Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting Agenda l Overview of Event, Condition, Action (ECA) l...
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Transcript of Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting Agenda l Overview of Event, Condition, Action (ECA) l...
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Agenda
Overview of Event, Condition, Action (ECA)
What’s new in release 7.0
Designing effective workflows
Questions
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Overview
ECA is an event driven messaging system that
increases productivity
by automating workflows
where
Events are data base changes that trigger actions
Conditions are data qualifiers that limit events & actions
Actions are the output methods that inform others of the event
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Overview – (cont.)
ECA versus database triggers
Advantages of ECA
No programming required
Supports Read and Scan events as well as updates
Flexible output (Print, e-mail, Fax, Screen, Lists & Alarms)
Multiple update suppression
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Overview – (cont.)
ECA versus Database triggers – (cont.)
Disadvantages of ECA
Not 100% implemented throughout MANAGE 2000
Designed more for messaging than related file updates
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Overview – (cont.)
Basic setup and maintenance functions
Optional Tables
ECA.KEYWORDS – Define distribution lists
ECA.CLASSES – Define class codes
ECA.NOTIFY.TEXT – Define standard text blocks
Pre-Configured Tables
ECA.SYSTEM.REFS – Define distribution lists
MONITOR.CLASSES – Define monitor entities
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Overview – (cont.)
Basic setup and maintenance functions
Optional Setup
MONITOR.CONTROLS – Pop up Inbox setup
MONITOR.INTERFACE – Pop up Inbox control
Required Setup
ECA.BUILD – Define ECAs
CONTACTS – Define recipients
ECA.AGENT.CTLS – Control message processing
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
The Players
Sets up event/condition/action
Controls own actions
Source Source
UserUser
RecipieRecipie
ntnt
Initiates event and may control distribution
Event Event
AdministratorAdministrator
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Event Administrators
Define the events, conditions, and default actions
Control the distribution channels
Administer security
Maintain contact information
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Source Users
Trigger events by performing transactions At the Event Administrator’s discretion may
preview and update the distribution list At the Event Administrator’s discretion may
preview and update the
notification text
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Recipients
Recipients control their interaction by: Setting default receipt method for all ECA's Setting override receipt method by ECA Subscribing to “Sign-up” enabled ECA's Deactivating undesired ECA’s Setting “Nag Buffering” by ECA Maintain contact information
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Recipient Definition
Recipients can maintain their: ECA subscriptions and delivery methods Address and contact information Keywords
System Administrator rights are required to maintain:
ECA keywords ECA system references Another users ECA subscriptions and
delivery methods
Event Event AdministratorAdministrator
RecipienRecipien
tt
The CONTACT.MASTER file defines ECA recipients and their options.
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Recipient Definition (cont.) ECA system references are used to
associate contacts with things like: System User Customer Service Representative Customer Service Responsibility Group Buyer Departments Employee Inventory Planner Sales Representative Customer Vendor Work Center
Event Event AdministratorAdministrator
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Recipient Definition (cont.)
ECA Keywords are used to group contacts by keywords like:
Sales Officers VP
Use ECA system references and keywords to create distribution lists
System Administrator rights are required to maintain ECA system reference and keyword contact data
Event Event AdministratorAdministrator
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Recipient Definition (cont.)
Contact keywords may also be used to create distribution lists
Recipients addresses are defined by: Phone types
Email address System user ID or external email
address Fax number
Phone device must be a fax device Auto notify
‘Y’es / ‘N’o flag for address use
RecipienRecipien
tt
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD
Used by Event Administrator to define ECA’s
Defines the output format and content
Defines the events, conditions, and actions
Controls the distribution process
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Controls Status
Active/Inactive flag Effective/Non-effective dates
File references Assign short names to data files used
Function associations Limit to specific functions (e.g. CASE,
ITEMS, SO.ENTRY, etc.) Function list is either inclusive or exclusive
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Controls (cont.) Tolerance limits
Establish a list of percent or value limits for use with individual events
Options Provide control of:
Notification list preview/update Output preview/update Testing tools
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Controls (cont.) Scan
Scan a file for events such as past due dates
Use an index to limit the scan One message per hit is sent
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Message Scripting
Text keywords
Assign names and formats to derived data
Data is derived from the reference files at run time
Derived data may be used to translate to another reference file
Attributes can be real or virtual, single or multi-valued, standard or custom
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Message Scripting (cont.)
ECL commands Any valid UniData ECL command Construct commands from:
Free form text Text keywords enclosed in ‘&’ ECA variables
Results can be used in the message body
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Message Scripting (cont.)
Message (like an email) contains: From - who sent the message Subject - short Description Body - text of the message
Construct From, Subject, and Body from:
Free form text Text keywords enclosed in ‘&’ ECA variables
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Message Scripting (cont.)
Body also supports the inclusion of: Notification text (TM table 176)
Copy in or include dynamically at run time Summary or detail of enabled events Sent To List Result of ECL command Formatting commands
Tabs and page breaks Multi-valued tables Text formatting
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Events
Each ECA may define one or more logical or actual events
Events are based on changes to an entire record or individual attributes
Events have 0-n related conditions and actions
Tolerance limits can be used to restrict events
Event distribution can be restricted or published for open “sign-up”
EE
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Events (cont.)
Event types Determine what reference file elements are
used Record types:
Created, deleted, read Attribute types:
Add, change, delete Increase or decrease in value Is null Is present
Attributes can be real or virtual, single or multi-valued, standard or custom
EE
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Conditions Used to qualify both events and
actions Supports AND/OR logic and standard
operands Comparisons based on:
Literal values Data derived from files
Attributes can be real or virtual, single or multi-valued, standard or custom
Text keywords ECA variables SYS.CTL values
CC
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Actions
Actions can be associated with 0-n events 0-n conditions can be used to qualify an
action Depend on recipients CONTACTS data
Group notifications based on: ECA and standard keywords System references (e.g., Buyers,
Planners, etc.) Specific notifications based on:
Contact ID System user IDAA
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Actions (cont.) Notification methods
External contacts (e.g., Customers, Vendors, etc.)
Email - external Fax
System users Email - internal or external Fax Printer Alarms ECA transactions Action 1 recordsAA
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Actions (cont.)
Notification methods (cont.) Source user
Screen message Email - internal or external Fax Printer Alarms ECA transactions Action 1 records
Other programs Action 1 recordsAA
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
ECA.BUILD - Testing
ECA’s can be tested and debugged prior to general activation using ECA options.
Choose one of the truth result options
Assign yourself as the source user
Trigger the ECA until you achieve the desired result
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
What’s New in 7.0
Packets
Scheduling
Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML)
Application Data ECA variable
Enhanced scripting options
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
What’s New in 7.0 – (cont.)
Packets
Supports bundling of action messages from one or more ECAs into a single notification
Defined within the ECA or by contact
Supports the use of scheduling to determine the frequency of distribution
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
What’s New in 7.0 – (cont.)
Scheduling
Supports scheduling of Packets and File Scans
Provides a variety of scheduling methods
Not yet available, currently planned for release with SP2
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
What’s New in 7.0 – (cont.)
HTML
ECA Transaction Inbox and Message format
Application data ECA variable
Variable that the application programmer may set to control ECA processing
Currently used only by SO.ENTRY to indicate final update mode
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
What’s New in 7.0 – (cont.)
Enhanced Scripting options
New Commands
+ - Line continuation
/From - Override the From text
/Subj – Override the Subject text
/Packet – Assign the ECA to a Packet
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
What’s New in 7.0 – (cont.)
New Commands – (cont.)
/Opt.Url – Access a URL within the EOTBrowser
/Opt.Urlx – Access a URL via your default browser
  – Include a space, non-breaking or untrimmed
<@nnn> - Include predefined HTML format commands
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
What’s New in 7.0 – (cont.)
Enhanced Scripting options
Enhanced Commands
/Set.Pri - Define priority descriptions as well as priority
/Call – Return formatted data as text
/Opt.Fcn – Define a description to display in place of the function name. Also applies to all other /Opt commands.
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Designing Effective Workflows
Define the process on paper first
Identify base event for each step in the process
For each event identify the base file and data
Is there a discrete data element to trigger the event
If not is there a logical set of data elements
If not can you define one with user defined fields
If not this is a manual step and falls outside of ECA control
Mid-West Tri State Users Group Meeting
Designing Effective Workflows – (cont.)
For each non-manual step
Identify links to pass
Identify recipients and method of notification
Construct an ECA
Simple is better
Short messages get more attention
Group links in logical blocks