Enhancing Family Management with Discard / Un-discard

Enhancing Family Management with Shalom Cloud’s New Discard Feature

In the ever-evolving world of family management software, today presents a fresh perspective on an established concept: discarding a household or family unit. Shalom Cloud users may have noticed a new option when updating families—an option to “discard.” This feature is akin to a soft delete, unlike the more permanent “destroy” option found elsewhere in the platform. While destroy eliminates data entirely, discarding hides it from view but retains it in the system.

Many synagogues have shown a preference for this discard feature, despite personal reservations about its use. Rather than removing a family unit altogether, altering its status to “resigned” or “inactive” is often advisable. However, for those who choose to discard, a new capability has been introduced: the ability to restore previously discarded families.

Here’s how it works: Navigate to Queries > Families, and ensure you check all statuses, as the status at the time of discard may be unknown. A new checkbox labeled “only discarded” allows you to filter for discarded families. After selecting this option, search for your desired family. In the actions column, a new purple button labeled “undiscard checked” will allow you to restore the family with ease.

For example, should you wish to restore Edgar Allan Poe, simply select him and click the undiscard button. It’s that straightforward. However, a critical safeguard has been implemented to prevent discarding families with outstanding balances. Before discarding, ensure any balances are cleared through financial transactions. This extra step protects users from potential issues and ensures financial records are accurately maintained.

Consider the case of a family named Boyle. If they have a $950 balance, you’ll want to adjust this to zero before proceeding with the discard. Once the balance is clear, the discard process can continue smoothly.

In summary, while the need to discard and restore family units may be infrequent, having the option provides flexibility and control. The round-trip capability—from discarding to rediscovering and restoring—is a powerful tool in family management, ensuring data integrity and user confidence within the Shalom Cloud platform.

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