Client Service Tracker is a Microsoft Access database for PCs that also uses Microsoft Excel. The answers to the questions below apply to both Version 8 and Version 9 unless otherwise specified.

Responses

How many clients can Client Service Tracker hold?

Cloent Service Tracker is limited by the largest file size possible in an Access database, which would allow for hundreds of thousands of person-records. No organization using Client Service Tracker has ever hit the limit.

How many users can use Client Service Tracker?

The license allows you to install Client Service Tracker on one or more computers at the same location. If you want multiple users to access Client Service Tracker over a local area network (LAN), then you will want to have users use the software one-at-a-time, or you will want an appropriate expert (in Microsoft Access and/or in Microsoft SQL Server) to “split the database.” If the database back end is a Microsoft SQL Server, then there should be no trouble having many people use Client Service Tracker at the same time. If the database back end is an Access database, then there is an increased risk of data corruption. Some agencies accept this risk if they have just a few (2 to 5) users using the software at the same time, after putting a good backup process in operation. See Steps for Putting Client Service Tracker on a Network, and Using Online Backup.

Can I change the field names in Client Service Tracker? Add new fields? Delete fields I don’t want?

Yes, this can be done in Client Service Tracker Version 9 Full and Modifiable, but not in most other versions. A Microsoft Access expert should be the one to modify the software.

What kind of security can be added to Client Service Tracker?

If you have Client Service Tracker Version 9 Full and Modifiable, then a Microsoft Access expert can modify it with one or more of the following:

Set a password on the software. All users of the software would use the same password.
Keep the typical user from being able to add to or modify what is in the drop-down selection lists for fields such as Program or Service. Among typical users, only people who know an additional password would be able to set up new Services, etc.
Lock the records for Case Notes, Service Events, Service Periods, and Outcomes, as soon as they are entered. This keeps them from being changed later.

Can I put it on my office computer and also on the laptop that I take home?

The license allows you to purchase one license and put Client Service Tracker on both an office computer and on a laptop computer that you take home, as long as both copies are not in use at the same time.

From a practical standpoint, you will probably want to keep moving the Client Service Tracker file back and forth between your office computer and your laptop computer, so that any data you enter at either location all stays together.

Will Social Work Software modify Client Service Tracker for me (by adding new data fields, new reports, etc.)?

If your organization licenses the Version 9 Full and Modifiable version, then any Microsoft Access expert can make modifications. Social Work Software is no longer in business and so cannot make modifications. ~ A good way to find a local Microsoft Access expert is to call a company that provides software training to businesses, and ask them who their most knowledgeable Access trainer is. Make arrangements for that person to make modifications, either arranging it through the training company or by contracting directly with the individual.

Can I get a product upgrade?

Because Client Service Tracker is an Access database, its functions and data are all kept together in the same file. This means that “program upgrades” are not feasible with Client Service Tracker.

Do you provide tech support?

There is no ongoing tech support. You can seek advice on the Contact Us page.

Can data from different copies of Client Service Tracker be merged / synchronized?

No. If you want multiple users to have access to the same data, you will need to put Client Service Tracker on a network.

Can I put Client Service Tracker on a local area network (LAN)?

Yes, you can put Client Service Tracker on a Local Area Network (LAN) in order to let multiple people access it. However, if you put it on a network as is and allow multiple people it access it at the same time, this will increase the risk of data corruption. You can eliminate this risk by using Client Service Tracker in conjunction with Microsoft SQL Server. Or, you can reduce this risk (and provide for quick restoration of data if corruption does occur) using other technical techniques. For more information, see Steps for Putting Client Service Tracker on a Network.

Can I put Client Service Tracker on the Internet (the “cloud”)?

You can put Client Service Tracker on the Internet and use it via a technology called a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Social Work Software tested this approach successfully. You will need an appropriate Information Technology (IT) expert to implement VPN.

How can I back up the data in Client Service Tracker?

Client Service Tracker is a Microsoft Access database, so to back it up, you make a copy of the database file and store it in a secure place on another computer or on the Internet. Then if there is a crash and you lose Client Service Tracker, you can restore the database file from the copy you made. Various online services provide easy and effective backup, some with the basic service being free. For more information on using these services with Client Service Tracker, see Using Online Backup.

My “back end” data is on a network file server, as recommended for multiple users. Now I need to move where that “back end” data is located. How can I do that?

First, copy the back end database file and paste it where you want it to go. Then use the Steps to Relink Tables to tell the front end where the back end is located. Then copy that updated front end to all the computers that use Client Service Tracker.

Technical FAQ

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