Quicklinks allow administrators to place shortcuts in the IDI platform to other web-based applications that their users need to access. The web URL configured for the shortcut can use SmartData to pass along contextual information about the page the user was viewing in the IDI platform to avoid having to re-enter information in the other system.
Some web applications support passing the data they need right in the URL query string. Creating a Quicklink for these applications can be relatively easy and straightforward especially if the required fields exist as part of the supported SmartData. Applications that don’t fall into this category can still have Quicklinks created for them however we will look at some of the web development and integration work which may be required to make the link seamless.
Simple Integration- LinkedIn
Creating a Quicklink on a customer account that automatically a LinkedIn search for the primary customer contact is a simple matter of knowing the LinkedIn URL stem then and configuring the shortcut with the required SmartData.
Getting the URL Stem
In this instance we can get the LinkedIn URL Stem by running a search in their application and seeing how their URLs are constructed. Searching LinkedIn for Don Culeton brings us to a page with the URL
https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/index/?keywords=Don%20Culeton
In this example then, the URL Stem we want to use is everything up to and including the ‘=’. The properties to the right of the ‘=’ will be handled by the SmartData.
Creating the Quicklink
Add a new account Quicklink in Customer Care by going to Manage -> Quicklinks -> Account and clicking the add icon.
This will open the Add Account Quicklink dialog where you can type the LinkedIn URL stem into the URL field.
Adding URL Stem
Use the SmartData icon to the right of the URL field to add First Name and Last Name properties to the URL Stem. This adds the @[FirstName] and @[LastName] fields to the configured URL. When the Quicklink shortcut is displayed on a page these will automatically be replaced with the First Name and Last Name of the primary account contact.
Add SmartData
Finish the configuration by selecting an icon, adding a Display Name and then clicking Save.
Finish Configuration
Using the Quicklink
Customer Account pages now will have a LinkedIn shortcut displayed on them.
New Quicklink
Clicking the link takes the user to the LinkedIn web site search page with a search already run for the customer they were viewing.
Advanced Integration – Trace Utility
In this example we want to give a shortcut to the user that will automatically run a trace route on a circuit as the first troubleshooting step when a customer calls in an issue.
The challenge is that the trace route utility that we are using doesn’t know about IDI platform circuit ID’s, service numbers, or any other customer account information. It only accepts IP addresses.
Creating a Quicklink to run the trace route from the service is still possible however it will require some work by someone who is familiar with web development to create a redirect page that will sit in between the IDI platform and the trace route utility.
Redirect Page
The purpose of creating a redirect page is to have a something that serves as bridge between the two systems by accepting the parameters supplied by IDI, applying some logic to look up some additional information and then passing the trace utility page the information that it needs.
Storing the IP Address
Ultimately the trace route page needs an IP address so this information will need to be stored somewhere. In this example we are going to assume it is stored in the IDI platform as an attribute on the service however in practice it can be stored in any system that the redirect page you create has the ability to access.
Storing IP Address
Quicklink Configuration
The URL in the Quicklink sends the user to the redirect page and passes enough information for the logic in the page to lookup the IP address. In this example the link sends the service number.
Quicklink to redirect page
Redirect Page
When you create the redirect page it will need to accept Service Number as a query string parameter. Once the page has the service number it can use the IDI Web APIs to look up the service in the system and retrieve additional information (in this case the attribute which stores the IP Address).
Once it has the IP address information the page then redirects the user to the trace route utility with the IP Address now included in URL string. The redirect page has successfully fulfilled its role as serving as the middle layer between the two systems by understanding the information that IDI can give it and using that to send the information that the trace route utility needs.
Trace Route Web Page
When the user is redirected to the Trace Route utility page with the proper IP address in the URL the utility automatically runs and executes the trace. We have successfully configured a shortcut in the IDI platform that runs a trace for the user without the need to retype the IP address into a web page.
Additional Resources
Configuring Quicklinks: Customer Care User Guide
Looking up service information from IDI via Web API: Customer Management OData Documentation