26 Working with Web Mail Merge

This chapter contains the following topics:

• Section 26.1, "Understanding Web Mail Merge"

• Section 26.2, "Creating Employee Letters"

• Section 26.3, "Viewing, Editing, and Sending Web Mail Merge Letters by Email"

• Section 26.4, "Creating Mass Mailing Letters"

26.1 Understanding Web Mail Merge

This section discusses:

• Web mail merge.

• Letter processing.

• Letter viewing.

• Letter editing and mailing.

26.1.1 Web Mail Merge

When you need to send written information to employees, you can use the mail merge features of the system to efficiently produce letters for small, infrequent mailings such as COBRA and HIPAA notifications, or large, mass mailing projects. For example, you can quickly generate a letter to a group of employees who are included in a new marketing campaign. Or you can generate a mass mailing to all employees to announce a new benefit option. You use the Print Employee Letters program (P08452) to create one letter or a batch of personalized letters. You can use an existing template document, modify a template document, or edit information in individual letters.

You can use workflow processes to produce HTML documents that you can edit in Microsoft Word or other editing programs. These mail merge letter templates are provided with the system, and you can modify them to meet your business needs:

• HIPAA

• COBRA

• Verification-of-employment letter

• IRS Form W4

To review and revise the generated letters, you use the Web Mail Merge program (P05WEBMM).

You use the Employee Letters - Mass Mailing program (R08451) to prepare to send letters to a large number of people or to preselected groups of people.

You can use the Mail Merge Workbench Setup program (P05WMMWB) to add or change text in the template documents included with the system, to add entirely new template documents, and to delete template documents.

A data structure is required to perform the merge process for the merge fields that are specified in a mail merge template. You can use the Mail Merge Workbench Setup program to create a new data structure for each mail merge template. The Mail Merge Workbench Setup program can validate the template document to determine whether the merge fields match the data items in the linked data structure. You can also use this program to generate a data structure that is based on the merge fields that are contained in a template document.

The generated merge letter can contain one or more individual letters. You can use the Web Mail Merge program (P05WEBMM) to view, edit, print, or send the letters by E-mail. You can also attach the letters to an employee master record. Because the data used to generate the merge letters is stored in the Mail Merge Runtime Web Data table (F980014D), the letters can be regenerated at a later date.

26.1.2 Letter Processing

When you need to send written information to employees, you can use web mail merge to efficiently produce letters for small, infrequent mailings or large, mass mailing projects. For example, you can quickly generate a letter to a group of employees who are included in a new marketing campaign. Or you can generate a mass mailing to all employees to announce a new benefit plan.

When you create web mail merge letters, you normally begin at an entry point such as a Human Resources or self-service tax form process. For example, you might need to mail HIPAA letters to employees who are leaving the company. In many cases, you generate letters and then immediately mail the letters. Alternatively, for informal letters, you might E-mail letters to the employee work center or an outside address. In some circumstances, web mail merge letters might be created and then processed at a later date for editing and mailing. Each entry point uses a program to create web mail merge letters that is specific to the process. These programs include:

• Employee Letters (P08452).

• Applicant Letters (P08450).

• COBRA Qualifying Events (P089102).

• COBRA Subsequent Qualifying Events (P089101).

• HIPAA Letters (P089101).

• Benefits Statement (P083300).

• Benefit Statement File Creation Mail Merge (R083305).

• Verification of Employment (P05003).

• IRS Form W4 (P053030).

Forms that you access through self-service do not include accompanying user instructions. The web interface provides a simple, intuitive approach to generate each form. When you use programs that are specific to each process, the letters that you generate are created and configured by using similar procedures. For example, the process that you use to create employee letters is similar to the process that you use to create applicant letters. To create one letter at a time and select a particular letter template, you use the Print Employee Letters program (P08452).

When you prepare employee letters such as HIPAA or COBRA letters, you first generate one or more web mail merge letters. The system then automatically displays a form in the Web Mail Merge program (P05WEBMM) so that you can display and mail the letters. The form that the system displays is determined by the entry point of the mail merge process. For example, if you are using web mail merge to create a document that should not be edited, the system displays the View Mail Merge Letter form (W05WEBMMI). Likewise, if you are using web mail merge to create a document that might require editing, the system displays the Mail Merge Letter Display form (W05WEBMMA).

After you generate merged letters, you can use Managers Workbench (P08712) to access the Web Mail Merge program (P05WEBMM) and then add or change text in the letters.

26.1.3 Letter Viewing

If you are using a process to create letters that should not be edited, the system automatically displays the View Mail Merge Letter form (W05WEBMMI). You normally use View Mail Merge Letter when you are sending internal mail to the work center. This form uses a text control that displays the letter without an option to enter edits.

26.1.4 Letter Editing and Mailing

If you are using an entry point such as the COBRA process in Human Resources to create letters that might require editing, the system displays the Mail Merge Letter Display form (W05WEBMMA). You can use this form to perform these functions:

• Edit and print a letter.

  You use an HTML option to launch Microsoft Word. In Word, you can edit and resave the document with the .htm extension. You must have your browser security set up to enable you to run ActiveX controls.

• Delete a letter.

  An option on the Form menu enables you to delete the header record from the Web Mail Merge Letter Header table (F05WEBMM), the detail records in the Mail Merge Runtime Web Data table (F980014D), and the .htm file on the server.

• Attach a letter.

  An option on the Form menu enables you to attach all of the letters or individual letters to an employee master information record. Doing so enables you to archive copies of letters that you send to employees.

• Send a letter by E-mail.

  An option on the Form menu enables you to send all letters in a batch to the designated recipient for each letter.

26.2 Creating Employee Letters

This section provides an overview of employee letter creation and discusses how to create employee letters.

26.2.1 Understanding Employee Letter Creation

You use the Print Employee Letters program (P08452) to create one letter or a batch of personalized letters. You can use a letter from an existing sample, or you can insert custom information as each letter is printed.

The Print Employee Letters program automates the process of printing letters that you send to people listed in the Employee Master Information table (F060116). You can select employees from a table, specify a form letter, and then print personalized copies for each recipient. You can also sort employee records and select a particular group for which you print letters.

There are two ways to personalize the content of letters that you print for individuals:

• Enter direct changes to a selected form letter just before you print it.

• Use the Mail Merge Workbench Setup program (P05WMMWB) to edit an existing web mail merge letter template.

Other entry point processes such as COBRA and applicant letters use a similar approach for generating, editing, and mailing web mail merge letters. Use the instructions for the Print Employee Letters program as a reference.

You use the Employee Letters - Mass Mailing program (R08451) to prepare for sending letters to a large number of people or to preselected groups of people.

26.2.2 Forms Used to Create Employee Letters

Form Name	FormID	Navigation	Usage
Print Employee Letters	W08452A	Employee Management (G05BE1), Print Employee Letters	Create employee letters.
Mail Merge Template Search & Select	W05MMSA	Click the Search button for the Employee Letter Document field on the Print Employee Letters form.	Select a letter template
Mail Merge Letter Display	W05WEBMMA	Select Generate Letter from the Row menu on the Print Employee Letters form.	The system generates one or more letters.

26.2.3 Creating Employee Letters

Access the Print Employee Letters form.

Figure 26-1 Print Employee Letters form

Description of ''Figure 26-1 Print Employee Letters form''

To create an employee letter:

1. On the Print Employee Letters form, click Find to display all employees.

2. To print a date other than the current system date on the letter, complete the Mailing Date field.

3. To select a letter template, complete the Employee Letter Document field.

   The Employee Letter Document field contains a value that identifies which employee letter document is used from the Maintain Mail Merge Documents program (P980014).

4. To create multiple letters, click Find and then select multiple employee records from the table.

5. To create a single letter, complete the Employee Identification field and the Employee Name field, click Find, and then select the employee record.

   The employee identification is the employee number, tax ID, or alternate number, depending on the employee number mode that is set up in the payroll constants for company 00000.

   The Employee Name field names or describes an address. This 40-character alphabetic field appears on a number of forms and reports. You can enter dashes, commas, and other special characters, but the system cannot search on them when you use this field to search for a name.

6. Select Generate Letter from the Row menu.

   Depending both on the setup options for the mail merge application and on the web mail merge letter template, a Print form might appear.

7. If a Print form appears, click OK.

   The system displays a copy of the letter, including the merged information. You can modify the letter if necessary.

8. On the Mail Merge Letter Display form, select the Printable View option.

   You can use the browser print option to print the letter.

9. To send the letter by E-mail, select E-Mail from the Form menu.

   The system sends the letter to the employee work center.

26.3 Viewing, Editing, and Sending Web Mail Merge Letters by Email

This section provides an overview of web mail merge letters and discusses how to view, edit, and send web mail merge letters.

26.3.1 Understanding Web Mail Merge Letters

After you generate web mail merge letters, you can process them for mailing at a later time. You can also review letters and perform maintenance functions such as updating text. When you are not using a normal entry point for creating and mailing web mail merge letters such as Employee Information, you can use the Managers Workbench program (P08712) to access the Web Mail Merge program (P05WEBMM). On the Work With Web Mail Merge Letters form (W05WEBMME), you can perform any of these functions:

• Edit a letter.

  After opening a letter file, you can select an option that launches Microsoft Word. In Word, edit, and resave the document with the .htm extension. To perform this function, you must have your browser security set up to allow you to run ActiveX controls.

• Extract a letter

  An option on the Row menu enables you to extract individual letters from a batch .htm letter file that contains multiple web mail merge letters.

• Rebuild a batch .htm letter file.

  An option on the Row menu enables you to regenerate the batch .htm file.

• Remove a document

  This option enables you to delete the .htm file on the server.

• Attach a letter

  An option on the Row menu opens the Employee Master Attachments form (W05WEBMMK) and enables you to attach all of the letters or individual letters to employee master information records. That way, you can archive copies of letters that you send to employees.

• Email a letter

  An option on the Row menu opens the Send Mail Merge Letter form (W05WEBMMJ) so that you can send one or all letters in a batch to designated recipients.

• Delete

  This option enables you to delete the header record from the Web Mail Merge Letter Header table (F05WEBMM), the detail records in the Mail Merge Runtime Web Data table (F980014D), and the .htm file on the server.

26.3.2 Forms Used to View, Edit, and Send Web Mail Merge Letters by Email

Form Name	FormID	Navigation	Usage
Work With Web Mail Merge Letters	W05WEBMME	Employee Management (G05BMSS1), Managers Workbench Select Employee Letter from the Form menu on the Work With Managers Employees form.	View letters. Attach an individual letter or all letters to Employee Master Information records.
Mail Merge Letter Display	W05WEBMMA	Select a record and click Select.	Edit and distribute letters.

26.3.3 Viewing, Editing, and Sending Web Mail Merge Letters

Access the Work With Web Mail Merge Letters form.

To view, edit, and send web mail merge letters:

1. To work with an individual letter, select the .htm letter record and then select Extract from the Row menu.

2. To work with an .htm letter record that contains only one letter, select the .htm letter record and then click Select.

3. On the Mail Merge Letter Display form, select the Edit Letter option to edit the letter.

   This option launches Microsoft Word. To perform this function, you must have your browser security set up to allow you to run ActiveX controls.

4. When you are finished editing the letter, in Microsoft Word, resave the letter as an HTML document. Then close the session of Microsoft Word.

   If you prefer to mail the letter, you can print the letter from Microsoft Word.

5. On the Mail Merge Letter Display form, select E-Mail from the Row menu to send the letter.

6. To ensure the correct recipient, review the Address Number field.

   The system automatically supplies this value from the data structure. If this field is blank, the data structure does not contain the Address Book number of the recipient. To complete this field, clear the Use Sort Key option and then click the Address Number field. Use the search button to select mnAddressNumber and then click Select.

   If multiple letters exist in the .htm letter file, to select a recipient, clear the Single Letter option. Doing so enables the Record Number field. You can enter a value for the record number, use the visual assist, or use the Previous and Next options.

   If the Single Letter option is disabled, only one merge letter exists in the merge batch.

7. Use the visual assist for the Mail Box field and then select Internal/External Email or another appropriate option.

8. Select Send from the Form menu.

   This option sends the letter. The system displays the Notification form (W05MSGBXA).

9. On the Notification form, click OK.

10. Click Cancel.

11. On the Work With Web Mail Merge Letters form, to attach an individual letter or all letters to Employee Master Information records, select Attach Letter from the Row menu.

12. On Employee Master Attachments, review these fields for accuracy:

    • Address Number

      The system automatically supplies this value from the data structure. If this field is blank, the data structure does not contain the Address Book number of the recipient. To complete this field, clear Use Sort Key and then click the Address Number field. Use the visual assist to select mnAddressNumber and then click Select.

    • Attachment File

      This value specifies a directory on a network server where the system stores generated mail merge letters. For example, if the default network server location is //jdeow1/root, you might store generated mail merge letters in a subdirectory called mailmerge. In this case, the value might appear as follows: //jdeow1/root/mailmerge.

    • Single Letter

      This option specifies whether the system sends only the selected letter or all letters in the batch.

    • Record Number

      This is the number that the system assigns to an individual web mail merge letter that resides inside a batch letter .htm file.

    • Use Sort Key

      This option specifies where to find the employee address book number-in the MMSK field of the Mail Merge Runtime Web Data table (F98014D) or in the data structure.

    • Letter Count

      This value specifies the number of letters that the system uses in the web mail merge process. The Web Mail Merge Letters table (F05WEBMM) includes this value and contains the number of linked detail records in the Mail Merge Runtime Web Data table (F980014D).

13. Select Attach Merge Letter.

    If multiple letters exist, click Attach All Letters.

    This option attaches the web mail merge attachment to one or more employee master information records. Do not use the media object window to enter text. The system does not save any text that is entered in this area.

    To verify the attachment, you can use the Employee Master program (P0801) to view the media object attachment.

14. Click OK.

26.4 Creating Mass Mailing Letters

This section provides an overview of mass mailing letter creation and discusses how to:

• Run the Employee Letter - Mass Mailing program (R08451).

• Set processing options for the Employee Letter - Mass Mailing program (R08451).

26.4.1 Understanding Mass Mailing Letter Creation

To prepare for mass mailing projects and frequent communication to selected groups of employees, you can use the Employee Letter - Mass Mailing program (R08451). You can create multiple report versions to address specific groups of employees or for repetitive mailing projects. For example, you can send a letter offering a new company benefit to all of the employees who share the same company code.

You can sort employee records to select the group. This selection process uses data from the Employee Master Information table (F060116).

You set processing options to specify which letter template the system uses and the mailing date. The data selection determines which employees receive the letter.

26.4.2 Running the Employee Letter - Mass Mailing Program (R08451)

Select Employee Management (G05BE1), Employee Letters - Mass Mailing.

26.4.3 Setting Processing Options for Employee Letter - Mass Mailing (R08451)

These processing options specify the letter template and generation date that the system uses for a mass mailing.

26.4.3.1 Process

Use this processing option to specify a mail merge document template.

Employee Letter Document

Specify the letter template that the system uses when generating employee letters.

26.4.3.2 Default

Use this processing option to specify the date on which the system creates a mass mailing.

Mailing Date

Specify a date that the system uses for generating and printing employee letters. This date also appears as the mailing date that the system prints on each letter. If you leave this processing option blank, the system uses the current date.