Creating a New Letter Template and Letter Profile in ACE

This guide will demonstrate how to create a new letter template and associate it with a letter profile in ACE. By following these step-by-step instructions, you'll be able to design personalized letters that dynamically incorporate data from ACE, enhancing your communication with consumers.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you have completed the following:

• Installed LibreOffice Writer: This is the software used to create and edit letter templates.

• Configured the ACE Letter Data Source: This allows you to access ACE data fields within LibreOffice.

Refer to Configuring the Letter Data Source for detailed instructions.

Organizing Your Files

Tip: Enhance your workflow by creating a dedicated ACE Letters folder on your computer. This folder is ideal for storing both the ACE.ods database and your ACE letters. By centralizing these files, you ensure easy access and efficient management.

Create subfolders within your ACE Letters folder, such as:

• Templates: For your letter templates.

• Data Sources: For the ACE.ods data source file.

• Archives: For older versions or backups.

Creating Letter Templates

You can create a letter template from scratch or use one of the sample templates provided by ACE. The sample templates provide examples of different letter templates with data fields already incorporated.

Note

ACE templates are provided as examples and are not intended to fulfill company requirements. Please consult with your company's management and legal teams.

Using a Sample Letter Template

We will create a letter template using the Sample Debt Letter provided by ACE.

1. Go to Setup → Letters → Profiles

2. Locate the ‘Sample Debt Letter’

3. In the Template File field, click on the cloud icon (🛈) to download the template.

4. Open the template in LibreOffice

Creating a Template from Scratch

1. Open LibreOffice Writer:

   1. Open LibreOffice Writer and create a new file.

2. Save the File:

   1. Save the file with a descriptive name (e.g., CollectionNotice_Template.odt) in your Templates folder.

Accessing the Database

To include ACE data fields in your letter, you'll need to access the ACE data source.

1. Open Data Sources:

   1. In LibreOffice Writer, go to View → Data Sources.

2. Explore the Database:

   1. Click the plus (+) sign next to ACE to expand the database.

   2. Click the plus (+) sign next to Tables to view the available tables.

Locating Fields to add to the Letter Template

Fields act as placeholders, allowing users to dynamically insert information from ACE into letters. This ensures each letter is personalized with the correct data for each recipient.

1. In LibreOffice Writer, go to View → Data Sources

2. Click the plus (+) sign next to ACE to expand the database.

3. Click the plus (+) sign next to Tables to view the available tables.

4. Scroll through the tables and left click on a table to see the available fields.

   1. For example, to find consumer information:

      1. Click on the primaryDemographic table.

      2. A list of fields will display, such as infoFullName, address1, cityStateZip, etc.

Adding Fields into the Letter Template

For this example, we want to put the name of the primary consumer into the letter informally as “first name last name”, which is accomplished using the field “infoFullName”

1. Locate the Desired Field e.g. infoFullName

2. Drag the field into your template

   1. You can move or copy the field to other locations within the letter.

   2. Format the text as needed (font size, style, alignment) to match your template's design.

Saving the Letter Template

1. Once you've added all desired fields and crafted your content, go to File → Save As.

2. Save the template with a descriptive name (e.g., CollectionNotice_Template.odt) in your Templates folder.

   1. Note: Anytime you make changes to the letter template, you'll need to re-upload the updated template to the associated Letter Profile in ACE for the changes to take effect.

Creating a New Letter Profile

A letter profile defines the settings and behaviors of your letter within ACE, such as delivery method, type, and associated template.

1. Go to Setup → Letters → Profile, click New

2. Locate Letter Profile Section

3. Enter data into fields

   1. See table for Field Descriptions *denotes required field

4. Locate the Template File Field, upload the template

   1. Reminder: If you make any changes to the template in LibreOffice after this point, remember to re-upload the updated template here to ensure ACE uses the latest version.

5. Click Save

Letter Vendors Section

1. Locate Add Vendor

2. Make the selection from the dropdown, click Add

   1. Open Office (use this if you need to edit your document after it generates) 

   2. PDF (use this if you want to lock your document from being edited) 

   3. Word (use this if you need to edit your document after it generates)

3. You can add multiple Letter Vendors to a Letter Profile.  Adding multiple Letter Vendors to the Letter Profile will give the user options when generating the document at the account level   

Testing Your New Letter Template and Profile

It's important to test your new letter to ensure that all fields populate correctly and the formatting appears as intended.

Step 1: Generate a Test Letter

1. Open a test account in ACE.

2. Navigate to Letter Actions on the account sidebar.

3. Select Send Letter.

4. Choose your newly created letter profile from the list.

5. Select the desired Output Vendor (e.g., PDF).

6. Click Print.

Step 2: Review the Generated Letter

• Open the generated letter.

• Verify that:

  • All dynamic fields are populated with the correct data.

  • The formatting matches your expectations.

  • There are no errors or missing information.

Step 3: Make Adjustments if Necessary

• If you notice any issues:

  • Return to LibreOffice and make the necessary changes to the template.

  • Save the updated template.

  • Re-upload the template to the letter profile in ACE.

• Repeat the testing process until the letter appears correctly.

Tips and Best Practices

• Keep Templates Updated: Anytime you make changes to a letter template in LibreOffice, remember to re-upload it to the associated Letter Profile in ACE for those changes to take effect.

• Version Control: Keep different versions of your templates with clear naming conventions (e.g., CollectionNotice_v2.odt) to track changes.

• Manage Permissions: Control which users can send and edit letters by setting appropriate role IDs.

• Consult Legal Counsel: Always have your letter content reviewed by your company's legal team to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

• Organize Your Files: Maintain a clear folder structure for easy access and management.