Customize Columns

[Eric]

One the business projects form, under the project tasks area, I am trying to
customize columns that display. I right click on the column area and select
customize view, then select fields. I make changes, click ok and then exit
the customize view form. the columns appear correctly according to the
customization.

When exit the form and then re-open it however it returns to the default
headings,

Can someone please advise.

Eric

 

[Lon Orenstein]

Eric:

Those customizations you make will definitely go away when you close
Outlook. To make them permanent, go to the view you want to customize, then
click on the main menu View, Current View, Define Views. Choose your view,
click Modify, and those changes will be permanent. You might want to start
with a view you like, make a copy, and then work with the copy.

HTH,
Lon

___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104
www.pinpointtools.com

 

[Eric]

Thanks much. This works partially. I discovered that you need to rename
the view and enclose it as <viewname> in order for the new view name to
become the default. But this is worst interface I've ever seen from
Microsoft. Totally non-intuitive. Logically. modifying the view should
change it permanently. Instead, I find I have to create a new view each time
I want to change the view, tweak column layouts, etc. What's more, while the
view holds when accessed directly (from the display menu) it returns to the
default when accessed, for example, from another view.

Impossible!

Eric

 

[Rich38]

Eric;
I have tried both your and Lon's methods for permanently modifying the field
display in the Account List. I cannot come up with a combination that will
permanently remember the mods after I exit and re-open Outlook 07 with BCM.
This is not the tough stuff. It appears that someone never tested this area
prior to this release or if they did they accepted some sort of convoluted,
obtuse logic. I demo'd BCM to a client and guess what the first question
was...."I don't want to see the "Payment Status" I want to see the "Primary
Contact" name. I was embarassed when I made the change, went on with the
demo and then went back to the account list and the change was gone. I
handled it by telling the client I them I probably did something I shouldn't
have and went on with the demo. I also told them I would check it out as I
was sure it was operator error. Knowing the level of their clerical helps
computer skills and short fuze when they can't get their job done BCM will
never even get off the ground with them.

I apologize for dumping my frustration but I should be handling much more
important customer requirements than this in order to sell MS products.

 

[Lon Orenstein]

I certainly can't defend MS on this one... However, there is "some" logic in
there. The idea is that you're able to modify the views permanently, then
change them all around as you work during the day. After you close down for
the day, and come in the next day, they're back to the default custom views.

That's what's supposed to happen, anyway....

Take care,
Lon

___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104
www.pinpointtools.com

 

[Eric]

I got the changes to more or less stick but what a pain. You have to create
a new view as Lon indicates and then if you enclose the view name in <>
characters it will open as the default IF you select the display from the
'Display' menue. Other forms that call up the view will not change. It's
such a simple thing to want to do and so important if you're to use BCM to
enhance prouctivity.

Thanks for substantiating my difficulty. It's deal killer for me. If I
have to hunt around for the view I need it's just too much of a pain to be
worth it. Lon, I was about to buy your book, BCM is a great 'in-between'
tool for CRM. I tried Act! and Maximizer but didn't love either. Both are
overly sales oriented. I wanted the ability to track contact history AND the
mini project task manager built into BCM which neither of the other two
products has. But I think I'm going to wait until MS sorts this view thing
out.

Eric

 

[Lon Orenstein]

Eric:

I understand completely but I have a feeling you're not seeing the different
views available with one click. When you're looking at your BCM Contacts
view, do you not see a list of views in the lower part of the navigation bar
on the left? You're supposed to be able to change views from there. Click
on View, Navigation Pane, and make sure there's a check in Current View
Pane. That should give you some slight relief from your deal killer
status -- maybe not enough to continue with BCM, but you could sleep
better...

Take care,
Lon

___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
800.238.0560 x6104 Toll Free (U.S. only) +1 214.905.0401 x6104
www.pinpointtools.com

 

[AccountManagers]

Hmm. I have no problem getting custom views to be sticky during my test of
Outlook Business Contact Manager.

I've made sticky custom views in Accounts, Opportunities, and Projects,
following the same steps as described by Eric:

"I right click on the column area and select
customize view, then select fields. I make changes, click ok and then exit
the customize view form. the columns appear correctly according to the
customization."

I then shut down Outlook and restart and the custom views are still there.

(See my post dated 8/10/07: "How do I share customized fields with
Opportunities and Accounts?")

I had done data entry with custom views in the Account section over a two
week period and the views /data are sticky. I just wish I could share the
views/data among the Contact Manager sections.

Mark Mastman
www.AccountManagers.com

 

[Mani]

Hello,

This is Mani from India.

I am sorry to inform you that its a design issue. We cannot change it.
After changing the column size, if you are back to that column, it reset to
default size.

If you got any fix...plz mail to me: (e-mail address removed)

By,
Mani

 

[BlueJay]

I'm not sure I'm following this completely. I think Eric's initial question
is the same as mine. Here's what I try, and it doesn't work, and I'm not
sure what steps are happening that Eric is saying fixes it?

1. Go to my Business Projects folder in Outlook
2. Double-click a project to open its own form
3. In the "Project Tasks" section on the form, I rearrange columns to the
order I want them, and remove columns I don't need to see.
4. Right-click on one of the column headers in the "Project tasks" list,
and select Field chooser.
5. Select "User-defined fields in folder" from the dropdown at the top of
the Field Chooser box
6. Drag a field ("Activity Priority") into the "Project tasks" list
7. Verify all the columns and displaying as they should -- in the right
order, and with the right data.
8. Click "Save & Close" at the top of the form
9. Double-click the project to re-open the form
10. Presto -- the list is reset back to the default.

I really wouldn't care so much about this, but I really think "Priority"
should be displayed in the list. And I wish it would also automatically sort
by "Priority" as well.

I can create views in the normal Outlook "Business Projects" folder and save
them and view them, etc. But is there anything that can be done for this
list within the Projects form?

Thanks!

BlueJay

 

[Paul7663]

I am having the same issue as "BlueJay". I want to change the columns for the
Project task list inside of the Project form and make them stick. I have not
been able to make them stick.

 

[Reed Simpson]

I have the same issue with the project task subform on the project form!
Does Microsoft even know that this monstr bug even exists?

 

[brianb]

Lon,
In reading your post, I am looking at my contact page (2007) and I can't
find the "view" Navigation pane. I see one in "history". I would like to
customize the main contact page also, to see what I want to see. For
instance, a business card is redundant to the info on the left an occupies
1/8 of the page. I don't photograph my contacts so that's a waste as well. I
don't need to deal with "collection status" either but would like to bring
other info forward on this page. Would it work to "recreate" the main contact
page entirely as user defined fields?

 

[Lon Orenstein]

Brianb:

I think you're looking inside a contact record and I'm looking at the list
of contacts.

No, you can't move the fields around on the contact form itself -- I agree
the business card view on the right is redundant. You are able to minimize
its effect by right clicking on it and removing some/all of the fields.

HTH,
Lon

___________________________________________________________
Lon Orenstein
pinpointtools, llc
(e-mail address removed)
Author of Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager For Dummies
Author of the eBook: Moving from ACT! to Business Contact Manager
www.pinpointtools.com