Business Rules for Creating New Customers

1. Do not use special characters unless the name requires an apostrophe or hyphen.
2. Do not abbreviate words. If it is necessary to abbreviate due to space limitations, do so at the end of the entry.
3. Numbers one through ten should be spelled out in the customer name whenever possible.
   
   1. For exceptions, refer to numbers two and three in the Naming Rules for Businesses and External Organizations section below.
4. Dashes should be included in phone numbers.

1. In the Customer Name field, names should be listed as Last name, First name Middle name/initial, for example, Smith, John A. Note that there is a space after the comma between the first and last name as well as after the middle name/initial.
   
   1. Include a middle name/initial whenever possible. This helps Non-Student Accounts Receivable determine if the customer request is a duplicate entry.
   2. Names may be listed as First Name Last name format, for example John A. Smith, in the Address section of the Customer document so that it appears correctly on the invoice.
2. Do not use punctuation other than a comma to separate the first and last name. If a last name is hyphenated the hyphen should be included.
3. Do not use prefixes, such as Mr, Mrs, Dr, or suffixes, such as PhD, DVM, or CPA, when entering names. Instead, include these prefixes when entering information in the Address section of the Customer document.

Acceptable Abbreviations and Acronyms

1. Company type abbreviations, such as Inc, LLC, or Ltd, should always be included and abbreviated.
2. Doing Business As (DBA) acronyms, such as IBM, ABC, or UPS, are acceptable and do not need to be spelled out in full. A note should be added to the customer record explaining the use of the acronym prior to submitting the customer for approval. Log a note in the Notes & Attachments section of the document.
3. Names using initials or letters, such as 3M, JL Construction, or AFSCME, have no spaces, no commas, no periods, or any other punctuation separating the initials in the name.

Unacceptable Abbreviations and Acronyms

1. Do not abbreviate words, such as Medical Center or Hospital, unless it is necessary due to space limitations at the end of the name.
2. Prefixes, such as Saint, Fort, or Mount, should be spelled out.
3. When working with military branches the prefix United States does not need to be included. Instead, simply include the military branch name, such as Army or Navy. Do not use abbreviations, such as USN or USAF.

Other Naming Rules

1. Do not use “the” at the beginning of a customer name. You may include “the” in the Address section of the document.
2. When entering customers such as City of Bloomington, the customer name should be entered as Bloomington, City of.
3. Do not use a business contact name in the Address Name field of the Address section. Instead, include the business contact’s name in the Attention line when creating an invoice.