How to release filters on alerts explained.

When setting up alerts you will set release filters. As the name suggests these filters will reduce the number of occasions on which the alerts are sent. The detailed notes below will help you ensure you set them up correctly.

The naming and behaviour of the filters depends upon which type of alerts you are setting up, we look at each alert type individually below. The four types of alert are job date, deadline, actual date and target date. The difference between the types is reasonably self explanatory, you are choosing the date that you wish to send alert before/on/after.

Order value explained:

Several of the release filter options require you to enter an order value. When the system determines whether to send an alert or not the order value you enter is compared to the order value associated with the current stage of the job. This allows you to only send alerts if the job is currently on a certain stage, is 'behind' a certain stage or 'beyond' a certain stage. No alerts that filter by job stage will send for completed jobs.

The order value of a stage simply confirms the order in which stages typically occur (though of course in reality you can have steps that go backwards and forwards), as the order value increases you are moving further through the job. To see the order values for your stages follow these steps:

1. Whilst in the workflow editor click on workflow elements.
2. Scroll to the bottom until you see job stages.
3. Each stage is listed and you will see the order value. To change it click on the pencil icon, change the value then click save.

We recommend spacing order values out in 10s because this makes it easier to slot in new stages and also using unique order values for each stage.

Type 1-> Job date alerts:

Triggering of the alert is linked to the Job date and you have the following release filter options:

1. Send only if job not completed: This will send the alert on all jobs except those that have been completed. The current stage of the job is irrelevant.
2. Only send if current stage order value is less than X: This will never send to a completed job. Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the job has an order value less than the value you enter for X (you enter this when setting up the alert). See the note above about understanding order values.
3. Only send if current stage order value is more than X: This will never send to a completed job. Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the job has an order value bigger than the value you enter for X.
4. Only send if current stage order value equals X: This will never send to a completed job. Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the job has an order value exactly equal to the value you enter for X.
5. Always send message: This will send even if the job is completed. Note that a job date alert with this filter setting is the only alert setting that will send to a completed job. We have generally avoided this (to build an extra control into the system) but consider it potentially useful to be able to trigger an alert a certain period after the job date regardless of the completion status.

Type 2 -> Deadline alerts:

Triggering of the alert is linked to a deadline on the job and you have the following release filter options. Note that no deadline alerts will send if the job is completed, all release filter options filter out complete jobs.

1. Send only if deadline not fulfilled: This will send the alert on all jobs except those where the deadline has been fulfilled. This is indicated by the green highlighting of and green tick alongside the deadline on the job card. The current stage of the job is irrelevant. You would use this option if you only want to send where the deadline has not been fulfilled AND if you do not wish to filter by current stage.
2. Only send if current stage order value is less than X: Alerts will be sent if the deadline is unfulfilled AND if the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value less than the value you enter for X (you enter this when setting up the alert). See the note above about understanding order values.
3. Only send if current stage order value is more than X: Alerts will be sent if the deadline is unfulfilled AND if the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value bigger than the value you enter for X.
4. Only send if current stage order value equals X: Alerts will be sent if the deadline is unfulfilled AND the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value exactly equal to the value you enter for X.
5. Send no matter if deadline fulfilled or not: Alerts will be sent on all jobs except completed jobs.

Remember that for a deadline to appear on a job you would need to have added the deadline to the appropriate workflow route and also be conscious of client type filtering being applied to deadlines, this is a way to avoid the deadline generating for certain client types. Essentially the first natural filter is that the alert will only send if the deadline exists (is visible on the job card).

Type 3 -> Target date alerts:

Triggering of the alert is linked to a target date that has been recorded on a job card and you have the following release filter options. Note that no target date alerts will send if the job is completed, all release filter options filter out completed jobs.

1. No additional filtering: The alert will send in relation to all (incomplete) jobs regardless of the current stage.
2. Only send if current stage order value is less than X: Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value less than the value you enter for X (you enter this when setting up the alert). See the note above about understanding order values.
3. Only send if current stage order value is more than X: Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value bigger than the value you enter for X.
4. Only send if current stage order value equals X: Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value exactly equal to the value you enter for X.

Remember that you only ever have one target date per stage on a job card. If you update a target date (either manually or automatically via workflow action) then the old target date is archived. Alerts only ever trigger in relation to the latest target date on each stage. It is therefore possible to have an alert triggered in relation to say chasing info AND to update this target date each time you record that you have spoken to them, this alert(s) could then remind them again in an essentially never ending process until the information is received.

Type 4 -> Actual date alerts:

Triggering of the alert is linked to an actual date that has been recorded on a job card and you have the following release filter options. Note that no actual date alerts will send if the job is completed, all release filter options filter out completed jobs.

1. No additional filtering: The alert will send in relation to all (incomplete) jobs regardless of the current stage.
2. Only send if current stage order value is less than X: Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value less than the value you enter for X (you enter this when setting up the alert). See the note above about understanding order values.
3. Only send if current stage order value is more than X: Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value bigger than the value you enter for X.
4. Only send if current stage order value equals X: Alerts will be sent if the current stage of the (incomplete) job has an order value exactly equal to the value you enter for X.

Remember that actual dates can be superseded if your workflow route allows for a job to progress through a stage more than once. An alert will only ever send in relation to the most recently recorded actual date.