When looking for output from the system for various purposes, your options include Reports, Marketing Output, and Batches.
REPORTS: Primarily, reports are about statistical figures or details related to numbers of transactions in the system.
- They generally include number of tickets, number of dollars, statistical information sorted by show or performance, by date of purchase, by pricing terms or other factors.
- They are generally intended for gathering information for evaluation and accounting.
MARKETING OUTPUT: Marketing output is generally about pulling out details of patron and contact information, based on groups of patrons, such as those that purchased a show, made specific donations, etc.
- Marketing output includes patron contact info with name, address, phone, email, notes, etc.
- Marketing output does not include transaction details.
- It is intended for marketing purposes, such as postal and electronic mail, to promote your events.
BATCHES: Batches are used to pull out sets of most recent transactions for purposes of fulfillment, such as batch printing recent tickets, generating a mail merge file for acknowledgement letters to recent donors, creating shipping details for retail purchases, etc.
- Batch output includes the most recent transaction details (since the last batch) with the patron's contact information so you can prepare mail merge letters, etc.
- Batch output does not include statistical information, such as in reports, and it does not automatically take into acct patron opt-outs of email and mail and calls, though in some cases the flag is included.
- Batches are intended for acknowledging or sending out recent items such as donations, retail purchases, tickets, etc.