Company File Interface setup - database

[GeorgeW]

I searched for "IBM" since in the download setup you have to enter an origination address which I believe all start with IBM.

So, I think that found most of them, but I've found a couple that the company code is setup but it doesn't show the IBM number on the spreadsheet (it is in TAM).

So this isn't finding me everything, but closer than I was before.

Thanks!

[Mark]

I saw that too.  You have to look at the structure a bit and search for ones you know for sure are setup.  I saw we had the same company in there multiple times, but the structure was different.  One had the Origination address (IBMxxxxxxx) in the "City" field, while the others didn't.  Don't know if that's from past versions and there have been structure changes or what.  Gotta try to find some consistency, then just let BR7 export those to CSV and go from there. They also use the field position method in this file, too.  But, you can probably ignore the positions a little bit and just use the "contains" operator and have decent results.

I like BR7 because you could build an expression as complicated or simple as needed.  I think that the key is important here.  It looks like they re-use this database.  A record with a Z key holds the origination address in the City field whereas a record with a Y key doesn't reference the the origination address anywhere.  So, you could build and expression based on that information and keep going.  You could even combine those records, into one row, then export.  Like I said: A) very powerful; and B) I often over complicate things 

EDIT: And the "REC" field is what ties everything together.

[Jeff Zylstra]

Good to know.   I have a couple companies that do download through 3rd party programs which I don't believe have the "IBM" account number in the company file setup, but you probably already thought of that.  Glad you got it solved.

[Todd Arnold]

They killed your ability to save to a .DBF file with 2007 (bastards!) but you can still use Excel 2007 and higher to open .DBF files. 

Didn't they remove .DBF support from Excel 2007?

There are plenty of other DBF utilities out there if you cant open in Excel.

[Mark]

that's what it was.  Thanks, Todd.  I was more on top of this when the change came about, but I've since been using other tools for DBF anyway that made more sense than Excel.

An example of "use it or lose it" information.

[Todd Arnold]

Awesome information in this discussion btw!

[Jeff Zylstra]

Awesome information in this discussion btw!

That it is.  I wasn't aware of the DBF limitation in Excel.  Heck, I wasn't aware that you could save reports as DBF files in TAM either!  I think Hans told me that.  Still not sure I understand the benefits of doing that.  Maybe a good topic for future report posts and/or blogs!

[Mark]

I wasn't aware that you could save reports as DBF files in TAM either!  I think Hans told me that.  Still not sure I understand the benefits of doing that.

Just an example of one benefit randomly generated off the top of my head: direct import to another database program, like a CRM or even something like Crystal Reports, maybe.  No need to convert from one thing to another and to another if dbf is supported.

Want a nightly import of specific prospect data from TAM to a prospecting program?  Use Workspace Macro Pro to fire off a User-Defined search of prospects that outputs to a DBF, then directly imports the DBF file.

I'm sure there are hundreds of other possibilities.

[Hans Manhave]

Awesome information in this discussion btw!

That it is.  I wasn't aware of the DBF limitation in Excel.  Heck, I wasn't aware that you could save reports as DBF files in TAM either!  I think Hans told me that.  Still not sure I understand the benefits of doing that.  Maybe a good topic for future report posts and/or blogs!

The main benefit I have is as a source for further data exploration. Either by TAM Reports itself or for other third party apps. How useful this is depends on what the need (frequency, sharing) and time and skills are of the operator. I got tired of always having to manipulate Excel before I had the info I needed. VLookup is nice, but not always the only solution, for example. Pivot tables are awesome though.

As long as one gets the needed information out of the collection of data, all is well. As long as we have some tool we know how to operate, including hiring someone, progress can be made.

[Mark]

As long as one gets the needed information out of the collection of data, all is well. As long as we have some tool we know how to operate, including hiring someone, progress can be made.

Well said.