How To Manage TRIM Data



To begin, a short note about the look and feel of the procedure.  In the image below you can see the top title bar, and below that a pulldown menu (Records, Reports, Billing, Utilities, Trim, and Quit).  Text and windows reside below these two.  Note the window that says "Click Here to Drag and Move This Window" in it's title bar.  It means it-you can move windows that obscure text by clicking and holding on the title bar.  See the next image for the result.  In general, you will get messages in the white part of the display below the menus, and in popups like the "Import TRIM Data" one shown below.

Trim Menu 1


The popup window has moved down the screen by click & dragging.


trn_trim_import_o1.png






The TRIM Pull Down Menu


Menu





PVA Tax Screen

Note the abbreviated tax names-they will be further abbreviated for the City Tax Rates Screen shown below.  This screen is from the Kentucky PVA's TRIM system.  All data for the City and address correction is derived from the TRIM data.

Pva Tax Screen



Edit City Rates


Entry and Field Names


trn_edit_city_rates.png




Start TRIM (Import)



Fix Backward Names

This routine repairs a funny naming convention.  It runs twice, once for each TRIM file, TAX & BILL. Backwards names are a naming convention that sets all Tang/Intang tax payers and all businesses to enter both the first and last names, in first name order, in the TRIM name field.  Further, all other customers are the reverse, they have last name first in the name field.  This routine swap all that around as best it can.  The difficulty lies in the business names that are not TANG/INTANG tax types, and whose names fail to include INC, CO, LLC, TRUST, or the like.  If your first and last names are messed up (see TRIM Report Comparisons), then try the alternative answer.  Most folks want to say NO to Fix Backwards Names.


trn_trim_import_o3.png



trn_trim_import_o4.png


USPS Address Fix

See the Mail Man section for details on encoding and correcting the addresses.


trn_trim_usps1.png





trn_trim_usps2.png









Update Accounts


trn_trim_update_1.png




And after the procedure is finished:




trn_trim_update_5.png











Finish TRIM (Export DA_)


trn_trim_export4.png






You may next see:

trn_trim_export5.png

Under Unix/Linux it's expected:  run the scripts  "perl trim_o_bill_act2dat.pl" & "perl trim_o_taxl_act2dat.pl" in the current directory.  Under Windows it suggests that perl is not working or installed.  You  can run the perl scripts as just described, they should run without error.





trn_trim_export6.png








Report Address Changes




trn_trim_repo1.png


Once you've selected the TRIM data source (TAX or BILL), select whether to View (browse) the table of changes, or print it.  The report is big, like 5 names a page. When Printing, use a PDF or Text File printer, not a real printer unless you want 5000 pages of old and new names.

Viewing/Browsing is reccomended and can be done at any time.


trn_trim_repo2.png











trn_trim_compare2.png






Running Mail Man to Encode and Correct Addresses

Copy the WRK_ files from the current ACT directory, to the MailMan Working Directory, F:\TEMP

trn_trim_mm_filexport0.png

Now launch Mail Man and click on the File menu option in the top menu bar.  Your ZIP4 database must be current or Mail Man won't play.  This is what you should see:

trn_trim_mm_filemenu.png


Open your list:  choose mm_bill or mm_tax.


rn_trim_mm_filemenu1.png


This shows mm_tax:


trn_trim_mm_filemenu2.png

You'll ned to do both Tax and Bill data, in two complete passes-this tutorial is only showing the Tax run.

Delete Old Records Before Adding in New Ones


trn_trim_mm_filemenu3.png







trn_trim_mm_filemenu4.png




Now go to File Import, and import  F:\temp\WRK_TAX.DBF



trn_trim_mm_filemenu5.png


You've brought in the Tax data, now encode it, correct it, and export it back

Mail Man Postal Menu:  Encoding and Address Correction

Click on Postal from the pull down menu.


trn_trim_mm_postalmenu1.png


Click on Encode Selected Records.


trn_trim_mm_postalmenu2.png




You may need to say no to a dialog that pops up about the data already being encoded and would you like to see the CASS report.  Say No then say encode, you will see the below.




trn_trim_mm_postalmenu3.png





trn_trim_mm_postalmenu4.png



You can export your tax data and then do the Bill data.


Mail Man Export

trn_trim_mm_filexport1.png



Once you've saved the mm_ file, copy it back to where it came from, the current working ACT dir.


trn_trim_mm_filexport2.png


Now do the same procedure again for the Bill data, starting from Opening Mail Man above.  When you hav done that, return to the TRIM menu, and choose USPS Address Fix to apply the fixes to your current data.