The information here provides you with the details involved in the process of setting up your Alto software and introduces you to the teams you will be involved with along the way.
Throughout the journey, your Onboarding Coordinator will go through each stage in more detail and advise next steps. This article breaks down the process into tasks.
Alto hub
Your dedicated Onboarding Coordinator will set you up with a personalised hub for all things Alto.
They will also provide you with your initial steps to getting started, such as completing your Alto hub set up forms. In order to avoid delays and stay on track with your project, it’s important that you complete these forms as soon as possible.
Welcome call
Your Onboarding Coordinator will be in touch to arrange an initial welcome call.
In this meeting, they'll discuss the onboarding process and further introduce you to your Alto hub and initial tasks. They'll also discuss your target dates to go live with Alto.
Note
If you're not migrating data from a CRM to Alto, steps relating to Test Migration are not relevant
Project plan tasks
You'll receive a snapshot project plan which includes a number of tasks which have to be undertaken by either yourself or our Onboarding team.
When that task is due, you'll get an email letting you know it's time to complete the next step.
Below, you can see what each task means, with a link to the full article. You can also find out more about the onboarding journey on the general onboarding hub which can be viewed here.
You'll be sent an email and login details for your personalised Alto hub.
You are required to complete details that provide us with information to progress your order for installation, compiling the relevant configuration decisions, account information, templates, branding and business details, onto your Alto system.
Depending on your order, there will be three or four pages of Set Up Forms to complete.
For more information on Completing your Alto hub set up forms, click here
Your dedicated Onboarding Coordinator will contact you to arrange a convenient time for a 45-60 minute Zoom call.
Your Onboarding Coordinator will discuss the following:
- Details of your order:
- Number of branches, and how are they split between departments
- Number of users
- Number of accounts licenses
- Any add-ons, i.e. The Letting Centre letters pack, PropertyFile
- Do you market Sales and/or Lettings, operate Overseas, require Property Management and Accounts?
- Will you be manually adding your data or are we migrating you from a current software system?
- How many properties you manage (if relevant)
- Any specific requirements (department branding)
- The structure of the training sessions
- A brief overview of the accounts practice and go live process
- An estimated timescale for project completion
For more information on the Onboarding kick off call, click here
This is an opportunity to have a tidy up and ensure that you’re not transferring data that you no longer need.
We recommend reviewing your active records and archiving or deleting those which you no longer require before your scheduled migration date, in addition to some further housekeeping.
For more information on Preparation ahead of the Data Migration process, click here
As standard, your Data Migration will follow the below process:
- Initial Data Grab & Test Migration
- Data Testing and Reviewing your Data Validation Reports
- Resolving your Data Queries
- Data Sign Off
For more information on the Data Migration stages, click here.
If you require a complex or bespoke migration, your Onboarding Coordinator may organise the Test Migration Review journey instead.
For more information on Carrying out your Test Migration Review (TMR), click here.
During your Onboarding kick off call, your Onboarding Coordinator will discuss your training journey.
(Please refer back to your Alto hub as required)
Your training journey consists of free of charge self-paced digital learning via Alto Skills, and Trainer Q&A sessions with one of our expert Software Trainers, to spend on topics of your choice.
Note
It’s essential that your team complete their Alto Skills training prior to the Alto Activation
Your Trainer Q&A sessions can be booked to suit you - you might prefer to have the sessions shortly after the live migration, or you might want to spend time using Alto before collating questions and topics you’d like to cover.
For more information on Team training, click here.
Once your Test Migration has been completed and signed off, on an agreed date, we'll take a full and final extract of data from your existing CRM to be transferred into Alto, in the same way we received the data for your Test Migration.
Your Onboarding Coordinator will advise an estimate of the time required to do so, but this can be longer or shorter depending upon various factors. For example, any media will load more slowly due to the size of the files.
Any changes you make to your existing CRM (i.e. record changes, viewings, diary appointments) after the Data Grab won’t be reflected in the migrated data in Alto. Therefore, if you and your team haven't already, you'll need to take manual notes of any changes that have been made to your previous CRM.
For more information on Preparation ahead of your Alto activation, click here.
Ahead of going live, a number of tasks should be completed.
- Complete your Team training - Alto Skills and the Alto Help Centre are available 24/7 for independent digital learning. Use these to recap on training and for useful tips when using Alto. Remember to book your Trainer Q&A sessions - your Onboarding Coordinator will update your Alto hub, providing links to book the sessions.
- Email integration within Alto, sometimes referred to as CAMS (CA Messaging Service), allows email replies to be seen and actioned directly within Alto, and it automatically records them on the corresponding Timeline. Let your Onboarding Coordinator know if you would like this enabled.
- Wherever your properties are advertised online, you'll need to redirect the feeds to Alto. For Zoopla, you can email your Onboarding Coordinator directly to request the feed set up
For more information on the Pre-Activation checklist, click here.
After your Alto activation and once you receive your logins, there are some key tasks to complete in order to ensure you're getting the most from Alto.
- Alto drop in session
- Check your new Alto login details
- Updating any changes
- Check all available properties
- Set your web address and web link for mailshots
- Configure your Alto database
- Make sure you can send emails from Alto
- Check your marketing materials
- Property Management and Accounts
For more information on the Post-Activation checklist, click here.
Once your onboarding journey is complete, you'll be introduced to the supporting teams who are there to ensure you continue to get the most value from your Alto subscription - from day to day support to ongoing optimisation, training, and growth.
- Customer Success
- Technical Support
- Customer Operations
- Design
- Training
For more information on the teams and maximising your Alto subscription features, click here.