Using Message Types

Using Message Types


Video Transcript

Message Types are used to categorize work orders at creation. When you create a work order, you can assign one or more message types to it so that specific people can be notified of the different types of work orders.
First, you need to create your Message Types. Start by clicking the Admin tab. In the Work Order Configuration section, click Message Types.
Click New Message Type to begin. First, you name your Message Type. For this example, we are creating a message type for special billing instances. Because this is a message type that we only expect our team to use, we’ll make it Internal by selecting Yes for Internal Only. 
Some message types can be assigned automatically to work orders as they come in from different origin points. For example, you could create a Message Type for Mobile Surveys, so you know that they are non-billable special requests, or a Message Type for regularly scheduled work through the Job Schedules. Any Message Type you create that is automatically assigned to work orders can still be selected for other work orders of a different origin type.
Once finished with creating your new Message Type, click Save. Now you’ll assign it to either people, service locations, custom question templates, or filing types. Most often, message types are best assigned to locations or people. By assigning a Message Type to a person, it only allows you to select HR users. This is how you’ll limit work orders going to specific people. For example, our finance user only needs work orders that deal with billing questions or extra billable work.
When you assign a Message Type to a service location, it means that that message type will be an option for specific locations when work orders are created for them.
After assigning your Message Type, test that it is working by creating a work order. For more help on how to setup and use your Message Types, read the accompanying article.



What are Message Types?

Message Types are used to categorize work orders at creation and can assist in determining who can see different types of work orders. When many of your employees need to see work orders, but only certain types, Message Types help you separate out the work orders to the correct employees.
Examples of different Message Types could be “Billable,” “Scheduled Work,” “Survey Results,” or “Work Request.” Message Types can be either External or Internal.
To begin using Message Types, you’ll learn to create them, then how to assign them.

How to create a Message Type

To create a new Message Type, start by clicking the Admin Tab. In the Work Order Configuration section, click Message Types.



Click New Message Type to the right above the search results box.



Enter the name of the new Message Type. The name of the Message Type is what will be shown when selecting the type when creating a work order. Enter a description, if desired. Mark if the work order will be internal only by selecting Yes or No. If you select No, this Message Type will be External, meaning Contact users and HR users can select it when creating a work order. If you select Yes, this Message Type will be Internal, meaning only HR users can see and select it when creating a work order.
The last part of setup for a Message Type is the option of using your new Message Type automatically for system generated work orders. The options are Mobile Surveys, Inspections, Job Schedules, and Client Surveys. One or more can be selected.
For smaller companies or during setup, best practice is to allow all HR users to see all Message Types in their Message Type Viewing Permissions, then train employees to filter by Message Type in their work order inbox if they only need certain types of work orders. Learn more about Message Type Viewing Permissions below in the Assigning a Message Type to People section or in the article Create an Employee/Contractor Record.
After entering the name and making your selections, if any, for AutoMessage Types, click Save to complete the creation process.
Message Types cannot be removed from a work order once it has been applied to a work order. AutoMessage Types cannot be removed from existing work orders, but you can edit them from being assigned automatically by editing the Message Type.

How to Assign a Message Type

After creating a Message Type, it can be assigned in four different ways. It can be assigned to People, Service Locations, Custom Question Templates, and/or Filing Types.

Assigning a Message Type to People

It is possible to limit employees to see only certain work orders by assigning Message Types to them. To assign a Message Type to one or more employees, click the Assign to People button. 





On the assignment screen, employees will be listed in the Currently Selected section or Currently Not Selected section. Employees who show up in the Currently Selected section have “All” as their viewing permission for Message Types. Employees who are listed in the Currently Not Selected section do not have all viewing permissions. To add or remove the selected Message Type for an employee, add/remove the check mark next to their name and click Save. They will move to the respective section.
Employees who do not have a Message Type assigned to them will not be able to see work orders with that Message Type, unless an additional Message Type that they have permission to see is added to the work order either at creation or by forwarding the work order.

Assigning a Message Type to a Service Location

Message Types can be limited to specific locations. This is useful when you have specific Message Types that only one client may use. When new Message Types are created, they are automatically set to add to any new locations created but will need to be added to existing locations.
To begin, click the Assign to Service Location button.





On the Assignment screen, the first box is where you can automatically add the selected Message Type to new service locations. To prevent that from happening, remove the check mark and click Save.



Active service locations will be listed in one of the three sections: Service Locations Assigned as Default in External Email Settings, Current Service Locations, or Add Service Locations. To add the selected Message Type to a location, add a check mark next to the location name in the Add Service Locations section. To remove the selected Message Type from a location, add a check mark next to the location listed in the Current Service Locations section and click Save to make the change.



Assigning a Message Type to a Custom Question Template

Custom Question Templates that have been created as a Per Message Type template will be available to assign Message Types to. Assigning a Message Type to a Custom Question Template means that when the selected Message Type is used on a work order, the assigned question template will appear on the work order under the circumstances of the question template.
To learn more about Custom Question Templates, see the article Custom Question Templates Overview.
To begin, click Assign to Custom Question Templates.





To assign the selected Message Type to a custom question template, add a check mark next to the template name in the Add Custom Question Templates section. To remove, click to add a check mark next to the template name in the Current Custom Question Templates section. Click Save to make your change.

Assigning a Message Type to a Filing Type

The final assignment option is to apply the selection Message Type to a Filing Type. When the selected Message Type is added to a work order at creation or when forwarding it, the assigned Filing Type will also be applied to the work order.
To begin, click Assign to Filing Types.





To assign the selected Message Type to a filing type, add a check mark next to the Filing Type or Filing Type Detail in the Add Filing Types section. To remove the selected Message Type from a Filing Type, add a check mark next to the Filing Type or Filing Type Detail in the Current Filing Types section. Click Save to make your change. 
Learn more about Filing Types, see the article Using Filing Types in our Knowledge Base.

Using Message Types

Message Types are only used with work orders. When message types are active, at least one message type is required when creating a work order. 



Message Types can be added to a work order when forwarding it to additional employees. By adding a Message Type to a work order, you are forwarding that work order to additional people who may not have permissions to see the work order because of their Message Type Viewing Permissions.



Once work orders have been created, you can use the advanced filters to find work orders that have a similar message type.



Message Types can also be included in the Work Order Report. To learn more about that report and other work order reports see our Knowledge Base.



Advanced Uses

Message Types are also used when setting up Message Type Viewing Permissions and External Email Settings.
Message Type Viewing Permissions are set up on HR and Contact records. When adjusting the viewing permissions, you are limiting the types of work orders and messages that an employee or customer contact will see in their inbox.
Adjusting the viewing permissions for employees and contacts will be slightly different. Contacts are already blocked from seeing internal only message types, but they can also be blocked from certain Message Types that may be used for specific clients.
Some Message Types are used only when the work order is created by an external source, like a third-party system. These Message Types would be commonly blocked from certain users.
For advanced help with external email settings, see our article Setting Up External Emails in CleanTelligent in the Knowledge Base.

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