Overview
This document is intended to help IDI platform administrators set up their system to send and receive emails using the Communications module. It includes information on both required and optional functionality.
The following table contains the various options and decisions associated with configuring Communications and what sections of this document you can find details in.
| Option/Decision | Answer | See for details |
| What email domain I want to use for emails sent to and from Communications? | Section 1: Communications Worksheet | |
| Will I predefine message templates for people to use when sending communications? | Section 2: Message Templates | |
| What email address (mailbox) do I want to use when sending Emails from Tickets? | Section 3: Tickets Default FROM address | |
| Do I want to use a different FROM address or alias for specific Ticket Types? | Section 4: Ticket Type FROM addresses | |
| Will I need to send emails to everyone assigned to a CostGuard group? | Section 5: Group Email addresses | |
| Do I want a user’s name to display in an email when they send a message from Communications? | Section 6: User Name Aliases | |
| Do I want to send an email notification to a user/group when a newly created Ticket is assigned to them? | Section 7: New Ticket Notifications | |
| Will users receive an email notification when an existing Ticket is reassigned to them? | Section 8: Reassignment Notifications | |
| Will the user assigned to a Ticket receive a notification when an incoming email is received for that Ticket? | Section 9: Notify on Email Replies | |
| Do I want to use CostGuard to track unsolicited emails sent to my company? | Section 10: Unsolicited Email Tracking | |
| Do I want to automatically open/resolve Tickets based on alerts from my Network Monitoring System? | Section 11: Network Monitoring Emails. |
1. Communications Worksheet
The Communication Worksheet can be obtained from your Account or Project Manager. It is required to be filled out and returned before Communications can be enabled for your company.
The worksheet requires you to specify what email subdomain will be used for Communications.
Utilizing a subdomain for Communications emails provides the following advantages:
- Eliminates the need for integration into your existing email platform.
- Supports utilizing new mailbox addresses without the need for setup or configuration in your email system.
- Separates the flow of Communications emails from your organizations existing emails.
An email address utilizing a subdomain will look like this:
Sample Email Address:
customersupport@support.serviceprovider.com
1 2 3
1 = The part before the @ symbol identified the name of the mailbox. Communications supports an unlimited number of mailboxes. Mailboxes are supported by configuring in CostGuard the various TO and FROM addresses that you wish to use with Communications.
2 = The part after the @symbol is the subdomain created by the service provider for use with Communications. All mail sent to a mailbox in this subdomain will be routed to CostGuard.
3 = The part after the subdomain is your existing domain.
Configuring Email Subdomain
Your Domain Name Services (DNS) administrator will need to create a subdomain for the domain name that you wish to use with Communications. The process for doing this will vary based on your DNS and Domain Name registration provider.
Once created the subdomain must be specified in the worksheet below and provided to IDI so that it can be configured in CostGuard. Communications supports unlimited mailboxes but only a single subdomain for each customer.
The following DNS records are required to be created in the subdomain:
Configuring MX Record
The following MX Record must be added to the domain in order for Communications to receive emails:
mx.sendgrid.net : priority = 10
Configuring CNAME Records
For Communication to send emails on behalf of your subdomain 3 CNAME records will need to be created within the subdomain. IDI will provide the details of these records to you after receiving your chosen subdomain name.
2. Message Templates
Templates can be configured to help produce consistent messages as well as reduce the time needed when sending common communications. Templates consist of fixed text plus Smart Data placeholders which will be populated when the user selects to use the template.
Navigation
To access the Template Configuration page, go to Communications module, click on the main menu option Configure. Then, from the submenu displayed, click on Templates.
The Template Configuration page provides the ability for users to:
- view all configured templates
- search for templates
- create and edit templates
- delete templates
Create and Edit Templates
Templates can be created by clicking the New action button. The system will display the Create Template dialog. This dialog will prompt users to provide Template Name (required field), Type (required field), and Description.
Upon clicking Create, the system will display the newly created template in the list on the left side of page.
To configure additional information, or make edits to an existing template, users can click on the Edit action button.
Enable/Disable – When the Enabled field is checked, the template is enabled and available for use in other modules and actions.
Images – When you insert an image, the size is limited to 1mb.
Insert Smart Data – In addition to standard formatting options, templates with a type of tickets will have an option to insert smart data.
When users click on the Insert Smart Data option, a drop-down menu will display properties, based on template type, and the option to configure a Data Look Up.
In addition to Inserting Smart Data, users will be able to determine how the data should be formatted. Formatting options are available for the following field types:
date/time (default format = MM/DD/YYYY, example: 02/21/2017)
integers (default format = no decimals, ‘-‘ for negative, no separator for 1000, example: -1234)
Boolean (default format = can/cannot).
When a property is selected, the system will insert the syntax needed to retrieve the corresponding data. If the field type of property is one that supports format selection, a pop up dialog will display with formatting options.
When Data Look Up is selected, the system will insert the syntax to retrieve the corresponding data. The Select Additional Fields dialog will display. If the Select field is one that supports format selection, a pop up dialog will display with formatting options.
When syntax is known, users can type the smart data directly into template.
3. Tickets Default FROM Address
Admin Console Settings
The Tickets web module utilizes a default email address for outgoing emails.
The configurable portions of the default email are the alias and local address properties of the email address. The domain will come from the Communications configuration for the company.
Data Management > Mailbox Configuration
This setting is the default alias and local portion of the email address for the environment. This will be used for outgoing emails from the Tickets environment, when nothing is configured at the Journal Type level for Alias and Local Address. (see below)
The default values for these settings are ‘Support’.
This results in an address that looks like Support<Support@domain>, where the domain is configured in Communications. You can use these default values or change them to your preferences.
4. Tickets Type FROM Addresses
Data Management > Journals > Journal Types
An alias and local address can be set for each Journal Type where the Journal Class = Trouble Ticket. These are optional.
If populated, the alias and local address will be used when sending an email from a Ticket with the specified Type set. These values will override the global Tickets values set in Section 3.
5. Group Email addresses
Security > Groups
An email address field has been added for user groups. For email notifications to be sent to a group, the email address must be configured.
6. User Name Aliases
Tickets Web Module > Manage > Settings | General: Display User Alias on Emails
This setting allows for outgoing emails that are manually sent from a ticket to use the user’s name as the alias on the email. This setting is initially unchecked.
When unchecked: the alias from the journal type (when configured) will be used. When no email alias is configured for the journal type, then the alias from ‘Mailbox Configuration’ will be used. For example: Support<SupportDesk@idibilling.com>
When checked: the option for ‘Alias’ must be selected. There are 3 options:
- First Name
- First Name and Last Initial
- First and Last name
Emails that are manually sent (via ‘New Email’ button, Reply, Reply All, Forward, or when prompting an email upon reassignment) will contain the user’s name in the format selected as the alias. For example: John Smith<SupportDesk@idibilling.com>.
7. New Ticket Notifications
Tickets Web Module > Manage > Settings | New Ticket Notification
This setting is used to enable system-generated email notifications for new tickets.
When this is configured, a system trigger is created to automatically send an email to the assigned user when a ticket is created. The name of the trigger is |System Email on Assignment|, and it works with the ‘Send Communications Message’ action.
Once this is configured, the button is disabled on the page. To turn off this functionality, a user must go into the Workflow module and manually delete the system trigger.
8. Reassignment Notifications
Tickets Web Module > Manage > Settings | Reassignment
This setting controls how a user is notified when a ticket is reassigned to them. This is initially set to ‘Do not send an email’. There are 3 options:
- Do not send an email
- Automatically Send an email
- Prompt for email
Automatically Send an email: choosing this option will create a system trigger in Workflow. The name of the trigger is |System Email on Reassign|, and it works with the ‘Send Communications Message’ action. Choosing this option and saving the setting creates the trigger. Choosing any other option will delete this trigger, if it exists.
Prompt for email: if this option is selected, the user can select a template for the format of the email. The templates must first be setup in the Communications module. ‘No Template’ is also an option.
This option will open an email dialog anytime a ticket is reassigned. The email will have the ‘To’ address filled in with the email address of the user the ticket is being assigned to. The user has the option to edit the email and send, or cancel (and not send an email). This dialog will not open when the user is assigning the ticket to themselves.
9. Notify on Email replies
Tickets Web Module > Manage > Settings | Notify Assigned To
This setting turns on functionality to forward an incoming email for a ticket to the user assigned to the ticket. This will let the user responsible for a Ticket know immediately when someone has replied to a message they sent or someone has sent a follow-up communication.
When this is configured, a system trigger is created in Workflow that will forward an incoming email that is linked to a ticket to the user assigned to the ticket. The trigger name is |System Notify Assigned to On Incoming Email| and it works with action ‘Ticket Communication Notification’. Once this is configured, the button is disabled on the page. To turn off this functionality, a user must go into the Workflow module and manually delete the system trigger.
10. Unsolicited Email Tracking
An unsolicited email is an instance when someone sends an email to your company which is not in response to an existing conversation. This could be from a customer who is sending you feedback on their service or a potential customer with a question about what you offer.
Tickets Web Module > Manage > Settings | Email Tickets
This setting turns on functionality to create a new ‘Email’ ticket from an unsolicited email.
When this is configured, the user is prompted for default information that will be used when creating Email tickets. The trigger name is |System Ticket on Cold Email| and it works with the action ‘Create Ticket from Email’. Once this is configured, the button is disabled on the page. To turn off this functionality, a user must go into the Workflow module and manually delete the system trigger.
When a user configures this, they must fill in required information:
To Email Address: Email tickets require a dedicated email address that is in the domain that the Communications module has been configured for. For example, if Communications is configured for the domain ‘idibilling.com’, then the dedicated email address for unsolicited email tickets could be: ‘CustomerService@idibilling.com’
Note that this can be setup to work in non-production environments, but the environment name must be in the local part of the address. For example, if the production emails should go to CustomerService@idibilling.com, then the emails for a non-production environment with the name idi01_s_stage, the emails should go to CustomerService+e=idi01_s_stage@idibilling.com
This will allow Email Ticket functionality to work in a non-production environment.
When a user fills in the information and hits ‘Save’, the system trigger is created using the information provided. The button becomes disabled. The information is not viewable from this page.
To view the Email Ticket default information requires access to see the trigger (|System Ticket on Cold Email|) in the Workflow module:
11. Network Monitoring Emails
- Manage > Settings | Network Monitoring
This setting turns on functionality to create an Equipment ticket from an incoming email. It is intended for use with emails from an external network monitoring system.
When this is configured, the user is prompted for default information that will be used when creating network monitoring tickets. The trigger name is |System Ticket On Network Monitoring Email| and it works with the action ‘Create/Resolve Equipment Ticket from Email’. Once this is configured, the button is disabled on the page. To turn off this functionality, a user must go into the Workflow module and manually delete the system trigger.
When a user configures this, they must fill in required information:
To Email Address: Network Monitoring tickets require a dedicated email address that is in the domain that the Communications module has been configured for. For example, if Communications is configured for the domain ‘idibilling.com’, then the dedicated email address for unsolicited email tickets could be: ‘Monitoring@idibilling.com’
This can also be setup to work in non-production environments, but the environment name must be in the local part of the address. For example, if the production emails should go to Monitoring@idibilling.com, then the emails for a non-production environment with the name idi01_s_stage, the emails should go to Monitoring+e=idi01_s_stage@idibilling.com
Create Child Tickets: when checked, in addition to the Equipment ticket, Customer tickets will be opened for any customer that has the equipment assigned to them, and will be associated as a child ticket.
Note that this functionality is limited to the opening of a ticket. The resolve functionality does not cascade to the child tickets (Future release).
When a user fills in the information and hits ‘Save’, the system trigger is created using the information provided. The ‘Configure’ button becomes disabled. The information entered is not viewable from this page.
To view the Network Monitoring default information requires access to see the trigger (|System Ticket On Network Monitoring Email|) in the WorkFlow module:
Network Monitoring System Configuration
Email Requirements
Email Subject: This will be used as the title of the ticket.
Email Body: JSON is required. The format of the JSON is as follows:
{ “EquipmentID”: Equipment ID, “EquipmentName”: “Equipment Name”, “Description”: “Description”, “Resolve”: “Resolve” }
Equipment ID: ID for the equipment in CostGuard.
Equipment Name: Name of the equipment as configured in CostGuard.
Description: When Resolve = N, this will be used as the description of the ticket. When Resolve = Y, this will be used as the resolution note of the ticket.
Resolve: (Y/N): A value of ‘Y’ is required to resolve a ticket. Not required to open a ticket.
Note:
- Equipment name or ID must be specified when opening and resolving a ticket. If both are specified, ID takes precedence.
- Only one piece of equipment can be specified per email.
- When resolving
- The subject must match what was provided when the ticket was opened.
- The equipment name or ID must match what was provided when the ticket was opened.
