TT: Creating a New Message
Overview
You open the TT: Messages window from the TeamTime Menu and the TeamTime Defaults Device Settings tab. This window contains the functionality you use to create messages to communicate with and receive responses from employees across all TeamTime platforms. Employees can receive these messages regardless of the device they are using for TeamTime, including calling into TeamTime, using a TeamTime Portal Device, or using mobile TeamTime via the eHub app.
Messages can be informative (announcements, deadlines, or reminders) or they can be used to elicit a response from the employee (did you have a safe workday? did you get a meal break?). Messages can have dependent or sub-messages based on the employee’s response. Messages can be global or they can be specific to a particular job or set of employees. In this window, you also select the message response type, action item type, whether to track responses, and how long the message should be active.
For information on every field in this window, see TT: Messages.
To create a new message, do the following:
- Enter a Description of up to 50 characters to identify the message in WinTeam.
- Enter a Start Date and time for when the message becomes active. You can also enter an End Date for when the message become inactive. The start date and time is required, the end date and time is optional.
- Use the Response Type drop down to select how employees respond to the message. Three types are available by default, Accept/Decline, Ok Only and Yes/No. Depending on the message, you may need to enter different or additional response types. To add a new response type, double click in the response type field to open the TTP: Message Response Types window. You can set a maximum of two options for each response type. Also remember you must configure a type for each additional language you use.
- Select a Category if you want to assign a category to the message that can be used later for data queries and in various reports. The categories are system-defined and cannot be edited–the categories are:
- Meal
- Rest Break
- Meal and Rest Break
- Safety
- Wellness Check
- Other
- Enter the Message you want employees to receive when using TeamTime. The message can be up to 1000 characters. For example, Did you have a safe work day?
- Click the Additional Languages button to open a dialog box where you can enter a translation of the message in either Spanish or Polish.
- If you want the system to generate an action item based on employee responses to the message, select the Notify on Response 1 and/or Notify on Response 2 check boxes.
- Select the type of action item the system should generate from the Action Item Type drop down. Your options are Messaging or Compliance.
- Select the Track Responses check box to track employee’s responses to the message. You review the responses in the Message Responses dialog box.
- Select the Read Once check box if you are tracking responses and you want to display the message only once and require employees to respond to the message.
- Use the Submessage drop down to select a message that is dependent on the employee’s response to the primary message. If the submessage you want is not already created, double click in the Submessage field to create it. If you use a submessage, you must select a Prompt On which tells the system which response triggers the submessage.
- Select a Punch Action which is the system activity that triggers the message to display for By Job and By Employee messages. It is not applicable to Global messages. The message displays after the action is complete. Every situation is unique–your business needs determine which punch action you should select for each message you create.
- Decide if you want the message to be Global, By Job, or By Employee.
- Select the Global option to create a message that displays for all employees on all devices. The notify and punch action features are disabled when you use this option. Employees receive the message after they enter their employee number.
- Select the By Job option to create a message that displays for a specific job tier.
- Select the By Employee option to create a message that displays for specific employee or set of employees.