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NOTE: This feature is available in the Professional and Enterprise versions of both Spectra and Stratus Desktop.

Task Status Triggers can automatically
create additional tasks or initiate a variety of communications based
on the task start, due, or complete date, as well as on the status due
date.

Setting up Task Status Triggers #

1. Go to Maintenance
   > Task > Task Status Triggers.
   
   

2. Select a task status from the drop-down list and
   then click New on the ribbon
   to create a new trigger for that status.

   

3. Type in a Description
   for the trigger.

4. Select the Trigger
   Type from the drop-down list. The following choices are available:

• Call
  – Create a call record for
  each task that meets the criteria at the time the trigger is processed.

• Email
  – Send an email for each task
  that meets the criteria at the time the trigger is processed.

• Letter
  – Generate a printed letter
  for each task that meets the criteria at the time the trigger
  is processed.

• Email/Call
  – Send an email for each task
  that meets the criteria. If the email is being sent to a client
  and they don’t have an email address on file, a call record will
  be generated instead.

• Email/Letter
  – Send an email to each client
  linked to a task that meets the criteria. If the email is being
  sent to a client and they don’t have an email address on file,
  a printed letter will be generated instead.

• SMS – Send an SMS text message for each
  task that meets the criteria at the time the trigger is processed.

• SMS/Call
  – Send an SMS text message
  for each task that meets the criteria. If the text is being sent
  to a client and they don’t have an SMS-enabled phone number,
  a call record will be generated instead.

• SMS/Email – Send an SMS text message for each task that meets the criteria. If the text is being sent to a client and they don’t have an SMS-enabled phone number, an email will be sent instead.

• Task
  – Generate an additional task
  for each task that meets the criteria at the time the trigger
  is processed.

5. If you’re using the Control Center to process triggers, the option to Automatically Process via Control Center allows you to choose whether or not a specific trigger should be processed automatically. When you create a new trigger, you may want to keep this box unchecked until you know the trigger is functioning as expected. You can also specify processing times to prevent the Control Center from sending emails and text messages in the middle of the night. See also: Control Center

6. Choose your Trigger
   Date option:

• Status Due
  Date – With this option, the trigger can be based on the
  date a task is changed to this status, or a date that is “x”
  number of days before or after the status due date.

• Task Due
  Date – With this option, the trigger is based on the task
  due date. Select On Task Due
  Date or enter the number of days before or after the due
  date.

• Task Start
  Date – With this option, the trigger is based on the task
  start date. Select On Task Start
  Date or enter the number of days before or after the start
  date.

• Task Complete
  Date – With this option, the trigger is based on the task
  complete date. Select On Task
  Complete Date or enter the number of days before or after
  the complete date.

7. Choose to exclude “Do Not Market” and/or
   “Do Not Call” clients if desired.

8. If applicable, choose Exclude if Triggered Date is in the Past checkbox. With this option, the software will not try to run this trigger if the trigger date (the one you chose in step 6 above) is in the past.

   Example: If the triggered date is set to On the Status Due Date, it will try to run the trigger once it reaches the Status Due Date. But if the trigger fails to run for whatever reason, once it passes the Status Due Date, it won’t try to run anymore. This is important if you want to send out a reminder email with words like “Your Christmas Coupon Expires TODAY!”.

9. Enter and/or select the appropriate Trigger
   Behavior. These options will vary based on the trigger type
   you’ve selected.

10. Click OK
    to save the trigger.

11. The software will set up the trigger for processing by filtering through your database and excluding records that may have fit the criteria in the past. This prepares the trigger for use going forward. Note: This initial processing DOES NOT actually create any communications or tasks. Triggers must be processed manually with the Process Triggers tool or automated with the Control Center.

    

12. Regularly process the trigger by going to Tools > Process Triggers.

For more information on using triggers throughout Spectra and Stratus Desktop, please see the What are Triggers? topic.