Alerts

Alerts are used to draw the attention of users to important events such as an anniversary, the end of a temporary employment, when a payment deadline is exceeded or when a large order has been won.

Description

Profit generates an alert when a certain situation arises. This alert goes to specific recipients and has a specific message text. The user reads the alert, takes action, if necessary, and completes the alert. This ensures that every day the most pressing matters are dealt with. Below, the most important parts of alerts are discussed.

Alert type

There are two alert types:

  • Data-based

    These alerts are generated on the basis of a field value. If the field has a specific value, the alert is generated.

  • Date-based

    These alerts are generated on the basis of the date on which an event takes place. These alerts can be displayed a number of days before and after the event.

    Example:

    An alert that is generated because a €10,000.00 order has been scored, is data-based.

    An alert that is generated because an employee has a birthday coming up, is date-based.

Destination

The destination of an alert determines who receives it. For example, you can send an alert to all members of a group, to the manager of an employee or his/her substitute. A combination of destinations is also possible: for example, you want to inform all team members of the employee whose birthday is coming up, but in case of an anniversary, you want to include management as well.

You can also use a workflow as a destination, so that you can start the workflow automatically if a particular event occurs.

Alert text

The text of the alert is the message that a user receives together with the generated alert. You can create this text yourself, combining regular text and fields (data) from Profit. You can create a separate alert text for every language included in your licence.

Generate alerts

It is recommended to generate alerts automatically every night:

  • For a local installation, use the SIGNALcommand line. Do this after midnight, so that the alerts are based on the current date. If you use Profit HR, first update the current data before you generate the alerts.
  • In AFAS Online, active alerts are generated automatically overnight.

Your users can view alerts in InSite, or they receive the alert in an e-mail message. If you are testing alerts, you can also view the alerts in Profit Windows. The purpose of this functionality is to test alerts during the implementation phase, it is not meant for regular use.

Sample alerts in Profit

By default, Profit has a great number of sample alerts. These alerts can be recognised by the word (Profit) in their names. You cannot apply these alerts directly because they are data that has been supplied with Profit. In practice, you usually have to copy these alerts and then modify them. However, you can also add a new alert based on a data collection.

Procedure

  • Add alerts

    You copy a default alert supplied or you add a new alert based on a data collection of your choice.

  • Change alerts

    You can only change alerts if you are authorised to do so. This is only possible for alerts that you have added, not for the default alerts supplied.

  • Generate alerts

    You can generate alerts in two ways: manually or via the Command Line Utility. For alerts that you generate regularly, for example, every night or every week on a fixed day, we recommend you use the Command Line Utility.

  • Alerts in InSite

    Two separate overview templates are available in InSite. The only alerts shown are the ones that are intended for the user who is logged on.

  • Block alerts

    If you do not want to generate an alert, you should block this alert.

  • Clear alerts

    If you do not want to use the generated alerts, you can clear them.

Also see

  • Alerts in InSite

    Two separate overview templates are available in InSite. The only alerts shown are the ones that are intended for the user who is logged on.

  • Alerts for Logistics