Triggers

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Use Spectra's triggers to automate some of the workflow for your studio. Triggers are associated with a variety of statuses, types, and dates throughout Spectra.

You can create triggers for clients, sessions, appointments, invoices, production orders, proof orders, and tasks. For clients, sessions, appointments, and invoices, you can set up triggers to generate phone calls, printed letters, emails, SMS text messages, or tasks. You can also choose a combination that will create an email if a client has an email address in their client record, or generate a call or printed letter if they don't. That way, you can be sure some form of contact will be generated for clients no matter what. Production and proof orders can only be set to trigger phone calls. Note: To use invoice statuses, you must first set the preference on the Invoicing tab of your Studio Preferences.

Examples

• Create a trigger to send an email or text message to a client to remind them of an upcoming session a week before the session is scheduled.

• Or, generate a call to check on a production order after three days if it hasn't come back in, or a call to the customer to come in and pick up their order when it is ready.

Setting Up Triggers

To set up triggers, we'll look at a client status example. The screens will be similar for other types of triggers.

1. Go to Maintenance > Client > Client Status Triggers.
   
   

2. Select the status you want to create a trigger for. Note: A status must be set up before a trigger can be created for it. Set up statuses in Maintenance > Client > Client Statuses.

3. To create a new trigger, click New in the Editing group of the ribbon (or type a description in the top row of the table and press the Enter key) to open the Trigger Detail window.
   
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Trigger Details

Description - Enter a description of what the trigger does. For example: "Email reminder for upcoming session."

Trigger Type -

• Call - Enter a call description, choose a call type, and select the user who will be responsible for the call. A new call will be added to list for whoever it is assigned to.

• Email - Choose a prepared email from your drop-down list. You can select up to two attachments to include with the email. Note: In order for this trigger to work, the client must have a valid email address entered in their record.

• Letter - Choose a form letter from the drop-down list. When this trigger is run, the form letter will be printed. Be sure the printer is ready and any special paper loaded (i.e., studio letterhead) in the appropriate trays, if desired.

• Email/Call - This choice will create an email if the client has an email address entered on their record, or a phone call if not.

• Email/Letter - Use this to have a letter printed out if the client doesn't have an email address.

• SMS Text Message - Choose to send an SMS text message.

• SMS/Call - Choose to create call record if the client doesn't have a phone number checked for SMS text messaging.

• Task -

Note: For a session status trigger, you can include a session confirmation to be included as an attachment to an email or printed out. Along the same lines, an invoice status trigger can include a copy of the invoice.

Trigger Date Options

Choose the date that you would like the trigger to activate. The trigger can be based on the associated status itself or on the status due date. If you base the trigger on the status, it will be activated when the item is changed to that status. Otherwise you can choose to have the trigger activated a certain number of days before, on, or after the status due date. Remember, the default status due date is based on the duration you set up when you created the status. It can, however, be modified on the record itself. The trigger will activate based on the current due date in the record.

Trigger Exclusions

Choose whether or not to exclude "Do Not Market" and/or "Do Not Call" clients from the trigger.

Trigger Behavior

Enter a description for the resulting communication or task record. When applicable, select the appropriate type, department, and user.

4. Click OK to finish creating the trigger.

Processing Triggers

To actually process (or "run") the triggers you've created, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Tools menu and select Run Status Triggers. A list of triggers that are currently active (meaning they match trigger criteria) will be displayed.

Process Status Triggers

2. Click to open each group of triggers. You have the option to Process, Skip, or Delete each triggered item.

• Select Process to include a triggered item in processing.

• Select Skip to skip a triggered item at this time. The item will remain in the list for the next time you run triggers.

• Select Delete to permanently delete a triggered item. The item will not show up the next time you run triggers.

Note: From this list you also have the ability to double-click on a triggered item (i.e., client, invoice, appointment, session, etc.) to open it for preview.

3. Click Process to complete processing the selected items. This will generate the calls, letters, emails, text messages, and tasks that have been defined for each trigger.

HERE'S A FLASH FOR YOU! Take your workflow automation one step further by setting up a schedule in the Control Center to run your triggers automatically. See the Control Center topic for more information.

Spectra Triggers List

The following triggers are available in Spectra:

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