Overview
The Title Action Network (TAN) is the American Land Title Association's (ALTA) grassroots advocacy program. It enables land title professionals to engage in legislative and regulatory issues affecting the industry. This document provides a detailed guide on managing TAN memberships, integrating third-party systems, and the Single Sign-On (SSO) mechanisms in use. It also outlines business processes, technical flows, and troubleshooting procedures.
1. Program Overview
TAN is ALTA's initiative to involve land title professionals in advocacy efforts. Membership is exclusive to those currently employed in the title industry and is managed through a 365-day subscription recorded in ALTA’s GoMembers (GM) system.
Key Components:
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VoterVoice (VV): A third-party platform for sending Action Alerts to TAN members.
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GoMembers (GM): ALTA’s Association Management Software where TAN subscriptions are managed.
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re:Members (formerly Impexium): The SSO platform connecting various ALTA systems.
2. Single Sign-On (SSO) Overview
SSO Process:
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Initial Login: Users access the ALTA portal and are redirected to re:Members (formerly Impexium) for authentication.
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Session Management: Once authenticated, users gain access to all ALTA-connected platforms without additional logins.
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Cross-Platform Access: Users can navigate between platforms like Elevate, Quorum, and others without re-authenticating.
Testing SSO:
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Impersonation: Use staff functions to impersonate a user and verify their access across different systems.
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Session Sync: Ensure that impersonated sessions reflect the correct user privileges on all platforms.
3. TAN Membership Management
Membership Lifecycle:
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Joining: A user can join TAN through ALTA’s website, VV, or manually via staff intervention.
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Extension/Renewal: Memberships can be extended or renewed automatically through VV actions or manually by staff.
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Manual Processing: Staff can process memberships in GM, update records, and ensure data synchronization with VV.
Automated Processes:
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Website Interaction: TAN membership is automatically updated when users interact with specific ALTA services.
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VV-Triggered Renewals: VV actions trigger automatic renewal or extension of TAN memberships.
Manual Processes:
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Data Import: Monthly imports from VV into GM, matching records, and processing renewals/extensions.
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Subscription Updates: Manual updates are required when memberships are handled outside the automated process.
4. Third-Party Integrations (VoterVoice)
Data Flow:
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Export to VV: A nightly SPROC (dbo.ALTA_TANextract) exports updated TAN member data from GM to VV.
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Import from VV: Staff manually imports new and renewed memberships from VV into GM on a monthly basis.
VV Functionality:
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Direct Join/Renewal: TAN members can directly join or renew through VV, which then needs to be synchronized back to GM.
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Action Alerts: VV allows TAN members to engage with legislators directly through action alerts.
Synchronization Issues:
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Data Discrepancies: VV and GM can fall out of sync due to manual processes and data updates in VV that are not reflected in GM.
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Handling Discrepancies: Regular checks and manual updates are required to ensure data consistency.
5. re:Members (formerly Impexium) API Usage
API Overview:
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Data Exchange: re:Members (formerly Impexium) API is used for real-time data exchange between ALTA’s systems and the central database.
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Rate Limits: re:Members (formerly Impexium) enforces rate limits (2-3 calls per second), requiring efficient API usage to avoid throttling.
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Live Updates: Individual data updates (e.g., a user purchasing a subscription) are handled live via API calls.
Best Practices:
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Minimize API Calls: Use batch processing and overnight synchronization where possible to reduce API load.
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Data Validation: Ensure all API interactions are validated to maintain data integrity.
6. Overnight Processing and Data Synchronization
Overnight Processes:
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Data Export: TAN data is exported from GM to VV nightly, along with other ALTA data (e.g., TIPAC).
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Data Refresh: Overnight processes ensure that bulk data (e.g., member directories) are up-to-date for the following day.
Troubleshooting Failures:
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Indicators: Check the DW.alta.org site for red indicators that show if an overnight process failed.
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Manual Re-run: If issues are detected, rerun the process manually or wait for the next nightly run.
Data Latency:
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Lag Management: Understand that bulk data (e.g., member searches) may lag by a day due to overnight processing.
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Real-Time Access: Use API calls for real-time data needs where possible.
7. Testing and Troubleshooting
Impersonation for Testing:
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Portal Testing: Use the “Log in as” feature on the re:Members (formerly Impexium) portal to impersonate users and verify their access.
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Website Testing: On the ALTA website, use staff functions to test user access and subscription status.
Common Issues:
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SSO Failures: If users cannot access multiple platforms, check the SSO token and re-authenticate if necessary.
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Data Sync Issues: If discrepancies in membership status are detected, manually sync VV and GM data.
Resolutions:
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Clear Cookies: Log out, clear browser cookies, and re-authenticate to resolve session-related issues.
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Manual Overrides: When automated processes fail, manually update records in GM and VV to correct user data.
8. Security Considerations
Session Management:
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Session Timeouts: For security, sessions expire after a set time. Users may need to log back in after a timeout.
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Cookie Expiration: Browsers may clear session cookies on closure, requiring re-authentication.
Password Management:
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re:Members (formerly Impexium) Passwords: re:Members (formerly Impexium) passwords do not expire by default, but users are encouraged to update them periodically.
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Microsoft 365 Integration: ALTA staff must manage their Microsoft 365 passwords separately from re:Members (formerly Impexium).
Data Privacy:
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Secure API Calls: Ensure all API interactions are encrypted and validated to protect user data.
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Access Controls: Maintain strict access controls for staff handling sensitive user information.
9. Support and Escalation
Reporting Issues:
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Internal Support: Report any TAN-related issues through ALTA’s IT support system (support@alta.org).
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Escalation: For critical issues, escalate to the system administrator or relevant technical support team.
Documentation Updates:
- Regular Reviews: This documentation should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changes in processes or systems.
