How to test SmartMAILCHIMP | SmartDOTDIGITAL | SmartCAMPAIGN MONITOR

IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU START TESTING

We outline below the tests we would expect a client to make once their Email Marketing System (EMS) has been integrated with Raiser’s Edge NXT. The details of the integration (fields/mappings etc.) will have been determined by the requirements/specifications you have provided to the SmartTHING team. Please have these handy so you can check the below processes.

Ensure you are using different records to test each sync direction, for example:

Raiser's Edge TO Email Marketing Service (EMS). PERSON A e.g. bob@yourorganization.org
Email Marketing Service (EMS) TO Raiser's Edge. PERSON B e.g. sally@yourorganization.org
You will also need two additional records to test adding a NEW person to Raiser's Edge and a NEW person to your EMS e.g. fred@yourorganization.org and betty@yourorganization.org

There are various reasons for this from clarity of testing results, simplicity and sync loop protection but we have found this to be the most reliable method of testing.

You should note all issues, including how to recreate them, and send in one email to support@smartthing.org . If you are referencing individual records, please include the Constituent ID.

Note: If you use email signup forms on your website that are NOT Mailchimp forms (i.e. Gravity Forms or some other system) please tell your SmartTHING contact as we need to enable another sync option to ensure the below tests will work.

Testing updates in your Email Marketing Service (EMS) and how they pass to Raiser’s Edge

Test 1 - Check a new subscriber is added to Raiser’s Edge as a new constituent

Make sure this test record is not already in your EMS or Raiser’s Edge database.

Step 1. Add a new subscriber to your EMS - NOTE - for DotDigital users, a new subscriber needs to be added via a sign up form (not manually).
Step 2. Check the record has been added to Raiser’s Edge with the fields you have requested in your specification

Result expected: A new record in Raiser’s Edge with fields set as per your specifications. Check a new Consent entry has been added (Opt-in)

Allow up to 10 minutes for the sync to complete

Test 2 - Check a new subscriber updates an existing Raiser’s Edge constituent

Make sure the new subscriber in your EMS already has a constituent record in your Raiser’s Edge database

Step 1. Add a new subscriber to your EMS - either via your admin interface or via a web form
Step 2. Check the existing constituent in Raiser’s Edge has been updated with an Opt-In Consent and new Constituent Code e.g "Mailchimp Contact"

Result expected: A constituent in Raiser’s Edge is updated as per your specifications. Check a new Consent entry has been added (Opt-in)

Allow up to 10 minutes for the sync to complete

Test 3 - Check unsubscribe in your EMS updates the constituent in Raiser’s Edge

Step 1. Unsubscribe a contact in your EMS. This can normally be done via the admin interface
Step 2. Check the constituent in Raiser’ Edge has been updated with the relevant fields, e.g Consent
Step 3. Check the constituent is no longer present in your Raiser’ Edge NXT List

Result expected: The constituent in Raiser’s Edge has been updated as per your specifications. Check a new Consent entry has been added (Opt-out) Allow up to 10 minutes for the sync to complete

Test 4 - Check updates to contact preferences in your EMS updates the constituent in Raiser’s Edge

This test covers synchronisation of granular preferences such as 'No fundraising', 'Post only' or other specific contact preferences. If you did not enable such synchronisation you can skip this test. The subscribe and unsubscribe email preferences are handled by the above tests.

Step 1. If you are syncing mailing preferences from your EMS to Raiser’s Edge, update a preference on the contact
Step 2. Check the constituent in Raiser’ Edge has been updated with the relevant fields, e.g Consent, Solicit Codes, Custom Fields

Result expected: The constituent in Raiser’s Edge has been updated as per your specifications. Allow up to 10 minutes for the sync to complete

Testing updates in Raiser’s Edge and how they pass to your Email Marketing Service (EMS)

This synchronisation is governed by the RE NXT Constituent list you are using to select the contacts synchronised to your EMS. Please ensure you have this list open when running the below tests so you can check that the changes you make to subscribe, update or unsubscribe a contact have gone through correctly. RE NXT updates constituent lists once every 30 minutes or so and indicates the last refresh at the top of the list.

Test 1 - Check a new constituent added to Raiser’ Edge is added to your EMS as a new subscriber

IMPORTANT: Make sure this test record is not already in your EMS or your RENXT constituent list.

Step 1. Add a new constituent to Raiser’s Edge - make sure the constituent has an email address, first and last name. You can also populate any fields that are being synced to your EMS as per your specification
Step 2. Check the constituent meets the criteria to be included in the RENXT List that is being used to synchronise data to your EMA

To check, you can search for the new record in the RE NXT constituent list about 30 to 45 minutes after you have added the record. This gives RENXT enough time to refresh the list and your record should now appear.

Step 3. Check your EMS to make sure that a new contact has been added with data entered on the constituent in Raiser’ Edge

Allow up to 24 hours for the new record to be detected and added to the EMS

Result expected: A new subscriber contact has been added to your EMS as per your specifications.

Allow up to 24 hours for the sync to complete

Test 2 - Check an updated constituent in Raiser’ Edge is also updated in your EMS

Step 1. Choose a constituent in Raiser’s Edge that has a matched contact in your EMS and appears in your RENXT Constituent list
Step 2. Update a field on the constituent that is being synced with your EMS as per your specification
Step 3. Check your EMS to make sure the contact has been updated

Result expected: A subscriber contact in your EMS has been updated with the changes you made to the constituent in Raiser's Edge

Allow up to 30 minutes for the sync to complete

Test 3 - Check a contact has been unsubscribed in your EMS when you remove a the constituent from your Raiser’s Edge NXT list

Step 1. Remove a constituent from the RENXT List that is being used to sync to your EMS. This can be done by deleting the constituent or making sure it no longer meets the criteria to be contained in the RENXT List.

To check, you can search for the new record in the RE NXT constituent list about 30 to 45 minutes after you have added the record. This gives RENXT enough time to refresh the list and your record should now appear.

Step 2. Check your EMS to make sure the contact has been unsubscribed

Allow up to 24 hours for the unsubscribed record to be detected and unsubscribed in the EMS

Result expected: A subscriber contact in your EMS has been unsubscribed

Allow up to 24 hours for the sync to complete

Advanced users

Throughout the tests, if you find an issue you can refer to the SmartSYNC logs, which can be searched by email address, to see what has happened: https://dev.smartsync.org/app/logs.php. Login details for this system are your email address (that of the SmartSYNC licence holder) and the default password is your licence key.

Test 1 - Check updating a profile in your EMS updates the constituent in Raiser’s Edge

This assessment is relevant solely for those who are synchronising EMS profile modifications to RE records. This is a configuration choice made during the Mailchimp integration setup with the SmartTHING team, and it is not frequently activated or advised. For most users, the standard requirement is to transmit profile details one-way from RE to their EMS, facilitating segmentation in the EMS. Bidirectional synchronisation is typically unnecessary.

Step 1. Identify a contact in your EMS that is already linked to a constituent in Raiser’s Edge
Step 2. Update a data point that you have requested to sync in your specification
Step 3. Check the constituent in Raisers’ Edge has been updated

NOTE: First and Last Name do not sync from EMS to Raiser's Edge. They do sync from Raiser's Edge to EMS.

Result expected: The constituent in Raiser’s Edge has been updated as per your specifications. Allow up to 10 minutes for the sync to complete