Article Contents
- Why Rename Instead of Creating a New Contact?
- How to Rename a Contact in the Address Book
- What Happens to Existing Invoices?
- Searching for Contacts After Renaming
- Handling ABN Name Mismatches
- What If Different Branches Require Unique Invoicing Details?
Why Rename Instead of Creating a New Contact?
Government departments and companies can rebrand or change names, but that doesn't mean you need to create a new contact every time. In Hiro, you can simply rename an existing contact to reflect the latest name without losing any historical data or connections. This ensures continuity and avoids unnecessary duplication.
By renaming a contact instead of creating a new one, you:
- Maintain linked records for projects, invoices, and communications.
- Preserve historical invoice details while updating future ones.
- Ensure easier searching, as Hiro remembers both the old and new names.
How to Rename a Contact in the Address Book
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Go to the Address Book
- Navigate to the Address Book in Hiro’s main menu.
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Find the Existing Contact
- Use the search function to locate the contact by its current or previous name.
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Edit the Contact
- Click the Edit (pencil) icon adjacent to the contact needing updating.
- Update the ‘Name’ field with the new entity name.
- Enter a reason for the name change.
- Save the changes.
What Happens to Existing Invoices?
- Past invoices retain the original name at the time they were generated to preserve historical accuracy. This ensures that previously issued invoices remain unchanged for compliance and auditing purposes.
- If needed, you can update past invoices by opening and re-saving them with the new name. However, this should be done cautiously to maintain the integrity of historical transactions.
- Future invoices will automatically use the updated contact name, ensuring consistency moving forward.
- Reports and financial summaries will reflect the updated name for all future transactions, but historical records will continue to display the original name at the time of issuance.
Searching for Contacts After Renaming
Even if a department undergoes a complete rebrand (e.g., Department of Sprockets becomes Department of Innovation), you can still find it by searching for either name in the Address Book. Hiro keeps track of previous names to help with continuity.
Handling ABN Name Mismatches
In rare cases, a government department might rebrand before updating its name with the Australian Business Register, which Hiro uses for ABN validation. If this happens, you may see an ABN validation error due to a mismatch.
To resolve this:
- Use Hiro’s ABN Override system to bypass the validation check while waiting for the name update.
- See the ABN Checking Override Guide for more details.
What If Different Branches Require Unique Invoicing Details?
If a department operates multiple branches with distinct invoicing and email requirements (e.g., Brisbane and Burleigh branches), you may still need separate contact entries for them. However, renaming remains the best approach when it’s simply a rebrand.
For more details on managing multiple branches within the same organisation, refer the ABN Name Checking Exceptions section within: How ABN Name Checking Works.