This session explores the functionality of the Rules Manager and provides an overview of how to create and utilize notifications such as alerts, emails, and texts.
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Email Notifications
Send Email Action used to initiate email when
event occurs
Example of use:
• Email generated to supervisor of Shop based on
Work Order completion
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Text Notifications
Send Text Message Action used to initiate text
message when event occurs
Example of use:
• Text notification to Repair Center Supervisor
upon Work Order requested with a Category of
“Safety”
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Alert Defined
Alert sub-tab specifies:
• Online popup display
• Content, appearance, and sound
• “Click Action” option
• Send message option
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Message Center Defined
Message Center sub-tab:
• Notification results in message sent to Message
Center
• Internal source for communication
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Alert and Message: Example
Now let’s look at setting up an Alert
Notification with Message sent to the
Message Center upon Work Order Priority
Change!
Introduction: In today’s presentation we will be focusing on specific aspects of the Rules Manager, and how it pertains to Work Order Management.
Rules Manager Defined: Introduction to the Rules Manager and functionality, as well as a brief explanation of Criteria and Actions.
Email and Text Notification: Instruction and walk through examples of how to create and utilize Email and Text notifications.
Alert and Message Center Notification: Details on how to setup Alerts, as well as information on the Message Center and sending message notifications (also includes walk through examples).
SECTION OVERVIEW
Bullet 1: The MC Rules Manager is a System Admin Tool that allows users to establish rules for the automated generation of actions, based on the occurrence of specified events in the system.
Bullet 2: Actions can be initiated based on a wide array of events. Some of these events could include work order creation, assignment, status changes, or priority change (just to name a few!).
Bullet 1 / Sub-Bullets: Rules can be defined to create automated notifications (emails, texts and internal alerts / messages), assignments, or run database scripts. Multiple actions can also be tied to a single Rule.
Note: For the purpose of this presentation, we will be focusing on the specific parts of the Rules Manager that relate to Work Order communication (more specifically, Notifications and Alerts). The Rules Manager is discussed in more detail in the System Administrator Track.
Bullet 1: Rule Criteria defines the records to which the rule should be applied. Rules can be very general (e.g., for all “electrical” work orders) or very specific (e.g., for high priority work orders on elevators in the hospital building). Defining Rule Criteria is very similar to defining Report Criteria, with intuitive prompts to assist you in defining the criteria.
Bullet 2: The Actions Tab is used to define the action(s) that should be initiated when a rule is executed. Some examples of actions that can be applied could be to send an email when a Work Order has been completed to the Supervisor, or a message sent to the message center when a Work Order has been requested to the assigned Technician.
SECTION OVERVIEW
Bullet 1: The Send Email Action is used to initiate an email when the defined event occurs.
Bullet 2 / Sub-Bullets: For example, an email can be generated to the Supervisor of the Shop upon Work Order completion, to alert the Supervisor that the Work Order is now ready for review prior to closing.
Bullet 1: The first step will be to define the Event that is needed for this Rule to fire on the Work Order being completed – the correct Event to choose would be “Work Order Status Change to COMPLETE”. The Rule Name will auto-fill in with the Event, however it is also important for organizational purposes to define further what the Rule will be doing. In this example, “Mechanical Shop Supervisor” has been added to signify that this Rule is specifically firing for the Mechanical Shop Supervisor.
Note: Once the event type, rule name, rule order and repair center are defined, it is best to uncheck the “Active” indicator, then save the new rule (not all of these features are explained in detail in this presentation). This allows Maintenance Connection to populate defaults based on the Event Type, so that all remaining functionality is enabled – and also ensures that the Event is not firing until all Criteria has been added.
Bullet 1: The next step will be to define the Criteria that is required to limit the records that are triggering the Rule. We do not want ALL Work Orders that have a status change to complete firing, so the Criteria must be filled in appropriately. In this example, we will set the Shop = Mechanical so that only Work Orders with a status change to complete with a WO Shop of Mechanical will trigger the Rule.
Bullet 1: The Action Indicator must be selected to enable the Action for sending the email. The first sub-tab that is viewed will be for the “Settings” of the email that is generated – the standard settings will show from MC Agent with a standard Agent email address, however most organizations choose to adjust the From Name and Email to be something common / understandable to the person receiving the email. In this example, “MC Administrator” is going to be the From Name and From Email will be a standard email address. The Subject of the Email will be something clear and concise for the Supervisor – in this example, alerting the Administrator that they have a Work Order ready for them to review after the Technician has completed.
Bullet 1: The next step will be to define the Associated Recipients for this email notification. The goal is to alert the Supervisor of the Mechanical Shop that a Work Order is ready for their review – so in this case, the Shop Supervisor indicator will be checked.
Note: The Supervisor indicator would not be correct for this particular Rule, as the Supervisor of the Work Order could be different than the Supervisor of the Shop as a whole.
Bullet 1: Next, the Message Text / HTML must be defined to provide at-a-glance important information to the Shop supervisor. In this example, the Message (HTML) already has pre-defined data, however the Target Date is also important to include. By adding the tag @@TargetDate@@ this will pull in the Target Date of the Work Order to the email notification.
Note: You can add or change field references to retrieve data from the affected record by using the “anchors” of the double @ signs on both sides of the field name.
Bullet 1: Lastly, it may be important to include a Report which will provide additional important details about the particular Work Order record. In this example, the Open Work Order List report could be attached to the email notification, providing the Shop Supervisor with additional data only for the Work Order that the notification is firing on (based on the Set Criteria as being “Event Record”).
Note: It will be necessary to go back and re-enable the Rule after all of the Criteria and options have been filled in and the Rule is complete.
Bullet 1: Once a Work Order has been completed that has a Shop associated of “Mechanical”, the email Notification will trigger and send based on the Supervisor of this Shop being “Dana Sealock”. MC will look at Dana’s Labor record, and use the email address associated with that record to send the notification email. The notification email will include the added information of the Target Date of the Work Order.
Bullet 1: The Text Message Action is used to initiate a text message when the defined event occurs.
Bullet 2 / Sub-Bullets: An example of when a Text Message notification may be used is to notify a Repair Center Supervisor when a Work Order has been requested to their Repiar Center with a Category of “Safety”.
In this example a Text Notification will be setup to:
Notify Supervisor and Assigned Labor
For High Priority Work Orders with an Equipment Failure
When Work Order has a new Assignment
Bullet 1: First, the event must be defined to trigger the text message upon Work Order Assignment (New Assignment). The Rule Name will auto-populate, however it is important to adjust the name for accuracy.
Bullet 1: The next step will be to define the Criteria that is required to limit the records that are triggering the Rule. We do not want ALL Work Orders that are assigned to trigger the Rule, so the Criteria must be filled in appropriately. In this example, we will set the Priority = High, and the Problem Code = ‘Equipment Failure’ so that only Work Orders that are assigned as high priority with a problem code of equipment failure will trigger the Rule.
Bullet 1: The Action Indicator will need to be filled in with the appropriate Action, which would be “Send Text Message”. The Settings can be adjusted to have whichever From Name and From Email Address makes the most sense for the organization.
Bullet 1: The next step will be to define the Associated Recipients for this text notification. The goal is to alert the Supervisor of the Work Order and any Assigned Labor (could be one or multiple Technicians).
Note: Text message addresses for recipients are stored in the SMS Email Field in designated modules (Labor records, Requesters, and Shops). These fields are populated with the user’s 10 digit number and carrier’s designated email. In the screenshot example, the SMS Email field is filled in with a Verizon SMS address (@vtext.com).
Bullet 1: The Message of the text will not auto-populate as the Email notifications typically will. The Messages must be created, however the “tags” that are used in email notifications will also function correctly in text message format. It is common to include the WOID, the Target Date, Priority (if necessary), and other misc. details that could be important for the Technician to know. However commonly Text notifications are shorter and more concise than email form.
Bullet 1: Once a Work Order has been assigned that has both a Problem code of “FAILURE (Equipment Failure)”, and has a Priority that is “High”, the Supervisor of the Work Order in addition to the Assignees will be notified by text message. The text will interpret the tags that were defined in the Message, and the appropriate details of the Work Order will be displayed. These text message notifications are ideal for Technicians who are out in the field and must be notified immediately of high priority Work that might take them away from work they are currently doing.
SECTION OVERVIEW
Bullet 1 / Sub-Bullet 1: The Alert Sub-Tab allows you to specify whether an online alert popup should be displayed, for the defined recipients of the Notification.
Sub-Bullet 2: You can define the content, appearance, and sound of the alert.
Sub-Bullet 3: There is also a preference to use a “Click Action” to provide a user with additional “information” about the event.
Sub-Bullet 4: Via the Message Center Sub-Tab, notifications can also be paired with a message that is sent to users in the MC Message Center (new to Version 6.0).
Bullet 1 / Sub-Bullets: The Message Center serves as an internal source for communication, without the use of an external email application. A Subject can be defined for the messages that are triggered off the specific Rule, and they are typically combined with the popup Alerts that are defined on the Alerts tab.
Bullet 1: The following example will walk through defining an internal popup notification with a message that is sent based on Work Order priority change. The criteria will be set to only alert / notify the requester of the Work Order and the assigned members who are performing the work of the priority change, and only for Electrical shop Work Orders with specific Assets defined in the criteria.
Note: For a user to view Messages sent to the Message Center, they must have access via their Access Group Rights.
Bullet 1: First, the event will be defined as “Work Order Priority Change”, to ensure the Notification / Message will trigger based on the Priority changing. The Rule Name will auto-populate, and any additional information should be added to define the Rule.
Bullet 1: Next, the criteria must be defined. In this example the only Work Order priority changes that need to be alerted is for a WO Shop = Electrical, and for specific “high priority” Assets – in this case, Building 1 or Building 10. This has been outlined in the Criteria.
Bullet 1: The Action Indicator for “Send Notification” must be checked for the Rule to fire. The Message Center sub-tab is the default displayed for the Actions tab, and the “Send Notification to the Message Center” will need to be checked. The Subject can be defined of the Message that will be sent – in this example, it will simply say “Work Order Priority Change”.
Bullet 1: The Alert Settings must be defined for the Rule to ensure that the internal popup notification will appear. The Send Notification as an Alert indicator will be checked, and typically the “Only Display Alert if Recipient is Online” is checked as well. The caption, in this example, will be “Work Order Priority Change!”. Other miscellaneous details for the popup can be defined as well – some of these options include Alert Caption Style, Alert Window Size, Alert Window Style, and Alert message Style. An image can also be selected, plus an Alert sound.
Note: In this particular example the Client Command has been defined for the Click Action to “Open Message Center” from the Popup notification. This allows the user notified to simply click on the Notification, and immediately have access to the Message sent to the Message Center.
Bullet 1: The intended recipients for the internal notification and message are going to be the members who are Assigned to the Work Order, as well as the Requester of the Work Order. This will allow the assignees to adjust appropriately depending on the priority of the work, and the Requester of the Work Order will also be notified.
Bullet 1: The message will not have any pre-stored text for messages that are sent to the Message Center. In this example, a simple message will be sent, alerting of the most important parts that need to be updated. This message will also appear in the internal Notification pop-up as well.
Note: The Work Order # does not need to be referenced in the message, as this is already defined in the Work Order details that defaults in the message when sent (auto-populates).
Bullet 1: Because Drew Hayes is the current Assignment on this Work Order, Drew will be notified by an internal pop-up. By clicking on this message, the Message Center will appear, and he will be able to view the message sent within the Message Center. The Message also provides additional detail (such as WO# and Reason).