With VolunteerMatters Pro the admin menu includes links to convert the scan data to attendance and/or volunteer interactions.
The first icon “Sessions” allows you to view each session file that had been previously uploaded from a handheld scanner during the synchronization process. Each session file actually contains a batch of individual scans, each with its own date, time and attendance ID. The first goal is to validate and process the session files. This will extract each individual scan and match it with a contact in the database.
The second icon “Scan Data” will allow you to convert the scan data for each individual into either attendance or volunteer interactions
"Sessions" Validate and Process Scan Session Files
After you have successfully “Synchronized with Server” from your portable scanning device, all session data files will be moved from your local device over the Internet to your VolunteerMatters system. You may navigate to Admin > Sessions to view the list of all session files that had previously been “synchronized” with the server and are awaiting conversion to VolunteerMatters interactions and/or requirement fulfillments.
Edit
You may click edit to the right of the session to override the session name and/or scanner name that was assigned at the time the scans were made.
You may want to update the session name and device name that was set at the time of the scan by the device operator to something more consistent with common naming practices. For example, you may have three people using three different devices recording attendance to the same “January General Meeting”. One person may name their session “Jan Gen Member Meeting”, a second person may call it “January GMM”, and another may name the session “JAN 15 Gen Meet”. Overriding session names and device names allows you to be more consistent in naming for common events and programs.
Process
Click process to accept the scan session and make it available for conversion to VolunteerMatters interactions
"Scan Data" Generate VolunteerMatters Interactions
VolunteerMatters allows you to store “Interactions” in a contact’s record. There are several types of interactions including:
- Communication
- Attendance
- Volunteer
VolunteerMatters provides tools to convert scan data to either Attendance or Volunteer Interactions. Attendance interactions are for those events where you want to record whether or not the person attended (typically one scan per event). Attendance interactions allow you to record an event name, attendance type (customizable), date, time, and notes. If you had in and out scan times this could be set to appear in the notes field.
Volunteer interactions are for those events where you want to track the start time and end time a person volunteered (typically two or more scans per event for in and out times). Volunteer interactions allow you to record an event name, attendance type (customizable), date, start time, end time, and notes.
View
From Admin > Scan Data you may view a listing of all scan data that has yet to be associated with a contact interaction. In the list you will notice session name, scanner name, scan date and time, scan status, the associated contact’s ID and name.
NOTE: If there are listings without a contact’s name or ID this means that the scanned barcode has not yet been associated with a contact.
Filter
Your first step should be to narrow the list of scans to only include scans that would be processed similarly.
You can do this by filtering on the scan data (session name, scanner name, scan date, scan data, scan status contact first and last name, and member ID). For example, you could filter to only include scans that have the session name “January General Meeting”.
Scan View
You may view the data in two modes, “Scan View” and “In/out View”. Scan view lists the event scans as single scans assuming one scan per event. This is the view that is typically used when generating attendance interactions. This view allows you to change the sort order of scan records.
In/out View
The “In/out View” pairs scans assuming that the odd number scans (first, third, fifth, etc.) scans for a contact on a specific date is a start time and the even numbered scans on that date for that contact are end times. This is the view that is typically used when generating volunteer interactions.
Edit
Clicking edit to the right of a specific scan will allow you to edit a single scan. Clicking “Mass Edit” will allow you to edit all scans included in the filter. When editing scans you may delete the scan, or update the scan(s) status to “ignore” or “new”. Those scans marked as ignore will not be included in processing and those marked as new will be processed.
Process
Before clicking “Process” make sure you are in the proper view mode (in/out or scan view). The view selected prior to clicking “Process” will determine if the system should bundle in and out scans. If you are in Scan View prior to clicking “Process”, the system will treat each scan record as a unique interaction. If you are in In/Out View prior to clicking “Process”, the system will bundle scans to pair in and out scans and record the pair as a single interaction. If you process scans in “In/out View” it will only process those scans that have been paired. In other words, it will not process scans that have an “in”, but no “out” scan. These would have to be processed in “Scan View”.
Clicking “Process” will prompt for the type of interaction you would like to create (Attendance or Volunteer).
- Options on Attendance Interactions:
- Attendance Date and Time – You may use the actual scan dates and times or manually set dates and times for all scans to the same value. This is especially important when using paper-based sign in sheets. If today you were to scan a sign in sheet from several days prior, the scans would have today’s date and time. You would want to override the scan date and time with the event’s actual date and time.
- Attendance Type – Select from one of the attendance interaction types (customizable within VolunteerMatters configuration)
- Subject – Enter a descriptive subject of the attendance interaction
- Scan Session Name – Choose not to use the scan session name or prepend/append it to the interaction subject.
- Notes – Enter any relevant notes about this interaction
- Append to Notes – Choose one or more scan data elements (session name, scanner name, and/or scan time) from the scan to append to the interaction notes
- Options on Volunteer Interactions:
- Volunteer Date, Start Time, Stop Time – You may use the actual scan dates and in/out times or use set dates, start times and end times for all scans to the same values. This is especially important when using paper-based sign in sheets. If today you were to scan a sign in sheet from several days prior, the scans would have today’s date and time. You would want to override the scan date and time with the event’s actual date and time.
- Volunteer Type – Select from one of the volunteer interaction types (customizable within VolunteerMatters configuration)
- Subject – Enter a descriptive subject of the volunteer interaction
- Scan Session Name – Choose not to use the scan session name or prepend/append it to the interaction subject.
- Notes – Enter any relevant notes about this interaction
- Append to Notes – Choose one or more data elements (session name, scanner name, and/or scan time) from the scan to append to the interaction notes.
Click “Process” to generate interactions with the above settings.
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