Constituent ID

Jonelle Secard

How do I "turn on" the RE generate ID field to show those numbers?


When we first started using RE, we put in our own code to indicate our members.  Now we don't need that personalized code anymore and find it would probably be more useful to use the auto-generated numbers for everyone. 


Do I have to remove our code first?  and  How do I make the ID # visible in the records?

JoAnn Strommen

There are two IDs in RE for each record. The ID and the Import ID. The ones you carried over could be used for either of these or for both. Ours were imported in both when we converted.


To make changes to ID's you have to have the rights to get to Configuration > Business Rules > Generate IDs. All the check boxes and options are there.


Not sure if there's an option to not display on records. The ID field appears on all our constituent records directly below Maiden Name, above Gender. Has that field been re-purposed or hidden for you? In Config, go to Fields > Constituent and look for ID, see if it's marked hidden. If so, uncheck that box.


To see the Import ID you need to click File > Properties. It is not displayed on the record and I don't think you can format it to be.

Jonelle Secard

JoAnn Strommen:

There are two IDs in RE for each record. The ID and the Import ID. The ones you carried over could be used for either of these or for both. Ours were imported in both when we converted.


To make changes to ID's you have to have the rights to get to Configuration > Business Rules > Generate IDs. All the check boxes and options are there.


Not sure if there's an option to not display on records. The ID field appears on all our constituent records directly below Maiden Name, above Gender. Has that field been re-purposed or hidden for you? In Config, go to Fields > Constituent and look for ID, see if it's marked hidden. If so, uncheck that box.


To see the Import ID you need to click File > Properties. It is not displayed on the record and I don't think you can format it to be.

Thank you, JoAnn.  I didn't know there were TWO IDs.  I thought they were the same.   Ours has never been visible.  I will check out your suggestions.  Thank you!

Jen Claudy

Config > Fields > Constituent > ID > uncheck [Hidden] to display the [Constituent ID] Field

 

Jonelle Secard

Thanks JoAnn and Jen


The ID field has no check boxes at all.  

Jen Claudy

Jonelle Secard:

Thanks JoAnn and Jen


The ID field has no check boxes at all.  

You might want to consider making it a Required Field as well.  Unless you have some process that would no longer work properly.

Jonelle Secard

Problem is that the field has never worked in the way it is supposed to, so I'm thinking that it was turned off on purpose when it was set up.  We did use the field for purposes of identifying members for a number of years.  


When I run a query on these ids, everyone has a constituent id # except those who we manually gave an id.  


 

JoAnn Strommen

Jonelle Secard:

Problem is that the field has never worked in the way it is supposed to, so I'm thinking that it was turned off on purpose when it was set up.  We did use the field for purposes of identifying members for a number of years.  


When I run a query on these ids, everyone has a constituent id # except those who we manually gave an id.  


 

I'm getting lost in this now. You posted the ID field has no check boxes. Are do you have the rights needed to access that area?


You should definitely have the ID on all records. Often the only easy way to update/import data to records. As it's such a key field I don't know that it can be 'shut off.' If you used it for years, how could it have been shut off at set up?


I'm guessing when you started using RE your own coding was entered in as Import ID if you are saying the 'manual' records have no ID. May have been a mistake mapping it. You could run an export of both ID fields and copy the import ID into the ID field.


 

Jonelle Secard

From what I understand, the constituent ID is the one that should be visible.  Maybe I have that wrong.


I do have permissions to see and check boxes.  No boxes were checked, but the field is visible.  I tried hiding the field, then logging out.  The field disappeared.  So I unchecked hidden and the field re-appeared. There is definitely something strange about this. 


I got import IDs on everyone in my query.  It is the constituent ID which we manually entered which has over-ridden the normal # in that field. But only the manual IDs are visible in the record itself.


I have found that, under Business Rules in Config, the box for Constituent ID is unchecked.  I am thinking that I could probably make the system start generating IDs for new constituents.  I am trying to find a way to get my existing database to show IDs as only the manually entered ones are showing now.

JoAnn Strommen

Yes, constituent ID should show on bio/org 1 tab.


In configuration, boxes do not have to be checked for a field to show.


If you truly have records without a constituent ID you may want to contact support to see if you can get them auto generated, if you can copy via export/import the Import IDs, or if you will need to export blank records, manually create IDs and import them back in as updates to records. Importing them back you'd have to use import ID field to map them to if you're not just random with IDs.  I think I'd contact support. They can screen share and see exactly what your issues are.

Jonelle Secard

Thank you, JoAnn.  I contacted support and have an active case number.  They suggested that I contact the original admin of our system to see if she remembered if there was a reason why we didn't have IDs.  She does not.  Meanwhile, you and Jen have been trying to help me so I am glad to have your ideas when I go back to them.  They seemed befuddled by the problem, too.