Deleting existing accounts - delete ALL attachments necessary?

[sarahebert]

There must be an easier way! I need to delete a commercial account that has gone out of business and I have attachments for the past 3 years - do I really need to delete each one individually?

[Jan Regnier]

We don't delete them.  We indicate on the Customer Detail screen in the CODE area "DF"= Dead File.  Then that code is excluded for any reports.  The billing screen status for all policies will be coded with "CAO" = Cancelled - Out of Business. 

This is where using Filter is great....you only see active clients and active policies.

[Sherry Burrell]

We do similar to Jan.  A claim can still sneak in even if they are out of business.  We had a dry cleaner that had a pollution claim show up many years after they were out of business.

[Todd Arnold]

I think your course of action is un-wise.  A client going out of business should not have any bearing on the document destruction provisions of your records retention policy.  And if you don't have such a policy at the agency, you shouldn't be destroying any data.

Sorry - we all have to give those little lectures even when that isn't the question being asked.  It's traditional.    The direct answer to your question is "No - you don't have to delete them individually".  While on the attachment list, if you click on options there is a selection to "Purge All Attachments" that will wipe all of the attachments for that client in one swipe.  I'm not a fan of it being there, but there it is.

[Jeff Zylstra]

If there was a real archive section for dead files, I doubt people would be asking questions like this.  But since moving them to prospect deletes all financial information, that really isn't a good solution either.  Applied should come up with a strategy for storage, archiving and purging of these dead files since they don't really belong with live customer files, and prospect files aren't really appropriate either.

[Conan_Ward]

I'm just going to leave this here...
https://www.appliedsystems.com/apps/Knowledgebase/Main.aspx?kb=34377

(You should be able to log a call directly from the kb to request that your office would like this feature added).

[Jan Regnier]

I put in "my" request....add one to the count.  Thanks for the direction, Conan.

[Jeff Zylstra]

I'm just going to leave this here...
https://www.appliedsystems.com/apps/Knowledgebase/Main.aspx?kb=34377

(You should be able to log a call directly from the kb to request that your office would like this feature added).

I submitted my PMR.  Thank you, Conan.

[Alice Mooney]

I also have a PMR in for purging attachments by a date range.  I am able to purge Activities but not the associated attachments. I was told they needed to be deleted manually because of this.

[Jeff Zylstra]

I also have a PMR in for purging attachments by a date range.  I am able to purge Activities but not the associated attachments. I was told they needed to be deleted manually because of this.

Ha!  Great minds think alike.  I included that in my PMR as well.  I also think that the purge utility have an "exception" field where you can specify something that you want to keep forever, and not be purged simply by a date range setting.  I can think of contested or controversial documents that show you offered coverage and it was declined, photos, claim info, appraisals, property surveys and inspections that include rating information, etc....

[brinkerdana]

This area has been my bug-a-boo with TAM for a while now.  My request was to add a File (similar to Prospect file, but with accounting info following) for Dead/Lost/Out-Of-Business Accounts from which total purging could easily take place by date when the time is appropriate according to State law.  Since much of the programming already exists, I wouldn't think creating this file would be that difficult a task. 

Yes, I've entered several PMRs on the subject!

[Sherry Burrell]

Epic does have an inactivate option for clients/prospects (actually any account - companies, vendors, additional interests, employees, brokers) with the date you inactivated.  However it does not yet have a purge option.  So you can inactivate and only view active clients but you cannot delete or purge those accounts.  Purging is in the works.

[brinkerdana]

Epic does have an inactivate option for clients/prospects (actually any account - companies, vendors, additional interests, employees, brokers) with the date you inactivated.  However it does not yet have a purge option.  So you can inactivate and only view active clients but you cannot delete or purge those accounts.  Purging is in the works.

I like that it includes companies, vendors, etc.