Front Rush Import

Import Front Rush recruit data into Slate.  Before getting started, understand how Front Rush information is automatically delivered to each instance of Slate. Front Rush places their files into the /incoming/frontrush directory. The Slate process automatically monitors this directory and imports any incoming files using the Front Rush Source Format.

Before you begin

Before Front Rush data can appear on individual person records, you must:

1. Add the Front Rush source format to your Slate instance.

2. Upload a file and complete the remap process.

3. Confirm that the field destinations and value mappings that Technolutions has pre-mapped are appropriate.

4. Customize the import by mapping any additional fields and values that are important.

   1. Create new fields and prompts for any custom Sport fields

5. Once mapping is complete, set the Front Rush Source Format’s Remap Active setting to Active.

Step 1: Adding the source format

The Front Rush file contains the data for athletic recruits who have submitted an application to your school.

1. Go to Database → Source Formats Library.

2. Add the Front Rush (Tab) source format.

3. Select Edit Mappings.

4. Select Source Formats.

5. Select Front Rush.

6. To prevent the source format from creating new records if a matching record cannot be found, change the Update Only value to "Update only."

   📝 Note: This setting will prevent the import from creating new records if an existing record does not exist. However, the documents will still be created and available for manual processing in Batch Acquire.

7. Select Save.

Make sure a Front Rush file has been loaded into Slate via Upload Dataset. A file must be present in order to allow any remapping.

1. Go to Database → Source Formats.

2. Select Edit Mappings.

All of the Slate destination fields currently mapped for the data points included in the Front Rush file are now visible.

Step 2: Fields

The Fields configuration page within Upload Dataset is where fields from the incoming Front Rush data is mapped to indicate where data is to be stored:

Pre-mapped destinations

Technolutions has pre-mapped many of the data points sent by Front Rush. These pre-mapped fields may be edited if business processes require non-standard mappings. The Fields configuration page within Upload Dataset is where fields from the incoming Front Rush data is mapped to indicate where data is to be stored:

Do not map any Front Rush data to application-scoped fields. All data points should be mapped to person-scoped fields or sport-scoped fields. 

🔔 Important!

Do not alter the Front Rush Sport ID destinations.

While many of the pre-mapped destinations may be edited, do not edit the Front Rush Sport ID destination. The Front Rush Sport ID is mapped to the External ID in Slate.

These mappings ensure that the Front Rush Source Formats will match with the
correct student records.

⭐ Best Practice

Do not map any Front Rush data to application-scoped fields. All data points should be mapped to person-scoped fields or sport-scoped fields.

Make custom sport-scoped fields

Schools are familiar with creating fields that are person-scoped (one field associated with the entire person record) and application-scoped (one field for each application on the person record). When creating a sport-scoped field, there is one field for each sport on the person record.

If custom values that exist per sport are to be mapped, custom sport-scoped fields must be made through Database first. For example, make a sport-scoped field to store archive information sent from Front Rush:

To accomplish this:

1. Go Database → Fields.

2. Select New Field.

3. Configure the following settings:

   • Status: Mark as Active.

   • Scope Category: Set to Related

   • Scope: Set as Sport

   • ID: The field ID should be in all lowercase letters and with no spaces.

   • Name: This will be the display name for this field in Slate.
     

   • Field Type: Select Free Text if the value should be text-based, or Multiple Values or Single Value if the field can include multiple values or only a single value

     

   • Unique for Merging: Do not make this a unique field. 

4. Select Save.

Once custom sport-scoped fields have been created, they appear under the sport destination when configuring the Front Rush destination fields.

🔔 Important!

Even if Front Rush sends similar data points for sports 1, 2, and 3 for a record, create only one sport-scoped field for each data value in Slate. Slate differentiates between each sport by using the appropriate group numbers, so the information remains associated with the correct sport.

In the example below, all fields are mapping to the same destination (such as Sport > Sport External ID), but they are using different Group numbers (indicated by the #2 and #3 in the Destination column) to separate each individual sport.

Step 3: Value mappings

Double-check the value mappings on the Value Mappings tab and configure the mappings for newly-created custom field destinations that correspond to prompt lists. Use the Guess Below option to help with this process.

Append values

Use the Append Values button (seen above) to add all possible field values to complete the mappings. Slate will de-duplicate the list if the list includes previously added values. Add only one value per line. 

To obtain a list of all Front Rush values, contact Front Rush and ask them to send the list of possible values for your school. Any appended values must exactly match the values that Front Rush is including in the file.

Use the same process to append values for other Front Rush fields that are missing values so that all appropriate destinations are set for each possible value.  

Sport names

Sport prompts must be added to Slate if they do not already exist. For these, use the prompt key of "sport" and list the Value setting as the name of the sport.

Sport ratings

Similarly, Sport Rating prompts may need to be added to Slate so values will appear when setting up mappings. For Sport Rating prompts, use the prompt key of sport_rating. Ratings can be either numeric (such as 1, 2, and 3) or text (such as Tryout Player, Varsity, and JV).

Once Sport Rating prompts have been built in Slate, map the Front Rush source values to the new Slate values:

🔔 Important!

Append values. Are more than the 0-4 sport ratings being used? If yes, append additional values so that these prompts may be mapped. Also, be sure to add those additional values as prompts.

Device types

Front Rush also includes Facebook and Twitter handles. If bringing that data into Slate, create device type prompt values. To do so, configure these prompts in the following way:

🔔 Important!

The device Index Values must use the precise case-sensitive value listed). If bringing in custom device types (such as Facebook), then all the standard device type prompts must be added (such as email address) as well. Additionally, if Facebook and Twitter handles are not wanted, remove the current mappings for those items in the Fields Stage previously described.

Step 4: Configuring interactions

A number of Front Rush source fields may be brought in as Slate interactions. If Slate interactions are desired, remember these basic interaction mapping rules of thumb:

1. When mapping to an interaction, something must be mapped to Interaction: Code.

2. It is best practice to also map an interaction date.

3. If mapping multiple interactions, use group numbers.

Create any required interaction codes in Database → Activities and Interactions.

Pre-read requested

Use the following configuration to import Pre-Read Requested data:

Since there is not a date specified for this item, the interaction is imported into Slate using the current date. Therefore, it is a good idea to add the Interaction: Prevent Duplication Static Mapping to the Front Rush mappings to prevent this same interaction from being added multiple times (each time the record is included in the import). 

Select the same group number used when the Pre-Read data was mapped.

Overnight visit

Use the following configurations to import overnight visit data:

Do not map the first three fields. Map the last two fields to Slate interactions. Remember to assign a group number since this is the second set of interactions being imported. 

Day visit

Use the following configurations to import day visit data:

Do not map the first three fields. Map the last two fields to Slate interactions. Remember to assign a group number since this is the third set of interactions being imported. 

Origin source

The Origin Source field will always be ATH. The Activity field drills down further to clarify how the data was originally entered into Front Rush: “By Coach,” “By Form,” or “By Import.” (These values may be added as new athletic interactions in Slate.) Since this data is more detailed, use the following mapping configurations:

Map these source fields to Slate interactions. Remember to assign a group number since this is the fourth set of interactions being imported.

Person status

The Person.Status Front Rush field is pre-mapped to the Person Status destination in Slate. Configure the proper value mappings for this field. Use the following values:

Other mappings

Consider mapping the following fields to Slate destinations:

Step 5: Static mappings

We have pre-mapped the Front Rush Source Format to use a number of Static Values. Review those mappings to ensure that settings are configured as needed.

Step 6: Reviewing in the Test Environment

After all of your mappings are complete, proceed to the Review Stage. Here any potential warnings about incorrect configurations will appear in the Pre-Flight Checks area.  

If the remap has already been activated, revisit the Format Definitions for the Front Rush import and map the additional fields. Then, on the right-side of the page select the Retroactive Refresh link. Select the specific field that should be imported/updated for previously uploaded records and select the source files to be refreshed. 

Step 7: Activating the remap

When Front Rush mappings are complete, go Database and select Source Formats. Locate the Front Rush item and select Edit. Set the Remap Active setting to Active.