Best Practice: Tagging

What is Tagging?

Tagging allows you to assign a user-defined keyword or phrase to a Meld to supplement the existing filters and drive a Meld through a customized workflow.  For example, a customized workflow for a Meld might involve identifying and filtering by a turn, home warranty, owner approval, and more.

Refer to How to Customize Filters and Dashboard for details on building filters.  In this article, there are specific steps outlining a Tag Filter.

Create, Assign, and Use Tags provides steps for using Tags.  In order to delete and merge Tags, refer to Manage Tags for details.

The following screenshot highlights on a Meld where to assign Tags.

Best Practices

The following list provides a series of simple rules and best practices that will help an operation effectively and efficiently use Tags.

• Keep Tags short. 
  • Long Tag names make it that much more difficult to simply type to assign the Tag.
  • Short Tag names allow for a quick way to view when multiple Tags are assigned to a Meld.
• Keep Tags simple.
  • Related to the short Tag name reason, simple Tag names make the process easier to follow by the users.
  • Categories are broader ways to identify Melds, so Tags are meant to be specific in identifying a type or lifecycle stage of a Meld.
• Keep Tags organized. 
  • Because Tags are meant to be used consistently and purposefully, identify Tags with the entire operation in mind and discourage creating Tags on the fly.
  • If Tags are used, define and communicate to the whole operation which Tags exist and when a Tag should be used.
• Fewer Tags is better.
  • To keep it short, simple and organized, try to keep your Tag count under 10 total. 
  • More than 10 Tags can result in confusion and inefficiency.  
• No Tags required.  
  • Tags should be used in the event that there is no other Filter mechanism available.  For example, filtering Melds by Vendor or Priority is built into the Filter Criterion and does not require a Tag.
  • By using Tags unnecessarily, the accuracy of data can decrease because of the consistent use required by the user.

Examples

The following list of Tags is meant to provide a starting point of where Tags might make sense on for your operation's Melds.

• Bid Pending - Bid or Estimate has been requested by a Vendor, so the Meld is pending bid submission
• Home Warranty - Property/unit associated with Meld has an existing Home Warranty with a different process
• Owner Responsible - Owner has responsibility for completing the repairs
• Vendor Warranty - Repair is dependent on a Vendor's warranty (ex. 1 year from resolution or replacement).
• HOA - Home Owner Association based property where there is a dedicated Vendor or other HOA specific requirements.
• Violation - Vendor or Tenant violated a requirement and a Meld requires specific follow-up.
• Call Center Initials - Identifies a location or individual user that is responsible for management of that Meld.

Filters

The primary use of Tags is predicated on the ability to build a Filter to execute Meld handling operations efficiently and effectively.  With the ability to quickly access a Tag related Filter from your Dashboard, you can view and act on Melds associated with that Tag.  Refer to How to Customize Filters and Dashboard for more details on building filters.  The following demonstrates the minimum steps to building a Filter by a Tag.

Here's an interactive tutorial

Data Export

The assigned Tags on a Meld are available as shown in the screenshot below.  Refer to How to Use Reports to Export Data and the All Melds report which allows the ability to perform more analysis of past Melds by Tag.