Heratio Help Center article. Category: Collection Mgmt.
Contact Management
User Guide
Manage contact information for authority records (persons, organizations) and repositories in your archive.
Overview
What is Contact Management?
Contact Management allows you to:
- Store multiple contact entries for authority records
- Designate primary contacts for quick reference
- Record extended details like cell phones, departments, and roles
- Support multiple languages for city, region, and notes
- Track preferred contact methods
Contact Types
How to Access
From Authority Records
From Repositories
Adding a New Contact
Step 1: Open the Record
Navigate to the authority record or repository you want to add contact information to.
Step 2: Enter Edit Mode
Click the Edit button to open the record for editing.
Step 3: Locate Contact Section
Scroll to the Contact Information section.
Step 4: Click Add Contact
Click the Add contact button:
- Contact Information [+ Add contact]
- (Your contacts will appear here)
Step 5: Fill in the Form
Step 6: Save the Record
Click Save to store the contact information.
Setting a Primary Contact
What is a Primary Contact?
The primary contact is the main point of contact for the record. It is highlighted in the display view.
How to Set Primary
- Contact #1 [X]
- Contact person: [John Smith______________]
- Primary contact <-- Check this box
Only one contact can be primary. When you set a new primary contact, the previous one is automatically cleared.
Viewing Contact Information
Contact information displays on the record's view page:
- Contact Information
- [Primary] Badge
- Contact person: John Smith
- Address:
- 123 Main Street
- Pretoria, Gauteng, 0001
- ZA
- Telephone: +27 12 345 6789
- Email: john.smith@example.co.za
- Website: https://www.example.co.za
- Note: Available weekdays 8am-5pm
- -----------------------------------------------------------+
- Contact person: Jane Doe
- ...
Editing a Contact
Step 1: Open Record in Edit Mode
Navigate to the record and click Edit.
Step 2: Locate the Contact
Find the contact entry you want to modify in the Contact Information section.
Step 3: Make Changes
Update the fields as needed.
Step 4: Save
Click Save to apply changes.
Deleting a Contact
Step 1: Open Record in Edit Mode
Navigate to the record and click Edit.
Step 2: Find the Contact Entry
Locate the contact you want to remove.
Step 3: Click Remove Button
- Contact #2 [X]
- Click X to remove ^
Step 4: Save
The contact will be removed when you save the record.
Multiple Contacts
You can add multiple contacts to a single record:
Common Uses
- USE CONTACT MANAGEMENT TO:
-
- Store repository contact details
-
- Record donor/depositor information
-
- Track organizational contacts
-
- Manage researcher contact details
-
- Document creator/author information
-
- Store vendor/supplier contacts
-
- Keep staff contact records
Tips
| DO | DON'T |
|---|---|
| Set a primary contact | Leave all contacts equal |
| Include multiple contacts | Rely on single contact |
| Add notes for context | Skip important details |
| Use standard country codes | Use full country names |
| Keep information updated | Let data become stale |
| Include preferred method | Assume contact preference |
Country Codes
Use standard ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes:
| Code | Country |
|---|---|
| ZA | South Africa |
| US | United States |
| GB | United Kingdom |
| AU | Australia |
| CA | Canada |
| DE | Germany |
| FR | France |
| NL | Netherlands |
| NA | Namibia |
| BW | Botswana |
Integration with Other Features
Donor Agreements
Contact information links to donor records for agreement management.
Access Requests
Researcher contacts are used for PAIA/access request processing.
Loan Management
Contact details support loan agreement workflows.
Privacy Compliance
Contact information is subject to POPIA/GDPR compliance rules.
Troubleshooting
| ISSUE | SOLUTION |
|---|---|
| Contact not saving | Check required fields |
| Primary not showing | Ensure checkbox is checked |
| Contact missing in view | Clear cache, refresh page |
| Multiple primaries shown | Edit and re-save record |
| Address not formatting | Check field entries |
Need Help?
Contact your system administrator if you experience issues with contact management.
Part of the Heratio AHG Framework