An activity is a record of communication with a client. This includes schedule items, activity plans, tasks, documents, emails, and call records. Activities are also known as interactions. Activities can be single events, such as a schedule item reminding you to call a client, or they can be recurring events, such as a weekly status meeting.

Activities journal

You can view and access a contact's past and upcoming activities in the Activities subtab of the Journal tab on the Contacts workspace, called the Activities journal. The activities list in the Activities journal displays the following:

• All past activities.
• All upcoming one-time (non-recurring) activities.
• All recurring activities scheduled for up to two weeks in the future.

Occurrences of recurring activities that take place more than two weeks in the future do not appear in the Journal tab, though they may appear in other workspaces and zones, such as the Schedule workspace. This behavior helps streamline the Activities journal by limiting the number of regularly occurring future actions displayed.

Activities tabs in other workspaces

You can also see activities in other locations in NexJ CRM .

• You can see activities associated with a specific opportunity in the Activities tab on the Opportunities workspace.
• You can see activities associated with a specific lead in the Activities tab on the Leads workspace.

Adding activities

You can add an activity, such as an activity plan, document, schedule item, or task to a contact's profile.

To add an activity:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact you want add an activity for.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Journal tab, in the Activities subtab, click Add   and select an activity type.
   The Add dialog opens.
4. Fill in the fields with details for each tab as necessary.

   Note that the default values for the For and Assign To fields are the selected contact and you, respectively. The Assign To field is used to assign the activity to a NexJ CRM user or multiple users, and the For field is used to associate the activity with any other related contacts.

   If you are adding a large note and you want to view the entire note and edit it, click View/Edit Full Notes .

   For more information about schedule items and tasks, see Managing your schedule and tasks .

5. Click OK .
   If a notification rule applies to the activity, the Notifications dialog opens and displays notification recipients. Otherwise, the Add dialog closes.

6. [Optional] In the Notifications dialog, do any of the following:

   If adding recipients to the notification is enabled, the Add button is available. If disabling notifications delivery is enabled, the Enabled checkboxes are available.

   1. To add a user or user group to the notification, click the Add button and select User or User Group . In the dialog that opens, select a user or group from the list, then click OK .
      The dialog closes and the user or group is added to the list of recipients in the Notifications dialog.
   2. To disable delivery of the notification for a user, clear the Enabled checkbox for the user that you want disable delivery for.
   3. In the Notifications dialog, click OK .
      The Notifications and Add dialogs close and notifications are sent to notification recipients.

The activity is now created. If you added an activity plan, more than one activity may be created.

Viewing activity details

View the properties of an activity in the Activities journal by double-clicking it, or by clicking its Action button and selecting Properties . You can view the notes for each activity in the activity list if desired by clicking the Options button  and selecting List Mode & Show Notes .

Once you have completed an activity, you can also change its status to Completed by clicking its Action button  and selecting Mark as Complete .

Showing and hiding activity notes

Notes for activities in the Activities journal are hidden by default. Show them using the List Mode & Show Notes menu item.

To show or hide notes in the Activities journal:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact you want to review activities for.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. Click the Journal tab, and then click the Activities subtab.
   The activities list displays.
4. Do one of the following:
   • To show notes for all activities, in the activities list, click the Options button  and select List Mode & Show Notes .
   • To hide notes for all activities, in the activities list, click the Options button  and select List Mode .

The notes for all the activities in the list are displayed or hidden, depending on your selection.

Adding attachments to activities

You can add an attachment, such as a document or an image, to an activity.

To add an attachment to an activity:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the desired contact.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Journal tab, click the Activities subtab.
4. Click the Action button  for your desired activity and select Edit .
   The Edit dialog opens.
5. Click the Attachments tab and click the Add Attachment button .
   The Browse field and Browse button appear in the attachments list.
6. Click Browse , select the file you want to attach, and click Open .
7. Click OK .
   The Edit dialog closes.

The attachment is now added to the activity.

You may add multiple attachments to an activity by repeating these steps.

Sending emails related to activities

Send an email for an activity to discuss the related activity with the people involved. The system addresses the email to everyone from the related activity's For and Assign To fields. For example, to discuss an upcoming meeting with its attendees, send an email based on the meeting's schedule item.

To send an email related to an activity:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact associated with the activity for which you want to send an email.
   The contact's profile displays.
3. In the Journal tab, select the Activities subtab.
4. Click the Action button  for the activity to send an email for, then select Email .
   The Email Properties dialog opens. Fields in the dialog populate with information from the activity.
5. Review and complete the fields in the dialog:
   To
   The recipient of the email. Populates with the default email address of all contacts in the activity's For field. To add a recipient, enter the contact's email address in the field, separated by a semi-colon.
   CC
   Recipients copied on the email. Populates with the default email address of all users in the activity's Assign To field. To add a copied recipient, enter the contact's email address in the field, separated by a semi-colon.
   Subject
   The subject line of the email. Populates with the activity's description.
   Attachments
   Documents included with the email. Populates with the attachments from the activity. You cannot manually add or remove attachments from the email.
   Body
   The body text of the email. You can use the toolbar at the top of the field to format the text as rich text with styles such as bolding, italics, bullet points, and hyperlinks. You can also copy and paste formatted text into the field. You can also click the Image button in the toolbar and upload images from your computer to use in email signatures. The images cannot exceed 2MB in size. The images must be in JPG, JPEG, or PNG format. To specify additional image settings, navigate to the Advanced tab. For example, you can specify the size of an image and its alignment.
   Priority
   The priority of the email record. Populates with category B by default.

6. [Optional] To add your email signature, select Include Email Signature . To modify your email signature, click Manage Email Signature .

   You can create an email signature from the User Preferences dialog.

7. [Optional] Select Mark as Complete to set the activity's status to Completed when the email sends.
8. [Optional] To preview the email before sending it to email recipients, click Send a Draft Email to send the email to your email address. If there are merge fields in the email body and attachments, they are personalized using the information from one of the email recipients.
   After you click Send a Draft Email , a message displays stating that you have sent an email to your email address. Click OK to continue.
9. Click Send Email .

The email is sent to the email addresses in the To and CC fields. The activity's attachments are included in the email.

Filtering the journal activities list

In the Activities journal, you can use a user-defined filter or additional filter criteria to look for specific activities.

The filter field is located above the activities list, next to the Description field. It displays the user-defined filter that has been applied to the current results. To see additional filter criteria, click the Show More Filters button.

To search for an activity in the activities list:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the desired contact.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Journal tab, click the Activities subtab.
4. Verify that the correct user-defined filter has been applied to the activities list.
   You can change the filter by clicking the Set Filter button  in the filter field. The Set Filter menu contains your favourite saved filters. You can also select the following additional options:
   Other Filters
   Allows you to choose from the complete list of available saved filters.
   New Filter
   Allows you to create a new filter for your own use. You can run the filter immediately or save it to be reused later. In addition, if you have appropriate permissions, you can create a new filter to be shared with other users.
   Manage Filters
   Allows you to specify which saved filters should appear on the Set Filter menu, and in what order.
   You can modify the currently selected filter by clicking the Edit button in the filter field.
5. [Optional] To find activities that contain specified text in their descriptions, enter the text in the Description field.
6. [Optional] To filter by advanced search criteria, click the Show Filter button .
   The following filter criteria are available:
   Type
   Shows activities which are of the selected type. This type list is organized by high-level categories to make your searching easier. These categories are: Any Type, Schedule Items, Tasks, Activity Plans, Approval Plans, Opportunity Stage Activity Plans, Documents, Emails, Call Records, and Event Meetings.
   Status
   Shows activities with the selected status.
   Date
   Shows activities with a start date in the selected time frame.
7. Specify the filter search criteria you want to apply to the list.
   As you enter your search criteria, it displays as read-only text in the Filtered by field.
8. Click Run .

The activity list refreshes, displaying only those activities that match the specified filter criteria.

To clear the filter criteria on the lead list and display all leads, click Clear .

To hide the expanded filter criteria, click the Hide Filter button.

Related links

Adding new user-defined filters
Editing existing user-defined filters

Rolling up activities in an activity's journal

Activities can be rolled up across a department, company, or household, allowing you to see all of the activities for all members of a specific department or company. This is useful for getting an overview of what a department, company, or household is doing or has done in the past, rather than viewing the activities of each contact separately.

To roll up activities:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact for whom you want to review activities.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Journal tab, in the Activities subtab, select the activity you want to roll up.
4. Click the Options button  and select the Show Activities from Children menu item.
   The Activities journal displays the activities of all the children of the selected activity.
5. [Optional] Click the Show Activities from Children menu item again to deselect the menu item and return to the activities of the earlier individual contact.
   
   

Related links

Rolling up an activity summary

Deleting activities

You can delete an activity to remove it from the contact's Activities journal.

To delete an activity:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact for whom you want to delete an activity.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Journal tab, in the Activities subtab, click the Action button  for the activity you want to delete and select Delete.
4. In the confirmation dialog that opens, click Delete .

The activity is deleted from the contact's Activities journal.

Working with call records

A call record is an internal record documenting an interaction with a contact or lead. Like a schedule item, a task, or a document, a call record is considered a specific type of activity in NexJ CRM . It summarizes a meaningful interaction, such as a face-to-face conversation, a telephone call, or a meeting.

For example, a scheduled meeting might have some information associated with it, such as invitees, meeting time, and the agenda. You can use a call record to keep a summary of the meeting notes after the meeting, such as which invitees attended the meeting, which agenda items were actually discussed, and any outcomes. You can also create a call record without scheduling a meeting beforehand, for example to keep notes for a spontaneous conversation.

A call record is always associated with a contact or a lead directly. In addition, it can be related to another activity, such as a schedule item, a task, or a document.

If an activity has a call record associated with it, it displays the call record icon .

You can see call records in the following locations:

• You can see call records associated with a specific contact in the Activities subtab of the Journal tab on the Contacts workspace. This is also called the Activities journal for the contact.
• You can see call records associated with a specific opportunity in the Activities tab on the Opportunities workspace.
• You can see call records associated with a specific lead in the Activities tab on the Leads workspace.
• You can see call records associated with a specific schedule item in the calendar area of the Schedule workspace.
• You can see call records associated with a specific task in the Tasks tab or My Delegated Tasks tab on the Schedule workspace.

Several call record templates have been included by default. An administrative user with appropriate permissions can create new call record templates or modify existing templates. This is done in the NexJ Admin Console, on the Document Codes page, in the Activity Templates tab.

Creating call records associated with other activities

You can associate a call record with another activity. For example, you can add a call record to a meeting, to record the outcome of the meeting and the people involved in the discussion.

To create a call record associated with another activity:

1. Find the activity you want to associate with the call record and select Call Record .
   • To see activities associated with a contact (which can include a company), open the Activities subtab of the Journal tab on the Contacts workspace. Click the Action button  for the activity and select Add Call Record .
   • To see activities associated with an opportunity, open the Activities tab on the Opportunities workspace. Click the Action button  for the activity and select Call Record .
   • To see activities associated with a lead, open the Activities tab on the Leads workspace. Expand call records to find the options including Add Call Record .
   • To see your schedule items, navigate to the Schedule workspace and look in the calendar area. Right-click the schedule item name and select Add Call Record .
   • To see your tasks, navigate to the Schedule workspace and open the Tasks tab or the My Delegated Tasks tab. Click the Action button for the activity and select Add Call Record .

   The context menu appears, listing available call record types.

2. Select the call record type you want to add to the activity.
   The Edit dialog for the call record appears. Some required fields, such as Contact Date and Status , are prepopulated based on the activity.

3. Complete the dialog as required. Complete the following tabs.
   Detail
   Specify information about the call record, including the users and contacts involved, status, priority, and contact date. If you are adding a large note and you want to view the entire note and edit it, click View/Edit Full Notes.
   

   You must specify either one or more contacts in the For field in the Detail tab or a lead in the Lead field in the Related tab.

   
   Attendees
   This tab displays the contacts and users the item is associated with. You can add or remove contacts and users on this tab; these changes are reflected in the For and Assign To fields in the Detail tab.
   Related
   Specify any lead, campaign, opportunity, product, service request, or account related to the call record. You can also assign any follow-ups to the call record, such as additional schedule items, tasks, or documents.

   You must specify either a lead in the Lead field in the Related tab or one or more contacts in the For field in the Detail tab.

   
   Attachments
   Specify any attachments that should be included in the call record. An attachment can be any document or image. You can add, remove, and select attachments in the list area on the left. When you select an attachment, if a preview is available, it is displayed in the details area on the right.
   Security
   Specify the view and edit security settings for the call record. You can specify whether all users, a group of users, or only you can view or edit the call record.

   The Security tab is not available when the Hierarchical Access Model is enabled.

4. Click OK to save the call record.

The new call record has been created and associated with the activity. The call record now appears in the Activities journal for the contact or in the Activities tab for the lead or opportunity associated with the call record. The activity associated with the call record now displays the call record icon .

Creating standalone call records

You can create a call record and associate it directly with a contact, opportunity, or lead, without associating it with an activity.

To create a standalone call record:

1. Find the contact (which can include a company), opportunity, or lead you want to associate the call record with.
   • To find a contact, navigate to the Contacts workspace and open the Activities subtab of the Journal tab for the contact.
   • To find an opportunity, navigate to the Opportunities workspace and open the Activities tab for the opportunity.
   • To find a lead, navigate to the Leads workspace and open the Activities tab for the lead.
2. On the Activities tab, click the Add button  and select Call Record .
   The context menu appears, listing available call record types.
3. Select the call record type.
   The Edit dialog for the call record appears. Some required fields, such as Contact Date and Status , may be prepopulated.

4. Complete the dialog as required. Complete the following tabs.
   Detail
   Specify information about the call record, including the users and contacts involved, status, priority, and contact date. If you are adding a large note and you want to view the entire note and edit it, click View/Edit Full Notes.

   You must specify either one or more contacts in the For field in the Detail tab or a lead in the Lead field in the Related tab.

   Attendees
   This tab displays the contacts and users the item is associated with. You can add or remove contacts and users on this tab; these changes are reflected in the For and Assign To fields in the Detail tab.
   Related
   Specify any lead, campaign, opportunity, product, service request, or account related to the call record. You can also assign any follow-ups to the call record, such as additional schedule items, tasks, or documents.
   

   You must specify either a lead in the Lead field in the Related tab or one or more contacts in the For field in the Detail tab.

   Attachments
   Specify any attachments that should be included in the call record. An attachment can be any document or image. You can add, remove, and select attachments in the list area on the left. When you select an attachment, if a preview is available, it is displayed in the details area on the right.
   Security
   Specify the view and edit security settings for the call record. You can specify whether all users, a group of users, or only you can view or edit the call record.

   The Security tab is not available when the Hierarchical Access Model is enabled.

5. Click OK to save the call record.

The new call record has been created. The call record now appears in the Activities journal for the contact or in the Activities tab for the lead or opportunity associated with the call record.

Editing call records

You can update a call record after it has been created.

To edit a call record:

1. Find the call record you want to edit and open the Edit dialog for the call record.
   • To see call records associated with a contact (which can include a company), open the Activities subtab of the Journal tab on the Contacts workspace. You can use the Set Filter field to display only the call records and not other activities. Click the Action button for the call record and select Edit .
   • To see call records associated with an opportunity, open the Activities tab on the Opportunities workspace. You can use the Set Filter field to display only the call records and not other activities. Click the Action button for the call record and select Edit .
   • To see call records associated with a lead, open the Activities tab on the Leads workspace. Expand the call record and click Edit.

   The Edit dialog for the call record appears.

2. Complete the dialog as required. Complete the following tabs.

   Detail
   Specify information about the call record, including the users and contacts involved, status, priority, and contact date. If you are adding a large note and you want to view the entire note and edit it, click View/Edit Full Notes.
   

   You must specify either one or more contacts in the For field in the Detail tab or a lead in the Lead field in the Related tab.

   Attendees
   This tab displays the contacts and users the item is associated with. You can add or remove contacts and users on this tab; these changes are reflected in the For and Assign To fields in the Detail tab.
   Related
   Specify any lead, campaign, opportunity, product, service request, or account related to the call record. You can also assign any follow-ups to the call record, such as additional schedule items, tasks, or documents.

   You must specify either a lead in the Lead field in the Related tab or one or more contacts in the For field in the Detail tab.

   
   Attachments
   Specify any attachments that should be included in the call record. An attachment can be any document or image. You can add, remove, and select attachments in the list area on the left. When you select an attachment, if a preview is available, it is displayed in the details area on the right.
   Security
   Specify the view and edit security settings for the call record. You can specify whether all users, a group of users, or only you can view or edit the call record.

   The Security tab is not available when the Hierarchical Access Model is enabled.

3. Click OK to save the changes to the call record.

The call record has been updated. If you changed the contacts, opportunity or leads the call record is associated with, it will now appear on the appropriate workspaces.

Specifying view and edit security for activities

You can restrict viewing and editing of an activity to a group of users or to yourself.

Users who are assigned to the activity can always view or edit the activity, regardless of the security level that you set.

To specify view and edit security for an activity:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact that contains the activity that you want to apply security to.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. Click the Journal tab, and then click the Activities subtab.
   The activities list appears.
4. In the activities list, click the Action   button for an activity and select Edit .
   The Edit dialog opens.

5. In the Security tab, and under View Security, select one of the following options to specify which users can view the activity.

   The Security tab is not available when the Hierarchical Access Model is enabled.

   • Public
     All users can see the activity.

   • Group
     Only members of the specified user group can see the activity. To select a group:

     1. Click the Select button in the Group field.
        The Select User Group dialog opens.

     2. Enter the name of the group in the Name field, and click Find.

     3. Select the group you want to assign viewing access to, and click OK.
        The Select User Group dialog closes.

   • Private
     Only you can view the activity.

6. Under Edit Security, select one of the following options to specify which users can edit the activity.

   • Public
     All users can edit the activity.

   • Group
     Only members of the specified user group can edit the activity. To select a group:

     1. Click the Select button in the Group field.
        The Select User Group dialog opens.

     2. Enter the name of the group in the Name field, and click Find.

     3. Select the group you want to assign editing access to, and click OK.
        The Select User Group dialog closes.

   • Private
     Only you can edit the activity.

7. Click OK .
   The Edit dialog closes.

Security settings are updated for the activity.