# Getting Started

Concord CRM consist of few main resources which are considered to be key to your sales process, as well includes other useful features like sending emails, activities, web forms, as most of the features are similar, we will try to explain in a more general way how to create, delete and update records for a resource and how to use common features between the resources.

## Create a Record

- When logged-in in Concord CRM, from the sidebar choose, Contacts, Companies or Deals.
- Depending on the record you want to create from the right side, click e.q. Create Contact.
- Based on the record you are trying to create, fill the form information.
- Click Create.

When a new record is created and the assigned owner is different from the creator, Concord CRM sends a notification to the new owner. This notification uses the User Assigned To Contact mail template.

The fields shown in create forms for Contacts, Companies and Deals can be modified in Settings -> Fields.

## Update a Record

Concord CRM offers several methods for updating records, such as through the detail view, index view, or using a floating modal.

### Update a Record via Detail View

To modify a record using the detail view:

1. Locate the record you wish to update. For example, in the contacts resource table, click on the contact's name.

2. Use the "Details" section on the left sidebar to start editing.

   If not all fields are initially visible (not collapsed), click the "X more fields" button at the top right of the detail card.

3. Edit Using Modal: Click the edit icon at the top right of the detail view to open a modal with all editable fields.

   Fields displayed in the detail view are determined by "detail" settings for the resource. Customize these in Settings -> Fields.

### Update a Record via Index View

1. In the resource index/table view, directly edit fields by clicking on the desired data column. If the field is editable, an edit button will appear at the end of the column.

### Monitoring Changes with Update Log

- Automatic Logging: Every time a team member changes information in a resource record, Concord CRM creates a log entry.
- Details in the Log: This log shows what was changed, who made the change, and when it happened.
- Benefits: This gives you a clear view of all updates made to a record, making it easier to track changes in the sales process.

Note: Changes in system and custom fields of the Textarea type are not recorded in the update log.

## Bulk Update Records

The Bulk Edit feature in Concord CRM allows you to edit multiple records at once, making data management efficient and time-saving.

This feature is especially useful when needing to update common data points across multiple records.

This guide will walk you through the steps on how to use this feature

1. Navigate to the Table View:
   - Begin by navigating to the table/index view where your records are displayed.
2. Select Records:
   - On the left side of the table, you will find checkboxes next to each record.
   - Select the checkboxes for the records you wish to edit. Once you select at least one record, the action selector will appear.
3. Initiate Bulk Edit:
   - Click on the action selector and choose the 'Bulk Edit' action. This will open a modal.
4. Choose Editing Preferences:
   - In the modal, you will see a list of fields. These fields are a mix of default CRM fields and any additional fields you or other users have configured.
   - For each field, you have two options:
     - Keep existing value: When selected, the existing values of this field will remain unchanged for all selected records.
     - Replace existing value with...: If selected, you can enter a new value which will replace the existing value of this field for all selected records.
5. Apply Changes:
   - Once you have configured all necessary fields, click on the 'Confirm' button to save your changes.
   - The selected records will now be updated as per your configurations.

### Resources with Update Log Support

The following resources support the update log feature:

- Contacts
- Companies
- Deals

## Delete Records

- Emails Retention: Deleting a deal, contact, or company does not remove associated emails from your mailbox.
- Associated Records: Deleting a record (like a contact) will not delete associated companies or deals. Concord CRM will dissociate them from the deleted contact, but they will remain accessible in the CRM. To remove associated companies and deals, you need to delete them manually. This applies to all record types.

Concord CRM provides multiple methods to delete resource records:

### Via Table Bulk Actions

1. In the record table, use the checkboxes on the left to select the records you wish to delete.
2. Choose the "Delete" option from the table actions dropdown.

### Via Table Inline Actions

1. In the resource table, click the "Trash" icon for each record you want to remove, located in the right-side actions column.

### When Viewing a Specific Record

1. When viewing a record (e.g., a contact), use the top actions dropdown and select the "Delete" action.

### Trashed Records

Concord CRM includes a trash feature for deleted resources. Here's how it works and how you can manage trashed records:

- Retention Period: Deleted records are kept in the trash for 30 days. After this period, they are automatically purged from the database.
- Restoration: If a record, like a contact, is deleted accidentally, you can restore it from the trash within the 30-day window.
- Manual Deletion: If needed, you can permanently delete records from the trash before the 30-day period ends.

#### Viewing Trashed Records

1. Go to the list view of the resource (e.g., contacts) whose trashed records you want to access.
2. Click the ellipsis (three dots) button at the top right corner.
3. Select Trashed to see the deleted records.

### Permanently Delete Trashed Records

If needed, you can manually delete trashed records permanently without waiting for the cron job to delete them. To manually delete the records, navigate to the resource trashed view. You can either delete all of the records with a single click or select specific records to delete.

- To delete all the trashed records at once, use the top right Empty Trash button.
- To delete only specific records, use the table checkboxes on the left side to select the records you want to delete and choose the Permanently Delete action.

### Restoring Trashed Records

Easily recover deleted records in Concord CRM through the resource's trashed view.

1. Access Trashed View:

   - Navigate to the section where your trashed records are located.

2. Select Records:

   - Use the checkboxes in the table to select the records you wish to restore.

3. Restore Records:

   - Choose the Restore action to recover the selected records.

### Resources With Trash Support

The following resources support the trash feature:

- Companies
- Contacts
- Deals
- Documents
- Products

## Understanding Primary Records

### Role of Primary Records

- In Concord CRM, the first contact associated with a company automatically becomes the primary contact for that company.
- The primary record is key in various functions like sending emails or activating workflows.

### How Primary Records Are Used

- For Emailing: If a company doesn't have an email address, Concord CRM will use the email of the primary contact.
- In Deals: Similarly, for a deal associated with contacts, the first contact linked becomes the primary one for that deal.

### General Usage

- This logic applies to all resources in Concord CRM.
- The first associated record in any category (contact, company, etc.) is considered the primary one and used accordingly in various functions.

## Notes

On each contact, company or deal you can add notes for the record you are viewing, the notes are used for personal usage for you and your team members to keep track of important notes for the record.

### Creating a Note

1. Go to Record Profile:

   - For instance, navigate to a contact's profile.

2. Open Notes Tab:

   - Click the Notes tab.

3. Add Note:

   - Click Add Note.
   - Type in your note.

4. Optional Follow-Up Task:

   - To create a related task, check Create Follow Up Task.
   - Choose a date for the task.

5. Save the Note:

   - Click Add Note to save.

Note: If you opt for a follow-up task, it will be set with the selected date and linked to the note creator.

Remember, all notes are visible to team members with access to the record.

### Using Mentions in Notes

- When adding a note to a record, you can mention a team member by typing `@` followed by their name.
- This feature is useful for drawing specific team members' attention to a note.

Before mentioning a team member, ensure they have access to the record. Only then can they view the note they're mentioned in.

### Editing and Deleting Notes

1. Access the Record:

   - Open the profile of the relevant record.

2. Go to Notes:

   - Click on the Notes tab.

3. Choose a Note:

   - Locate the note you want to edit or delete.

4. Edit or Delete:

   - Click the ellipsis (three dots) button at the top right of the note.
   - Select Edit or Delete as needed.

Only the creator of a note or a super admin can edit or delete it.

## Optimizing Sales with Record Associations

### The Flexibility of Associations

- Concord CRM allows you to link records to multiple resources, greatly organizing your sales data.
- For example, a single contact can be linked to various companies and deals.
- It's not limited to deals, companies and contacts, you can use associations with activities and documents.

### Practical Use Case

Suppose you're handling a deal that's connected to several companies or contacts.

- By associating the deal with relevant contacts and companies, you gain a comprehensive view.
- When you visit a company or contact profile, you'll see all information related to this deal.

### Benefits of Viewing Associated Records

- This association feature works both ways.
- When you're in the deal profile, you can see all the linked contacts and companies.
- Plus, you can communicate with all associated contacts directly from the deal profile.

This approach provides a more integrated view of your sales process, ensuring that all relevant information is easily accessible and interconnected.

### How to Associate Records

Follow these steps to link records such as contacts or companies to a deal:

1. Access the Deal Profile:

   - Open the deal profile where you want to add associations.

2. Adding a Contact:

   - To link a contact, click the Add Contact button.

3. Linking an Existing Contact:

   - If the contact already exists in Concord CRM, use the top search field to find and select them.

4. Creating and Associating a New Contact:

   - If you need to add a new contact, create them directly from the deal's profile page.
   - The new contact will be automatically linked to the deal.

5. Finalize the Association:

   - Click Create (for new contacts) or Associate (for existing contacts).

By following these steps, you can easily manage associations in Concord CRM, ensuring all relevant connections between deals, contacts, and companies are efficiently established and maintained.

## Customizing the List Active View

Concord CRM's list view offers extensive customization to align with your business processes, ensuring that you see the most relevant data for your operations.

### Personalizing Your View

- Sort Preferences:
  - Choose the default sorting criteria for your lists, such as "Created At" or "Deal Name", and the sort direction—ascending or descending.
- Visible Columns:
  - Select which fields or columns to display, like "Deal Name", "ID", "Amount", "Owner", and more, tailoring the list to show only necessary information.
- Items Per Page:
  - Decide how many records to display per page, allowing for easier navigation and a cleaner view.

### Adjusting List Settings

- Access the Resource List:

  - From the dashboard, go to the resource list you want to customize (e.g., Deals, Contacts).

- List Settings:

  - Look for the last column in the table, which contains an icon representing additional settings.
  - You will see a settings icon (typically represented by a gear), click on this icon to open the active view customization modal.

- Configure Sorting:

  - Set your preferred default sorting field and order to quickly find the most relevant entries.

- Manage Columns:

  - Check or uncheck the columns to either display or hide them in the list.
  - Rearrange columns by dragging them up or down, prioritizing the information as per your workflow needs.

- Pagination Control:

  - Select the number of items you wish to see per page from a dropdown menu for a more organized view.

- Maximum Table Height:

  - Specify a maximum height for the table to keep headings fixed and visible while scrolling through a long list of records.

- Additional Preferences:

  - Opt for a Condensed Table to fit more information on the screen.
  - Opt for inner Bordered Table to better separate the table data.
  - Configure Polling if you want the list to automatically check and display new records at set intervals.

### Confirming Your Customization

- Apply Changes:
  - Click Save to apply your new settings.
- Reset List View:
  - Click Reset to revert to the default settings.

### Resources That Support List View Customization

You can customize the list view for various resources, including:

- Contacts
- Companies
- Deals
- Documents
- Activities
- Products
- Users

## Understanding Record Tabs Badges

- In Concord CRM, each resource record (like a deal, company, or contact) has its own tabs based on its data.
- These tabs have badges next to their names, helping you and your sales team quickly see important numbers at a glance.

### What Each Badge Number Means

1. Activities Badge:

   - Shows how many unfinished activities are linked to this record.

2. Emails Badge:

   - Indicates the number of unread emails for the user.

3. Documents Badge:

   - If there are unsent documents, it shows how many need to be sent.
   - If all documents are sent, it displays the total number of documents linked to the record.

4. Calls Badge:

   - Represents the total number of calls (either logged or created) for this record.

5. Notes Badge:

   - Counts the total number of notes made for this record.