selection screen. There are many filters here - you can select specific
types of activity, those having a particular status or belonging to a particular user; you can also filter to a
selected single Organisation code or by text of the organisation name (e.g. to find all companies with 'train' in
the title). For example you could filter down to pending Health and Safety Assessments for a selected User.
To view all activities and remove any filters click the [Reset] button.
MY CALENDAR AND TO-DO BAR
(These facilities are available with any PICS CRM licence.)
These useful tools enable you to display a calendar and to do bar with only the current user's
activities, rather than all those for the entire company. Full details on the set up and use are
explained in the PICS help file section 'Placements & other organisations - Maintaining
organisation CRM details - CRM calendar and reporting'.
Briefly, the following settings need to be made in PICS for this facility to work:
1.
The adviser/officer record needs to have a PICS user name entered against it (the user
name must have been previously created in password maintenance.
2.
The activity needs to have the relevant Adviser/Officer selected as the User.
3.
You need to be logged on as that user.
Once you've set up 'My Calendar' you'll have an option to maintain it on the left hand side (or
view the Public Calendar for all appointments, or select individual staff names to show their
calendar).



Click [Add/Remove Calendars] for a table of values.
Set ‘Look for’ = Officers and double click on a name in the table to add it to the ‘Add’ list below. Pick as many
names as required then click [OK].
The selected names will appear in your calendar list. Tick each one to view their calendar or blank to hide it.
Using the To-do bar
This should be enabled on the right hand side of the Organisations screens, to show all
open or 'flagged' Activities where the person logged on is identified as the either the main
'User' or is linked as a participant in some way, e.g. as receiving a call.


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The bar shows the Subject title or Type of activity, the month it is due and if a 'flag'
has been set against it. It can be shown or hidden using the[«] & [»] buttons.
You can apply a filter using the  symbol just above the list, e.g. Activities due in the
next 7/30/90 days.
For more detail on the items shown, right-click in the bar and select the option 'Export to Excel' for a
spreadsheet of the items; you can then sort and filter this as required.
Double click on an item in the To-do bar to open and edit it.
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EXPORT OR PRINT ORGANISATION DETAILS

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In the Organisations screen, on the 'Home' ribbon in the 'Show' box click the [List] button.
Then in the 'Output' section of the ribbon click the [List Organis] button to
create a spreadsheet file containing the Organisation data that can be
sorted, filtered, printed or used as a data source for a mail merge.
EXPORT OR PRINT CONTACT DETAILS


In the Contacts screen, on the 'Home' ribbon in the 'Show' box click the [List] button.
Then in the 'Output' section of the ribbon click the [List] button to create a spreadsheet with the Contact data;
this can be saved, printed or used as a data source for a mail merge.
EXPORTING TABLES
Where you have tables of Contacts, Activities,
Learners etc you can export these to Excel.

Right click in the table to show a menu of
options and select 'Export to Excel'.
This should open a spreadsheet in Excel
containing the data.
CRM FORM & LETTER GENERATOR
In Organisations/CRM you can create a set of standard forms & letters for a single selected organisation, contact,
applicant or activity. (For multiple letters mail-merge reports though the AdHoc reporter may be easier.)
The basic merge process is the same for any CRM form/letter. Before starting, make sure you don’t have any other
Word documents open – the process will stop at various stages if Word is already in use.
CREATE A NEW STANDARD WORD FORM OR LETTER
This explains how to create a normal Word format merge letter, using a .doc/docx format file (note that .dot/dotx files
will not work). The Xml merge format, required for documents used by our web applications, is very similar but has
separate instructions in the PICS help file.



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
Open (double click) the CRM item from which you want to run the mail merge, e.g. organisation, contact,
applicant, activity, vacancy application record.
Click
and select ‘Mail Merge’. This shows the mail merge template library – obviously the first time of
use this will be empty.
Click [Maintain Templates]. You can either
maintain existing or create new templates.
For the first time of use you should also use
the option to create a document of sample
fields (see below).
Under ‘Create New’ select ‘Traditional Mail
Merge Document’ and click [Next].
Enter a Description for the template, e.g.
new employer letter.
Select the Merge Type for the letter. This is
very important as it controls the fields
available for the form so make sure that you select the correct type for the letter required. The type defaults to
your initial CRM item selection (organisation, contact, activity etc) but there are many options (explained in the
help file) so please contact Pellcomp support if unsure which type to use
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


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Select the option to ‘Create a new template from a blank document’ then click [>> Next].
Note that you can use the [<< Back] button to return to a previous stage in the process.
A new Word document will be opened, possibly with some information text (delete this).
From the Mailings ribbon on the tool bar use the button [Insert merge field] to insert CRM data fields to the
document and add your other text – refer to the sampler document explained below for the required fields.
Then save and close the document and exit completely from Word.
At the CRM merge wizard page click [Next]. You will return to the initial template library screen with your new
template shown.
To use the template, select it in the list and click [Continue].
Creating a sampler document for a CRM mail merge
The mail merge has many fields - a sample document allows you to identify which ones to use in your template.



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

Open (double click) the CRM entity required (an organisation, contact, applicant etc).
Click and select ‘Mail Merge’.
Click [Maintain Templates].
At the screen to 'Maintain Mail Merge Documents' select the option to 'Create Sampler' and select the output
'Traditional Mail Merge Document'.
Click [Next] to create the sample document with data from the entity shown against each field name where
available.
Back in CRM you will return to the 'Maintain Mail Merge Documents' screen. Click [Cancel] to exit.
USE AN EXISTING FORM OR LETTER
Ensure no copies of Word are open as they will cause the process to fail.



From CRM main screen open (double click) the organisation, contact, applicant or activity.
Click
and select ‘Mail Merge’. This shows the mail merge template library.
Double-click the template in the list to create a completed form/letter.
EDIT AN EXISTING TEMPLATE


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From CRM main screen open (double click) the organisation, contact, applicant or activity.
Click
and select ‘Mail Merge’. This shows the mail merge template library.
Select the template and click [Maintain Templates].
Under the heading ‘Maintain Existing’ use the default option to ‘Maintain’ the template and click [>> Next].
Note that you can use the [<< Back] button to return to a previous stage in the process.
The template will open in Word. Make changes and then save (not save as) and close Word.
In the PICS process click [>> Next] to complete the process and return to the template library. The amended
template can now be used.
To update or dormant a template record: (note that this process cannot be reversed).

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
From CRM main screen open (double click) the organisation, contact, applicant or activity.
Click
and select ‘Mail Merge’. This shows the mail merge template library.
Select the template and click [Maintain Templates].
Under the heading ‘Maintain Existing’ select ‘Update Mail Merge records (advanced)’ and click [>> Next].
As required for the template:
Change the description.
Change the Status to Dormant.
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Upload and link a new template file from your server/PC - click [...] browse and select the .doc/docx file.
Link it to a different existing template file from the drop list.

In the PICS process click [>> Next] to complete the process and return to the template library.
CRM REPORTING FROM THE PICS SWITCHBOARD
The main PICS reports switchboard can be accessed either from the button on the front screen, or from the main
menu bar option in the Organisation screens.

From the 'Tools' ribbon, in the 'Modules' section click the button for either
[Switchboard] or [AdHoc Reports].
The switchboard has a number of reports that utilise organisation details, including:
•
AdHoc reporter is used you to build your own reports on almost any aspect of PICS data, including
organisations.
•
Organisations report has three dedicated reports on learner/placement occupancy and organisation
activities.
•
Analysis includes an option to view figures by placement/employer.
•
Diary shows and can be sorted/filtered by placement/employer for each learner.
•
Occupancy shows the current placement/employer for each learner.
•
Success rates can be analysed by learner placement/employer.
•
Reviews shows and can be sorted/filtered by learner placement.
•
Report & Task Scheduler has reports on CRM activities that can be either run manually or, on purchase of an
additional licence, scheduled to run automatically
These reports are explained in the PICS help file section 'Reports - Reports Switchboard'. They are also covered by the
following training guides in the Pellcomp website library: PICS reports basic training and PICS reports Adhoc training .
The client selection list also has options to filter learners to a selected main adviser, placement or school.
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SECTION 5.
ADDITIONAL PICS SUB-SYSTEMS AND CRM
Several of the PICS subsystems can form part of the overall CRM facilities. They either have their own training guides
and/or are covered in the help file. Basic details, with links to further information where appropriate, are given
below. These facilities are only available to users with the appropriate licence so please contact Pellcomp for further
details on any of these subsystems including trial licences.
FILE ATTACHMENTS
(This facility requires an additional licence.)
File attachment/linking is used in a number of screens in PICS, including learner qualifications and reviews,
organisation details and activities. The
facility enables you to import a copy of an
external file such as a word processing
document, or scanned file or picture, and
link it to an organisation or activity.

Attach a file to an Organisation.
From the Organisations list, find the required company in the list and in the submenu select 'Attachments'.
From the 'Home' ribbon, in the box 'Attachments for ...] click the button [New/Add].
Attach a file to an Activity.
From the Organisations - Activities page, find and double-click on the required activity in the table to open it.
In the Information menu select ‘Attachments’ and click [New].


Now browse to locate the required file and double click on it to add it to the table.
Enter a description of the file being linked - this may be used in reports for ease of recognition - and click [OK]
to complete the process.


The file will be imported and shown in the table with the date the entry was created/modified.
You have buttons to edit (description only), replace or delete files from organisations.
If the original file changes in any way you must attach a new copy of it in PICS via the above process or using the
[Replace] button. The copy held in PICS is NOT automatically updated by amending the original file.
CASES
(This facility is available with any PICS CRM licence.)
A 'Case' can hold a number of different Organisation activities within a single record for ease of reference. So for
example, if an employer calls about taking on a learner then you can create a 'Case' for it and add all the calls, emails,
tasks and any other activities that
relate to it. Note that you should be
aware of how to enter Activities etc
before proceeding with this section.




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


In the main Organisation screen find the required company.
In the submenu click on [Cases]. This will display a table of cases for the organisation, if any exist.
To create a case, from the 'Home' ribbon, in the box 'Cases for...', click the button
[New].
Enter a title, due date and select the status. For example, the title might be 'Enquiry for new apprentice', the
due date would be when they want them to start and the status might be Active.
You can use the [Flag] button to mark the case for action, today, tomorrow, next week etc.
If required, at the bottom of the page select a User to own/manage the Case.
Click the
button to save the Case but leave it open (do not
'Save & close' at this stage).
Next you might add details of the initial activity for the case (i.e. a phone call, or email or appointment) so click
the relevant [New] button at the top and proceed as usual for those details. When you save and close the new
call details, then that activity will be added to the Case; it is also added to the general activity table as a Call.
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

Then you might create another activity, to arrange for a member of staff to contact or visit the company. Again
use the relevant [New] button at the top and proceed as usual for those details.
You can add as many activities as you like now and also return to edit the case and add more Activities in the
future.
Once all the activities have been added click [ Save and Close]. The new Case will be added to the table while
the individual items will appear in the Activities tab.
You can also create a new Case from an existing activities (e.g. an appointment, call or task).
For details, please see the help file section 'CRM, employers & other organisations > Maintaining organisation CRM
details > CRM activities > Organisation cases’.
SURVEYS
(This facility requires an additional licence.)
The PICS survey builder manages surveys and questionnaires for your learners, staff and partner organisations in PICS.
Responses (named or anonymous) can be captured either on a paper form for local data entry, or entered on-line and
downloaded to your local PICS dataset. You can then use reports to monitor the results.
A training guide on PICS Surveys is available from the Pellcomp website library.
SMS TEXT MESSAGING
(This facility requires an additional licence.)
Sending texts to organisations, contacts or learners can be one of the fastest and easiest ways to remind them of
reviews, assessments or other important meetings. PICS has the facility to generate texts to selected or multiple
contacts.
A training guide on PICS SMS is available from the Pellcomp website library.
APPLICANTS
(This facility requires an additional licence.)
This long-established sub-system records details of all applications received from potential learners. The details can
then be transferred to the main PICS system when they start on a programme. PICS CRM links to these applicants,
both for the companies they apply to and any activities relevant to them.
A training guide on CRM Applicants is available from the Pellcomp website library.
VACANCY MANAGER
(This facility is available with any PICS CRM licence.)
This sub-system records details of vacancies
at employers/placements. You can define
the attributes required of the position and
record values for each learner for these
attributes. It's then an easy process to run a
routine that identifies the best match
between them.
A training guide on Vacancy Manager is
available from the Pellcomp website library.
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SECTION 6.
CRM/ORGANISATION HOUSEKEEPING AND ADMINISTRATION
For full details on this section please see the pages within the help file section 'Placements & Other Organisations Organisation administration'.
MAINTAINING APPOINTMENT TYPES
PICS can hold details of visits or other appointments concerning. The system has eight standard types of activity
including Health and Safety and several kinds of insurance; you can add your own activities, perhaps for annual
placement ‘conferences’ or issuing documentation.

Types are maintained from the Organisations tools menu. Click the
button and select 'Tools - Define Event Types'.
For further information see the Help file section '‘CRM, employers & other
organisations > CRM Organisation administration - How to maintain organisation
activity types'.
CRM/ORGANISATION CONFIGURATION
You can customise your PICS CRM/Organisations to meet local requirements using optional settings to set up local
reporting categories, control the appearance and default operations.

Click
and select 'Options'.
Help file section: ‘CRM, employers & other organisations > CRM Organisation administration > CRM Organisation
configuration'.
MERGING ORGANISATIONS/CONTACTS
If you get duplicate Organisations or Contacts in the system, PICS has a routine to merge them and delete (or leave)
the one not required.
Help file sections:
‘CRM, employers & other organisations > CRM Organisation administration > Merging duplicate CRM records’.
‘CRM, employers & other organisations > CRM Organisation administration > Migrating learners between
organisations & contacts’
CRM/ORGANISATION SCREEN STYLES
PICS has a number of pre-formatted screen styles that you can select to adjust the colours.


From the 'Window'
ribbon click the  on the
[Style] button.
This will display a list of
available screen styles.
Select as required - try
and see which you prefer.
You can always change it
back to the default.
If you are using PICS CRM
over a slow connection or
a hosted server you may
find that the 'Terminal'
style runs faster.
'Grid backgrounds' shows
or hides the watermarks
behind some tables in the
submenu, e.g. learners,
activities. The screen
shot here shows 'Office
2003 Olive'.
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SECTION 7.
ORGANISATIONS AND LEARNERS
LINKING A LEARNER TO A PLACEMENT OR OTHER ORGANISATION

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

Select and open a learner record, go to the [Dated Changes] screen set, then select [Placements]. Either a
message advises that the learner has no recorded placements, or the table of placements appears.
Use the drop list at the
bottom of the screen to
identify if you want to
add a Work Placement,
Delivery Location or
College for the learner.
Click [New] and select a
placement from the list
(sort the list by code or
name by clicking [View]).
Enter the date the learner
started at the placement
(normally on or after their
start of training) and the
expected end date. The
actual end date you won’t
know until they leave.
When a learner is completed, any blank Actual Placement End dates are filled with the programme end date
entered on the learner's programme completion screen. You can amend the Placement End Date if required.
Click [OK] to save the placement details
Note: When entering a new SFA/YPLA/DCELLS learner, the placement and delivery provider values from the entry
screens are copied to the learner placement screen. The processes also copy the learner's programme start and
planned end dates into the Placement date fields. Subsequent changes must be made via the Dated Changes Placements screen as above.
From the learner placement screen, there is a button giving direct access to the Organisations maintenance screens. If
the placement doesn’t exist, you can create it through these screens then return to the learner page and link it to that
person.
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SECTION 8.
FINAL CHECK ON WHAT YOU’VE COVERED
This guide has focused on the main subjects shown below. If you can’t answer ‘Yes’ to each question below, please
discuss any queries with Pellcomp or the trainer as appropriate. It may be that we haven’t explained something
properly, in which case we want to know !
TRAINING CHECKLIST
YES
NO
Do you know how to create organisations ?
Do you know how to amend organisation details ?
Can you enter details of activities, calls, tasks (as required) and create and link contacts ?
Can you produce reports on CRM data ?
If required, can you link a learner to a placement or an activity
Are you aware of the other subsystems in PICS that relate to the CRM data ?
PICS
The PROVIDERS’ INTEGRATED CLIENT SYSTEM
from
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