Trackers are not only one of the most important customer relationship management tools, but they are also by far the largest database on our core, comprising more storage space than most other database tables combined. The complex structure of the various tables, combined with the sheer volume of records, can make access and data mining a challenge.
So for the past year we have been working on a huge project to redesign our Tracker database from the ground up using a more modern, user-friendly, efficient infrastructure. In addition to the new structure for day-to-day Trackers, this project will also pull all OFAC (and FinCEN 413(a)) scan details out of the Tracker files and put them in their own, more easily scannable table. (See the separate recipe for more details.)
While this might not seem all that exciting to the average user, it is an important project that will bring benefits and open doors for new features down the road. For example, combining the new structure with the visual capabilities of CBX will allow us to create a Tracker Review feature with more records and more sort and search capabilities than would ever have been possible with CU*BASE GOLD.
Project Components
- New database structure that makes it easy to use Tracker data tables in custom reports and Queries; free-form note text is stored in a single field rather than multiple records within a table.
- New controls to walk users through the proper procedure for adding and updating Tracker, preventing new Trackers from being created unintentionally, or attaching system Trackers (like the Collection Card) to the wrong account suffixes.
- Complete rewrite of the Tracker Review and Work With Tracker Follow-ups screens to display more helpful columns and add more sorting and filtering capabilities.
- Existing configurable features such as Promise to Pay, retention periods and archival, etc., will continue to be supported. Memo Type functionality will also remain unchanged.
Learning the New Lingo
To make the tables and screens easier to understand, we’re adjusting our lingo a bit:
| Tracker Notebook | This comprises the entire Tracker and all of its conversation notes. |
| Tracker Conversation (or Tracker Note) | This is the record of an individual conversation with the member, stored within a Tracker Notebook. |
| Tracker Notebook Type | Previously just “Tracker Type,” these are configurable codes and include both system types (AT=Audit Tracker, XX=Collection Card, etc.) as well as CU-defined types. |
| Tracker Conversation Thread | The new structure will allow us to link disparate threads based on follow-ups, even within the same Tracker Notebook. For example, you might have two separate conversations going back and forth with a member within your generic Member Service Tracker Notebook. The system will make it easy to segregate and view each thread independently, even if the dates and times overlap. |
Converting Existing Data
All current Tracker records will ultimately be removed from the existing tables and moved either to the new Tracker tables or to the new OFAC/FinCEN scan tables. Given the volume of data, this process can take several hours to run for each individual CU, so we’ll be doing a phased rollout over the course of several weeks. Stay tuned for details!
Ideas We’re Considering for the Future
- The new table structure will allow us to someday link an Account Comment to a Tracker note, so that the comment can be short to fit within the Comments pop-up window, with a button to click directly to the Tracker for further details.
- A field has been added to the new table to one day support the creation of private tracker notes, viewable only by specific authorized employee IDs. Great for recording collection details on employee accounts.
- A new tool to allow you to update the account suffix on an existing Tracker Notebook (except on restricted/system types).
Project status as of 12/5/2025: Over 1,700 developer hours have been logged on project# 63512, and the work is nearly ready to be handed off for the first round of QC testing.
Your chef for this recipe: Dawn Moore
