Automatic Follow-Ups

"Automatic Follow-Ups" is an optional setting which can be turned on from the Project Set Up (Record a Contact section). The setting relates to the way Volunteer Job Card Assignments behave within the Project.

Without Follow-Ups, users can create Job Cards which show that a volunteer has been assigned to someone. They can then update the Job Card manually and also add one or more timesheet record to that Job Card to count volunteer time. However, if another Job Card is needed, the user will have to re-assign the volunteer.

If you choose to use Follow-Ups:

• Rather than updating the Job Card directly, users can use the Follow Up Details screen. This screen lets you update a job card, add a timesheet record and create a standard Contact, all from a single screen.
• The volunteer can also be re-assigned (another Job Card created) from the same screen.

You should probably use follow-ups if you expect each job to lead to another job. The Follow Up Details screen will make it much quicker to run things this way. The system helps you create job cards in a "chain", using a data entry screen which will complete one job card and create the next one in a single step. Each time you complete one job card, you create the next one, and so on.

In terms of where the data is stored (and reporting etc), using Follow-Ups takes the "volunteer work" away from the normal Referral, allowing it to continue alongside other work being done. The data about volunteer work can be recorded simply by using the Follow-Up Details screen repeatedly, making the next appointment as the previous one is completed.