Table of Contents

Notifications

The Notification system provides a mechanism for clients, candidates and secondary agencies to be notified of key events relating to vacancies, placements and shifts, by means of HTML email or SMS text.

This is achieved by the creation of message templates which contain substitutable merge fields similar to the merge fields in the IQX MS Word mechanism.

The creation of a template is all that is required to 'switch on' each notification mechanism.

The fields in the template record are:

Substitutable Codes

These are inserted into templates enclosed in {}. See Example Template below.

Candidate Codes

  • APP_NAME
  • APP_SURNAME
  • APP_USURNAME
  • APP_FORENAMES
  • APP_UFORENAMES
  • APP_SALUTATION
  • APP_ADDR1
  • APP_ADDR2
  • APP_ADDR3
  • APP_TOWN
  • APP_COUNTY
  • APP_COUNTRY
  • APP_POSTCODE
  • APP_DOB
  • APP_SEX
  • APP_NI
  • APP_APPNUMBER
  • APP_PAYROLLNUMBER
  • APP_REGISTRATIONDATE
  • APP_ADDRESSLONG
  • APP_ADDRESS
  • APP_PHN_HOME_TELEPHONE
  • APP_PHN_DAY_TELEPHONE
  • APP_PHN_MOBILE
  • APP_PHN_FAX
  • APP_PHN_E-MAIL
  • APP_PHN_SKYPE
  • APP_PHN_FACEBOOK
  • APP_PHN_LINKEDIN
  • APP_HEADERNAME
  • APP_PHOTO (inserts an <img> tag)
  • APP_PHOTOSRC (inserts a src attribute into a suppied <img>)

Client Codes

  • COM_NAME
  • COM_SALUTATION
  • COM_COMPANYNAME
  • COM_ADDR1
  • COM_ADDR2
  • COM_ADDR3
  • COM_TOWN
  • COM_COUNTY
  • COM_COUNTRY
  • COM_POSTCODE
  • COM_POSITION
  • COM_DEPARTMENT
  • COM_ADDRESSLONG
  • COM_ADDRESS
  • COM_PHN_DIRECT_TELEPHONE
  • COM_PHN_MOBILE
  • COM_PHN_DIRECT_FAX
  • COM_PHN_E-MAIL
  • COM_PHN_SKYPE
  • COM_PHN_FACEBOOK
  • COM_PHN_LINKEDIN
  • COM_HEADERNAME

Placement Codes

  • PLC_SALARY
  • PLC_POSITION
  • PLC_STARTDATE
  • PLC_LEAVEDATE
  • PLC_DEPARTMENT
  • PLC_PLACEDATE

Progress Codes

  • PRG_STATUS
  • PRG_ACTIONDATE
  • PRG_INTERVIEWDATE
  • PRG_INTERVIEWTIME
  • PRG_BEGIN & PRG_END (wrap around fields to produce a list of details from the selection).

Vacancy Codes

  • VAC_POSITION
  • VAC_ENTRYDATE
  • VAC_STARTDATE
  • VAC_SALARY
  • VAC_REFCODE
  • VAC_NOOFPOSTS
  • VAC_EXPIRY
  • VAC_SITEADDR1
  • VAC_SITEADDR2
  • VAC_SITEADDR3
  • VAC_SITETOWN
  • VAC_SITECOUNTY
  • VAC_SITECOUNTRY
  • VAC_SITEPOSTCODE
  • VAC_ADDRESSLONG
  • VAC_ADDRESS
  • VAC_SITENAME
  • VAC_SITECONTACT
  • VAC_SITEFAX
  • VAC_SITEEMAIL
  • VAC_SITEPHONES
  • VAC_SITEROLE
  • VAC_HEADLINEPAYRATE

Shift Codes

There may be multiple shifts in the notification, so these codes must be placed between SHN_BEGIN and SHN_END codes to define a repeating block. See Example Template below.

  • SHN_DATE
  • SHN_FROM
  • SHN_TO
  • SHN_NOTE
  • SHN_BREAKMINUTES
  • SHN_WHENCANCELLED
  • SHN_CLIENTNOTE
  • SHN_THEIRREF
  • SHN_CANCELREASON
  • SHN_WHENCANCELLED
  • SHN_PERSON
  • SHN_CLIENTCONFIRMED
  • SHN_TEMPCONFIRMED
  • SHN_STATE
  • SHN_STATEDESC
  • SHN_SERIALNUMBER
  • SHN_ORDEREDBY

It is possible to list all shifts applicable (up to 365 days in advance) to an applicant wrapping the fields in SHR_BEGIN & SHR_END. The shifts do not have to be referenced in the shift confirmation screen. 2.22.11+ to list a specific range of shifts e.g. for 7 days from this Monday you would use SHR_BEGIN_MON+7 & SHR_END.

Secondary Agency Codes

These are available when the recipient type is Agency

  • SAG_NAME
  • SAG_SALUTATION
  • SAG_COMPANYNAME
  • SAG_ADDR1
  • SAG_ADDR2
  • SAG_ADDR3
  • SAG_TOWN
  • SAG_COUNTY
  • SAG_COUNTRY
  • SAG_POSTCODE
  • SAG_POSITION
  • SAG_DEPARTMENT
  • SAG_ADDRESSLONG
  • SAG_ADDRESS
  • SAG_PHN_DIRECT_TELEPHONE
  • SAG_PHN_MOBILE
  • SAG_PHN_DIRECT_FAX
  • SAG_PHN_E-MAIL
  • SAG_PHN_SKYPE
  • SAG_PHN_FACEBOOK
  • SAG_PHN_LINKEDIN
  • SAG_HEADERNAME

Colleague Codes

It is possible to list colleagues associated with a shift. This is only available under shift confirmations and the information is taken only from the selected shifts. To list more that one colleague then the fields should be placed betwen COL_BEGIN and COL_END

  • COL_APP_NAME
  • COL_APP_MOBILE
  • COL_NOTE

Miscellaneous Codes

  • MSC_COMMENT - comment which can be inserted at send time

Example Template

This is an HTML email template which includes a table containing a list of shifts. Note the date format string in the {SHN_DATE} code.

<h2>{APP_SALUTATION}</h2>
<h4>Can you work these shifts?</h4>
<p>{VAC_POSITION}</p>
<p>at {COM_COMPANYNAME}</p>

<table>
{SHN_BEGIN}
<tr>
<td>{SHN_DATE DDDD dd/mm/yyyy}</td>
<td>{SHN_FROM} - {SHN_TO}</td>
</tr>
{SHN_END}
</table>


2.23.1+ Save&Open button has been added allowing you to extract your template. If you save as an HTML file it will also open in a browser where you can right click to inspect source and edit. If you then save the file you can load back into the notification template using the Load button.

HTML wrapper mechanism

When generating an email notification, the expanded template will be inserted into an HTML_WRAP email signature construct, replacing the {bodytext} token. By default the wrapper with ID 'HTML_WRAP' will be used, but you can over-ride this in the 'HTML Wrap ID' Notification function. Into the wrapper will also be inserted a generated email signature, replacing {signature}. The 'DEFAULT' signature will be used unless the 'Signature ID' Notification function is used to over-ride. Any {origmessage} token in the wrapper will be blanked.

Configuration Functions

Found under Maintenance - Database Functions - Notifications

Comments

The notification send form allows you to insert a comment to be included with every message in the batch. This will be inserted at {MSC_COMMENT}, if present in the template, otherwise added to the bottom of the message (before the signature).

Adding a Thumbnail Photo

It is possible to include the thumbnail from a candidate record in a notification, this is useful if you are using notifications to send assignment confirmations. General Setting number 3040 ‘Display Thumbnail Photo on Person’ needs to be set to Y then in your notification template insert the code {APP_THUMBNAIL} where you want the photo to appear.

Adding an Image

Images can be included in the notification template by including something like <img width=300 class=“center” src=“file:/C:\IQX\Reports\logo.jpg”/> where you can set the file location and the name of the image. If you are an IQXAnywhere client then you need to include something like <img width= “739” height= “623” style= “width:7.7in;height:6.4916in” src=“https://pizza.iqxanywhere.net/assets/logo.jpg”> instead of the file path you use the web location. You will also need to upload the file to Email, Web Report Images and rebuild Web once it has been uploaded. From 2.23.1+ it is also possible to send an ad hoc image to all recipients in your selection, this can be useful for sending marketing information that has been created as an image rather than a word document. If set up by your system administrator a new button will appear in the notification allowing you to browse your computer for an image to include in all notifications.

In the relevant template add the following :- <img src=“{GETIMAGE}” alt=“test” width=“500” height=“600”> to switch on the new image button in the notification.

===== Custom Merge Fields ===== Some custom merge fields should ONLY be used in notifications (for example some HTML coding), there is now a Notifications Only tick box in Maintenance – Database Set Up – Custom Word Merge Fields. If ticked the fields will not be available for adding to a document template, they will be accessible under the [Special] header in Notifications.

If using a custom merge fields that requires the information to be over multiple lines e.g. address in a block then the merge field will need to be amended to replace the carriage returns with HTML breaks. This needs to be in the custom merge field and the _literal_ needs to be the first part: string('_literal_', replace( Item to be Replaced) endif, string(char(13), char(10)), '<br/>')) ===== Adding a URL ===== It is possible to include a URL in the notification template so that candidates can click on it to take them direct to the portal to complete details, download forms or book in to shifts. To include a URL you need to create some boiler plate text with the following:
_literal_<a href=“https://www.iqx.co.uk”> Home</a> where iqx.co.uk can be replaced with whatever URL you want to direct the recipient to, and then insert the boiler plate text into your notification template.

===== Save as PDF ===== If you require certain notifications to be saved as a PDF for re-use e.g. an ID badge the template needs to be enabled for saving as a PDF by ticking he 'Save to Docs' box. This will activate the Save to Docs button on the notification itself, users will need to press this button to save the notification as it does not save automatically.

===== Check Lists ===== Checklists can be sent from either the Person, Placement or Progress record - click the notification blue bell > Select Notification Template > click ‘Add’ button and select Checklist from the drop down > a window will open with the list of saved checklists > click ‘Create new document using selected template’ > this will open the checklist word doc, you can add/remove word merge fields or free type any info needed. Click ‘Save to Documents’ > this will save the form into the corresponding documents (Person, Placement or Progress) and also attach the doc to the notification to enable it to be sent. Checklists need to be set up and saved in Maintenance > Agency Setup > Document Templates > Checklists and Notification templates also need to be set up to run from Person, Placement and Progress. On the template ensure you have the Check List box ticked.