How to create HART Templates (Word Document)

Some day to day tasks are inherently repetitive. Sending booking confirmations, or mass e-mail shots, are two typical examples of this fact. Although the volume of work is immense, i.e. the number of documents or messages sent, the base of this work is rather small. Just some documents to be used as matrices for the confirmations or a number of messages sent to hundreds or even thousands of recipients each. The choice of media can be overwhelming as well: Letters, faxes, e-mails, text messages to name the most important ones. 

This is exactly where HART Templates come to the rescue. Just define some basic documents (which are known as templates) and HART will do the rest. Working together with popular software productivity tools like Microsoft Word, HART Templates deliver a global solution without reinventing the wheel. They are the basic building block to a number of business processes like E-Marketing and Enquiry Management. 

The list below depicts the necessary steps to be taken in order to integrate the HART Templates in the workflow of the hotel: 

1. Decide what type of template is needed. The options include: 

a. A document that will be printed out in order to be used. A confirmation letter that will be sent away. This is known as a hardcopy template. 

b. An email template, such as booking confirmations or newsletters. 

What you need to do is: 

• Create your template 

• Link the template parameters to specific HART fields (with the help of bookmarks). 

• Attach those templates inside to HART PMS. 

• Link them to specific windows, so that you are able to use them later. 

Let’s see how you can do these two things, as well as how you can add bookmarks to your templates (in order for HART PMS to use them for customized templating). 

CREATING THE TEMPLATE:

 Before you start typing the main body of your text there are two important steps to take: 

1. Go to the File Menu and select Save As. Ensure that you type in a relevant name that is easily recognizable as a Template name and ensure that you are saving it in an accessible folder with all other relevant templates for the hotel. Make sure that you change the Document Type to .dot or Document Template (see example below): 

2. Go to the Tools menu and select Options. Ensure that the View tab is at the top and click the box for Bookmarks. This allows you to transfer details from HART (see below): 

Once you have saved the document you may now type the main body of the text. The easiest way is to type the letter up including all the necessary details that you require and then the relevant information can be bookmarked. Alternatively you could cut and paste an existing letter. By doing it this way you can then return to the initial template with more ease if you are distracted. 

LINKING THE TEMPLATE PARAMETERS WITH SPECIFIC HART PMS FIELDS (ENTERING BOOKMARKS):

Once you are happy with the body of your text, then you can start inputting Bookmarks which will transfer the relevant data over to the Template. Make sure that you have Microsoft Word open with the Template on and open HART on to a the screen from which you will be capturing your information, on this example it is a Room Booking as we are completing a Reservations Template. 

The first piece of information on our Template that we need to Bookmark is the Reference number. To do this simply highlight the reference number on the Template and press delete then click on the HART window which will have the Room Booking Screen up with a relevant booking attached: 

The ID field on the Room Booking screen is a Protected Field, meaning that the information within this field cannot be changed. Therefore you have to right click your mouse anywhere on the Room Booking screen and the following window will appear. Select Transfer Protected Field:

Once you have done this a new window will appear and you need to select which Protected Field you require. Just tick the relevant box and click the Transfer button: 

Once this is done you will see on your template that there is now an “I” Bookmark sign. This means that when the letter is printed it will take the ID number from each Room Booking to complete the reference number (see below). 

You now need to work your way through the remainder of the Template. The next piece of information that you need is the full name of the Guest. Again highlight the name on the Microsoft Word document and press delete. This will leave your cursor in the correct spot to transfer the Title. Click on to HART and highlight the Title box in the middle of the screen, then right click you mouse and select from the box that appears select Transfer Bookmark. You will then see an “I” appear on the Template. 

Ensure that you insert a space on the template before entering the next bookmark, which will be the guest’s first name.

Continue transferring all the necessary bookmarks and protected fields as required. 

Once you are ready, you will want to ensure the template is configured in HART. To do that, please read our article "How to Setup A Template"