Proximity Search

The proximity search feature enables the Wintouch user to locate accounts based on pre-defined conditions and renders them using Google maps. This feature is available within the Account Summary of any open account and is activated by pressing the Proximity Search button. When the button is selected a browser session is launched and will display accounts within a geographical area composed from conditions obtained from a pre-defined Wintouch group. The account from which the application is initialized will be the point of origin that is the basis for the geographical area. This can best be illustrated by using an example scenario.

For our scenario we will imagine we have a sales representative that is visiting accounts on the road. When the representative arrives at his next scheduled appointment he learns that the person he intended to meet was unexpectedly detoured. When he is finished scheduling a new meeting date for his currently active account he presses the Proximity Search button to see if there are any accounts nearby he can visit. The proximity search feature can retrieve current data giving him the necessary address locations as well as the ability to link directly to the accounts in Wintouch to view the latest activity records.

There are two requirements needed before using the proximity search feature.

1. Create the Winotuch group definition.
2. Set the group in Preference Setting.

Creating the Wintouch Group

In the scenario above the sales rep is going to use the proximity search to locate accounts near the account he is currently visiting. Our group is going to be created to use the postal code to determine other accounts that are located in that same postal code. The conditions in a group can be set for broader options like county, or region, but for simplicity we are using postal code.

1. From the Main Desktop select Options , then Group Definitions from the drop-down menu.

2. In the Group Definitions window select the Select a Group button.

3. Enter a name for the group and press the Add button. We are calling this group Postal Code.

4. Select which level you would like to save the group for and press the OK button.

5. Select Postal Code in the Field Name drop-down, then Equal To in the Condition Type drop-down, and finally check the Prompt for Value checkbox and press the Add button.

6. You should see the conditions appear in the definitions pane. Now press the Done button. You have created your group and the group can be seen in Wintouch Group Definitions.

Defining Proximity Search Group (Preferences)

1. The next step is to add the group we just created to the User Preference settings. This allows the proximity search feature to identify which group it will be using in order to identify it's search conditions. In the Main Desktop Menu select Options and then Preferences from the drop-down menu.

2. In the Wintouch Options tab locate the drop-down field Proximity Search Group and select the group (Postal Code), and press the Save button.

Launching the Proximity Search Feature

As mentioned before the account from which the application is initialized will be the point of origin that is the basis for the geographical area. With our scenario let's imagine the sales rep has the account summary of his active account open. He has just finished updating his account and is now going to press the Proximity Search button to see which accounts are nearby.

1. Press the Proximity Search button.

2. A browser sessiong is launched and you can see the position of the sales rep in correlation to all the nearby accounts that were derived from the database.