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.
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 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 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 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 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 and display format that you select.Visibility
Select which users can see this message. All communications can be seen by agency staff. Values are:
Applicant and contacts: Includes agency staff, the applicant, and contacts added to the transaction.
Agency staff only: Includes only agency staff.
Applicant: Includes agency staff and the applicant on the transaction.
Display Format
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 display format, you can enter only plain, unformatted text.
For the HTML display format, 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.