Because your institution can both import interactions and write interactions in EverTrue, we've developed a round-trip process to help ensure data is synced daily. Interaction Round-Trip simply means that your institution can take an interaction written in EverTrue, load it back into your database, and send those same interactions back to EverTrue in the next interaction CSV import. This process is especially important for keeping everything up-to-date when EverTrue interactions are able to be edited in your institution's database. If your institution has chosen not to allow EverTrue interactions to be edited in your database, take a look at our Single-Trip option reviewed at the bottom of this article. 

Implementing the Round-Trip Process

Follow the steps below to utilize our round-trip process:

• Start by setting up an interactions import from your institution's database of record to EverTrue. At first, this will just be a historical import of interactions. Eventually, you'll need to add the EverTrue Interaction ID field to this file to complete the round-trip process (we will cover this in later steps!).
  • When creating the dynamic query used for this file, we recommend focusing on pulling just the deltas, which would include any EverTrue interactions that may have been edited in your database once the round-trip process has begun. 
• Next, make sure you are happy with your interaction entry form and that the ability to write an interaction is enabled on both web & mobile. The interactions form will be configured with your Implementation Partner, but you can always contact Support for any requested changes. This form directly impacts the CSV export format that EverTrue generates for your institution on a daily basis.
• Go ahead and schedule your interaction exports to be delivered daily to your EverTrue SFTP directory. Once established, EverTrue will drop off a daily file at the time you indicate into an export folder in your SFTP directory.
  • You'll need SFTP credentials and access to that directory to set up the full automation process (scripting the CSV file to be picked up and put back into your database).
• As referenced earlier, you will need a place to import and save the EverTrue Interaction ID when loading EverTrue interactions into your database. This ID will keep EverTrue from duplicating interactions when they make the full round-trip.
  • Please keep in mind that only interactions edited or created in EverTrue will have an EverTrue Interaction ID. This ID is only available via the generated CSV interaction export file. 
• Next, add the EverTrue Interaction ID to your interaction import CSV file for EverTrue. Contact EverTrue Support if you do not have the ability to map & import the EverTrue ID for interactions.
• You have now completed the interaction round-trip process! Keep the flow going to have interaction circulate from EverTrue to your database, and back again!

Looking at a Round-Trip Example

Let's say Gift Officer George writes an interaction in EverTrue. When exported from EverTrue, this interaction is marked with an EverTrue Interaction ID of 123. This interaction is then loaded into your database and given the ID ABC. After it is loaded into your database, George sorts through some data and realizes they need to add more information to the interaction. Because they are already in the database, they make the change directly there.

Since this interaction has been edited in your database, the change George made needs to make it back to EverTrue. This interaction should then be pulled into your next file to deliver to EverTrue for upload with both the database ID (ABC) and the EverTrue Interaction ID (123). During ingestion, mapping the EverTrue ID ensures we recognize the interaction and update it accordingly. Now the interaction is up-to-date in both places. 

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Implementing the Single Trip Option

It is also possible to run a single trip of data from EverTrue to your database without returning the interactions to EverTrue. Utilizing this option would require you to prohibit edits in your database of any interaction imported from EverTrue. Prohibiting edits will ensure that your database has a read-only version of the EverTrue interactions, and therefore does not need to make the interactions perform a round-trip back into EverTrue. With this option, you are running a single stream of data into EverTrue (interactions written in your database) and a single stream of data into your database (interactions written or updated in EverTrue). 

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For any other questions reach out to EverTrue Support at genius@evertrue.com.