Setting up Condocerts Integration with Caliber

Setting Up CondoCerts Integration with Caliber

Setting Up CondoCerts Integration with Caliber

(Revised: Feb-19)

Contents

Introduction

What is the Caliber API?

Step 1 – Installing the Caliber API

Step 2 – Granting Access to CondoCerts

Step 3 – Required Settings

Reserves

Budgets – Transfer to Reserves

Insurance

Assessments & Billing Records

Introduction

Before you can begin using the integration between Caliber and CondoCerts, there are several setup procedures that must be performed. One of these can only be done by Caliber Software personnel and the others can be performed by a Caliber user with administrative privileges.

What is the Caliber API?

API stands for Application Programming Interface. In plain English, it’s like a black box that enables other software vendors to access data in the Caliber database without having direct access to the database system itself. Having an API enables Caliber Software to ensure that interactions with the Caliber database are done so in a controlled manner and that the integrity of your data is protected. It also comes with a tight security architecture that enables you, the Caliber customer, to control who has access to your data.

So to begin with, the Caliber API needs to be installed and then CondoCerts needs to be granted permissions to use it.

Step 1 – Installing the Caliber API

Installing the Caliber API is normally performed by Caliber Software personnel at the time Caliber is first set up for you. If for some reason the Caliber API hasn’t already been installed, simply contact Caliber Software Technical Support and request that it be installed. If you’re unsure, contact Caliber Software support who can tell you right away if the Caliber API is installed or not.

CondoCerts will require what is referred to as an “endpoint” for your instance of the Caliber API. This endpoint is a unique URL that they will use to connect to your Caliber database. A typical Caliber API endpoint looks something like:

web address>/svcCAPI_<company identifier>/CaliberAPI.svc

where <your web address> is generally the same as the address you use in the Caliber Desktop connection settings screen, and <company identifier> is a short name or abbreviation of your company (Caliber Software creates this for you).

This Caliber API endpoint will need to be provided to your CondoCerts representative.

Step 2 – Granting Access to CondoCerts

Caliber customers can control, grant, and restrict access to the Caliber API using the API Configuration screen in Caliber. To open this screen, you must have administrative privileges in Caliber, click the ‘Admin’ menu option from the main Caliber Desktop screen, and select ‘API Configuration’. The API Configuration screen looks like the following:

Look to see if there is already an entry for CondoCerts. If so, then highlight the entry and then provide this information to your CondoCerts representative. If not, then you’ll need to perform the following steps:

Create a new API User by clicking the ‘Add New API User’ toolbar button:
Fill in the lower section of the screen as follows:

Enter the name of the API User (CondoCerts).
Enter an API Code. This code should be alphanumeric and between 5 and 10 characters in length. The API Code identifies this API user to Caliber every time the Caliber API is used and this information is logged in the Caliber database.
Select ‘Global Security’. This just describes the type of user that is trying to access the Caliber API. CondoCerts is a ‘Global Security’ user.
Enter a User ID. Do NOT use the same thing you entered for the API Code. This User ID must be unique throughout Caliber; you will be warned if it is a duplicate.
Enter a Password. Common sense should apply here.
Make sure the ‘Active’ checkbox is checked.
When done, your screen should look like the following:

Click the ‘Save’ button when done.

This information (and the Caliber API endpoint) needs to be given to your CondoCerts representative. If you need to view the Password, simply place your mouse over the magnifying glass next to the password.

At this point, CondoCerts should be able to test their connection to your instance of Caliber and should be ready to go.

Step 3 – Required Settings

Most of the data that CondoCerts retrieves from Caliber comes directly out of certain tables in the Caliber database. There are three items that CondoCerts uses on its questionnaire (and other products) that require you to do some configuration. These items are explained as follows:

Reserves

CondoCerts needs to know what your reserve balances are. In order to provide them with this information, you will need to ensure that all of your reserve accounts in your chart of accounts for each client are flagged as reserve accounts for the purposes of resale documentation. To do that, follow these simple steps:

Go to your Client dashboard in Caliber
Open the Chart of Accounts toolbox
Select a reserve account
Right-click that reserve account and select ‘Edit’ from the context menu, or click the Edit toolbar button
Check the ‘Reserve account for resale documentation purposes’ checkbox

Click the ‘Save’ button
Repeat the above steps for all reserve accounts

It doesn’t matter that you have created a category called ‘Reserves’ or that the account name has the work ‘reserve’ in it. If the ‘Reserve account for resale documentation purposes’ checkbox is not checked, the balance of this account will not be included in the computations sent to CondoCerts.

Budgets – Transfer to Reserves

Another important piece of information CondoCerts uses on their questionnaire is the amount of money that is budgeted to be transferred to reserves. In the budgeting process within Caliber, each budget item is tied to an account in your chart of accounts. So in computing this amount for CondoCerts, it is necessary for Caliber to understand which of your accounts should be designated as the ‘Transfer to Reserve’ account(s). Usually you would call this expense account ‘Transfer to Reserves’, but since Caliber users can create their own account names, it is necessary to identify those accounts using a checkbox. To do this, follow these simple steps:

Go to your Client dashboard in Caliber
Open the Chart of Accounts toolbox
Select a reserve account
Right-click the account you want to designate as the ‘transfer to reserves’ account and select ‘Edit’ from the context menu, or click the Edit toolbar button
Check the ‘Transfer to Reserves account for resale documentation purposes’ checkbox

Click the ‘Save’ button
Repeat the above steps for all ‘transfer to reserve’ accounts

It doesn’t matter that you have created a category called ‘Transfer to Reserves’ or that the account name is titled ‘Transfer to Reserves’. If the ‘Transfer to Reserves account for resale documentation purposes’ checkbox is not checked, the amount of this budget item will not be included in the computations sent to CondoCerts.

Insurance

The CondoCerts questionnaire includes information about insurance for the association. This is typical information about the liability insurance held for the association. However, an association may have multiple policies for different insurance types, such as Worker’s Compensation, or D&O insurance for board members. In order for the correct insurance policy information to appear on the CondoCerts questionnaire, you must select the insurance policy you want in Caliber and then check the ‘Use for resale disclosures and questionnaires’ checkbox.

Even if you have only one insurance policy in Caliber for an association, you must check this checkbox in order for it to appear on the questionnaire.

Assessments & Billing Records

There are several areas with the integration between Caliber and CondoCerts where assessments come into play. These areas of integration include:

Association’s regular assessment amount (or range of amounts)
Determining total amount of delinquencies, in terms of number of units and total dollar amount
Determining last assessment paid for a specific unit
Determining next assessment amount and date for a specific unit

Each of these areas requires computations based on regular assessments. Even delinquencies, for the purposes of resale documentation, are only based on regular assessments.

In Caliber, users can create Billing Records to post charges on homeowners’ accounts. Since these charges can range from regular assessments, to special assessments, to fines, Caliber users must specify which Billing Records represents regular assessments for the purposes of resale documentation. This can be done directly on the Billing Record screen.

Checking the “This billing record represents a ‘Regular Assessment/Dues’” is required in order for the various areas of integration between Caliber and CondoCerts that require computations based on regular assessments to work properly.

If you have any questions, please contact Caliber Software Technical Support at or (480) 699-3621.

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