Sending Orders via FIRST Messaging

You can send orders automatically via email as an alternative to printing order letters. You need to enable the Orders message using UTILITIES>Messages screen and ensure FIRST Messaging is installed and configured.

  1. Select UTILITIES>Messages>Definition tab screen

  2. Select the message the ‘Orders’ message from the Message Name pop-up list

  3. Select ‘Vendor’ from the Message Type popup list

  4. Select the Personalised radio button

  5. Select ‘Enable’ from the Status pop-up list to activate the message

  6. Modify the Message Schedule if required i.e. when the message is sent

    1. Click the DEFINE button adjacent to the grey Message Schedule text area. The Define Message Schedule screen is displayed

    2. Modify how often the message is sent, in terms of days, weeks or months, using the Sent Every pop-up list if required

      1. Select a number where Day is selected from the Sent Every pop-up list

      2. Select a number and check the day/s of the week where Week is selected from the Sent Every pop-up list

      3. Select the week (1st, 2nd …) and the day where Month is selected from the Sent Every pop-up list

    3. Modify the Daily Frequency for the message if required

      1. Click the Sent once at radio button and select a time where the message is sent only once every day, week or month defined above in step (6) (b)

      2. Click the Sent Every radio button and select the hourly intervals where the message is sent more than only once every day, week or month defined above in step (6) (b). Select the time the nominated hourly transmission should start and stop

    4. Modify when the Schedule should start and stop if required

      1. Select a date when the defined message schedule should commence from the Start on pop-up calendar

      2. Click the Stop on checkbox when you want the message schedule to automatically stop on a given date selected from the adjacent pop-up date calendar

    1. Click OK

    2. A summary of the modified schedule is displayed in the grey Message Schedule text area on the Definition tab screen

  1. Modify the number of minutes you want the message to wait in the Outbox from the Buffer (mins): pop-up list if required. This allows you to review and nominally delete individual messages before they are actually sent (minimum 1 minute)

  2. Select ‘Email’ from the Deliver By: pop-up list if required

  3. Modify the Message Recipients if required i.e. who the message is sent too

  4. Select the Conditional Recipients radio button

  5. Select a Message Log Recipient if required i.e. who the transaction log of the defined message is sent too

    1. Click the  SELECT button adjacent to the grey Send Message Log To: textbox to nominate the patron who will receive a transaction log of the defined message. The Select Log Recipient screen is displayed

    2. Enter the Patron name you require in the Send Message Log To text box. The Send Message Log To list display operates as an alphabetic word wheel. Move through the list by typing letters into the Send Message Log To text box

    3. Click OK to select a highlighted patron in the Send Message Log To list display

    4. The selected patron ID is displayed in the grey Send Message Log To: textbox

  6. You should not need to modify the  Message Condition if required i.e. what database conditions determine whether the message is sent

  7. Click the   button adjacent to the Message Name pop-up list to save the message definition

  8. Select UTILITIES>Messages>Content tab screen

  9. Modify the fixed text you want to display in the header of the message output in the Message Header: text box if required

  10. Modify the Message Text: you want to display in the body of the message output. The message text may include fixed text and data retrieved from the nominated database fields

    1. Type any fixed text required in the Message Text: text area

    2. To include data from selected database fields

      1. Select a database table from the Add Field: pop-up list. All fields associated with the selected table are displayed

      2. Highlighted the required field in the Add Field: display list and ‘drag and drop’ the field into the Message Text: text area

      3. Repeat steps (i) – (ii) until all required database fields are displayed in the Message Text: text area

Note that all text entered in the Message Text section is repeated for each record retrieved from the database that satisfies the message condition.

  1. Modify the fixed text you want to display in the footer of the message output in the Message Footer: text box if required

  2. Click the SAVE button adjacent to the Message Name pop-up list to save the modified message content definition