Best Practices for ImportOmatic Profile Setup in Raiser’s Edge (Part 2)

Did you know that creating ImportOmatic profiles in your live database doesn’t have to be risky business? I often get asked if there is a benefit to working in a live database when teaching ImportOmatic, and the answer is yes! Although working in a sample database can provide users with the comfort of knowing that mistakes will not disturb the live database, there are also some great reasons to consider working in live data.

Here are three distinct advantages to working with live data when creating ImportOmatic profiles:

1. Gain experience with live database scenarios. By setting up your ImportOmatic file in your live database, you get the experience of working with the table values that you’ll be working with on a daily basis. Getting to work with your Campaigns, Funds, and Appeals leads to better retention of information and less time spent on recreating the correct values from the sample database. Then, during your ImportOmatic training, you can dedicate your focus to learning ImportOmatic functionality.
2. Utilize ImportOmatic’s validate mode. This means that a user can test a profile without the data actually being imported into their database. Any errors that might occur during an import will be identified and corrected prior to importing. No more risky business!
3. Produce a working profile for immediate use. No recreation of training profiles is necessary when working in your live database! There is much ease to be gained when you don’t have to go through the unique steps of transferring an import profile from a sample database into the production database.

Ultimately, there are different benefits and considerations that come with training in your live database vs. using a sample database. The key is making an informed training decision that works best for your team. Happy training!