May 2021
First Anniversary Edition!
Dear Reader,
What a year it’s been! When we started vConnect, our vision was always to provide our clients with information. From expert level software tips to fun and enlightening trivia, the information is there! It wouldn’t be possible without the entire Vertican team sharing their knowledge.
Over the past year, Vertican’s vTrivia Contest has given away almost $3000 in prizes to participating clients! This month, we’re celebrating our anniversary by giving away top-tier gifts that we would like someone to gift us.
We truly hope that you’ve enjoyed reading the newsletter and look forward to another year of creating valuable content. Happy anniversary vConnect!
Isaac’s Essentials
Nothing Stays the Same – What Are You Doing About It?
When was the last time you thought about how cool it is that we are using technology which didn’t exist a few years ago? The world is changing at warp speed and not just because of COVID. Although there’s no denying that COVID has accelerated many changes and has certainly been the catalyst of new conversations.
I attended RMAi in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and the fact that I was there in person is an exciting sign of the times. It energized my soul seeing friendly, albeit partially concealed, faces. It’s energizing not only because in-person events are making a slow and steady comeback, but because we are having some new, overdue dialogues at these gatherings.
I also had the privilege of presenting on COVID and the changing workforce. While Vertican is no stranger to riding the wave of change in the workplace, many business leaders I’ve spoken to have been challenged by this sharp trajectory we’ve been on. Again, not necessarily brought on by the pandemic, but nonetheless hastened by it.
For years now, I’ve been talking about (and putting into practice) diversity and inclusion at work because, as a business owner, I’m not only compelled to do so, but I would be doing my team, my clients, and the industry at large a disservice if I didn’t.
Within the next 10 years, millennials, almost equally split between men and women, will make up 75 percent of the workforce. That’s not a warning and it’s not a value judgement, it’s a simple fact. How you affiliate yourself politically, religiously, socially, or culturally, has no bearing on the fact that now more than ever your business can genuinely thrive, not in spite of diversity and inclusion in the workplace but because of it!
Gen Zers are now at the beginnings of their careers too. Before you know it, you’ll be employing that middle schooler down the block who just yesterday knocked on your door to trick-or-treat. These kids are growing up in a world of immediate gratification; we’re partaking in it too. We demand answers to life’s burning questions as fast as our thumbs can type. We expect to stream entertainment at our fingertips and have delivery to our doorsteps often in less than 24 hours.
So, whether you grew up a fan of Buck Rogers or even the Jetsons, still that middle schooler will have grown up in a world you could never have imagined when you were their age. Your future employee or colleague is probably already better at Zoom at the ripe old age of 12 than you are today. But most importantly, that future idea-producing, society-contributing adult is also growing up in a world where they see themselves differently and more deeply than we ever did.
Back to today’s changing workforce, take millennials, for instance. They have different priorities and values than previous generations when it comes to employment. Those very differences must be factored in to how you choose to scale your business.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not about trying to accommodate or please everyone. My point is that the workforce is evolving and growing significantly different than any other time in history. There will be more young people on the payroll, and at the same time the older generation will be delaying retirement. There will also be more women, more people of color, and more people of differentiating identities in the workforce than ever before. Your success will ultimately depend on your employees’ success (and how relevant and valued they feel).
So as a business owner, as a team leader, as a fellow human, it is with that truth, not opinion, you must point to talent acquisition and talent retention as the two most important things for sustaining and scaling any business. Simply put, it costs a hell of a lot of more money to search and onboard a new person than to retain a current employee.
Now ask yourself this question: Do I plan on being in business in the next five, 10, 20 years? If so, what is your strategy going forward? If your strategy going forward doesn’t address the reality of the changing workforce, you should rethink it.
So, while business owners continually evaluate revenue streams, economic tides, industry trends, and technological growth, it also stands to reason that diversity and inclusion are two essential components you need to bake into your central focus.
At Vertican, we’ve been supporting remote work for years. We’ve had VDIs for years. We’ve been using Teams, Zoom, and Go-To-Meeting for years. We’re actively listening to our fellow team members who come to the table with ideas, and we support causes they personally care about. We’re using our PETRA philosophies to do some intense strategic planning. In fact, we have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) that looks all the way out to 2035. So, my leadership team and I are especially focused on these things. And we will continue to build policies and procedures that will make sense even as the workforce continues to change.
Another thing that we have been working towards, now more than ever, is simplifying processes. I’m uber focused on transparency and clarity around policies, procedures, and business goals. Sure, we are still learning as we go, but I’m super proud that we already had our best foot forward coming into this past year of upheaval.
My final words to put out to the business universe are to protect your employees’ emotional energy with comprehensible policies. Don’t nickel and dime every paperclip. You’ll get all that back from your team in spades. Do focus on improving people’s lives and creating an environment (virtual or otherwise) to set everyone up for success. Create learning opportunities, invest in your technology, and support a healthy work culture in whatever ways work for you.
So now here we all are together on the wave of more change. What’s the post-COVID (or living in a COVID) world going to look like? We’ve got some big decisions on the horizon. 2020 and 2021 have been, in part, a springboard for us here at Vertican. Systematic changes, or as I call them opportunities, are unfolding every day and I for one couldn’t be happier about it.
Lessons From an SME
A Lesson on Troubleshooting
This month we interviewed Joe Woodward, Manager, Client Success, and Katherine Byrum, Business Systems Analyst, to tell us what makes the phone ring! We wanted to know our Collection-Master, Q-Law, and Q-LawE clients’ biggest pain points for troubleshooting and how to combat many of them in a few simple steps.
One common error for our Collection-Master clients is, Why are we getting these messages about dup files when opening the software? How can I get rid of them?
Collection-Master
Joe comments, “Our clients usually think this is an overly complicated error that requires Client Success to step in, when in all reality, the process for resolution has been documented in our manual for a while now!”
Here’s the thing, these messages pop-up when the system is looking for a record but can’t find it (Damaged Index), it then creates a new entry in the table. This significantly helps with reducing these errors from happening, but it can still occur when Collection-Master is forced-closed through Task Manger or if the server crashes.
The most common cases clients encounter are Debtor.dup and Internal.dup. Here are a few steps to follow for resolution:
Description (Debtor.dup)
When Collection-Master is first turned on, if any duplicate records exist in the Debtor.dup file, a list of the duplicate files appears with the message that Debtor.dup has duplicate records.
Removal Procedure
- Locate the Main Menu, type 0.
NOTE: Other users are NOT required to exit Collection-Master during this procedure.
- At the prompt type: “Run dupdebt/fixprog” and press [Enter].
- Type: “end” and press [Enter].
- Type: “proc run” and press [Enter].
NOTE: At this point, Debtor.dup File Numbers no longer exist on the system.
Description (Internal.dup)
When Collection-Master is first turned on, if any duplicate records exist in the Internal.dup file, a list of the duplicate files appears with the message that Internal.dup has duplicate records.
Removal Procedure
- Locate the Main Menu, type 0.
NOTE: Other users are NOT required to exit Collection-Master during this procedure.
- At the prompt type: “Run dupinter/fixprog” and press [Enter].
- Type: “end” and press [Enter].
- Type: “proc run” and press [Enter].
NOTE: At this point, Internal.dup File Numbers no longer exist on the system.
Q-Law and Q-LawE
According to Katherine, for Q-Law and Q-LawE to work properly it needs to maintain a connection between its data tables and storage uninterrupted. However, disconnections can happen for many different reasons, unfortunately computers and the internet are not infallible.
Loss of connection from the data storage and tables, even for a split second, can result in multiple errors. Virus scans, loss of internet, and brief loss of connection with Network drives are all reasons for disconnection. Katherine suggests, “When these disconnections happen, DON’T PANIC. It’s natural to want to pick up the phone and speak to a human. But you’d be surprised, the solution to combat these issues is very simple.”
Usually just shutting down the QL/QLE application and restarting it will restore the connection and allow you to continue work uninterrupted. If you notice that a particular workstation or machine is receiving these types of errors, it may be time to investigate the network card to make sure it is not failing.
Sarah/Doug Error and Microsoft SQL Server Login Error are most commonly reported by clients. Here’s a breakdown of how to handle them from the SME.
Sarah/Doug Error
The error names the programmer at our office that compiled the executable. This error always means that connection to the server was lost. The “Sarah” or “Doug” error is QL/QLE’s attempt to check back in with the program residing on the server. When it cannot find the program, it goes back to the path that was used when the program was first compiled. To resolve, close QL/QLE completely and log back in. Alternatively, sometimes a reboot of the workstation is also helpful if it is widespread, so a server reboot may be needed.
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Microsoft SQL Server Login Error
When attempting to log into Q-LawE, you may receive this error:
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This will indicate that the machine attempting to log into Q-LawE does not have access to the SQL Server Manager. This error is only resolvable through consultation with the user’s IT department. Once your connection has been restored by IT, a simple reboot will have your software up and running!
Vertican exists to improve people’s lives. Our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) provided these lessons based off real client experiences. The solutions to our most common troubleshooting inquiries are closer than you think. For Collection-Master, the Help Manual provides detailed steps on how to combat many different errors, including duplication errors. For QL/QLE, many resolutions to errors such as the Sarah/Doug Error require a simple restart! While other errors can be resolved through your very own IT department. QL/QLE also contain Reset buttons to give users a fresh slate when errors have taken over their screen.
There are many self-help tools in Collection-Master and QL/QLE that can make work life so much easier and save you a phone call to Client Success. If you have questions on these tips or would like to suggest a topic to be discussed by an SME, click here.
Events
Mastermind Training Series Continues on May 12th
The Mastermind Series, an ongoing program of virtual training sessions presented by Vertican’s top developers and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), has been underway! Are you missing out?
Topics are developed to help improve clients’ ability to use our platform features and tools effectively and maximize efficiency. Here’s a glimpse at our upcoming sessions:
- May 12 | Handling Companionated Claims in Collection-Master
- May 19 | DDAS 101 and May 20 | DDAS 201 Advanced two-part series for Q-Law and Q-LawE
- May 26 | CM-EDI in Collection-Master
- June 2 | Managing Court Hearings in Q-Law and Q-LawE
Attendance is complimentary but advanced registration is required. The calendar is continuously updated; to learn more on these and other training sessions being offered click here.
Take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to learn directly from industry trailblazers and Vertican’s visionary developers.
We’re packing our bags and headed to sunny Florida for the NCBA Spring Conference at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek in Orlando, FL. May 19-21.
Planning to attend? Schedule time to meet and catch up with Isaac Goldman, CEO, and Nicholas Arcaro, SVP of Sales by clicking here.
VT Spotlight
Welcome to the section of the Newsletter where we share an inside look at some of Vertican’s amazing team members. This issue of vConnect focuses the spotlight on Barbara Sheridan and Susan Greene.
Barbara’s key role with Vertican Technologies is as a Client Success Representative. But she leads a very full life outside of Vertican, find out all about her.
What sort of work did you do before joining Vertican?
I worked for an advertising agency in Manhattan. I was on the account services team and traveled to Bermuda for our hotel account and to Tequila, Mexico for our liquor account. I took a long break from the workforce to raise our three children but when the youngest turned twelve years old, I picked up a job as a Member Services Representative at my local YMCA where I remained for six years.
What is a typical day at Vertican like for you?
Once logged in, I check emails and voicemails for any new issues and take appropriate action. I review open incidents, research solutions, and communicate to our clients through email, phone and remote connect sessions. I am never alone. The team is always available, and I reach out often throughout the day to get advice. In addition, we have a project meeting in the morning and another short team meeting in the afternoon. If it is a Zoom meeting, our Team Lead, Joe Woodward, keeps things fun with creative virtual filters and backgrounds.
What do you like most about working for Vertican?
The people! Our team is helpful, encouraging, friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. I also enjoy talking to our clients and product users and getting a feeling for their work, backgrounds, and perspective. My husband and I have been working from home this past year and he often asks me why was I laughing so much? I think he is a little bit jealous of the team.
If you could learn anything new, what would it be?
Tap dancing. I saw Gregory Hines perform live when I was in high school and I’ll never forget it.
What was your very first job and how old were you?
I did a lot of babysitting starting around the age of twelve. My youngest brother was born when I was ten, so I had a lot of practical experience.
What is something about you that may surprise your colleagues?
I study ballet. I peaked in my high school years performing locally but as an adult I continue to take class once or twice a week.
What (else) do you like to do outside of work?
I like to get outside for a walk or bike ride. I always have a book to read. My husband and I attend group outings involving geology and fossil hunting. Plus, we like to tour historical homes.
Share something exciting you did in the last 12 months.
Last week, my family and I enjoyed a mini vacation in the Brandywine Valley region of Pennsylvania. We built the trip around our son’s college graduation ceremony (held one year late due to COVID-19). The area is rich in colonial American history and scenic with beautiful farmland. My picture was taken in Longwood Gardens where we enjoyed 1,000 acres of gardens, fountains, and meadows. Visit some time if you can.
Do you have a favorite movie, artist music and/or book?
Movie: Planes, Trains and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy.
Music: Every day I listen to two public radio stations. Both stream on the internet. WFUV is mostly alternative rock, but on Sunday it’s all Irish folk music. The instrumentals are my favorite. I also listen to WBGO Jazz pretty much every night. That being said, 1970’s and 1980’s rock is embedded in my heart, mind, and soul.
Book: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Please share a favorite quote:
“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” – Proverbs
Susan’s key role with Vertican Technologies is as a Quality Assurance Analyst (QA). But there is more to Susan than just being a Vertican employee.
What sort of work did you do before joining Vertican? I was Office Manager at a law firm for many years. They used Q-Law for their legal collection work, which is how I got to know the people I’m working with now.
What is a typical day at Vertican like for you? It always begins with a cup of coffee, lol. I login, review my email and Jira (project management software). Testing and documenting various tickets and processes is a large part of my day.
What do you like most about working for Vertican? My favorite thing about Vertican is my coworkers! We are a such an eclectic group; everyone brings something different to the table. The people I work with are smart, funny, caring, and always willing and available to assist.
If you could learn anything new, what would it be? I would like to learn Spanish.
What was your very first job and how old were you? I was 14 when I started working at a fast-food restaurant, H Salt Fish & Chips.
Word on the street is you’re an animal lover? Tell us about it and how that began. Yes, I am an animal lover. I have three cats, one dog (all of whom adopted me). I also have birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, possums, racoons, deer, foxes, coyotes, and snakes in and around my yard. Three times a week, I feed a colony of feral cats at a local park. I assist with trapping them to spay, neuter, and vaccinate before releasing them back into their territory.
What (else) do you like to do outside of work? I enjoy hiking, spending time with my family and friends, trying new things, gardening, family game night, playing billiards, and traveling.
Share something exciting you did in the last 12 months. Well not very much going on for the past 12 months, but I’m really looking forward to traveling again!
Do you have a favorite movie, artist and/or book?
Movie: Love Actually. It makes me happy.
TV: The Queen’s Gambit
Music: I love, love, love music. Alternative rock is my favorite, but I enjoy rock, punk, indie, heavy metal, classical, country, and grunge.
Book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Please share a favorite quote. “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” – Washington Irving
Software Tip
Conditional Themes Editor
This program allows your firm to apply themes and/or display messages based on the contents of specified fields within claims. This feature relies on user-defined parameters to determine a claim’s “condition”. Adding, editing, and deleting Conditional Themes can be done from path [4-1-S-2-7]. These themes can be setup to appear on everyone’s screen or only for specific groups.
A Conditional Theme will override your default theme if the specified condition for the claim you are reviewing has been met.
The Conditional Themes Editor displays existing Conditional Themes in order of importance/priority:
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Selecting to add or modify a Conditional Theme will navigate you to the Conditional Theme Details screen. You can browse all available themes in the [1-S-1] Theme Editor. Here, you can edit the theme to your liking using the parameters provided. In this example, the conditional theme being setup will be for claims that have a debtor with an Adversary Attorney:
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The table being used is ‘Master’ and the field would be ‘ADVA’ as displayed in the example.
NOTE: For further information about the contents of “Table” and “Field”, see Conditional Themes – Applicable “Special Calculate” Fields in the Collection-Master Help Manual.
Click on image to view larger version.
When opening claims that meet the requirements of a conditional theme, a popup like the one above will appear. You will then notice the theme of the claim itself has changed to match the condition:
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Because an Adversary Attorney has been added to the claim, you can see the theme for this claim has now changed per the condition set.
Further things to note for Conditional Themes:
- The text in a single message cannot exceed 999 characters.
- High/Low Range – To identify the entire alpha/numeric range, use a zero as the low value and lower case zzz as the high value. The zzz must be lower case.
More detailed information on this topic can be found in the Collection-Master Help Manual.
Software Tip
Quick Buttons in Grid View
Many of the grid views in Q-Law have quick buttons that can prove helpful. Below we’ll look at the Top and Bot buttons as well as the # and $ buttons.
Top and Bot Buttons
When in a grid view if you click the Top button the view will take you to the top of the list. If you click the Bot button, the view will take you to the end of the list.
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$ Button
If you want to sum a column in the grid, select a numeric field from the Field dropdown, then click the $ button. The sum will then appear in a box in the
upper right corner.
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# Button
If you want to see how many items are in the list in the grid, click the # button. The number of items in the list will then appear in a box in the upper right corner.
Click on image to view larger version.
Software Tip
Creating a vMedia SQL Database with a Targeted SQL View
Enter the DB Config
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Select New Database
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Fill in all required and applicable data. Check Use Externally Managed View instead of a Table checkbox. Checking this box will specify that the target SQL object will be a View rather than a table. Checking this option bypasses the table creation on SQL, but still completes other tasks such as DSN file creation and local CF and container SC DBF creation.
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ENTER TO WIN
April 2021 Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the April contest!
Russell London, London & London
Tom Marturano, London & London
The answers to the April trivia questions:
1. Who won an Academy Award for portraying an Academy Award winner?
Cate Blanchet
(for playing Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator)
2. How many different Coppolas have won an Academy Award?
Three
(Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, & Carmine Coppola)
3. Name the person who appeared in only five films in their career, all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
John Cazale
(The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, & The Deer Hunter)
4. According to legend, why is the Academy Award statue called the Oscar?
Because someone remarked that the statue looked like their Uncle Oscar.
The winners had the choice of one of these two prizes:
May 2021 Contest
Over the past year, Vertican’s vTrivia Contest has given away almost $3,000 in prizes to participating clients! We are excited to commemorate our First Anniversary edition of vTrivia with these challenging questions. Good luck!
Can you answer this month’s quiz?
Three winners will be chosen at random from everyone answering all four questions correctly.
- The most famous horse race in the United States takes place on the first Saturday in May each year (except 2020). Name it.
- According to an old Cornish superstition, it is unlucky to buy what in May?
- What famous United States building opened on May 1, 1931?
- What was vConnect’s very first vTrivia prize?
This contest has ended. Please check the June 2021 vConnect newsletter for the winners.
This month's prizes
Nespresso
Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine Bundle with Aeroccino Milk Frother by De’Longhi Graphite Metal
Kindle Paperwhite – 32 GB
The thinnest, lightest Kindle Paperwhite yet—with a flush-front design and 300 ppi glare-free display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight. Comes with a $50 Amazon gift card.
Powermask by Silentmode
True blackout, designed microfiber, machine washable, memory foam, super sonic sound, noise isolation, 24 hour battery life.