Hotel Commission Billing & Recovery Services for Travel Agencies


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COMMTRAK TRAMS Export Utility

Commtrak can help any agency maximize its hotel revenue. But before we can help recover unpaid hotel commissions, Commtrak has to get the hotel booking information from the agency. And getting the data out of many agency accounting systems can be a complex process.

TRAMS and Commtrak have developed a program to assist TRAMS users in the task of extracting that information from the TRAMS for Windows Back Office System.

This utility enables the agency to easily control the exact date range of the date export desired and makes it easy to do for even a computer novice.

The technical side of the process is simple in concept. The utility is a Crystal Report definition that runs a query of the data in TRAMS and creates a text file suitable for export. The person running this report has total control over the date range of the data selected. The TRAMS data is never touched or changed by this utility.

The instructions that follow include detailed screen shots for each step. Help is available by first contacting Commtrak. In the event that he issue is related to a TRAMS back office question, please contact TRAMS for assistance.

Commtrak Corporation
17493 Nassau Commons
Lewes, Delaware 19958 USA

Voice 302-644-1600
Fax 302-644-1659
Email:


Installation of TRAMS Crystal Reports Viewer.

If TRAMS Crystal Reports Viewer is already installed - skip to Step 1.
Use the following link (http://www.trams.com/home/products_services/products/trams_crystal_reports/) to go to TRAMS Website.
Choose the correct TRAMS Crystal Report Viewer. TCR10 install is the current version used.
For agencies that HAVE purchased and installed Crystal Reports Software Version 10.

Standard TCR10 Setup File (Free Download)

This setup file is for agencies that want to be able to run Trams Crystal Reports (that only run in TCR10) from your desktop icon or within Trams Back Office, if available. After installing this setup file, a TBO user will see a new TCR Viewer menu item under Reports. Refer below to the documentation for TCR10 installation instructions
File Name: TCR10r3.exe
File Size: 10.16MB


Save the installation program to an appropriate location (using Run here will not correctly install TCR10).
Install by either double clicking on the program or install using Start / Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs (i.e. if running in a terminal services environment).
Read the complete installation instructions by using the following link:
http://static.trams.com/tramslibrary/reports/TCR10.pdf
  1. Download the Commtrak Export from the TRAMS Website http://static.trams.com/tramslibrary/reports/index.html (locate the Vendor Reports section in the library reports list. The CommTrakExport report is located in this section)
    This is the Crystal Reports Query that you will use for the Data Export.

Save the Commtrak Export Report Format File (CommtrakExport.rpt) to the Crystal Reports Folder (Usually C:\Program Files\Trams\TCR10\)
  1. Start the TRAMS Crystal Reports Viewer. This can be done two different ways.
    1. Start>All Programs>TRAMS for Windows>TCR10
    2. If in TRAMS Back Office, clicking on Reports>TCR Viewer
      The following window will open:

Verify that TRAMS ODBC Datasource shows in the ODBC DSN drop down box or the report will not run.
  1. Click on the Browse and set the Report Name path to the correct location
    (Usually C:\Program Files\Trams\TCR10\)
  1. Highlight CommtrakExport.rpt and click on Open to select.
  1. The program will fill in most of the text boxes.
    Type in your TRAMS Password and click on View Report to proceed.
  1. Enter the date range you wish to export.
    These dates refer to the departure dates of the hotel stays.
    This report will extract only items that have not been paid or are still unresolved in TRAMS.
    Complete these text entry boxes and click on OK to proceed.


  2. A preview screen will appear.
  1. Click on the envelope icon to export the data to a file.


The default setting here will show Adobe PDF File. Don't use that setting! Adjust the Export settings to Separated values (CSV) like the picture and click on OK to proceed.



Leave these settings as shown above (comma and quote) as they are, and click on OK to proceed.



Put check marks in both boxes to keep number and date formats the same and click on OK to proceed.

  1. Select the folder where the export data file will be created.
    You should change each new file name to a date-stamped name such as 2007q1.csv or 20071231.csv
    Make a note of the file location.
  1. After the data file is created, the system will return to the preview screen.
    Click on the X at top right to exit.
  2. Finally, copy the Export Data File from the hard drive to your Agency Export folder on Commtrak's website.
> > > TRAMS Export Utility