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NOTE: DocGen processing will only work with documents created with Microsoft Word 2007 or later. These documents must have the “.docx” extension on them.

You can create your own templates in Microsoft Word using Mail Merge. It is important to remember that templates only need to be created once.  Once you create and upload a single template document, it can be used over and over for any account in your Simplicity system.  Templates can be created from new document or you can use an existing letter or legal document you already have such as:

  • Debtor Demand Letters
  • Complaint and Summons
  • Default Judgment
  • Garnishment and more

Create a Template Using Mail Merge

  1. Click on Help > DocGen Help.
  2. Click on the Download  icon to download the Mail Merge CSV DataSource file.

The DataSource file provides you all the fields from Simplicity that can be used in your letter document. This includes client names, addresses, amounts due, phone numbers, even custom fields.

  1. You will either be asked where you’d like to save the file, or it will automatically be saved to your computers download folder. You need to know where the file is saved, so that you can access it later.
  2. Open up Microsoft Word (2007 or later), and click on the Mailings tab on the top.

  1. Click on Select Recipients, and select Use Existing List… from the drop menu:

  1. Select the datasource file that you downloaded in step #2, and click This data source will be named simplicity_datasource.csv.

  1. You are now ready to add Mail-Merge tags to your document. These tags will tell the Word document what fields in Simplicity to use when you generate a letter. Place the cursor in your document where you’d like to insert the merge field (for example, where you want the debtor’s first name), click Insert Merge Field, and select the Simplicity field you would like to insert.

  1. After clicking on the desired merge field, the field will be added to your document.

  1. Once your document is configured how you’d like it, save the document.

Save your Templates for use in Simplicity

  1. Click Settings > DocGen Templates.
  2. Enter the name of the Template in the blank box under Template Name. This is the name that you will use to identify the document later.

  1. Browse for… / Choose the Microsoft Word document you just created.

 

  1. Specify that the Merge Type is Mail Merge.
  2. Click the Upload
    1. You may also download, edit or delete any uploaded templates by clicking on the respective buttons to the right of template.

NOTE: Keyword templates are a deprecated format and are no longer used or supported in Simplicity.  ALL new documents created should use Mail Merge (merge tags) rather than keywords.

 

Generating a Single Document from a Template

Once the DocGen Template has been created, saved and uploaded you are ready to automatically generate a document with account/debtor information in it.

  1. Open an account for which you want to generate a document.
  2. On the Account Details screen, go to the debtor section and the drop down list for DocGen.
  3. Choose your template from the drop down list that you would like to generate.
  4. Choose if you’d like the letter to generate as a PDF or Word document.
  5. Click Generate Document or Email Document . When sending it via email you will receive the option to send it to one or more addresses including any co-debtor addresses as long as the email is not “Bad”. You will also have the option to send it with a carbon copy and/or blind carbon copy.
  6. Follow your computers steps for downloading the file that generated or saving it to your computer, if you choose the first option.

 

Generating Documents in Bulk

Many times you will want to generate a letter on multiple accounts at once, such as a “First Demand” letter for all accounts imported on X date. Because this would be time consuming to do one account at a time, you have the option to generate documents in bulk up to 500 at once.

  1. Click Tools > Bulk Account Manager.
  2. Use the filters at the top of the screen to find accounts you would like to generate a letter for.
  3. Click View Accounts. A list of the accounts that apply to the filters will appear below the filters.
  4. By default, all the accounts are selected. (You can tell this by the check mark next to the account file number.) If you would like to deselect a certain debtor, uncheck the box that appears to the left of their account file number.
  5. Below the list of debtors names, put a check in the box next to Generate Document, and select from the drop-down box the name of the template that you want to generate the document from.
  6. Click Perform Selected Actions, the file will download with the fields from Simplicity replacing the merge tags in your template.
  7. Open the document that was downloaded. From here you can review, edit or print the newly generated document.

Tips:

To have a record of the document that you generated, save a digital copy to the Doc Folder tab of the account you generated the document for.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are trying to generate a letter on an account and happen to see an error similar to:

Error – C:\Users\Example\AppData\Local\Temp\DocumentName.docx.part could not be saved, because the source file could not be read.

This refers to a browser compatibility issue with the downloaded file, rather than an issue with the Simplicity software. Web browsers have regular security updates to enhance your internet safety. On rare occasions these updates may cause changes in how downloaded files are processed. To fix this, you will want to try:

  1. Update/adjust your download settings on your browser (Firefox users can view instructions here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/change-firefox-behavior-when-open-file ); if updated to the most recent version, you may have to downgrade your browser back to the previous version.
  2. Try using a different browser to download the file such as Google Chrome.

If you are downloading a bulk generated file and Microsoft Word gives you an error that the file cannot be opened:

  1. Microsoft Office will sometimes display this error with large files. Click OK to skip the error message.
  2. When it asks if you’d like to recover the file, click YES and the file will open normally.

If you are trying to generate a letter on an account and the file looks strange when it opens, try these options:

  1. The file type of the letter will be .docx so you will want a program that can read it. 99% of the time this will need to be the program “Microsoft Office – Word”, and not any of the following:
    1. Notepad
    2. Wordpad
    3. Word Perfect
    4. Open Office
    5. Google Docs
  2. The exception is if you can find a program that reads .docx files, but it may still change some of the formatting when a letter is generated.
  3. Make sure your version of “Microsoft Office – Word” is the year 2007 or later. Earlier versions of Word are not compatible with the file type .docx
  4. Try generating the letter using another web browser.
  5. Double-check the file itself, to see if something was formatted incorrectly in the original template.

Can I email a Demand Letter (or any other type of letter) to a debtor? How can I do so?

  1. You can! Just pick which account you would like to generate it for, and on the Account Details page, choose your letter and click on the button Email Document .
  2. You can also generate emails in bulk using the Tools > Bulk Account Manager tool.

Can I pay Simplicity to create a DocGen template for me?

Simplicity charges $75 per letter with up to two pages per letter. To make a custom work request, send an example/rough draft letter to helpdesk@simplicitycollect.com. Ensure that the letter is composed exactly as needed (including grammar, spelling, logos, tables, etc). The Simplicity team will then insert the necessary mail merge fields based on the examples provided in the rough draft letter and upload it to the DocGen templates screen. Please also provide an account number that the Simplicity team can generate the letter from in order to ensure that all merge fields are working properly.