I need a word

[Sarah Perrault <sarahp -at- KEYSAFE -dot- COM>]

I'm the only tech writer in my company, so when I need a word I either call
writer friends or call on y'all, or both.

Here's the concept:

Our software product uses a database.

When a customer buys the system, we create a record for them in the
database, then send the system to them. We call this record, to which all
of the customer's other database records refer, the "customer" record. The
software calls the customer the "customer."

There are two problems here.

One is that from the customer's point of view, they are NOT the customer.
If the customer is, say, The Oregonian (a local paper using our system),
*I* am the customer, or at least they want me to be. Calling themselves the
customer is plain silly.

So what are they to themselves? The company. The organization. Something
like would work, EXCEPT that the setup can be quite a bit more complicated.
A company may actually have one system and set up several "customer"
records -- for example, one for each division or region. Each "customer"
then has its own set of records, just as a single "customer" did.

So calling it the "company" doesn't really work either.

Basically, I am trying to find a word that is a catch-all term for company,
organization, division, region, department... You get the picture.

I hope this makes sense. I hope even more that one of you has an idea,
because I have been wracking my brain. Does such a word exist?

Thanks --

Sarah




------------------------
Sarah Perrault
sarahp -at- keysafe -dot- com