4. Communications

4. Communications

Messages can be created against any record in the system that has the Communications Centre displayed against it. 

Messages are sent using message wrappers and templates. Both of these are created through the configuration options in the system. Instructions on how to do this is detailed in the Administration User manual.

To create a new message or upload a document click on the  button, which can be found on any Comms page.

 

Item

Details
Who should it be sent to
A list of recipients the message can be sent to

Message template

A list of all available templates, based on the record type that is currently selected and the type of recipient the message is being sent to

Go back to the start of the message creation process


Move to the next step 
The system displays the route that will be used to send the message, based on the applicants preferences. If the applicant has asked for copies of messages to be posted to them then their correspondence address is displayed. This can be updated for specific messages if required.
If the applicant has requested to receive communications via email then the email address that will be used is displayed. The letter is not actually sent via email, but they are sent a message telling them they have a new message and need to log into the portal to view it.

 

Item

Details

Correspondence address

Address the letter will be sent to


Move to the next step 


Return to the previous step

Any dynamic sections that have been created in the selected template are displayed for text to be entered into.

As text is entered the preview on the right-hand side of the page shows how the final letter will look. The preview allows you to switch between how the printed letter will look as well as the version that will be shown on the public portal. This is useful if a different wrapper is being used for any communications on the public portal.

Item

Details

Portal message title/Email subject

A short description of the message that will be displayed on the portal and in the email sent to the applicant

Dynamic sections

Any sections that have been created in the template are displayed for the user to enter text into.

Create a draft to be sent/amended at a later date

Send the message

Sending comms messages to linked contacts

A comms message can be sent to any Contact linked to a Person, either directly from a Person record or from a Case or application that they are linked to.
When a Contact is selected from the Who should it be sent to dropdown, the Message templates list is updated to only show those templates that are appropriate to be sent to contacts.
Contact comms message are either sent as emails directly out of the system, or created as PDF documents to be downloaded and printed. This is dependent on the preferences that have been set on the Contact record.

Deleting comms messages

The ability to delete a Comms message is dependent on the state of the message and the permissions a user has.
If the message is in the Draft state then it can be deleted by any user. Any messages that are deleted while in the Draft state do not appear in the Comms Centre.
If it is in the process of being sent, or has been sent then the user requires the Delete sent messages permission.
To delete a Comms message click on   next to the comms message you wish to delete.
The message is then displayed in a dialog window. If the user has the ability to delete the message then the  button is displayed.

If a message is deleted while it is in the 'Merging' state it will not be displayed on the public portal.

If a message is deleted while in the 'Queued' or 'Sent' state then the message will be displayed on the public portal but the contents of the message will be replaced with a standard message. This will inform the applicant the message has been recalled and it is no longer available.
Deleted messages remain visible in the Comms centre for audit purposes, but are marked as deleted


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