04 System Settings

System Settings Guide

Complete guide to configuring and customizing the Notarial system settings to match your business needs.

Table of Contents

  1. Settings Overview
  2. Agency Configuration
  3. Notary Settings
  4. Email Configuration
  5. Integration Settings
  6. Security Settings

Settings Overview

What Are System Settings?

System settings are the configuration options that control how the Notarial system operates. These settings allow you to:

  • Customize: Tailor the system to your needs
  • Configure: Set up business preferences
  • Control: Manage system behavior
  • Optimize: Improve efficiency
  • Comply: Meet legal requirements

Settings Categories

  1. Agency Settings: Business configuration
  2. Notary Settings: Notary-specific settings
  3. Email Settings: Communication preferences
  4. Integration Settings: Third-party integrations
  5. Security Settings: Security configurations
  6. Advanced Settings: System options

Agency Configuration

Business Information

  1. Go to Settings → Agency → Business Info
  2. Enter business details:
    • Legal Name: Official business registration name
    • DBA/Trade Name: Operating name if different
    • Business Type: Corporation, LLC, Sole Proprietor
    • EIN/Tax ID: Tax identification number
    • License Numbers: Business licenses and permits
  3. Contact information:
    • Primary Address: Main business location
    • Mailing Address: If different from primary
    • Phone Numbers: Business contact numbers
    • Email Addresses: Contact emails
    • Website: Business website
  4. Operating details:
    • Business Hours: Operating schedule
    • Service Areas: Geographic coverage areas
    • Service Radius: Service radius from office
    • Languages: Languages spoken
    • Payment Terms: Standard payment terms

Fee Structure

  1. Navigate to Settings → Fees & Pricing
  2. Configure standard fees:
    • Base Notary Fee: Default notarization fee
    • Rush Fee: Additional fee for rush service
    • Mobile Fee: Fee for mobile notary
    • Mileage Rate: Per-mile charge
    • Additional Services: Extra service fees
  3. Set pricing rules:
    • Maximum Fees: Maximum charge limits
    • Discount Rules: Discount policies
    • Tax Configuration: Tax settings
    • Invoice Terms: Invoice payment terms

Service Configuration

  1. Go to Settings → Services
  2. Configure service types:
    • Available Services: Services you offer
    • Default Durations: Standard appointment times
    • Required Documents: Documents needed
    • Checklist Items: Required steps
  3. Set service parameters:
    • Service Areas: Geographic service areas
    • Availability: Service availability
    • Special Requirements: Special needs
    • Quality Standards: Service quality standards

Notary Settings

Commission Management

  1. Navigate to Settings → Notary → Commission
  2. Enter commission details:
    • Commission Number: Notary commission number
    • Issuing State: State that issued commission
    • Expiration Date: Commission expiration
    • County: County of commission
    • Commission Type: Type of commission
  3. Upload documents:
    • Commission Certificate: Digital copy of commission
    • E&O Insurance: Insurance certificate
    • Bond Certificate: Surety bond certificate
    • ID Document: Notary identification

Notary Stamp/Seal

  1. Go to Settings → Notary → Seal
  2. Configure seal settings:
    • Seal Type: Physical or electronic seal
    • Seal Design: Seal design settings
    • Stamp Placement: Stamp placement rules
    • Multiple Seals: Multiple seal management
  3. Upload seal files:
    • Seal Image: Digital seal image
    • Signature: Digital signature
    • Certificate: Certificate of seal
    • Proof of Authorization: Authorization proof

Journal Settings

  1. Navigate to Settings → Notary → Journal
  2. Configure journal options:
    • Journal Type: Electronic or paper journal
    • Backup Options: Backup configuration
    • Retention Policy: Data retention rules
    • Compliance Rules: Compliance settings
  3. Set journal parameters:
    • Entry Format: Journal entry format
    • Required Fields: Mandatory information
    • Signature Requirements: Signature settings
    • Audit Trail: Audit trail configuration

Email Configuration

SMTP Settings

  1. Go to Settings → Email → SMTP
  2. Configure email server:
    • SMTP Server: Email server address
    • Port: Server port number -Username**: SMTP username
    • Password: SMTP password
    • Encryption: Encryption type
  3. Test email configuration:
    • Test Email: Send test email
    • Verify Setup: Confirm settings work
    • Troubleshoot: Resolve any issues
    • Save Settings: Save configuration

Email Templates

  1. Navigate to Settings → Email → Templates
  2. Customize email templates:
    • Welcome Email: New user welcome
    • Order Confirmation: Order confirmation
    • Appointment Reminder: Appointment reminder
    • Invoice Notification: Invoice sent
    • Payment Receipt: Payment confirmation
  3. Template customization:
    • Subject Lines: Email subject lines
    • Email Body: Email content
    • Placeholders: Dynamic content placeholders
    • Branding: Company branding

Notification Settings

  1. Go to Settings → Email → Notifications
  2. Configure notifications:
    • User Notifications: User alert settings
    • Client Notifications: Client alert settings
    • System Notifications: System alerts
    • Emergency Notifications: Critical alerts
  3. Set notification rules:
    • Frequency: Notification frequency
    • Delivery Method: Email, SMS, in-app
    • Escalation: Notification escalation
    • Quiet Hours: Quiet hours settings

Integration Settings

QuickBooks Integration

  1. Navigate to Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks
  2. Configure QuickBooks:
    • Company File: QuickBooks company file
    • User Credentials: QuickBooks login
    • API Key: QuickBooks API key
    • Sync Options: Synchronization settings
  3. Set sync preferences:
    • Invoices: Invoice synchronization
    • Payments: Payment synchronization
    • Companies: Company data sync
    • Reports: Report synchronization

Calendar Integration

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Calendar
  2. Configure calendar:
    • Calendar Type: Google, Outlook, Apple
    • Authentication: Login credentials
    • Sync Options: Synchronization settings
    • Privacy: Privacy settings
  3. Set calendar features:
    • Two-Way Sync: Bidirectional sync
    • Import: Import existing calendar
    • Export: Export calendar data
    • Sharing: Calendar sharing options

Payment Gateway

  1. Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Payments
  2. Configure payment gateway:
    • Gateway Type: Stripe (Live), PayPal (Partial), Dwolla (Connect-only)
    • Merchant ID: Merchant identification
    • API Keys: Gateway API keys
    • Webhooks: Webhook endpoints
  3. Set payment options:
    • Accepted Cards: Card types accepted
    • Processing Fees: Fee settings
    • Security: Security settings
    • Receipts: Receipt options

Security Settings

Password Policies

  1. Go to Settings → Security → Passwords
  2. Configure password policies:
    • Minimum Length: Minimum password length
    • Complexity: Password complexity requirements
    • Expiration: Password expiration period
    • History: Password history requirements
  3. Set security options:
    • Lockout: Account lockout settings
    • Two-Factor: 2FA requirements
    • Session Timeout: Session duration
    • Encryption: Data encryption settings

Access Control

  1. Navigate to Settings → Security → Access
  2. Configure access control:
    • IP Whitelist: Allowed IP addresses
    • Geolocation: Geographic restrictions
    • Time-Based: Time-based access
    • Role-Based: Role-based access
  3. Set access rules:
    • User Roles: Role assignments
    • Permissions: Permission settings
    • Departments: Departmental access
    • Locations: Location-based access

Data Protection

  1. Go to Settings → Security → Data
  2. Configure data protection:
    • Encryption: Data encryption settings
    • Backup: Backup configuration
    • Retention: Data retention policies
    • Privacy: Privacy settings
  3. Set compliance:
    • GDPR: GDPR compliance HIPAA: HIPAA compliance SOC 2: SOC 2 compliance PCI DSS: PCI DSS compliance

Automation Settings

Order Auto-Assignment

Automatically assign new orders to notaries when they are created.

  1. Go to Settings → Agency → Automation
  2. Configure auto-assignment:
    • Auto-Assign Orders: Toggle automatic assignment on/off
    • Default Notary: Select a specific notary for all auto-assigned orders
    • Leave blank: Assigns to first available notary by creation date

Appointment Reminders

Automatically send reminders before scheduled appointments.

  1. Go to Settings → Agency → Automation
  2. Configure appointment reminders:
    • Appointment Reminders: Toggle on/off
    • Reminder Hours Before: Hours before appointment to send (default: 24)
  3. Who receives reminders:
    • Notary: Reminder with order details and client contact
    • Client: Reminder with appointment time and notary contact

Invoice Reminders

Automatically follow up on unpaid invoices.

  1. Go to Settings → Agency → Automation
  2. Configure invoice reminders:
    • Unpaid Invoice Reminders: Toggle on/off
    • Days After Due: Days after due date to remind (default: 3)
  3. What happens:
    • System checks daily for unpaid invoices past due date
    • Sends reminder email to client
    • Includes invoice link and payment options

Pending Order Follow-Ups

Automatically follow up on orders stuck in pending status.

  1. Go to Settings → Agency → Automation
  2. Configure pending follow-ups:
    • Pending Order Follow-ups: Toggle on/off
    • Hours After Creation: Hours before follow-up (default: 24)
  3. What happens:
    • System checks for orders in "pending" status
    • Sends notification to assigned notary to take action
    • Sends reminder email to client to complete order info

Automation Schedule

All reminder jobs run every hour:

:00 - Appointment reminders for next hour
:15 - Invoice reminders (unpaid past due)
:30 - Pending order follow-ups
:45 - Queue cleanup

Best Practices for Automation

  1. Start Slow: Enable one automation at a time, monitor results
  2. Test First: Send test reminders before enabling production
  3. Review Templates: Customize email templates before enabling
  4. Monitor Logs: Check job logs regularly for errors
  5. Adjust Timing: Change reminder hours based on your business

Advanced Settings

API Configuration

  1. Navigate to Settings → Advanced → API
  2. Configure API:
    • API Keys: Generate API keys
    • Rate Limiting: Rate limit settings
    • Webhooks: Webhook endpoints
    • Documentation: API documentation
  3. Set API features:
    • Endpoints: API endpoints
    • Authentication: Authentication methods
    • Versioning: API version control
    • Monitoring: API monitoring

Performance Settings

  1. Go to Settings → Advanced → Performance
  2. Configure performance:
    • Cache Settings: Cache configuration
    • Database: Database optimization
    • CDN: Content delivery network
    • Load Balancing: Load balancer settings
  3. Set optimization:
    • Compression: Data compression
    • Minification: Code minification
    • Lazy Loading: Lazy loading options
    • Caching: Caching strategies

Maintenance Settings

  1. Navigate to Settings → Advanced → Maintenance
  2. Configure maintenance:
    • Backup Schedule: Backup timing
    • Update Schedule: Update timing Cleanup: Data cleanup rules Monitoring: System monitoring
  3. Set maintenance:
    • Automated Tasks: Automated maintenance
    • Notifications: Maintenance notifications Logs: Log management Alerts: System alerts

Customization Options

UI Customization

  1. Go to Settings → Customization → UI
  2. Customize interface:
    • Theme: Theme selection
    • Logo: Company logo
    • Colors: Color scheme
    • Layout: Layout preferences
  3. Set preferences:
    • Dashboard: Dashboard layout Navigation: Navigation options Display: Display settings Language: Language selection

Business Logic

  1. Navigate to Settings → Customization → Logic
  2. Configure business rules:
    • Automation: Automated workflows
    • Workflows: Workflow configurations
    • Rules: Business rules
    • Procedures: Custom procedures
  3. Set custom logic:
    • Triggers: Trigger events Actions: Automated actions Conditions: Condition logic Sequences: Action sequences

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • Settings Not Saving: Check permissions
  • Configuration Errors: Verify settings
  • Integration Problems: Check credentials
  • Performance Issues: Optimize settings
  • Security Warnings: Address security

Support Resources

  • Documentation: Settings documentation
  • Help Center: Online help
  • Support Team: Technical support
  • Community: User community
  • Forum: Support forum

Best Practices

Configuration Management

  1. Document Changes: Record all changes
  2. Test Settings: Test new configurations
  3. Backup Settings: Backup configuration
  4. Regular Reviews: Periodic review
  5. Update Regularly: Keep settings current

Security Practices

  • Strong Passwords: Use strong passwords
  • Two-Factor: Enable 2FA
  • Regular Updates: Keep updated
  • Monitor Access: Monitor access
  • Review Permissions: Regular review

Performance Optimization

  • Monitor Performance: Track performance
  • Optimize Settings: Optimize for speed
  • Use Caching: Implement caching
  • Regular Maintenance: Perform maintenance
  • Upgrade Regularly: Keep updated

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