Individual Notification and Escalation - WebTMA 5

Use the Notification & Escalation module to monitor critical work orders and follow up with notices to both supervisory personnel and technicians to assure prompt completion of the work.

When the critical work order exceeds the time limit set from the Notification & Escalation window, the priority is increased and WebTMA sends e-mail notices to all concerned. This applies only to work orders that meet the criteria set on the Notification & Escalation window.

You can monitor on an Individual basis or for a Group of work orders.

If your organization uses the optional Key Management module, you can select Key Adjustment in the Transaction Type field. This is used when keys are issued for specific time periods. The Notification & Escalation window gives you a way to create reminders and e-mail messages and have WebTMA send them at the appropriate time.

Individual Notification & Escalation

Path: Admin > Notification & Escalation

The Individual option applies to specific work orders, and consequently includes more criteria than the Group option. Individual is the default setting.

Beginning Range selections may limit the Ending Action. For example, if you select Task Finished, the only ending Action is Task Closed or WO Closed. If you mark Task Closed as the Beginning Range option, the only Ending Action is WO Closed.

The Escalate to Work Not Done check box is used to force the job to expire. When a work order meets the criteria, the work order is marked as work not done, and the work order is closed. The rules of this window require an entry on the E-mail Tab in order for this action to occur even if no message is needed.

When the Require Acknowledgement check box is marked, the technician who receives the escalated notice must click the Acknowledge link on the Work Order Action Menu to communicate that he or she has received the notice. This creates a trail of accountability. If the Ending Action is also marked as Acknowledge, the system does not send further escalation notices.

If the Ending Action is Task Scheduled, the E-mail Sched Tech check box is disabled and cleared.

The checks and updates are built into the WebTMA E-mail service and are run every time the E-mail service polls the database. If the Time Sensitive check box is marked on the Identity Tab, the escalation is active only during the time spans specified in the grid at the bottom of the page.

If desired, you can add more information about the notices to the Comments Tab.

Use the Email Tab to create a format for the notification e-mail messages that are sent out.

The Repair Center / Notification Tab displays a list of the notification set up for each repair center including the current priority and date range.

How to Add Individual Notification & Escalation

Path: Admin > Notification & Escalation

Use the default Individual setting of the Notification & Escalation module to monitor critical work orders and follow up with notices to both supervisory personnel and technicians to assure prompt completion of the work. If an action is not taken before the number of days, weeks, or months added to the Expiration field, a reminder e-mail is sent. If action is taken before the expiration time limit, no reminder is sent.

From the Notification & Escalation window in Add mode:

1. Complete the required fields.
2. Select the Task Type or Task Code if needed.
3. Use the Beginning Range and Ending Action radio buttons to establish the range, or accept the default Create Date and Task Scheduled.
4. Select the desired Escalate to Priority.
5. Mark the e-mail recipient's check boxes. If needed, type additional e-mail addresses in the .. field to notify others. At least one e-mail check box must be marked, or messages will not be sent.
6. (Optional) Type a message in the Append to E-mail text box.
7. (Optional) Mark the Time Sensitive check box and use the Add Item link to indicate the times the escalation is active.
8. Click Save on the WebTMA toolbar.

In Edit mode, the Priority and WO Type fields are not required.

How to Add Key Adjustments Notifications

Path: Admin > Notification & Escalation

Use the default Individual setting of the Notification & Escalation module to select a Transaction Type of ‘Key Adjustment’ and send notices to any interested parties and to the key holder to remind them that keys must be returned.

From the Notification & Escalation window in Add mode:

1. Select Key Adjustment in the Transaction Type
2. Complete the required Repair Center and Expiration
3. Select the time measurement for Expiration (minutes, hours, days, etc.).
4. Type e-mail addresses in the .. field to notify others such as supervisors.
5. (Optional) Type a message in the Append to E-mail text box.
6. Click Save on the WebTMA toolbar.

Although you can type a custom message in the Append to E-mail text box, you can also use the Email Tab to create a message with keywords that automatically customize the message with details such as the Due Date, Key #, and Description.

Notification & Escalation Email Tab

Path: Admin > Notification & Escalation / Email Tab

Use the Email Tab to create automatic e-mail messages including text with variables that are sent for escalated work orders. Both Individual and Group escalation messages are set up from this Tab.

You can add any text you like to both the Subject and E-mail Body fields and include keyword variable tags. These tags are place holders for information such as the work order number, priority, and task to name a few.

When WebTMA sends the message, the tags are replaced in the actual e-mail with the information they represent. For example, the WO# tag is replaced by the actual work order number.

You can use any combination of tags more than once. In addition, the message will add text included in the Append to Email field on the Identity Tab.

A Suppress Email check box at the upper right of the Tab gives you the option to suppress all e-mail responses for this Escalation.

How to Set Up Escalation E-mail Messages

Use the Email Tab to set up the format of automatic e-mail notices when work orders are escalated. Use Microsoft editing keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V, etc.) when writing the message. Messages can be edited at any time.

When a variable is inserted, it appears as an underlined entry.

From the Notification & Escalation / Email Tab in Add or Edit mode:

1. Start typing your message in the Email Body
2. Click the Keyword field down arrow to select a variable when needed.
3. Click the Insert Keyword button to add a variable.
4. Continue with the message until it is completed.
5. Click Save on the WebTMA toolbar.

NOTE: Some keyword quirks are similar to MS Word. If you enter a variable at the beginning of a line and later try to add text in front of it, all text is underlined and the Keyword is "broken." Similar behavior can occur when inserting keywords in existing text lines. Deleting the offending line and saving, gives you a fresh start.

Notification & Escalation Email Key Word Definitions