Parish Transition from Desktop with
Data Integration into Diocesan Database
The transition for ParishSOFT Desktop and integration with your Diocese’s central database is multi-step process. The time to complete this process will take approximately three weeks in total. This estimate does not include any data preparation that may be required by the parish prior to the transition or the resolution of any transition/integration issues.
Desktop Transition/Integration Timeline |
Business Days to Complete |
Parish submits backup and continues to work in their desktop data. |
1 |
ParishSOFT completes the data integration and provides both the parish and Arch/Diocese with a login to a staging site for review. |
3 |
Parish and Arch/Diocese reviews integrated data in a staging site and if there are data discrepancies reports them to ParishSOFT Implementations. |
2-5 |
In the event there are data discrepancies, the ParishSOFT data team will provide a response about the discrepancies within 2-3 business days. Depending on the severity of the issue it may take longer than that to resolve the issue; however, the team will assess the issue and respond within the 2-3 business days. |
Variable |
Parish and Arch/Diocese signs-off on the Data Integration test data |
1 |
Parish submits a fresh backup and the Parish stops working in the desktop database. ParishSOFT completes Data Integration into production and provides parish full access. This process takes 3 business days from your scheduled start date |
3 |
Total Estimated Integration Time |
13 |
Data Integration Process
Data Integration is the process of combining the parish data with existing information in the ParishSOFT Diocesan central database. The goal of the process is to limit the number of duplicate families introduced into the ParishSOFT database when bringing a new parish into the system. To accomplish this, ParishSOFT has configured a set of matching logic to identify families that are in both the parish data and the ParishSOFT diocesan database. Following the integration process, you should have the same number of families in your data that you started with.
When combining the parish and diocesan data sets, the families will fall into three categories as follows:
-
Families Matched: A match was found between a Parish and ParishSOFT Diocesan family and they were merged into a single-family record.
If a match was found the preexisting ParishSOFT Diocesan family is absorbed into the Parish family and the original Diocesan Family DUID is retained for tracking purposes.
- Families Moved: Families found in the ParishSOFT Diocesan data that were not matched with a Parish Family.
Since the Parish data supplies families of current interest to the parish, unmatched diocesan data families are moved out of the parish view into a holding* tank organization. Some of these families may actually have a match that was not identified during integration or upon review may actually be of interest to the parish but were not in the parish census data. We will revisit these records later in the process.
*The diocese has two options for non-matched family records. 1) Move the records to a holding tank organization. 2) Leave the non-matched family records in the parish organization. Please check with your Diocese if you are unsure which option they are using.
- Families Inserted: Families found in your Parish data that were not matched with a ParishSOFT Diocesan family.
Since all the Parish families provided in your parish data are of interest to the parish, these families are inserted as new families to ParishSOFT and assigned a new Family DUID. Some of these families may actually have a match that was not identified during integration and can be manually merged at a later time if a match is identified with a diocesan record at a later date.
You will receive data integration reports for both the review stage and the live run of the data integration for your parish.
What to look for in the data integration reports
-
A missed match and merge from the integration process.
If you find a family on the report that truly is a duplicate of one of your existing records that family will need to be merged by the Diocese with your family record. Please note the Family DUID of the Parish Family Record and the Family DUID of the non-matched diocesan record and provide those to the Diocese so the records can be properly merged.
-
A family you recognize and would like as part of your parish data.
After you are live you can import the family through the Add Family function in ParishSOFT so they are associated with your parish. You may choose to add them as Registered or Not Registered, whichever is appropriate.
-
A non-matched family that you currently have no interest in.
You do not need to do anything with these records.
Should you find any data discrepancies please respond to the data review email and include a couple of examples for the discrepancies so we may research and resolve. When you are satisfied that the integrated data is correct you will also respond to the data review email that you have reviewed the data and are approving for the final data integration run. Please keep in mind the sooner both the diocese and parish review and approve the data integration review site the sooner you will be live in ParishSOFT Family Suite.
3767 Ranchero Drive, Suite 100 | Ann Arbor, MI 48108 | Toll Free 866.930.4774 | Fax 734.205.1011
www.parishsoft.com