Other Contacts

Other Contacts



Other Contacts Management

Overview

The Other Contacts module is a specialized address book for managing individuals who are not primary parents, staff, or learners but still require communication from the school. This includes sports coaches, extra-mural tutors, contractors, or creditors.

My School > Other Contacts

Purpose of Feature

  • Communication: Enables the school to send direct or broadcast messages via SMS, email, or the d6 Connect app.

  • d6 Connect Integration: Staff members must be added to "Other Contacts" to view school content on the d6 Connect app. A small mobile phone icon next to a name indicates the contact is registered on the app.

  • Organization: Categorizes external stakeholders by designation (e.g., "Hockey Coach") for targeted messaging.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Adding and Managing Contacts

  • To Add: Click Add, complete the compulsory fields (Title, Name, Surname, Gender, Language, and Mobile/Email), and assign a Reference (e.g., "Accountant"). Click Save.

  • To Edit: Click on the contact name, click Edit, update the profile, and click Save.

  • To Delete: Click on the contact, click Delete, and confirm with OK.

2. Bulk Importing Contacts

To save time, you can import contacts using an Excel template or a CSV file (exported from Outlook or Gmail).

  1. Download Template: Click the Template file link in Other Contacts to download ImportExcelTemplate.xlsx.

  2. Prepare Data: * Leave Entity ID blank for new contacts.

    • Country code must be digits only (e.g., 27, not +27).

    • Include at least one contact method (Email or Mobile).

  3. Upload:

    • Unlink existing channels: Tick this if you want to reset their channel assignments.

    • Clear records: Tick this only if you want to wipe the current list and start fresh.

  4. Process: Click Import. You will be redirected to the Import Queue.

3. Using the Import Queue

The system processes large lists in the background. You can monitor progress via My School > Other Contacts > View Import Queue.

  • Unprocessed: Records with errors or waiting to be imported. Click Process Valid to ignore errors and import the "clean" records.

  • Import Error: View the Reason column to see why a record failed (e.g., "Invalid ID Number").

Communicating with Other Contacts

Multi-Platform Messaging

Go to My School > Communication > Multi-platform Communication. You can select Other Contacts as your target audience to send bulk updates.

Direct Messages on d6 Connect

  1. Go to My School > Communication > d6 Connect news item.

  2. Click New Message > Recipients.

  3. Select Direct Message and choose Other Contacts in the "For" field.

Channel Assignment

To organize contacts into specific groups (e.g., all "Winter Sports Coaches"):

  1. Go to Communication Channels > Own Channels.

  2. Click Add Channel, tick the Other Contacts box, and move the selected individuals to the right-hand column.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I invite Other Contacts to use the d6 Connect App? Go to My School > Communication > d6 Connect Setup > Takeup. Use the Roll-out Launch System. If the contact has an ID number loaded that matches their staff profile, they will be invited alongside unregistered parents.

Can I export this list for external use? Yes, if you have Excel Export rights, click the Export button on the Other Contacts page to generate a spreadsheet.

Why are my CSV contacts not importing correctly? Check your Field Delimiter (usually a comma , or semicolon ;) and Enclosure Character (usually "). If a name like "van der Merwe" is being split into multiple columns, ensure it is enclosed in quotes.

Restrictions & Reasons

1. Data Validation

  • Restriction: The system requires a Title, Gender, and a 13-digit SA ID number for specific roll-out functions.

  • Reason: These fields are necessary to prevent duplicate profiles and to ensure legal compliance for electronic communications.

2. Export Rights

  • Restriction: The "Export" button is only visible to users with specific administrative permissions.

  • Reason: To comply with POPIA/GDPR data privacy regulations, sensitive contact information cannot be downloaded by unauthorized staff.


© Copyright d6 group (Pty) Ltd.

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