Online Territory Managers

[carlos]

1 hour ago, Daniel said:

Due to a ransomware attack, the latest data from the old Territory Assistant website has been corrupted. We do have a clean backup from April that will be used in the new version.

Please accept our deepest apologies, we know some of that data may be difficult to recreate.

Sorry to hear that. I am using TerritoryHelper but, precisely for fear that something like this could happen, every week I export the S-13 forms as well as all the territories in KML format. That way if something happens we will only lose one week of data at most.

[leoperales]

On 9/27/2022 at 12:53 PM, carlos said:

Sorry to hear that. I am using TerritoryHelper but, precisely for fear that something like this could happen, every week I export the S-13 forms as well as all the territories in KML format. That way if something happens we will only lose one week of data at most.

I wholly use TerritoryAssistant. I wish I would have downloaded backups of everything. 💀

[marknpt]

Anybody familiar enough with TH to explain why I can no longer copy and paste an address list from excel into a table? This stopped working recently.

[carlos]

17 hours ago, marknpt said:

Anybody familiar enough with TH to explain why I can no longer copy and paste an address list from excel into a table? This stopped working recently.

Mark, I don't know how to help you but TH has a great support. Within the site, click on Help > Help Center > all the way down, Contact.

The friends there are very helpful and quick to reply.

I hope it gets sorted.

[marknpt]

25 minutes ago, carlos said:

Mark, I don't know how to help you but TH has a great support. Within the site, click on Help > Help Center > all the way down, Contact.

The friends there are very helpful and quick to reply.

I hope it gets sorted.

In fact they sure do Carlos! They responded to my request for help and not only explained why the change, but more importantly how to work around it. Super simple and effective. (So easy I missed the obvious...ugh!) Our brotherhood, what a marvel, eh?!

[carlos]

Some thoughts in retrospect about this subject.

 

We used TerritoryHelper for a couple years and it worked fine. The friends were a bit reluctant to join the site, and sending territories by email was not a good option since no one really uses email anymore around here, but we converted the maps to PDF and sent them through WhatsApp. It worked well, and the few times I had to contact support the replies were quick and useful. Now I see they have an iOS app which allows you to draw on your map and mark the areas already worked, which is a wonderful feature. They say the Android app will soon be available too.

 

Then in September 2023 we adopted NW Scheduler and it seemed a waste of resources to pay for TerritoryHelper when NW Scheduler includes territory management. We exported the territory maps to KML format and imported them without a glitch. Importing territory assignments from a CSV file required a bit more test and error but in the end worked too. We are not too impressed by NW Scheduler's philosophy of territory management. My impression is it's included because it needs to include everything, but I feel TerritoryHelper pays a lot more attention to details. The main limitation is that territories cannot be assigned from your phone, you need to do it from your computer at home. I also missed a procedure to handle campaigns. Statistics are limited. Even then, it does its job.

 

Last month we merged with another congregation. They use a proprietary web app a local brother developed. While the app is no longer maintained, it's really easy to use. Since it's a web app territories can be assigned from anywhere. Creating an account on the site is required, but since it's the only way to receive a territory everyone has one already. It's clear the developer was in charge of territories himself and put a lot of work in the details. I fell in love with a feature that app has: During campaigns you have the option to make all non-campaign territories invisible. So publishers won't work those territories by mistake, they will have to work only campaign territories. The only inconvenience in this app is that it has no option to import maps and assignments, we have to draw them by hand.

 

I think we might go back to NW Scheduler in the future if they added support to manage territories from NW Publisher. It would be wonderful if they added the capability to draw on the map.

[More4me2do]

@carlos

Thanks for your take on the different Territory management programs. I looked at the NWS implementation and have to agree that it more or less is integrated because there has to be done something regarding territories.

 

We used the Territory Assistant program because it was the most friendly and efficient one in combination with the Android program Ministry Assistant. You received a QR code, then imported it into Ministry assistant and if the territory servant has done his job, you had the map, plus all the streets with house numbers imported. When doing in person ministry and you wanted to assign a portion to a different group, you selected a street or two and exported it as importable data and send it via WhatsApp to a person that runs Android and Ministry Assistant. They now import the assigned portion of the territory and work it. You mark each house by what resulted when worked.

 

When finished you export the worked portion of the territory as importable data and return it to the person holding the territory. That person then imports it and Ministry Assistant will update the territory with the changes. The person that had worked the assigned portion then deletes it from his device and is prompted if he wants to save the marked Return Visits.

 

Job done. Most efficient and thorough coverage of an assigned territory. Ministry Assistant will also work with Territory Helper but that one requires a fee while Territory Assistant is relying on donations. The ONLY drawback is, Ministry Assistant is only available for Android, nothing as easy, straight forward and a pioneer's dream is available in the Apple world.

 

So, the NWS feature is basically just keeping track of checking out and in territories, but the actual interface with working a territory needs to have the ability to enter data from ones device so that RVs and other data can be saved and worked with on the individual and territory servant level. 

[Mike047]

We have found that NW Scheduler is a very  map manager and provides litcart  support for the brothers and sisters. With the relocating of brothers to home territories following CO recommendation to move, the NWS seems to be sufficient for coping with updates and changes. Some teething troubles but nothing great, as I understand.