Sourcing Type Settings

Overview

Sourcing Type Settings allow you to define and manage the different methods or channels through which partners are acquired. Tracking sourcing types helps you understand which acquisition strategies are most effective.

What is a Sourcing Type?

A Sourcing Type represents how or where a partner was acquired, such as:

• Referral - Referred by existing partner or member
• Web Sign-up - Online registration form
• Event Registration - Signed up at event
• Social Media - Acquired through social media campaign
• Direct Mail - Responded to mailed materials
• Walk-in - Visited campus directly
• Phone Inquiry - Called to inquire

Sourcing types help you:

• Track marketing effectiveness
• Measure ROI on campaigns
• Identify most successful acquisition channels
• Optimize outreach strategies

How Sourcing Types Are Used

Sourcing Types appear throughout the system in:

Partner Management:

• "Sourcing Type" field when creating/editing partners
• Indicates how each partner was acquired

Reporting & Analysis:

• Filter partners by sourcing type
• Analyze conversion rates by source
• Compare sourcing effectiveness
• Budget allocation decisions

Campaign Tracking:

• Link partners to specific campaigns
• Measure campaign success
• ROI calculations

Viewing Sourcing Types

Sourcing Types Table

The Sourcing Type Settings page displays all types in a table with:

• Name - The sourcing type name
• Description - Explanation of this sourcing method
• Active Status - Whether currently active/available
• Partner Count - Number of partners with this sourcing type
• Actions - View, Edit, Delete buttons

Searching Sourcing Types

Use the search box to find sourcing types by:

• Type name
• Description content

Filtering Sourcing Types

Click the Filter button to narrow down:

• Filter by Active Status - Show only active or inactive types
• Filter by Usage - Show types with or without partners assigned

Adding a New Sourcing Type

Step 1: Open Create Dialog

1. Navigate to Settings > Sourcing Types
2. Click the "Create Sourcing Type" or "Add Type" button
3. The create dialog will appear

Step 2: Enter Basic Information

Sourcing Type Name* (Required):

• Clear, descriptive name for the sourcing method
• Examples:
  • "Referral"
  • "Web Sign-up"
  • "Event Registration"
  • "Social Media - Facebook"
  • "Direct Mail Campaign"
  • "Campus Walk-in"
  • "Phone Inquiry"
  • "Partnership Form"

Description (Optional):

• Explain what this sourcing type means
• When it should be used
• Any special notes or context
• Examples:
  • "Partner was referred by an existing member or partner"
  • "Signed up through online registration form on website"
  • "Registered at event booth or during event check-in"

Step 3: Set Active Status

Active Status:

• Toggle ON to make this sourcing type available
• Toggle OFF to deactivate (hide from selection)
• Default: ON

When to set as Active:

• Sourcing method is currently in use
• You want it to appear in partner form dropdowns
• It's a valid option for current campaigns

When to set as Inactive:

• Sourcing method is no longer used
• Temporary campaign has ended
• Want to retire but preserve historical data

Step 4: Save the Sourcing Type

Click "Create Sourcing Type" to save.

Editing a Sourcing Type

How to Edit

1. Find the sourcing type in the table
2. Click the Edit (pencil icon) button
3. Update any information
4. Click "Update Sourcing Type" to save

What You Can Edit

• Name - Can update the name
• Description - Can modify or add description
• Active Status - Can toggle active/inactive

When to Edit

Edit a sourcing type when:

• Name needs clarification or updating
• Description needs more detail
• Activation status needs to change
• Correcting typos or improving clarity

Activating and Deactivating

Deactivating a Sourcing Type

When you toggle Active Status to OFF:

• Type no longer appears in partner form dropdowns
• Existing partners keep their assignment
• Data remains in reports and filters
• Can be reactivated anytime

Use deactivation when:

• Campaign ends (e.g., "2024 Summer Campaign")
• Sourcing method is temporarily suspended
• Want to clean up dropdown but keep history

Reactivating a Sourcing Type

Toggle Active Status back to ON:

• Type becomes available in dropdowns again
• All historical data remains intact
• Can be selected for new partners

Viewing Sourcing Type Details

Click the View (eye icon) button to see:

• Name and description
• Active status
• Number of partners using this sourcing type
• Creation and update history
• Related analytics (if available)

Deleting a Sourcing Type

How to Delete

1. Find the sourcing type in the table
2. Click the Delete (trash icon) button
3. Confirm the deletion

When You Can Delete

A sourcing type can typically be deleted only if:

• No partners are assigned to it
• No historical data references it
• It was created by mistake

Deletion Restrictions

You may not be able to delete if:

• Partners have this sourcing type selected
• Historical records reference it
• It's used in active campaigns

Best Practices

Naming Sourcing Types

1. Be Specific:

   • Clear about the acquisition method
   • Avoid vague names like "Type 1" or "Other Source"
   • Examples:
     • ✅ "Facebook Ad Campaign"
     • ❌ "Social Media"

2. Use Consistent Format:

   • Decide on a naming convention and stick to it
   • Examples:
     • "[Channel] - [Specific Method]" → "Social Media - Instagram"
     • "[Method] ([Campaign])" → "Referral (Member Bring Friend)"

3. Group Related Types:

   • Use prefixes for similar sources:
     • "Social Media - Facebook"
     • "Social Media - Instagram"
     • "Social Media - Twitter"
   • Helps with filtering and reporting

4. Include Campaign Identifiers:

   • For campaign-specific sources:
     • "Q1 2024 Email Campaign"
     • "Summer Fest 2024 Booth"
   • Enables campaign performance tracking

Creating Effective Types

1. Start with Broad Categories:

   • Begin with 5-10 main sourcing types
   • Add more specific ones as needed
   • Don't over-complicate initially

2. Think Reporting First:

   • How will you want to analyze data?
   • What comparisons will be valuable?
   • Create types that enable those insights

3. Balance Specificity and Usability:

   • Too broad: Can't distinguish effectiveness
   • Too specific: Too many options, confusion
   • Find the right level for your needs

Organization Strategies

1. Evergreen vs. Campaign-Specific:

   • Evergreen (always active):
     • "Referral"
     • "Walk-in"
     • "Website Registration"
   • Campaign-Specific (time-limited):
     • "2024 New Year Campaign"
     • "Easter Outreach 2024"

2. Deactivate After Campaigns:

   • When campaign ends, deactivate its sourcing type
   • Keeps dropdown clean
   • Preserves historical data
   • Can reactivate for next year's campaign

3. Review Regularly:

   • Quarterly review of active types
   • Deactivate ended campaigns
   • Add new campaign types as launched
   • Consolidate underused types

Maintenance Schedule

Before Each Campaign:

• Create sourcing type for the campaign
• Set as Active
• Brief team on when to use it

After Campaign Ends:

• Deactivate the campaign sourcing type
• Review if any partners used it
• Note performance for future planning

Quarterly:

• Review all active sourcing types
• Deactivate ended campaigns
• Clean up duplicates or unclear names
• Add new types as needed

Annually:

• Comprehensive audit of all sourcing types
• Archive or delete truly unused types
• Update descriptions for clarity
• Plan next year's campaign sourcing types

Common Scenarios

Setting Up Initial Sourcing Types

Situation: You're configuring the system for the first time.

Recommended Starter Set:

1. "Referral" - Partner or member referral
2. "Web Registration" - Online sign-up
3. "Event Registration" - Signed up at event
4. "Walk-in" - Visited campus directly
5. "Phone Inquiry" - Called to inquire
6. "Social Media" - Social media platforms
7. "Direct Mail" - Mail campaign response
8. "Other" - Catch-all for unusual cases

Start here and add more specific types as needed.

Campaign-Specific Tracking

Situation: You're launching a specific marketing campaign and want to track its effectiveness.

Steps:

1. Create sourcing type: "Easter Campaign 2024"
2. Set Active Status to ON
3. Add description: "Easter-themed outreach campaign, April 2024"
4. Use this type for all partners from the campaign
5. After campaign: Deactivate to remove from dropdown
6. Report on partners acquired through this source

Consolidating Sourcing Types

Situation: You have too many similar sourcing types creating confusion.

Steps:

1. Identify types to consolidate (e.g., "Facebook", "FB Ads", "Facebook Campaign")
2. Choose the name to keep (e.g., "Social Media - Facebook")
3. Check how many partners use each type
4. For types with few/no partners, delete them
5. For types with partners, keep them but deactivate
6. Going forward, use only the consolidated type

Retiring Old Campaign Types

Situation: You have sourcing types from old campaigns cluttering the list.

Steps:

1. Filter for sourcing types not used in past 12 months
2. Review each one
3. If no partners assigned: Delete
4. If partners assigned: Deactivate
5. Update description to note "Historical - Do Not Use"

Field Reference

Required Fields

• Sourcing Type Name - Cannot be empty, should be unique

Optional Fields

• Description - Recommended for clarity
• Active Status - Defaults to ON

System Fields

• Partner Count - Auto-calculated, number of partners with this type
• Created Date - When type was created
• Updated Date - Last modification time

Common Questions

Q: How many sourcing types should I have?

A: Start with 5-10 broad types. Add campaign-specific ones as needed. Most organizations have 15-30 total, with 10-15 active at any time.

Q: Should I create a new sourcing type for each campaign?

A: If you want to track campaign-specific performance, yes. Otherwise, use broader categories. Balance detail with manageability.

Q: What's the difference between deactivating and deleting?

A: Deactivating hides the type from dropdowns but preserves all data. Deleting removes it entirely (only possible if no partners use it). Always prefer deactivating.

Q: Can I reuse sourcing type names from previous years?

A: You can reactivate an old type, but it's often clearer to create new year-specific types (e.g., "Easter Campaign 2024" vs. "Easter Campaign 2025") for better year-over-year analysis.

Q: How do I know which sourcing types are most effective?

A: Run reports filtered by sourcing type. Compare partner counts, engagement levels, and conversion rates across types. This shows which acquisition methods work best.

Q: Can partners have multiple sourcing types?

A: Typically no, each partner has one primary sourcing type. Choose the most significant or recent source when entering partner data.

Q: What should I do if I don't know how a partner was sourced?

A: Create an "Unknown" or "Not Specified" sourcing type for these cases. This is better than leaving it blank or guessing.

Q: Should I include passive vs. active acquisition in the name?

A: Consider it if this distinction matters for your reporting. Examples: "Passive - Web Registration" vs. "Active - Phone Outreach".

Related Topics

• Managing Partners - Learn how sourcing types are used when adding partners
• Call Reports - See how to analyze effectiveness by sourcing type
• Event Settings - Configure events that generate partner sourcing