Every time a Before You Dig enquiry referral is received by SmarterWX Automate, your response processing rules are used to determine how to respond. Each rule is made of two parts:
- a condition;
- a set of actions.
You, as a publisher or administrator can configure any number of rules that will each be processed in turn, until the final condition (known as the default rule)
The final “default” rule does not have any conditions. This rule will be processed in the case where all the conditions on the prior rules did not match.
You can have only one set of rules active at a time. Other rule sets will either be defined as in ‘draft’ or ‘archived’.
Conditions
Each rule can have one or more conditions. All of the conditions on the rule must be evaluated as true for the rule’s actions to be performed.
The following conditions are available: –
- Any assets present – this condition is true when at least one asset is present within or near the dig site. You can choose how close to the dig site an asset must be, by setting a buffer in metres.
- Specific layer present – to use this condition you first choose one or more layers from your map. The condition is true when at least one feature from the chosen layers are within or near the dig site. You choose how close to the dig site the feature must be.
Additional conditions will be made available in the future, and will include:
- the activity planned
- if the email comes from a particular domain
Actions
Each rule can have one or more actions. All of the actions on the rule will be performed when the condition is evaluated as true.
The following actions are available: –
- Generate and send response – this is the most commonly used action. A map is generated for the dig site, attachments created, and an email sent to the enquirer.
- Generate response for review – this action ensures that a user first checks the enquiry and the response before it is released. The user who reviews the response can choose to release the automatically generated response or send their own custom email.
- Notify users – one or more users are notified of this enquiry. No action is required by the user – it is for information purposes only.
- Do nothing – this does exactly what it says. The enquiry is effectively ignored. Use with care as you should always send a response to a valid Before You Dig referral. (One potential use of this action is to stop sending responses to your own internal staff who already have access to your asset data.)
Additional actions will be made available in the future.
Accessing Business Rules
As a publisher or administrator, open the configure tool, to see a list of all the rule configurations that your organisation have created. The active rule configuration will be at the top of the list.
From this page you can view relevant information regarding each rule, including:
- status
- name of configuration
- last modified date, and
- a list of applicable actions
The actions that can be applied to an existing rule are:
Edit – to make changes to the underlying rule conditions and response actions (note you can’t edit an active configuration)
Duplicate – if the changes you are making to a rule configuration are minimal, it may be easier to first duplicate a closely similar rule, and then edit the changes.
Run Test – To check if a rule configuration is functioning properly, you can send a request to a generated email address, and that configurations rules will be tested.
Delete – If a rule configuration is no longer relevant or required by your organisation, you can archive it by clicking on Delete.
For auditing purposes, a rule that has ever been ‘active’ can not be deleted, it can only have its status changed to ‘archived’. If the rule you delete has never been the active rule, it will be able to be deleted.
Creating a New Rule
At a minimum a rule must include:
- Rule title
- Contact details
- Map Configuration
- Default rule
Before building a new rule, it may be best to draft on paper or a whiteboard the conditions and actions that you want to occur within your rule configuration.
Click on Create New
You’ll have to name your rule configuration and have the option of including a description and need to input your contact details, including:
- Name
- Number
- Global Bcc (optional)
The global Bcc is used to send a copy of all outbound responses to.
Next you’ll need to choose a relevant map and print layout to use for these rules in responding to enquirers.
Building a rule
You can name the rule, which will be beneficial if loading multiple rules into the configuration.
Firstly, you’ll need to add a condition to the rule.
You can only add 1 condition of the same type per rule, meaning you can’t add Specific asset Layer condition twice in the same rule.
You can delete a condition that you don’t need, by clicking on the delete trash can.
Now you’ve set the conditions, you can set the required actions that will be applied when the conditions are met.
There are certain logic rules that dictate that certain rules can’t be applied together within the same business rule.
The Send response and Hand off for review actions cannot coexist in the same rule, as one action is to send an email, and the other is to create the email and be reviewed before sending.
However, both can be applied in the same rule as the Notify users action
The Do nothing action cannot be an action with any other actions in the same rule.
Customising the relevant action(s), you can choose what email template is used with what attachments, who to send the response to for review, who to notify etc.
To add a new rule, click on Add rule.
Repeat these rule creation steps as many times as you require.
You can delete an entire rule if it isn’t required.
The rules will be assessed in order that they are listed on this page. If you create a rule that you want to be considered before another that is higher on the list, you can move the whole rule up, and move others down.
Finally, you need to set a default rule.
This is the rule that will be performed when no other rule has all its conditions met. This default rule has no conditions, and you can only set actions.
Once you’ve set your rule configuration, you can Save the rule as a draft.
You can additionally choose to make this rule configuration the Active rule configuration by clicking Make Active.
A test email address appears underneath, which you can use to test the rule.
