Updated August 15, 2017
This guide provides an overview of how to use the CRM to support Vocations business processes.
Daily and Weekly Tasks in the CRM
Vocations should check the following queues regularly:
- Applications (there are 2-3 Vocations-specific views):
- One view is of “Vocations Office applications” (registrations) awaiting action by either Vocations or the applicant
- One view is of chaplain candidate applications, requiring action either by the applicant, Vocations, or Chancery
- See below for more details about handling each type of application
- These queues warrant weekly, if not daily, attention.
- Old applications should be cleaned from the queue periodically by assigning an appropriate status (e.g., “Rejected” or another final status indicating it was never completed).
- Portal Messages:
- There is a Vocations Queue in the Portal Messages tab. These are messages submitted specifically to the Vocations Office by myAMS users, and should generally be responded to within a day.
- see CRM Basics for more details on managing Portal Messages
Working with Individuals in the Discernment Process
- Initial contact:
- If a prospect self-registers on the myAMS portal, a corresponding Individual record and an associated User record controlling their access to myAMS (with profile “Applicant”) will both be created automatically in the CRM.
- If Vocations wants to enter someone’s information before they self-register on myAMS, then create an Individual record for them. When it’s time to provide them with portal access, you can either create a User record and send them an invitation, or else wait for them to self-register and merge the duplicate Individual record that may result from this.
- Vocations application started:
- The individual begins the Vocation Office application on myAMS, and may do it over the course of multiple sessions at the computer. It will display as “In Progress” for both the applicant and Vocations until it is submitted.
- Upon submission, the status shows as “Submitted” and a notification is sent to Vocations indicating that it has been submitted and is ready for review. While in this status, it is not editable by the applicant.
- Vocations reviews application:
- On the Individual record, enter the Referral Source if it has not yet been entered
- Review the submitted application, and choose one of the following as appropriate:
- Missing Information:
- Change the Application status to “Missing Information”
- Email the applicant explaining what’s missing
- While in this status, the application can once again be edited by the applicant
- Accepted:
- Change the Application status to “Accepted”
- Email the applicant to inform him
- On the Individual record:
- indicate the Vocations Status (likely “Inquirer-Stage 1”) and Sub-Status
- change the Individual record type to “Vocations”
- generate a printed summary of the individual’s information using the Voc Status button
- Rejected:
- Change the Application status to “Rejected”
- Email the applicant to inform him
- On the Individual record, indicate the Vocations Status (“Out”) and Sub-Status
- Missing Information:
- Retreat #1:
- Create the retreat. From the Campaigns tab, create “New Campaign/Appeal” and then choose Record Type “Event”
- Enter the event title in Campaign Name, enter a date in Event Start Time, and change Status to “In Progress”
- Add inquirers to the retreat to indicate they’ve been (or will be) invited. Two methods for this:
- In bulk: From the Event record, click Manage Members. Select “Use Existing View” and choose “Vocations Candidates Stage 1”. Add this group to the event.
- One-by-one: From the Individual record, on the Campaign History related list. click “Add to Campaign/Appeal,” and search for and select the appropriate event. Add them with status “sent.” RSVP can be left blank or changed to “Attending,” “Maybe,” or “Declined,” as applicable.
- Create the retreat. From the Campaigns tab, create “New Campaign/Appeal” and then choose Record Type “Event”
- Post-retreat #1:
- Find the Event record. On the Campaign Members list, for each person who attended click edit, check the “Attended?” box for each person who attended, save and repeat.
- For individuals who attended, on the Individual record, change their Vocations Status to either “Inquirer – Stage 2” (for non-seminarians), or “In Processing” (for seminarians), or “Out.” Also, select the appropriate Sub-Status.
- If they’re “Out,” change the Individual record type as applicable (i.e. from “Vocations” to another appropriate record type).
- Pre-retreat #2:
- Use the Tasks functionality in the CRM if desired to track what follow-up to do with whom, and by when.
- Retreat #2:
- Follow the same steps used in creating retreat #1, just giving it a different name.
- Post-retreat #2:
- Find the Event record. On the Campaign Members list, for each person who attended click edit, check the “Attended?” box for each person who attended, save and repeat.
- For individuals who attended, on the Individual record, change their Vocations Status to either “In Processing” or “Out,” and select the appropriate Sub-Status.
- If they’re “Out,” change the Individual record type as applicable (i.e. from “Vocations” to another appropriate record type)
- CSP application:
- This application is handled offline, typically around the same time period the Chaplain Candidate application is being completed online.
- Note: there’s probably an opportunity here to use Conga to create letter templates that can more easily be generated to provide to the rector, bishop, etc.
- As letters are received for the CSP application:
- The corresponding boxes are checked on the Individual record. These checkboxes are only available on the Seminarian and Clergy page layouts.
- Note: this was previously tracked on the Vocations Office application, but is no longer.
- The received document is scanned and uploaded to the Notes & Attachments related list on the Individual record.
- The corresponding boxes are checked on the Individual record. These checkboxes are only available on the Seminarian and Clergy page layouts.
- Once approved:
- Change Vocations Status to “Chaplain Candidate” and Sub-Status to “CSP.”
- View the User (portal login) associated with the Individual’s record, and change the portal profile to “Seminarian”
- Create a (multi-year) Assignment record at the seminary he is attending
- During the summer, track the summer assignment as a (short-term) Assignment record
- This application is handled offline, typically around the same time period the Chaplain Candidate application is being completed online.
- Chaplain Candidate application:
- The chaplain candidate application is completed from the myAMS portal. They may save it while still in progress so they can complete it in multiple sessions, but once they submit it Vocations and Chancery will receive an email notification about it.
- Vocations can view applications awaiting action by going to the Applications tab and selecting one of these views:
- “Vocations Queue Applications”: applications in the Vocations Queue, awaiting review and approval by Vocations
- “Vocations CC Endorsement”: chaplain candidate applications in the Chancery Queue, some of which may still need endorsement/approval from Vocations (as indicated by the Vocations Approval column)
- “All Vocations Applications – All Status”: a full list of all applications, of any status, in which Vocations has a role
- As documents are returned for the chaplain candidate application:
- which fields to complete?
- Note: need to figure this out….is Vocations using 1) the same fields (on the Individual record) that are used for the CSP application, 2) fields in the Application Checklist section of the chaplain candidate application, or 3) fields in the Application Tasks section of the chaplain candidate application?
- When all have been returned and are sufficient, Vocations checks the ‘Vocations Approval’ box on the application.
- which fields to complete?
- Application approval/rejection is managed by Chancery.
- If their application is denied:
- Chancery should change Vocations Status to “Out” and indicate the reason in Sub-type
- Change Individual record type (to “Layperson” or “Other Religious”) if necessary. Or keep it as Vocations if Vocations wants to keep the individual on its radar for a potential re-application in the future.
- Tracking seminarians and CSP priests:
- Assignments should be created and managed for any individual once they have completed a Vocations Office application and remain in the program, including:
- Seminary attendance for CSP’s
- Summer assignments for CSP’s
- Post-ordination assignments for chaplain candidates
- Assignments are not tracked for:
- Individuals still completing a military obligation (their current obligation is already listed on their Vocations Office application)
- Non-CSP seminarians
- Current Year should be tracked for all CSP’s on the Individual record
- Various dates (diaconal and presbyterial ordination and others) are tracked on the Individual record.
- Projected dates should be entered initially, and then confirmed dates as the time approaches. Use the ‘anticipated’ checkboxes by each date to indicate when it’s an estimated date versus an actual date.
- Assignments should be created and managed for any individual once they have completed a Vocations Office application and remain in the program, including:
Email Inquirers/Prospects as a Group
- [IN DEVELOPMENT – this is best done either through Salesforce mass email (for which campaigns or mass email views first need to be setup), or perhaps through Outlook (though this will involve more copy and paste of email addresses).]
Track Interactions with Prospect
- Phone interaction with a prospect may be tracked as Activities in the CRM, if desired.
- Emails may be tracked in the CRM by either bcc’ing Salesforce when emailing from Outlook (talk to the AMS Systems Manager for the address), by sending the email from Salesforce itself, or by using the Salesforce for Outlook plugin and associating the sent email with the proper Individual record.
- Notes are best entered on the Individual’s record, in the AMS Notes (i.e., not Notes & Attachments) related list. Create a note of type “Applicant” for visibility only by Vocations and Chancery.