How do I link contacts to business contact manager without creati

[Guest]

I just started using Business Contact manager. I have lots of contacts in my
normal contacts folder for which I use activesync and other activities. I
created new accounts in the Business Contact Manager and linked my tasks. Is
there any way to link a contact record to the Business Contact manager
without creating a duplicate on in Business Contacts?

 

[Tim P via OfficeKB.com]

Richard,

BCM requires you to re-create all of your native Outlook folder contacts into
the Business Contact folder in order to directly link these records to
Accounts. The reason is because BCM is a separate add-in application and db
from native Outlook. Below is a crude possible workaround for this if you
are determined to stick with using your native default Outlook folder contact
records and choose not to want to use the Business Contact Record items in
BCM. There are some obvious trade offs to this workaround (not using the
Business Contact folder at all) but it will somewhat do what you are asking
for.

You can create an indirect link between BCM's Account records and your native
Outlook Contacts via an extended link "through" a permanently linked task
record to the Account Record. On the subject line of each of these
permanently linked Task Records you could simply type the same name as the
Account it is linked to so the association is easy to recognize. This
constant link effectively then makes available the additional Contact link
field found in the lower left of each Outlook Task record which then can be
used for linking additional native Outlook contacts. Individual native
Outlook Contact Records can me linked to more than just 1 Account record by
using this Task record field. As I stated earlier, It is obviously not a
direct link to the Account record rather, it is an indirect one via the
extended Outlook Contact field made available through the permanently linked
Task record. This workaround would allow only a one way navigation from the
Account record to each additonal multiple linked Outlook Contact record.
Remember, BCM and Outlook are separate apps designed to interface in as much
of a seamless manner as possible eventhough this is not always the case. You
could also link BCM Account records to other BCM Account records this way if
you wish. Instead of trying to picture this in your head I would recommend
that you actually try it by direct experimentation in order to comprehend
what I am hopefully communicating here.

-THP

 

[Tim P via OfficeKB.com]

Another non-BCM add-in option is available which does not require you to
abandon your native Outlook contact records. This can be found at
www.avidian.com. This is a 3rd party developer and they do a very nice job
of support and service. I have several friends who use this app and are
quite satisfied. Check it out.

-THP