Report writer

[Senior Paper Monitor]

OK here's my problem (opportunity?) ....

We have a need to send every client (of which the number is growing - hence my need to address this) a letter/report which explains the advice we have given them (financial services).

This is a standard format, with standard phrases selected on their circumstances and some level of amendment in terms of details within the paragraph.

There are a handful of industry systems that do this, but we have little control of the standard phrases and general presentation.

Does anyone know of a suitable piece of software we could use to provide this ?

[seacue]

I automatically prepare "Thank you" letters for donations.

Of course the letters include the date and amount of the donation, obtained from the database where I enter each donation. Some sentences are only included for larger donations. Letters are only sent to people who have made a new donation.

The letters have a number of alternative paragraphs based on the fund for which the donation was made, whether the donor is domestic or foreign, etc.

I use dBase for DOS and have written a program (in dBase) which creates the personalized letters. dBase for DOS is obviously a dinosaur but is rock-solid. I don't know whether any current database system has as much flexibility. Most newer databases would require a separate program to prepare the letters.

Probably the most useful thing to learn from my approach is to maintain and update a database of clients to whom you need to send letters. My database has fields where the current donation is entered. Earlier donation details are kept in the "historical" section of each record and the details of the new donation are automatically moved to that section after the letter is created.

You might find that "mail merge" could be made to do what you require.

[mixture]

I don't think seacue has quite grasped this although the word "database" was correct, just not quite at the simplistic level he was suggesting (and I'd suggest you stay well away from anything that runs on DOS !).

number is growing - hence my need to address this)
and
Does anyone know of a suitable piece of software we could use to provide this ?

Which begs two questions:
(1) Are you going to be looking at this as an investment or a cost ? i.e. are you looking to be a cheapskate or do you want something that will scale and last you a few years ?

(2) What about the regulatory compliance aspect ? I assume you'll have to keep copies ? Are you going to keep document management separate and just want what is basically an advanced mail-merge (but way beyond what secue would call mailmerge !) ? Or do you want integrated document management features too ?