Overview

Complexity:

Communication Event Module Setup and Configuration

The communication event module uses the email delivery provider SendGrid to deliver emails on behalf of the users. To avoid being classified as SPAM, it is important that our SendGrid email server IP address (168.245.65.115) is white-listed to ensure that Paradigm is able to send emails on behalf of your existing company email server. It may also be necessary to configure a DKIM or SPF DNS record to ensure that Paradigm is permitted to send emails on behalf of a provider email domain.

For more details, please contact the Silverband Support Team.

Key Terms and Concepts

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Table 1: Email Template Form Fields

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Field Name

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Brief overview

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Communication Request Sender

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It will be sent from the email address that is recorded against the users profile.

Provider record is linked with the student’s course enrolment. Make sure you load the student’s course enrolment first, then you will see Provider option in the drop-down.

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Communication Request Recipient

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Who the email is going to

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Communication name / Email Subject

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The subject name / line of the email

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Communication Date

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Date sent. This date is recorded within the communication event as the sent date.

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Communication Type

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For Communication Events this is normally set to Email

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Communication Status

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This will tell you the status of the communication event:

• Bounced - Receiving Server could not or would not accept the message. 

• Cancelled - Communication Event Cancelled

• Closed -

• Email Opened - Recipient has opened the Message

• Entered -

• Failure Sending -

• In-Progress -

• Pending -

• Referred -

• Resolved -

• Sent -

• Unknown Party -

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Course Enrolment

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The Course of Study the student is enrolled in

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Communication Template Message

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This option will allow the user to select from pre-written email templates. These can be added to or updated once loaded into the HTML writer.

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Communication Description / Email Body

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This is where the template will be displayed once loaded. Alternatively this is where the user can write the body of the email to be sent.

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Table 2: Merge Fields in Communication

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Merge Fields Within Communication Templates

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Brief Overview

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{email_first_name}

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Student / Receiver's first name

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{email_last_name}

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Student / Receiver's last name

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{student_number}

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Student’s number issued by provider

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{email_subject}

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The communication event/email subject

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{email_from}

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This is the email address of the sender

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{email_from_first_name}

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This is the first name of sender (blank if the sender is a provider)

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{email_from_last_name}

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This is the last name of sender (blank if the sender is a provider)

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{url_read_tracker}

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This is a 1 pixel image that, when added to an email, will upon opening of the email by the receiver will mark the email as open within the system

Workflow

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Status
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Create the Bulk List of Students as Recipients to the Communication Event

There are three ways to create the bulk list of students that you want to be the recipients of the communication event, you have the option to choose either of these three possible ways in creating your bulk list:

(

Status
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) Search Course screen (Student > Search Course)

You can search for students via this screen by Course Name, Enrolment Status, Institution, Funding Type, Start and End Date, Contact Mode and Hours, Order By, and Agent.

Refer to the instructions on this workflow How to ADD a List of Students to a Bulk List.

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) Upload Bulk List screen (Student > Upload Bulk List)

Upload a list from a CSV Source File. You can use this option if you have an existing (valid with all the required fields matching to Paradigm) CSV file with a list of students that you want to send the communication event to.

Refer to the instructions on this workflow Student > Upload Bulk List.

(

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) Report Builder screen (Report > Report Builder)

If you want to build a list of students to send your communication event using your existing saved report or generate a new report with your own criteria / conditions, then this is the best way for you to create the bulk list.

Refer to the instructions on this workflow Report Builder > Bulk Student Select.

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Overview

The Communication Event menu in Paradigm is intended to send bulk communications to students or selected recipients with information regarding their study at your business or institution. The body of your email template can be personalised using some of the merge fields that we made available, and emails can contain attachments to provide more detailed, personalised, and dynamic data to be included in the report/letter attachment. This knowledge article will guide you on how to send bulk communications to a bulk list of students/recipients with or without attachments.

Complexity:

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Expand
title Communication Email Details: Adding a New Communication Sender [From: dropdown list]
Adding a New Communication Sender [From: dropdown list] Image Added Refer to this How-To Guide: Adding a New Communication Sender (From:) in the Communication Eventfor the workflow.

Workflow

Follow the instructions below in order from

Status
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Send Bulk Communications WITH Attachments

Image Removed

1. Click on the Student tab from the menu.

2. Click on the Communication Event option in the menu (or click on the Hat icon at the top left hand corner of the screen and then click on the Communication option)

3. Enter the Communication Name, which will become the subject of the email, e.g. CAN - Semester 1 2018.

4. Select the Communication Type, e.g. Email.

5. Select a Communication Template Message for the body of the email

6. Edit the Communication Description/Email Body field to add in any additional information or updates to the body of the message. You may choose to include options from Table 2 above (each wrapped inside curly braces eg. {email_first_name} {email_last_name} ), or add text that is to appear in the main body of your email.

7. Set the Communication Status to Sent from the drop down menu.

8. Click the Save New Communications for Loaded Students button.

9. Click the Reports tab from the menu

10. Click on the Letters option from the menu

11. Scroll to the Commonwealth Assistance Notice report and click the Get Report button

12. Check the parameters in the report section and click the Create Report for Communication Events button. This will take some time to complete, while each report is generated individually. The progress bar provides an indication of the rate of progress.

13. Click on the Page icon to check the CAN notices are for the correct period and are attached for the correct person for a few of the records.

14. Click on the tick boxes for the ones that are to be sent. 

15. Click on the Email Selected Recipients with Attachments button. This will take time to complete.

16. The emails have now been sent. 

17. Check the status of the sent emails to verify whether any have not been successfully sent. These will need to be either resent or posted.

Status
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Send Bulk Communications WITHOUT Attachments

1. Click on the Student tab from the side menu.

2. Click on the Communication Event option in the side menu (Or click on the Hat icon at the top left hand corner then select the Communication option 

3. Enter the Communication Name, this becomes the subject of the email, e.g. CAN - Semester 1 2018.

4. Select the Communication Type, e.g. Email.

5. Select a Template Message for the body of the email or options to type in the main body of your email.

6. Add in any additional information or updates to the body of the message.

7. Set the Communication Status to Sent from the drop down menu.

8. Click the Save New Communication for Loaded students button

9. Click the tick boxes next to the students to send the communication event to (alternatively click the select all box)

10. Click the Email Selected Recipients button.

11. The Emails have now been sent. 

12. Check the Statuses of the sent emails to check if any failed sending. These will need to be either resent or posted.

Video Tutorial

_{Overview | Assumptions | Key Terms and Concepts | Implications | Workflow | Video | Related Pages | Further Reading}

Paradigm Knowledge Base Home

• Setup / Configuration

• Merge Fields in Communication

• Workflows

1. Bulk List Generate (possible ways to generate list in bulk)

After generating: Ask: With or Without Attachments? If Without – proceed to 3, If With – proceed to2

2 With Attachment Workflow Continuation from Workflow 1

3 Without Attachment Workflow Continuation from Workflow 1

Sample Use Case:

The expand section below will give you a sample workflow (sending bulk communication emails) as one of the many bulk activities you can do in Paradigm with the use of the Report Builder menu.

Expand
title Expand this section for the instructions on how to send bulk communications in Paradigm.
Video Tutorial Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IV-T111GuE Related Knowledge Articles: Bulk Course Edit, Bulk Generate Invoice, Communication Event Workflow NOTE The instructions below assume that you are already familiar with our Communications Event feature both in the Student Communication Event and the Provider Search, Add and Edit Content (e.g. Email Templates) side of Paradigm. Status colour Blue title step 1 Make sure that there is no student currently loaded in the system Status colour Green title 1 Check above the Dashboard menu in Paradigm if you can see a student detail. If there is not, you can proceed with the Status colour Blue title step 2 instructions. If there is Image Removed, unload the student record by choosing Student > Search menus on the side. STEP 1 instructions above] before you can proceed to following the instructions below. In the sample screenshot below, the Search Course screen is being used to generate the students' bulk list – this should be the initial screen prior to sending bulk communications. You can also remove student(s) at this stage (by clicking the REMOVE button on the right – against the student record to be removed) whom you don’t want to include in the bulk communications. Image Added 1. After you have finalised your list, choose Student > Communication menus on the side or click the (hat)🎓icon on the top left-hand corner then select the Communication(✉) menu. Go to the COMMUNICATION DETAILS section to setup/edit/update your email details. Tip Refer to the tables above under the Key Terms and Concepts for a description of the required fields below and the available merge fields you can utilise for your email body. Table 1: Email Template Form Fields Table 2: Merge Fields in Communication ( Status colour Green title 1 ) Enter the Email/Communication Subject accordingly. ( Status colour Green title 2 ) Enter the Entry Date. ( Status colour Green title 3 ) Set the Communication Status to Sent. ( Status colour Green title 4 ) Select the communication template that you want to use. Tip To edit your Communication Templates, refer to the Search, Add and Edit Content (e.g. Email Templates)knowledge article. ( Status colour Green title 5 ) Edit your message body as necessary / as required. ( Status colour Green title 6 ) After filling out the required fields and the email body, make sure that the Communication Status field is set to Sent, and click the SAVE NEW COMMUNICATIONS FOR LOADED STUDENTS button. Image Added 2. After saving your communication/email body from the bulk list, proceed to Status title option 1 Send Bulk Communications WITH Attachments instructions below if you want your communication event to have attachments, else refer to Status title option 2 Send Bulk Communications WITHOUT Attachments.

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title OPTION 1: Send Bulk Communications WITH Attachments to the Bulk List of Students/Recipients
Status title option 1 Send Bulk Communications WITH Attachments NOTE: The instructions below assume that you have already followed the Status colour Blue title step 1 to Status colour Blue title step 2 instructions above. Status colour Blue title step 1 Create the Bulk List of Students as Recipients to the Communication Event Status colour Blue title step 2 Save a New Communication Event to Selected Recipients Tip It is also assumed that the Reports/Attachments that you want to attach are already configured prior to following the steps below. Contact your Paradigm Administrator to check your reports/attachments setup and configuration, or contact our Support Team for more details. 1.After clicking the SAVE NEW COMMUNICATIONS FOR LOADED STUDENTS button, it will display all the students under the COMMUNICATION EVENT BULK LIST section with all details that you’ve filled out from Status colour Blue title step 2 . Leave this screen for now. Image Added 2. Choose Reports > Letters menus on the side. Find the letter/report that you want to attach and click the GET REPORT button. In the sample screenshot below, the COMMONWEALTH ASSISTANCE NOTICE report is selected. Image Added 3. Go to the letter/report parameters section, edit the necessary filters/fields, and click the CREATE REPORT FOR COMMUNICATION EVENTS button. NOTE: The system has set some default fields to be used as intended, e.g. Unit Enrolment Status, PDF as the default document type to be attached, etc. However, for some reports, you still have to set the fields correctly for them to run/be generated properly. An example would be for CANs, make sure that your Census Dates are set accordingly, see Edit Time Period Status colour Blue title C Add a Census Date Workflow. If you are sending other attachments ensure that the dates required for that type of attachment are correct e.g. Final Grades, Invoices, etc. This will take some time to complete, while each report is generated individually. The progress bar provides an indication of the rate of progress. Image Added 4. After generating the report to each student/recipient, you have the option to open a sample file attachment against each student/recipient to check the content, e.g. for CAN notices – check for the correct period, and if attached for the correct person for a few of the records. 5. Select all the students on the list by clicking on the checkbox header section. Remove the student from the list by removing the checkmark on the checkbox against the student or by clicking on the REMOVE button. 6. Click the EMAIL SELECTED RECIPIENTS WITH ATTACHMENTS button. NOTE: Closing the browser or navigating away, while sending will cancel any remaining emails from being sent. The emails have now been sent. Check the statuses of the sent emails to check if any failed to send under the Status column. These will need to be either resent or posted. Tip To check the email statuses, you can either go to Student > Communication: COMMUNICATION EVENT SEARCH section or via System > Email Events. Refer to the workflow: How to Resend Bulk Communications Image Added back to top