14Managing Communications

Using the Communication Center

The Communication Center for agency staff lists all alerts, emails, notifications, and texts that have been triggered from the system and sent manually. You can also post a banner alert, send an email, notification, or text as needed, and manage communication errors.

The communications that appear in the Communication Center were sent as part of an event or action that a registered public user or agency staff performed, or that the agency staff sent to the user directly. In-application communications associated with a particular business license, permit, or planning application also appear in the Communication Center. All communication errors that occurred are listed in the error log tab, which is visible only to system administrators.

For information about creating and updating ad hoc communications in the Communication Center, see Working with Ad Hoc Communications.

You access the Communication Center by clicking the tile on the Agency Springboard or selecting Communication Center in the Navigator.

Managing Communication Errors

The error log displays the error message captured by the system as well as information about the communication. Only system administrators have access to the error log and can trace a problem back to its source. For example, if the communications server is unavailable or the attribute information in a communication template is incorrect, the system administrator can troubleshoot based on the error log information.

Select the Error Logs tab in the Communication Center to access error information. You can review these details for each error:

Page Element	Description
Transaction Reference	Displays the permit number, which is the first key name and value of the record.
Event and Template	Displays the event name and template name used in the communication.
Error Reference	Displays a system-generated reference number for the error.
Channel Type	Identifies the channel type used by the communication. For example, web form, email, notification, or text.
Error Text	Displays the error captured by the system. The message may identify the source of the error such as a problem with a template.
Created By	Lists the person who initiated the communication and when the error log entry was created.

When resolving errors related to the communication template, see information about working with attributes in Using Attributes in Communication Templates.

Working with Ad Hoc Communications

Ad hoc communications enable agency staff to create and distribute emails, notifications, and texts as well as post banner alerts as needed. Agency staff can create and update ad hoc communications in the Communication Center.

Alerts appear as text in the banner of the Agency Springboard or the landing pages for all anonymous users or guests, all registered users, or individual users. Emails are messages sent to recipients and accessed through an email client. Notifications appear when registered users click the notification icon in the global header at the top of the page. Short message service (SMS) text messages are electronic messages sent to user mobile numbers over a cellular network or through an internet connection.

Note: Agency staff can also create application-specific ad hoc emails, notifications, and texts on the Communication Details page in the transaction detail pages. You access the transaction through the Transactions page, where you select a specific business license, permit, or planning application and select the Communications tab in the left-panel navigation. For more information, see Working with Application Communications.

Alert setup using the delivered PSC_GENERIC_ALERT event is also available. For step-by-step instructions for setting up alerts using the delivered events, see Defining Alerts.

System administrators can troubleshoot failed communications on the Error Logs tab in the Communication Center. For more information, see "Managing Communication Errors" in Using the Communication Center.

Adding Ad Hoc Alerts

Select Communication Center in the Navigator, or click Communication Center on the Agency Springboard.
On the Alerts tab of the Communication Center page, click Add.

On the Alert Details page, enter values for the following fields:

Page Element	Description
Reference Name	Enter a unique name for the alert.
Start Date Time and End Date Time	Enter the date and time when the alert starts and stops displaying.
Enabled	Turn on the switch to activate the alert.
To	Enter a value for the target recipients of the alert: Individual Registered Users Enter comma-separated user IDs for the registered users, for example, `SYSTEM_ADMIN,BUSINESS_ANALYST`. All Registered Users Enter this attribute: `${User}`. The application displays the alert when the registered user logs in. All Anonymous Users Enter this attribute: `${Anonymous}`. A Combination of Users Enter a string including comma-separated user IDs for the registered users, `${User}` for all registered users, and `${Anonymous}` for all anonymous users.
Message Body	Enter the main body of the alert using plain, unformatted text.
Select and Insert	These fields enable you to insert variables for attributes into your message. You select the field and the attribute that you want to insert in that field, and click Insert to enter a variable for that attribute. For example, if you select the Body field and the Current date attribute, and click Insert, the `${Current Date}` variable appears in the Message Body field of the alert. When the application displays this alert, the current date is included in the body text. For more information, see Using Attributes in Communication Templates.
Remarks	Enter any reference information for agency use. These remarks are not included in the displayed alert.

Click Save.

Modifying Ad Hoc Alerts

Select Communication Center in the Navigator, or click Communication Center on the Agency Springboard.
Select an alert on the Alerts tab of the Communication Center page.
On the Alert Details page you can update the alert field values.
Click Save.

Deleting Ad Hoc Alerts

Select Communication Center in the Navigator, or click Communication Center on the Agency Springboard.
On the Alerts tab of the Communication Center page click Edit.
Select the check boxes next to the alerts that you want to delete.
Click Delete. You will be prompted to confirm the permanent deletion.

Sending Ad Hoc Emails, Notifications, and Texts

Select Communication Center in the Navigator, or click Communication Center on the Agency Springboard.
On the Emails, Notifications, and Texts tab of the Communication Center page, click Add.

On the Message Details page, enter values for the following fields:

Page Elements	Definition
Channel Type	Specify what type of ad hoc message you want to send. Values are: Email: Generates an email that is sent to users. Emails and Notifications: Generates both an email and a notification with the same message. Notification: Generates a notification that appears when users click the Notifications button in the header at the top of the page in the application. Text: Generates a short message service (SMS) text message that is sent to users. You can’t change the sent number because it’s coming from a third-party service. Note: The fields that are available to define on this page vary depending on the channel type that you select.
Visibility	Select which type of user can see this message. All communications can be seen by agency staff. Values are: Account owner Agency staff only
MIME Type (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions type)	Select the display format of the message. Values are: HTML: Displays rich text, links, and images Text: Displays plain, unformatted text. Note: This field does not appear for the Text channel type.
Priority	Turn this switch on to display the notification at the top of the notification list. Note: This field appears only for the Emails and Notifications and Notification channel types.
User Can Delete	Turn this switch on to enable users to delete this notification from their notification lists. Note: This field appears only for the Emails and Notifications and Notification channel types.
Select and Insert	These fields enable you to insert variables for attributes into your message. You select the field and the attribute that you want to insert in that field, and click Insert to enter a variable for that attribute. For example, if you select the Body field and the Current date attribute, and click Insert, the `${Current Date}` variable appears in the Message Body field of the alert. When the application displays this alert, the current date is included in the body text. For more information, see Using Attributes in Communication Templates.
Reference	Enter a unique alphanumeric reference for the communication.
To	Enter a value for the target recipients of the message. For notifications, enter comma-separated user IDs for the registered users, for example, `SYSTEM_ADMIN,BUSINESS_ANALYST`. For emails, enter comma-separated email addresses for the recipients, for example, `john.doe@example.com`. Enter comma-separated phone numbers for text messages.
Cc and Bcc	Enter the email addresses of the people or organizations that you want to receive a copy or blind copy of the message. Note: These fields appear only for the Email and Emails and Notifications channel types.
From	Enter the email address, user ID, or phone number of the person or organization who is sending the generated message. For text messages, select the phone number of the person or organization who is sending the generated text message from the drop-down list. The available numbers come from a third-party messaging service. Note: Enter email addresses for the Email and Emails and Notifications channel types, user IDs for the Emails and Notifications and Notification channel types, and phone numbers for the Text channel type.
Subject	Enter a brief description of the purpose and content of the message. Note: This field does not appear for the Text channel type.
Message Body	Enter the main body text of the message. For the Text channel type and emails and notifications with the Text MIME type, you can enter only plain, unformatted text. For the HTML MIME type, you can enter rich text, links, and images.

Click Send.

Viewing Ad Hoc Emails, Notifications, and Texts

Select Communication Center on the Agency Springboard.
For each row on the Emails, Notifications, and Texts tab of the Communication Center page you can:
- Click the Actions icon to resend or forward the message.
  Select the Resend action to access the message in the Message Details modal page in display-only mode. Click Resend to send the message another time to the same list of recipients.
  
  Select the Forward action to access the message in the Message Details modal page. Enter new recipients, update the message if necessary, and click Forward to send the updated message to the new recipients.
- Click the View More Details button to view detailed information about the message.