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Member Explorer
Member Explorer was created so that a user has access to many datapoints related to the member record and they can view this data how they desire.
Using Search Bars
Each column of data contains a search bar and filtering option at the top. These allow you to define the criteria for finding and viewing data.
How to use columns and define search parameters for data
The following parameters can be set for each column of data by clicking on the kebab menu (3 circles) next to the column name.
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- Change column position - Move any column to your desired position by clicking and dragging the column name into another spot along the field.
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- Add/Delete data columns - Open the kebab menu and select "columns" to reveal a list of the data fields available to view and search. There are 60+ fields available to users. By checking and unchecking the boxes it will either add or delete that column of data from your search screen.
We recommend adding the columns Church ID and Church Name to allow filtering the church ID for other diocesan churches, to reduce duplication of families/members. And save the layout for your new default layout
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- Lock columns - To lock a single or multiple columns into place on your finder, choose "Set Column Position" from the kebab menu of the column you would like to lock in place, then select Lock Column. All columns will lock to the left side of the grid, and the column titles will be in bold font as shown below.
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- Sort by ascending or descending - To sort data within a specific column, choose Sort Ascending or Sort Descending from the kebab menu and a blue arrow will appear either pointing up or down to indicate you have made this selection.
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- Search for specific data within a column -Type information into the column’s search bar and then click on the filter icon (upside-down triangle). Or, in the kebab menu choose "Filter." Not all columns have a search bar, as they have predetermined values that you can select from a helpful drop-down menu.
For example, when searching deceased dates the options will be: Is Equal To, Is Not Equal To, Is After, Is Before or Equal, etc. When searching First Name the options will be: Contains, Is Equal To, Is Not Equal To.
Pro Tip: When filtering columns to show specific data, selecting the filter to sort column data that "contains" a certain specification entered will result in more entries rather than using "is equal to," which would only offer data that appears the exact same way the specified information was typed in the filter.
Layout
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Default Layout - This option will bring you back to the GabrielSoft default layout.
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Manage Layouts - This allows you to save up to 10 customized layouts. A saved layout will save the fields you have displayed on your screen, the ordering of these fields, and any filters you may have set. To add a saved layout, please do the following:
(1) Customize your screen however you'd like. You can add or remove certain fields, re-order the columns, and set filters.
(2) Then, select Layout > Manage Layouts.
(3) Click Add, type the name of this saved layout, and click Save.
Repeat Steps 1-3 up to 10 times to keep creating saved layouts. You can then toggle back and forth between your different layouts as well as the default layout. A checkmark will be displayed next to the saved layout you are currently using.
You can always delete, rename, or update a saved layout by selecting Layout > Manage Layouts. Within Manage Layouts, you also have the ability to customize the order in which your saved layouts appear. To do this, select the 3 horizontal bars next to your layout name, and drag it to the desired position.
To learn more about how to save layouts or to see it in action, please watch THIS video :)
Advanced Filter Tool
When selecting the Advanced filter from the Family Explorer toolbar, you’ll be able to define specific terms for pinpointing the exact data you desire. Simply select “Advanced” and then use the filtering toolbar’s three options.
Add Expression - Adding an expression allows you to choose specific criteria that helps to filter your data. Every time you select the Add Expression button, you will be given three fields to set your search criteria:
- Column name (e.g., First Name, Status, etc.)
- The rule for how data is to be determined (e.g., contains, is equal to, etc.)
- The words or fields within the column that you are searching for (e.g., "Thomas", "Mary", etc.).
Using CONTAINS vs. IS EQUAL TO It is important to remember when determining the rule for how column data is considered, selecting “contains” will offer you more results than selecting “Is equal to.” Selecting "equal to" would only filter results that have the column data exactly as you typed your specification. For example, if you have the rule set to filter for parishes that equal St. Thomas, you will only get results entered exactly as that. Data entries that would be excluded could contain parish names entered as Saint Thomas, St. Thomas Aquinas, or St. Thomas More.
Add Grouping - Adding a grouping to your filter specifications gives the option to fine-tune the results of a certain specification even further.
For example, if you are searching for members with the Last Name "Smith" OR "Johnson" and you want the "Johnson" families to only be from a "St. Mary" parish. Your filtration setting would be defined as: Select OR to identify two expressions that Last Name contains "Smith" OR "Johnson"; add a group underneath the "Johnson" specification to identify any Church Name that contains "Mary".
Pro Tip: After applying an advance filter, you can check and change it's settings by returning to them when clicking "Advance" in the Member Explorer toolbar.
Actions
The following action items appear in a dropdown: (1) Send Message, (2) Download CSV, and (3) Download Excel.
Note: You'll notice there are boxes next to the family names. GabrielSoft will do a desired action (e.g. send a message) to all families if you checking the box next to the Last Name heading. If you would like to only do the action for a specific family or families, you can check the boxes next to these families' names.
You will check the box next to the Last Name heading or check whichever boxes you desire, select Actions, then choose whichever item you wish to perform.
Send Message
Send an email to all members defined in your current search screen. In order for a member to receive the email, they must have the Email Notifications box checked and they must have a valid email address listed within the Member Record.
Note: Some members may have the Receive Family Alerts box checked. If this box is checked, it allows those members to receive any emails sent to their family through Family Explorer. This does not work in the reverse; emailing a member with Receive Family Alerts checked will not also send an email to the email address in their Family Record.
Download
Member Explorer allows users to download spreadsheets of all members and columns defined in your current search screen, which can be edited and converted to a table. There are two download options available in Member Explorer - Download CSV and Download Excel.
Download CSV will download a spreadsheet as a .csv file. CSV files are the files most often used in uploading information into and downloading information from GabrielSoft, but they do not save formatting changes (e.g. font, highlighting, tables). Download Excel will download a spreadsheet as a .xlsx file. XLSX files do save formatting changes, but may not be an acceptable file type to upload to other platforms, if needed.
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- Click on Families via the top navigation bar and select Member Explorer.
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If applicable, add/remove/reorder the fields listed, and sort/filter your data how you desire.
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