An Administrator’s Overview of ACT!

August 2003

Scott Holmes
ACT! Certified Consultant
Cornerstone Solutions, Inc.

This is your lucky day! You have been elevated to the position of ACT! Administrator for your workgroup. Did you ever think that you would achieve such lofty heights at such a young age? OK, maybe I’m gilding the lily a bit, but just a bit. Exaggerations aside, the ACT! Administrator does have important responsibilities, and the position should not be taken lightly. Because ACT! is such a “People’s database” it is very common for Administrative responsibilities to fall to a user who is … well … who wasn’t a computer science major, if you get my meaning.

Even if you read hex bytes like a native and dream in binary code, you still may not be an expert in what makes ACT! tick, or fail to tick as the case may be. In an attempt to save you from Administrative Purgatory (or worse), I thought it might be useful to outline some of the responsibilities you will likely encounter. We will look at general aspects of ACT! from Needs Assessment to ongoing Maintenance.

I have broken the job of Administrator down into 7 categories, some or all of which may fall under your purview.

1 -- Planning

Implementing ACT! for a workgroup can be pretty easy if you plan properly. Lack of planning will most likely cause unnecessary delays and frustration. Here are some things to consider when planning your ACT! project.

• How is your network set up? Do you have a client/server network or a peer to peer? If your network is peer to peer, which computer will serve as the location for your database and shared files? If you have a client/server network, which server (assuming you have more than one) will be home for your database?
• What sort of network infrastructure is in place? The speed of the network cards and the servers is critical to the performance of the shared database. Make sure to identify and deal with any performance issues.
• What type of computers will you be installing ACT! on? Are they desktop or laptop computers or a mix, and how much memory does each have? (I am of the opinion that less than 128mb is unacceptable.) What Operating System is each machine using? (Windows 98 should be the minimum acceptable OS.) What type of Processor does each have? (Any program is going to be a snail on a 486!) If your hardware is not up to snuff, upgrade!
• Where will the ACT! database be stored? Where will the supplemental files (like layouts, templates, macros etc.) be stored?
• Do your users have sufficient security rights to the network location where the ACT! files will be stored?
• Do your users’ machines have a mapped drive to the location where the ACT! files will be stored?
• Will you be Synchronizing?
• Will you be installing any add-on ­applications?
• Who are your users? Have you purchased sufficient licenses to install ACT! for each of them?
• Do you have existing data you wish to bring into ACT!? It is usually possible to bring data from another data source into ACT!. By itself, ACT! can import delimited text files (.csv and .txt), Outlook contact data, data from Dbase III and IV, Palm desktop data, and Q&A data. Most database programs can export their data into text format suitable for importing into ACT!, but don’t kid yourself. If you are importing from a database that includes activities, notes, histories, and the like, some imports can be very challenging. A simple address list is a walk in the park, but if you are importing data from a more complex system (Like GoldMine, or Sharkware), consider retaining the services of a consultant to help you. Above all, and I can’t stress this enough, KNOW YOUR DATA – both the source data and your ACT! database. Understanding how the source data is stored and how it will fit into the ACT! database (if indeed it can fit) is critical to a successful import.

2 -- Design

For many people, ACT! is perfect right out of the box. For others, modifications will be necessary. You may want to add additional fields to your database and customize and personalize the layout. You may need to customize the existing reports and word processing templates, or you may need to add additional functionality with an add-in. Here are some things to consider in the design process.

• Get the input of both management and users before implementing your design. Both groups will have different priorities. Management will probably be more interested in reporting and supervision of the users. Users will be more interested in keeping accurate and useful information so they can maximize ACT!’s usefulness to themselves. Skipping either group’s input will ultimately benefit neither. It can be frustrating trying to please everyone, but the closer you get, the more likely it is that your workgroup will like and use the product.
• Develop a list of supporting files that need to be modified. Do you need customized reports? Do you need to personalize your Word Processing templates? These elements need to be created and in place when you roll ACT! out.
• If you plan to add new fields to the ACT! database, try not to do it indiscriminately. Don’t get me wrong; it’s perfectly OK to add fields, but don’t do it on a whim. Ask: “Is there already a field that does close to the same thing?” Ask: “Is there an unused User field that I can re-task?” Ask: “Can I store this data in a note or a history?” If the answer to all three questions is “No,” then add a new field.
• Develop clear standards for data input (this is discussed in more detail in the Training section)
• If you find the planning process a bit overwhelming, don’t forget that expert help is available in the form of ACT! Certified Consultants (ACC’s); you will find one or more consultants local to most everywhere. To find an ACC near you, you can go to the ACT! website at http://www.act.com/ and click the “ACT! USER COMMUNITY” menu at the top of the page. From there, you can gain access to the list of “Certified ­Consultants.”

3 -- Network Preparation

ACT! does not require any special program or setup to share a database on a network. Just put the database in a shared folder and point each user’s ACT! program to that folder. It sounds simple, and it is, but… (you were expecting that “but” weren’t you?) there are some very important things that should be considered before you slap your database into a shared folder.

• What files will you be sharing? Commonly shared file types are Database Files (a given), Layouts, Reports, Templates, Macros, Queries, and Attached documents. If you wish to share any or all of these file types, folders must be created on the server to hold them. If you plan to use Synchronization by the shared folder method, you will need to provide folders for that, as well.
• We already talked about this in the Planning stage but make sure all users have rights to your ACT! data folders. It is common for Network administrators to “lock down” the network as completely as they can. While that is a good thing most of the time, it is not, when it comes to sharing ACT! data. Make sure that all users have full rights to those folders on the server that are to contain ACT! files.
• Do all users have a mapped drive to the shared ACT! data? Is the assigned drive letter consistent to all users? This is an important step. Mapping a drive assigns a Drive Letter to a network drive. I frequently see Administrators point ACT! toward the database folder on the network using a UNC path. This may seem to work just fine at first, but you should know that ACT! has an aversion to UNC paths. I know what you’re thinking… “What the heck is a UNC?” UNC stands for Universal Naming Convention. A UNC path is a way to identify a shared folder or file on another computer (like a server) without having to specify (or know) the drive letter it is on. UNC paths are usually identified by the two slashes that begin the path (see Figure below).

Before your head explodes, I’m going to simplify the situation. Before you point ACT! toward any shared folders, you should create, on each user’s machine, a mapped drive (mapping is assigning a drive letter alias to a UNC). Make it a point to use the same letter for each workgroup computer. When configuring ACT! on each user’s machine, you should absolutely NOT point the program to a shared folder using “Network Neighborhood” or “My Network Places.” Use only the mapped locations. The exception to this rule is Synchronization Users who will have their own local copy of all of the files.

• Does the server on which your ACT! files will be stored already run a resource intensive program? If the server runs programs like Microsoft Exchange Server, which are constantly “in motion” and using up system resources, reconsider keeping the ACT! database on that machine. Your shared database needs as much of the server’s attention as it can get. If you have an alternative, store the ACT! data on a machine dedicated to data storage only.

4 -- Sync Preparation

If you will be administering Synchronization, you have an additional set of issues to consider.

• Identify your sync users. It is common to have some users who will always access the database directly from the network, some who spend part of the time connected to the network and part of the time on the road, and some users who never visit the office but still need access to current ACT! data. For the “disconnected users,” synchronization is the only option that will allow them to keep their ACT! data with them wherever they go. If a sync user is frequently in the office and connected to the network, you might consider a shared folder synchronization; if they are seldom in the office, email sync is your best option.
• If you have shared folder sync users, you will need to prepare a folder for each user in the shared drive. When you define synchronization, you will send their sync packets to their individual folders (Figure below). Again make sure the users have rights to these folders.

• When setting up email synchronization, make sure you have a list of the addresses of each of the email sync users. If you will be performing the synchronization for the master database, your email will do. If your email setup makes it possible, I recommend setting up a dedicated address to which the remote users can send their syncs, something like actsync@yourcompany.com. This can help make the Administrator role more “­portable.”
• n Learn the proper technique for creating remote databases, and develop a plan to provide remote users with replacements, should their data get lost or damaged. An incorrectly created remote database can cause all kinds of problems, not the least of which is the “Evil Twin” phenomenon. Keep in mind when replacing a database completely, the user will need not only the data, but the layouts, reports, and other supporting files. Getting large databases to remote users can be difficult. Sometimes you can email them; other times you may have to send them on a CD.

5 -- Implementation

You have planned carefully, your database is appropriately modified, data has been imported, the database and shared files are in their network folders, and you are ready to roll ACT! out.

• You will need to install ACT! on each user’s computer. Installation is not difficult, and on a network you can copy the installation files to a shared drive and install it on each computer directly from the network (this saves lugging that heavy CD around with you). I know that I’ve said it before, but make very sure you have appropriate licenses before you begin a workgroup installation. If you enter a 5-user license number for a 10-user network, you have not only broken the law, but at some point, a user who needs to gain access to the database will be refused because 5 other users are already accessing. Stay legal (regarding licenses) and stay happy.
• Installation is easy and so is configuration. Make sure to check and change program options on each machine. You will need to point ACT! to the shared network folders (non sync users), set the word processor, etc. As each installation is complete, be sure to open the database (login as that machine’s user), display the appropriate layout, and close the program before you move on to the next install. That way, when the user runs ACT! for the first time, they will be greeted with their user name and an appropriate layout.
• If you are using add-ins, make sure to install each one on each user’s ­machine.
• If the user will be a synchronization user, you will not point ACT! to the network; instead, you will copy their specially prepared sync database and the supporting files to the standard folders on their computers.

6 -- Training

Now here is an area that is dear to my heart. Too many times we play down the need for training. “My users are computer literate.” Great! “ACT! is just so easy to use that they can figure it out on their own.” Fabulous! But neither argument holds water. For any business solution to be successful, you must train the users. They can argue they don’t need training or there is no time, but don’t listen. Lack of understanding on the part of end users always carries a higher cost to them and you, than spending four to eight hours making sure all the users know how you want them to use ACT!. Remind them that they are part of a workgroup, and as such, have a responsibility to other users as well as themselves.

• Make sure your training emphasizes the Standards you developed during the planning stages. For example, never enter a new contact without first doing a lookup to make sure they are not already there. Teach your users to use the “Duplicate Contact” command to add new contacts to existing companies. These two things alone can save them unnecessary input and you hours of dealing with duplicate records.
• Teach your users to input data to a specific standard. Provide them with clearly written documentation of these standards. For example: Do not enter data in all uppercase. ALBERT EINSTEIN is not acceptable, while Albert Einstein is. Include instructions on how company names should be entered (Type “Inc.” not “Incorporated” for example).
  n Effective training is almost as hard to do as Comedy. If you are not a training professional, consider getting in touch with an ACC or an ACT! Premier Trainer (APT). You can find a list of these consultants on the ACT! website at http://www.act.com/. Click on the ACT! USER COMMUNITY menu link to find a list.
• If you are doing formal classroom training, you might consider purchasing courseware guides to give to your users. A well written guide will not only help structure the class, but provide the users with a reference later (when they forget everything they were taught). One source for such guides is Cornerstone Solutions at http://cornerstonesolutions.com.
  One of your ongoing administrative challenges will be data integrity. A little bit of time training users what is expected of them can make the difference between a useful efficient database and a chaotic mess of garbage.

7 -- Maintenance

If you wish to keep the job of Administrator as trouble free as possible, you need to perform regular maintenance on your data. There is more to maintenance than the all important Compress and Reindex.

• First, don’t forget to Compress and Reindex on a regular schedule (this message was brought to your by your department of redundancy department).
  When a user reports an ACT! error, don’t let them off with “ACT!’s not working.” You need to know what happened, what they were doing when it happened, what error messages were displayed (and I don’t mean “it said something about an illegal something or other”). Require details, and see if the problem can be reliably reproduced. It is only with clear, accurate information that you have any hope of dealing with the occasional troublesome installation. Give the users a log sheet and have them write down the details of the problem each time it occurs.
• Get to know ACTDiag. This invaluable utility can help you diagnose and repair many of the most common problems.
• Deal with the Opportunistic Locking problem. If you don’t know what I mean, you are not alone. Opportunistic Locking is trouble – that’s what it is! Computers running Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP all have Opportunistic Locking enabled by default. When it is enabled, it can cause performance issues and corruption in shared ACT! databases. It needs to be disabled on each machine running the affected OS’s and on the server (even if ACT! is not installed). The ACTDiag can do this for you. You will find the command in the Options menu. If you don’t have ACT! installed on your server, you can install ACT!, run ACTDiag and then uninstall ACT!. It is also possible to disable the program manually, by editing the registry (I do not recommend this unless you really know what you’re doing… really, don’t do it!).
• Back up your database. When done properly, this is the most important thing you can do to prevent data loss. Don’t fall into the trap of depending on the system tape backup. Do your own, or purchase an add-in that will do it for you. Don’t let one backup overwrite the last one, save each to different file names or different folders, and keep at least the last 14 backups available to you. More than once, I have been unable to help clients recover their data because they replaced their last good backup with a backup of their damaged data. Don’t let it happen to you.
• Keep a log on everything you do. Keep a backup Log, a Maintenance Log, an Error Log, along with a List of users, and document changes you made to the ACT! program configuration, so that you can reproduce them. Cornerstone Solutions, Inc. has created an ACT! Maintenance Manual that is highly recommended for anyone who has to keep track of all of these things. It includes log sheets to keep track of backup activity, errors, user setups, and database/program customizations, as well as well written instruction on how to create users, compress and reindex, and many other common (but easily forgotten tasks); it is an invaluable reference for any Administrator. Information on purchasing the ACT! Maintenance Manual is available on Cornerstone’s Website at http://cornerstonesolutions.com/actcourseware.html. It can make the often overwhelming task of documentation much easier, and the more you document, the easier it will be to return to normal, should database Armageddon strike.

Depending on your setup and size, there can be a lot to administering an ACT! workgroup database. If you have only one or two users, it’s a pretty simple job, but add in synchronization and the inevitable company growth that comes from the proper use of ACT!, and it can become more than just a part-time job. If you take the time to carefully plan your implementation, train your users, and give maintenance its due, you will be the master of the database, instead of the database mastering you. (I have no idea what that means but it sounds good doesn’t it?)

Scott is an ACC with Cornerstone Solutions, Inc

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