The Messaging feature allows you to create and deliver a variety of messages to different devices. For example, when an employee clocks in late, a message can be sent to the employee and the employee's supervisor. Or, an administrator can receive a message when an error occurs for a particular service instance.
Messages can be displayed after a person logs in to the web application or a client terminal. Messages can also be sent via email. A person can view their read and unread messages at any time using the My Messages form in the web application or the Message View form in a client terminal.
There are several different types of messages that can be sent in Shop Floor Time: Broadcast Messages, Trigger Messages, Dialog Messages, System Messages, and Exception Messages. These message types are explained below.
In order to receive messages, a person must be assigned a Message Policy. When a message is created, the Message Policy of the recipient is used.
See Also:
Configuration for Terminal Monitor Messaging
This feature requires the following:
You must have the Messaging module included in your license file.
The Messaging module must be enabled.
To check if the module is included in your license and enabled:
Click Main Menu > Configuration > System > Licensing.
On the License Modules tab, select the Module Name called Messaging.
The following boxes must be checked: Licensed and Module Enabled.
The Broadcast Message form is used to broadcast/send a message to one or more persons. These messages do not require Messaging Rules or Message Definitions. The supervisor composes a message on the Broadcast Message form and selects the persons who will receive the message. The message can be sent to the person’s email address or to display on a terminal or in the web application.
To receive a broadcast message, the person must be assigned a Message Policy. This Message Policy must include the BROADCAST_MESSAGE trigger. If you want the message to display after login, the Alert on Terminal and/or Alert on Web boxes must be checked in the person's Message Policy.
If you are sending the broadcast message to an email address, you must run the MESSAGE_DELIVERY Service to deliver the message.
Trigger Messages are sent to employees and supervisors based on specific actions. For example, a supervisor adjusting an employee’s time card will activate the TIMECARD_ADJUSTMENT trigger. If this trigger is included in the employee’s Message Policy, the employee whose time card was adjusted will receive the appropriate message.
When you create a Message Policy, you can include or exclude the available triggers using the Trigger tab. Use the Trigger Setting tab to define when the trigger message will be sent, how it will be displayed, who will receive the message, and other options.
You can also change the text of the message generated by the trigger using the Change Trigger Label button.
If you want to send a trigger message via email, you will need to run the MESSAGE_DELIVERY service.
The DEFAULT_EVENT_TRIGGER will generate messages based on the start or stop of an event. If your Message Policy includes this trigger, you will also need to configure the events that are affected by this trigger. To do so, use the Message Trigger tab on the Events form.
Dialog messages are two-way messages between the Shop Floor Time application and the user. When a user receives a dialog message, the user must respond to the message. Based on the user’s response, the message will stop appearing, continue appearing, or show a related message that also requires a response. A dialog message can be configured to appear in relation to an event posting and can be restricted to appear only under certain conditions (e.g., the 15th day of the month).
Dialog messages are generated by Messaging Rules, a Message Definition/Message Policy, and the MESSAGE_CREATION service. You will also need to define the dialog elements and responses that comprise the dialog message.
Dialog messages will only appear on the Web Time Clock or a client terminal only when the application or terminal is online.
System messages are based on the actions of specific persons, such as hours posted on an unscheduled day or an unsigned time card. Exception messages are based on exceptions that occur when a service instance runs, or on the occurrence of a particular error code.
System and Exception messages are generated based on messaging rulesets and are configured on the Message Definition form. The MESSAGE_CREATION and EXCEPTION_MESSAGE_CREATION services create these messages based on the rulesets in the Message Definitions.
To create a System message, the MESSAGE_CREATION service looks at the persons who are assigned to the Message Policy and Message Definition in the service's parameters. The service then processes the rulesets in the Message Definitions. For example, if the MESSAGE_CREATION service is processing the UNSIGNED_TIMECARD_REMINDER Message Definition, it fires the UnsignedTimecardReminderRuleset. This ruleset checks the person's time card in the current pay period and if this time card is unsigned and it is the last scheduled day of the period, a message is sent to the person reminding them to sign their time card.
To create an Exception message, the EXCEPTION_MESSAGE_CREATION service processes the Message Definitions in its parameter. For example, if the service is processing the SERVICE_AUDIT_ERROR message, it fires the ServiceAuditErrorRuleset. This ruleset checks to see if the ATTENDANCE service (or any service configured in the rule) had any errors in the last 5 hours and if so, a message is sent to a Message Group.
Shop Floor Time includes several predefined system and exception messages.
System and Exception Messages require the following configuration:
Create the message ruleset using the Calc Rule and Rulesets forms. The context for these rules will be MessagingRuleset.
Create a new Message Definition of type System or Exception and add the message ruleset you created to the Message Definition.
Add the Message Definition to a Message Policy and configure the settings for the Message Definition.
For System messages, you need to assign the Message Policy to the appropriate employees.
Run the MESSAGE_CREATION and/or EXCEPTION_MESSAGE_CREATION service to create the messages.
If the messages are being sent via email, you will also have to run the MESSAGE_DELIVERY service.
By default, Exception messages will be consolidated; the MESSAGE_DELIVERY service will group all the email messages that result from the same Exception Message Definition and send them to the recipient in a single email. For example, the ERROR_LOGGED_BY_SERVICE_INSTANCE Message Definition will place all the errors for a single service instance into one message, instead of generating a message for each error.
If you want the MESSAGE_DELIVERY service to send each message individually instead, you can include the Set Message Attribute Consolidate Message operand in your ruleset, and set the operand’s parameter to False.
Exception messages are also configured by default to not allow duplicate messages to be sent. To allow duplicates, you can include the Set Message Attribute Allow Duplicate, Is Message Duplicate, and Is Message Not Duplicate operands in your ruleset.
See Messaging Rules Operands for more information.
You need to run the MESSAGE_CREATION service to generate Dialog and System Messages.
You need to run the EXCEPTION_MESSAGE_CREATION service to generate Exception Messages.
If you want to send any message (except Dialog Messages) via email, you need to run the MESSAGE_DELIVERY service.
The MESSAGE_CREATION service generates Dialog and System messages. The messages are generated based on rules in the Message Definitions and Message Policies that are assigned to a person.
You must use the service’s MESSAGE_POLICY and MESSAGE_NAME parameters to define which Message Policies and Message Definitions will be used when generating the messages.
You can configure different instances of the MESSAGE_CREATION service to generate specific message types. For example, you can configure an instance specifically for unsigned time card messages.
The EXCEPTION_MESSAGE_CREATION service creates messages when there is an “exception” with a service instance (e.g., the service has an error or runs too long) or when a particular Error Code is reported in the Error Log. These messages are created based on rules assigned to a Message Definition in the service’s parameter.
This service only generates messages for Message Definitions with the Message Type of EXCEPTION.
You can configure different instances of the EXCEPTION_MESSAGE_CREATION service to generate specific message types. For example, you can configure an instance specifically for service audit errors.
The MESSAGE_DELIVERY service delivers email messages. You can send Broadcast, Trigger, System, and Exception messages via email.
Broadcast Messages: The Send Email box must be checked.
Trigger Messages: The Trigger Settings SEND_EMAIL_TO_USER and/or SEND_EMAIL_TO_MANAGER must be True.
System and Exception Messages: The Create Message operands in the Message Definition’s ruleset must include Email in the Medium parameter.
You must also configure your system’s settings in order to send email. To receive an email message, a person must have an e-mail address defined on the Employee form.
Messages can be displayed in the web application, Web Time Clock, or a client terminal when the Alert on Terminal and/or Alert on Web boxes are checked in the person's Message Policy. See below for additional configurations for each message type.
Note: Dialog Messages can only be displayed on the Web Time Clock or a client terminal.
When the employee logs into the terminal or web application, the system will either show messages automatically or ask the user to view their messages. If the employee chooses to view the messages, or if the messages are configured to display automatically, the messages will appear.
Message on the InTeract Client terminal
Message pop-up form in the Shop Floor
Time Web
See Message Response Buttons for information on the different buttons you can configure to respond to the messages.
Messages will be sent to the terminal or web application depending on how they are configured.
Broadcast Messages: Check the Send Terminal/Web box when you create the broadcast message. The Alert on Terminal and/or Alert on Web boxes must be checked in the person's Message Policy.
Trigger Messages: The Alert on Terminal and/or Alert on Web boxes must be checked in the person's Message Policy. In addition, the Trigger Settings SEND_MESSAGE_TO_USER and/or SEND_MESSAGE_TO_MANAGER must be True.
Dialog Messages: Dialog messages will only display on the Web Time Clock or a client terminal.
System and Exception Messages: The Alert on Terminal and/or Alert on Web boxes must be checked in the person's Message Policy. In addition, the Create Message operands in the Message Definition’s ruleset must have Application or Both as the message medium.
See Web Messaging for more information on how messages appear in the Shop Floor Time Web.
Acknowledge
When a message has an Acknowledge button, you must click this button or you will continue to see the message each time you log in. You will not be able to clock in/out, start/stop labor, etc. until you acknowledge the message. When you click this button, the message's status changes to Acknowledged.
The Acknowledge button is a green checkmark 
in the Shop Floor
Time Web (My Messages form and messages pop-up that appears after login).
See Web Messaging for more information.
To display this button in Trigger and Broadcast Messages, check the Acknowledgement box in the Trigger tab of the Message Policy.
To display this button for all other messages, enable the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT_REQUIRED setting in the Message Settings tab of the Message Policy.
Agree/Disagree
When a message has Agree and Disagree buttons, you must click one of these buttons or you will continue to see the message each time you log in. When you click this button, the message's status changes to Acknowledged and Agreed or Acknowledged and Disagreed.
The Agree and Disagree buttons are thumbs-up and thumbs-down
icons 
in
the Shop Floor Time Web (My Messages form and messages pop-up that appears
after login). See Web Messaging for more
information.
To display these buttons in Trigger Messages, enable the AGREEMENT_DISAGREEMENT setting in the Trigger Setting tab of the Message Policy. Note that this setting is not available for Broadcast Messages or Terminal Status Change messages.
To display this button for all other messages, enable the AGREEMENT_DISAGREEMENT setting in the Message Settings tab of the Message Policy.
Next
If you have multiple messages, a Next button will display along with the OK, Acknowledge, Agree, or Disagree button for all but the last message. Click Next to view the next message. If Acknowledgement or Agree/Disagree is enabled, the Next button will leave the message in an Unread status.
Employees will receive email messages at the email address specified in their Person records. Messages will be sent via email by the MESSAGE_DELIVERY service.
You must enter the correct settings in the Message Email Config form to define the email address and server from which email messages will be sent.
Messages will be sent via email depending on how they are configured.
Broadcast Messages: The Send Email box must be checked. You can define the subject, header, message text, and trailer of the email message when you create the broadcast message.
Trigger Messages: The Trigger Settings SEND_EMAIL_TO_USER and/or SEND_EMAIL_TO_MANAGER must be True.
Dialog Messages cannot be sent via email.
System and Exception Messages: The Create Message operands in the Message Definition’s ruleset must include Email in the Medium parameter.
You can export messages and their responses using the Message Export Context. The Export Definition form (Main Menu > Configuration > Interfaces > Export Definition) is used to define the export records for the messages you are exporting.
You can use the MESSAGE_NAME, MESSAGE_TRIGGER_NAME, MESSAGE_TYPE, and MESSAGE_STATUS parameters to select specific messages to export.
The Message Log form allows you to view the export status of your messages. The Process Status and Processing Date fields show which messages have been exported and when. The Re-Process button will change the processing status of a message from Complete to Ready so that the message can be exported again. The Cancel Export button will change the status of a message from Ready to Cancelled so that the message will not be exported.