Chances are, you or your firm deals with large amounts of data. This data wouldn’t mean much if it weren’t for the ways in which you organize, separate, interpret, and process it. A few cells, lines of information, or data are easy to manage – but what about a large batch of changes that affect a whole organization?
We’ve seen firms go to great lengths to have data uploaded into generic CRM platforms. This typically involved exporting large files from Excel and from other data hubs outside of the CRM environment. This has proven to be an arduous and time-consuming process, and we know that time is valuable. As a result, we created “Bulk Editor,” the tool that lets users manipulate large datasets in an Excel-like format from within the DealCloud platform.
Put simply: robust and plentiful data requires that a flexible technology foundation be in place. In this article, we offer insight into the Bulk Editor tool and why it’s so effective at making you and your team more efficient.
How to use DealCloud’s Bulk Editor
Bulk Editor users can interact with datasets in a familiar format without the lag of exporting to and re-importing from Excel. Furthermore, all edits made here will reflect in every relevant part of the platform, whether in an individual deal or contact entry (the only exception being if a user does not have the proper permissions to make edits to a given record). Sporting intuitive spreadsheet functionality, users can add/delete, filter, re-order, swap, view/hide columns, and add data quickly, all to be immediately applied across a user or firm’s DealCloud instance.
Getting into the Bulk Editor mode is easy: simply find the pencil icon on the top right of a grid/chart. From there, a user is empowered to make both precise and broad changes to the data set underlying the chosen grid/chart. Users can quickly move or swap columns, filter data, access intuitive keyboard shortcuts, and more. Again, everything that happens in Bulk Editor will be likewise reflected across your DealCloud charts, dashboards, contact pages, and wherever else the relevant information sits.
Training courses on all Bulk Editing capabilities can be found by accessing DealCloud University
As consistency is crucial when interacting with data, Bulk Editor uses the same validation and rules a DealCloud user has on entry forms; meaning, if it is required upon entry in one place it will be required in the Bulk Edit screen as well. Dropdowns keep the same options, and conditionality applies where fields are related to each other. Standard relationality between sector and sub-sector apply, keeping edits consistent and applicable throughout the platform.
Depth and connectedness define much of what DealCloud brings to an organization, with the ability for users to quickly access and snap between firm-wide and their own individual views. Connections between contacts, firms, acquisition targets, deals, and other data allows teams to view a dynamic, 360-degree environment and track day-to-day activity. However, for the platform to provide the most consistent and comprehensive support, inputting new information and updating existing entries or interactions is essential.
Below are some example use cases for Bulk Editor:
– A firm you do deal with has moved their headquarters to a new city. With Bulk Editor, you can simply drag the “City” and “Address” cells down to update every contact’s information instead of manually entering the data into each Contact record.
– Your firm has 25 active deals, all in different stages of due diligence. During your Monday morning meeting, you can update the “Status” or “Stage” cells for every deal all at once as the deals are discussed by the team. Once the changes are saved, these status updates are seen throughout the platform.
– Your firm just designated “Tier 1” and “Tier 2” contacts. Rather than update the rest manually, you can simply and quickly bulk edit the remaining contacts to reflect “Tier 3,” “Tier 4,” or “No category” instead of leaving them blank.
Modern dealmakers need to update information quickly to stay on the same page, and sometimes need to adjust a lot of information very quickly. Bulk Editor is one of the most efficient and effective methods for keeping you and your team up to date.