Desktop Transition frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How long does it take to transition my parishes data from the desktop application to ParishSOFT Family Suite?
The transition of your ParishSOFT Desktop data to your ParishSOFT Family Suite stage site will take approximately 3 business days to complete from the start date
How do I get the data to you?
If your software is locally installed, you will need to back up your ParishSOFT desktop database. The back up sends your data directly to us.
Can I still enter postings after the backup?
No. Once you submit your backup you and your staff should no longer make updates to your data. You may use your current system as READ ONLY.
What data elements do not transition from the desktop application to ParishSOFT Family Suite?
- Milestones
- Student Records-fields
Attendance records
Knowledge
Attitude
Grade Pt
Promote
- Tuition
- As a whole Tuition does not transition. You will see your Tuition funds, payments and invoices in the Offering module as non-deductible funds, giving and pledges for historical reference. Tuition Invoice templates do not transition.
- Extended Family
- Pictures
- Parish IQ Queries & Custom Reports
- Time & Talent schedules, exception dates, and time served counts
Will I still use the Family ID# to identify my families in ParishSOFT Family Suite?
The Family ID# may change when you transition to ParishSOFT Family Suite. The local Family ID# from the desktop will no longer be used as a unique identifier. ParishSOFT uses the DioUniqueID# (Family DUID) to identify families as it is unique across all organizations in the ParishSOFT Family Suite database.
If I use My Own Church with the Desktop, will it be available in ParishSOFT Family Suite?
Yes, parishioners will have the option to view and provide suggested updates. Any updates have to be approved by parish staff. Additionally, My Own Church users will be able to view the Special Needs field, their Workgroup membership, and the Pictorial Directory if the parish administration has enabled that feature.
Will the family photos migrate over to ParishSOFT Family Suite?
Photos do not migrate to ParishSOFT Family Suite. Photos will need to be re-uploaded following your transition.
How will contributions migrate to ParishSOFT Family Suite?
In the desktop application, the COA# (chart of accounts #) is referenced for your funds. When you transition to ParishSOFT, the FUND ID# is used instead. Those two numbers do not match. They are separate data fields in the desktop program. The COA# is no longer used in ParishSOFT Family Suite. Therefore, if you are utilizing an Import tool for your giving, you will need to enter those new FUND ID#’s into ParishSOFT Giving after the migration. Your new Family Suite will auto-generate this number during the migration. These will be the numbers to use to import your files so the import matches the data to the correct Fund in ParishSOFT Family Suite.
Tuition funds, payments, and invoices from your desktop Tuition module will be seen in the Family Suite Offering module for historical purposes.
How will pledge information migrate to ParishSOFT Family Suite?
The Pledge ID# is referenced in the desktop application. When you transition to ParishSOFT Family Suite, the database instead references the Pledge DUID# which is also available in the desktop application. Those are two different data fields. The Pledge ID# is no longer used in ParishSOFT. When you compare the pre-transition Pledge report to the post-transition Pledge report, you will want to reference the Pledge DUID# as the common data field.
Do Time & Talent Schedules migrate to ParishSOFT Family Suite?
- Time & Talent Schedules DO NOT transition.
- Additionally, Exception Dates or Time Served Counts do not transition from the desktop.
- If Scheduling was used in the desktop Time & Talent module, print/save a copy of at least three months of your schedules before the transition, so the person doing the scheduling has time to learn to use the new system, as the scheduling will not carry forward.
Will I still get notifications when a family record is changed by another parish or the diocese?
Yes, the parish administrator has access to the ParishSOFT Family Suite notifications identifying data changes made by other organizations.
How will Religious Education Data migrate to ParishSOFT Family Suite?
- ParishSOFT will migrate your Religious Ed data into ParishSOFT for you using default settings.
- If you have any incomplete Religious Education information, ParishSOFT will populate it using the following guidelines:
- Add missing session start/end dates and times – the start dates will default to 7/1/xxxx to 6/30/xxxx, the following year.
- Ensure sessions end on or after their start date/ time.
- Ensure sessions for a school year have a start date of that school year and an end date of the following year are contained within the corresponding school year.
- For example a session in the school year 2017 that has a start date of 6/2/2017 and an end date of 6/28/2017, the end date will be updated to 1/1/2018. This will ensure you will see your sessions grouped as in desktop.
- ParishSOFT will migrate your Religious Education data into ParishSOFT Religious Education using the default settings listed below:
-
Grades
- Map one to one (2=>2, K=>K, etc…)
-
Catechists
- Catechist 1 → Catechist
- Catechist 2 → Assistant Catechist
- Catechist 3 → Assistant Catechist
-
Rooms
- ParishSOFT does not set up rooms in the default migration. The user can set up new rooms in ParishSOFT Religious Education following the completion of the transition.
If you choose you may reset the Religious Education Migration done by ParishSOFT during your transition and migrate the data again yourself using the migration tool. If you add new Religious Education data in ParishSOFT Religious Education and then reset, you will lose the information you added. Use the link below to view the video help for the migration tool.
Religious Education Migration Tool
Will Parish IQ migrate to ParishSOFT Family Suite?
No, Parish IQ queries will not migrate to ParishSOFT Family Suite. We recommend that you print out the screens showing the query details of any you want to recreate 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