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


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


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



ECA versus Database triggers – (cont.)

Disadvantages of ECA

Not 100% implemented throughout MANAGE 2000

Designed more for messaging than related file updates



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



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


The Players

Sets up event/condition/action

Controls own actions

Source Source

UserUser

RecipieRecipie

ntnt

Initiates event and may control distribution

Event Event

AdministratorAdministrator


Event Administrators

Define the events, conditions, and default actions

Control the distribution channels

Administer security

Maintain contact information


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


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


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.


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



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



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


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


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


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


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


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


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



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



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


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


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


EE


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


Text keywords ECA variables SYS.CTL values

CC


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


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


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


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


What’s New in 7.0

Packets

Scheduling

Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML)

Application Data ECA variable

Enhanced scripting options


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



Scheduling

Supports scheduling of Packets and File Scans

Provides a variety of scheduling methods

Not yet available, currently planned for release with SP2



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



Enhanced Scripting options

New Commands

+ - Line continuation

/From - Override the From text

/Subj – Override the Subject text

/Packet – Assign the ECA to a Packet



New Commands – (cont.)

/Opt.Url – Access a URL within the EOTBrowser

/Opt.Urlx – Access a URL via your default browser

&nbsp – Include a space, non-breaking or untrimmed

<@nnn> - Include predefined HTML format commands



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.


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


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


Question and Answers


Thank You!

mid-west tri state users group meeting agenda l overview of event, condition, action (eca) l...

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