Communication definition management overview
All related components of a communication - the format, the style, the recipient-specific fields (merge tags), the output channels (Letter, Email, Text Message), etc. - are controlled by the end user through the creation of a communication definition. When adding new communication definitions onto the system, only a minimal amount of mandatory information is required in order to save the core record. Additional information can be appended to the definition record at any time, as required, prior to generating the live communication. There are numerous aspects of control available to the end user and these features are combined into logical data tabs. A summary of these data tabs is outlined in the table below:
Field Group |
Description |
Parameters |
These user-defined fields allow extra information to be included within the communication, not already held on the database, at the point of generation. The fields can provide contextual data relevant to the recipient, or similarly the event that has triggered the communication. The specific values are entered by the end user each time the communication is generated and so are only available for 'attended' processes i.e. not an automated letter response. |
Conditional Letterheads |
Instead of inserting from scratch the same letterhead information into each new communication template over and over again, it is more efficient to create a single standard letterhead (or more, as the need arises) in the right format and style, holding custom text and place holders (merge tags) that will be common to all communications. Multiple letterhead templates can be mapped to the same communication definition, and then at the point of generation, the specific letterhead merged alongside the main body text is determined using a range of criteria rules defined through the Advanced Statement builder. Note - The selection of an appropriate letterhead can be steered instead through execution of a SQL subroutine, offering significant processing efficiencies in circumstances where many conditions are being evaluated. |
Conditional Tags |
These are used to control the inclusion or omission of text paragraphs or phrases to personalise the communication for a selected subset of recipients. The set of conditions are controlled by IF, ELSE IF and ELSE statements and evaluated in a prescribed order of execution, with corresponding outputs defined for each rule. In addition to the body text, control characters can be included to frame the output e.g. new line command or space character. |
Metadata |
A term used to refer to 'data about the data', the end user can define additional fields, parameters and conditions that will be submitted alongside the communication, with the purpose of integrating with third-party systems. |
List Criteria |
These are specified within the definition to filter or restrict the data that is returned by the system when compiling the communication. For example, a statement issued to a tenant on works to be carried out might only display those tasks with an 'Open' or 'In Progress' status based on the criterion set. List criterion expressions can be combined to provide complete freedom on the final content of the communication. |
Templates |
A communication template is simply a master document created for the production of multiple letters, emails or text messages (SMS) in a consistent and personalised format, where common text and place holders (merge tags) can be combined to define the required output. An individual template can be created for each separate communication channel: letter, email or SMS. |
See related topics...
To create a new communication definition
To assign parameters to a communication definition
To assign conditional letterheads to a communication definition
To assign conditional tags to a communication definition
To add metadata fields to a communication definition