This article provides information on installing and implementing the Higher Logic bridge for iMIS EMS/20.3.

The bridge is used to synchronize data from your iMIS database to Higher Logic for use with your Higher Logic Thrive Marketing Professional (Thrive Marketing Professional) account, and it allows Thrive Marketing Professional to write data to your iMIS database.

Integration support

IMPORTANT: Some of the steps in this article present optional customizations within your iMIS database that Higher Logic does not perform; these are noted accordingly.

Your iMIS solution provider or consultant, if you have one, should be able to assist with these customizations, possibly for a fee.

If you don't have an iMIS solution provider or consultant, consider Association Technology Solutions (ATS) or consult the iMIS Partner Directory.

Important notes

• The Contact and Groups IQAs should never be edited because Higher Logic checks them for specific values that are important to your integration.
• The Mailing List folder has some default marketing lists. You can add IQAs to this folder for segmentation of new lists.
  • All IQAs for lists must return only the Contact ID (aliased as ID) and email address.
• There are two folders for managing the integration of Panel fields as custom Personalizations/Demographics for Higher Logic.
  • These are optional but must be configured by following the instructions below in order to sync any custom fields.

Installation

Import Standard IQA and Business object files.

Before importing any files, verify that there is a HigherLogic folder in the IQA folder system.

• If there is not a HigherLogic folder, create it. (Note the absence of a space in the name.)
• If there is a folder, make a copy of it and rename it in order to preserve any custom IQAs already written.

There are three files that must be imported:

• Import1_ValueLists.xml - creates a lookup query for the ATS_Events business object.
• Import2_Bos.xml - creates the business objects needed for the default Higher Logic IQAs.
• Import3_IQAs.xml - creates the default queries based on the custom ATS business objects.

IMPORTANT: These file names are so numbered because they must be imported in the order specified below.

1 - Import 1_ValueLists.xml

This creates a lookup query for the HL_Events business object.

1. Navigate to RiSE > IQA.
2. Click Import.
3. Select the file, Import1_ValueLists.xml; click Upload.
4. Uncheck the Overwrite existing objects box.
5. Click Import. (When the file is imported, a message appears in the messages box.)
6. Click Close.

2 - Import 2_Bos.xml

This creates the business objects that are needed for the default Higher Logic IQAs.

1. Navigate to RiSE > Business Object Designer.
2. Click Import.
3. Select the file, Import2_Bos.xml; click Upload. (This can take a few minutes.)
4. Uncheck the Overwrite existing objects box.
5. Click Import. (When file is imported, a message appears in the messages box.)
6. Use the quick find feature to search for ATS.
7. Select all HL_ objects (except HL_LastUpdate) and click Publish.
8. Select HL_LastUpdate and click Publish.

3 - Import 3_IQAs.xml

This creates the default queries based on the custom ATS business objects.

1. Navigate to RiSE > IQA.
2. Click Import.
3. Select the file, Import3_IQAs.xml; click Upload.
4. Uncheck the Overwrite existing objects box.
5. Click Import. (When the file is imported, a message appears in the messages box.)
6. Click Close.

4 - Test default queries

1. Navigate to RiSE > IQA > HigherLogic > Contacts > Contacts.
2. Click Run.
3. Optionally, specify any preferred parameters.
4. Click Find.

5 - Update Custom Demographics IQAs (optional)

The IQAs in the CustomDemographics folder are set to ASI default demographic panels. In most cases, this will not be useful to you. You must identify which panels/Business Objects and fields you want to report on and add them to the correct IQA. (Your iMIS solution provider or consultant should be able to assist with this.)

• The Pick IQA is used for custom fields with a dropdown selection.
• The FreeForm IQA is used for custom fields with open text.
• The Multi-Pick IQA is used for multi-select fields (this is uncommon). The field will be comma delimited.

Create Higher Logic activity for writebacks

The writeback feature from Higher Logic to iMIS EMS uses the standard Activity table. If implemented, the Activity Type must be added; then a panel can be created and placed on a RiSE page as part of the Staff_Account_Page used in the iMIS EMS Staff site. All Higher Logic writeback activities will arrive as "HLOGIC" Activity Objects in iMIS and the Product_Code value will be the distinction on what type of writeback the activity is.

NOTE: Panels must be created on your site (they cannot be imported).

Configure a Thrive Marketing Professional activity writeback

1. In your Thrive Marketing Professional account, navigate to Settings > Setup > Bridge Configuration (UPI Only).
2. Click Writeback Settings, then select Enable Mail Activity Writeback.
   • Choose whether to write sends and opens to iMIS.
3. Choose the writeback frequency.
   • Recommend Automatic, and Daily
4. Click Save.

Configure a Community activity writeback

1. Set up the activity writeback as part of configuring the OC Middle Provider.
2. These activities will be written to iMIS along with the Thrive Marketing Professional activities.

Higher Logic IQAs - Data Contract

Contact

This is the standard installed IQA that is used by Higher Logic's EMS integration to populate the contact and related fields.

IMPORTANT: This IQA should not be edited under any circumstances. If it is edited, it will have to be removed and reinstalled.

$/HigherLogic/Contacts/Contacts

ContactAddress

Address info should be returned in the Contacts IQA ($/HigherLogic/Contacts/Contacts).

ContactPhone

Phone info should be returned in the Contacts IQA ($/HigherLogic/Contacts/Contacts). In each case, the phone data is populated if the IQA field containing the phone number (e.g., MobilePhone, WorkPhone) is not null or empty.

Mobile phone fields

Work phone fields

Home phone fields

ContactDemographic

For each demographic IQA, contact demographics are created according to the columns returned in the IQA. The name of the IQA column maps to the demographic type, and the value contained in a contact's IQA row under that column maps to the value that contact has for that demographic.

ContactGroup

Only active group memberships are synced.

Group memberships with a BeginDate in the future or an EndDate in the past are removed from result sets and not synced to Higher Logic.