System Actions

Overview

System Actions perform bulk actions when trigger events take place. Currently, system actions can be used to generate email notifications and/or documents. System administrators can specify the trigger event, filters for specific types of records, and which actions should take place when the trigger event occurs.

System Actions are configured under Admin > System Actions in the navigation menu.

Notifications that have been sent by nVIRO can be viewed on the Admin > User Notifications page. Notifications are often but not always triggered by system actions. This page can be filtered to only view notifications sent by a specific system action. This can be useful for auditing whether a system action has been configured to send notifications correctly under the desired scenarios.

Documents generated by a system action can be viewed on the Admin > Document Sets page. The document set description will contain the name of the system action used to generate the documents, if applicable 

System Action Configuration

New system actions may be created by clicking Add New System Action from the System Actions List page. A configuration page is displayed that is separated into the base system action Configuration Details, Filters, and Actions.

The Configuration Details allows specification of the name, description, and instructions for "triggering" the system action, such as identification of data (filters) that triggers the system action.

The Filters section allows for filtering the types of records that are triggered by the system action. The available options depend on the selected functional area.

The Actions section provides the ability to specify one or more actions to be performed when the system action is triggered, such as create notifications or generate documents.

Configuration Details Section

The following table lists the fields available in the Configuration Details section:

Field

Description

System Action Name

A user defined name for the system action.

Description

Detailed description of the system action, such as a description of the purpose for the system action.

Functional Area

Functional area categorization is used to determine the various options that are available for the system action such as system action trigger types and options for defining individual system actions. Certain functional area options are only available for real-time triggering.

Trigger

Up to three trigger types are available, based on the selected functional area:

  • System Event triggers happen immediately as records are added or updated by a user, or some other user-initiated action. An example of a system event would be changing the status of a compliance action.

  • Scheduled triggers execute on a user-specified date and time. For example, an email could be generated to all external users to update their password.

  • Batch Nightly triggers happen as part of a nightly batch process that checks date values on specific records. For example, a batch nightly trigger could be specified to execute when a certain category of permit is within 180 days of expiration.

See the following sections for the options available for each trigger type.

System Action Triggers

Depending upon the trigger type selected, the page will change, displaying different fields (controls) that may be entered.

Controls displayed for a System Event trigger

When a system action trigger is set to System Event, the following events are available:

Batch Nightly Event Trigger Settings

The following table lists the fields available when configuring a Batch Nightly event trigger:

Field

Description

Interval

Works in conjunction with Time Span and Trigger Date. Specifies the interval value for the related time span (calendar days, months, weeks, years). 

For example:

  • an interval of -20 with time span of Days translates to 20 days before the specified trigger date

  • an interval of 1 with a time span of Months translates to 1 month after the specified trigger date

  • an interval of 0 with a time span of Days translates to On the specified trigger date

Time Span

Works in conjunction with Interval and Trigger Date. Specifies the time span for the interval as Days, Months, Weeks, or Years

Trigger Date

Works in conjunction with Time Span and Interval. Specifies the relative date that the batch event should be triggered.

For example:

  • an interval of -10 with time span of Weeks and a trigger date of Submission Processing Deadline translates to 10 weeks before the Submission Processing Deadline

When a system action trigger is set to Batch Nightly, the following trigger dates are available:

System Action Filters

Depending on the selected Functional Area and Trigger Event, up to three different filters may be available. Filters allow for restricting system actions to only execute for a certain subset of data.

Field

Description

Program Area

Allows for filtering a system action for only records for one or more program areas. Leave blank to execute for all program areas. 

This setting is hidden for Site, User, and User-Account functional areas.

Target Statuses

Allows for filtering a system action to only execute for records currently in a certain status (for Schedule system actions) or when transitioning to a specific target status (for System Event system actions that trigger on a status change).

System Action Filters

The available filters for each functional area are listed in the table below. If a functional area is not listed below, no filters are available.



Scheduled Event Trigger Settings

When a system action trigger is set to Scheduled, the user may specify a date and time when the scheduled system action will execute.

Depending on the status and scheduled date of the scheduled system action, the scheduled date will appear differently on the system actions list.

  • When a system action is scheduled in the future and is active, it will appear in green on the system action list

  • When a system action is scheduled to execute now or in the past and is active, it will appear in yellow on the system action list

  • When a system action is inactive, it will appear in grey on the system action list

When a scheduled system action runs, it inactivates itself upon completion and the system action description is updated to record the date and time of execution. Note that scheduled system actions run as part of a background process. It may take several minutes or more for a scheduled action to begin execution, and it may take several minutes or even hours more before all the actions are fully generated, depending on the quantity of notifications and/or documents to be generated.

Actions

One or more actions may be performed when the specified system action is triggered. These include sending a notification, or for batch triggers and certain event triggers, generating a document. Actions may be created by clicking Add Action.

Depending upon the trigger type selected, different fields (controls) are available for entry:

  • System Event (Real Time) trigger types supports both Notification actions and Automatic Generate Document actions (specific to Application/Request functional area)

  • Batch Nightly and Scheduled trigger types support Notification or Generate Document actions.

When generating documents, System Events and Batch Nightly will allow the user to set the security classification (Public, Internal, etc.), and automatically set the Draft/Final status to Final.

Scheduled actions allow the user to download a preview CSV file of the notification recipient list. Note that the actual recipients are determined in real time when scheduled system action runs.

Controls displayed for a Notification Action

A notification action generates a notification based upon a Notification Template. A notification templates is defined as an MS Word document with embedded merge fields that are populated at run-time. The notification may be sent to one or more of the following:

  • standard notification recipients defined in the action

  • contacts based upon their contact affiliations

  • specified email addresses

The following table lists the fields available on a notification action.

Field

Description

Notification Template

Specifies the notification template that will be used to generate the notification and email.

Notification Recipients

One or more standard recipients who will be sent the notification (see Notification Recipients below).

Contact Affiliation Recipients

One or more affiliation types to direct the notification to. If a contact exists with the specified affiliation type on the functional area record, they will be sent the notification.

Note: the contact affiliation must be associated with the functional area record itself to be a recipient. For example, if a System Action in the Permit functional area is set to notify an Contractor contact affiliation, and a contact with a Contractor affiliation exist on the permit's site, the site Contractor contact will not receive a notification.

Additional Emails

One or more specific emails that will be sent the notification. If multiple emails are specified, separate the email addresses by a semicolon.

Controls displayed for a Generate Document Action

The following table lists the fields available on a Generate Document Action

Field

Description

Document Category

The category to which the document template belongs. Selecting a document category allows selection of templates within that category.

Template

The document template that will be used to generate the document.

Notification Recipients

Each notification can be configured to be sent to a different recipient based on the recipient's role.

The table below lists the available recipient types for each different functional area

CODE

Functional Area

New Description

ACR_REQUESTER

User - Account Access Request

External - Account Access Requestor

APP_FORM_SBMTR

Application/Request

Complaint/Incident, Application/Request/Complaint/Incident - Event

External - App/Request Form Submitter

CA_ASGN_SPVSR

Compliance Action

Compliance Action - Event

Internal - Compliance Action Assigned User's Supervisor

CA_ASGN_USER

Compliance Action

Compliance Action - Event

Internal - Compliance Action Assigned User

DMR_SBMTR

Schedule - DMR

External - DMR Submitter

EVAL_ASGN_SPVSR

Evaluation, Evaluation - Event

Internal - Evaluation Assigned User's Supervisor

EVAL_ASGN_USER

Evaluation, Evaluation - Event

Internal - Evaluation Assigned User

EVAL_ICONTCT

Evaluation, Evaluation - Event

Internal - Evaluation's Permit Compliance Manager

PN_ASGN_USER

Public Notice

Internal - Public Notice's Submission Assigned Processor

PRMT_CMPL_MGR

Permit, Permit - Event

Internal - Permit Compliance Manager

PROJ_ASGND_USER

Environmental Projects

Project - Event

Internal - Project Manager

RCVBL_BILL

Receivable

External - Billing Contact

RCVBL_CA_CNCT

Receivable

Internal - Penalty/Stipulation Fee - Compliance/Action Assigned User

RCVBL_PRMT_CNCT

Receivable

Internal - Annual Invoice Fee - Permit Compliance Manager

RCVBL_SUBM_CNCT

Receivable

Internal - Application/Schedule Fee - Submission Processor

SCHD_FORM_SBMTR

Schedule

Schedule Form Submitter

SCHD_INTCMPLACT

Schedule

Internal - Related Compliance Action Assigned User

SCHD_INTPRMTMGR

Schedule - DMR

Schedule

Internal - Related Permit Compliance Manager

SCHD_PROJMGR

Environmental Projects

Project - Event

Internal - Schedule's Project Activity Manager

SCHD_SITE_MGR

Schedule - DMR

Schedule

Internal - Submittal Site Manager

SCHD_SUBM_CNCT

Schedule

Internal - Schedule/Submission Assigned Processor

SITE_EXT_ADMIN

User - Account Access Request

User - Account

Application/Request

Compliance Action; Compliance Action - Event

Complaint/Incident

Schedule - DMR

Evaluation;  Evaluation - Event,

Permit; Permit - Event

Environmental Projects; Project - Event

Site,

External - Site Administrators

SITE_EXT_CERT

Submission Version

External - Site Certifiers

SITE_EXT_USER

Application/Request, Compliance Action, Compliance Action - Event, Complaint/Incident, Schedule - DMR, Evaluation, Evaluation - Event, Permit, Permit - Event, Environmental Projects, Project - Event, Site, Site - Event, Application/Request/Complaint/Inc

External - Active Site Users

SITE_MGR

User - Account Access Request, User - Account, Site, Site - Event

Internal - Site Managers

SUBM_ASGN_SPVSR

Application/Request, Complaint/Incident, Application/Request/Complaint/Incident - Event

Internal - Submission Assigned User's Supervisor

SUBM_ASGN_USER

Application/Request, Complaint/Incident, Application/Request/Complaint/Incident - Event, Submission Version

Internal - Submission Assigned Processor

SUBM_PRMTECNTCT

Application/Request, Application/Request/Complaint/Incident - Event

External - Permittee (for submissions related to a permit)

TASK_ASGN_USER

Task

Internal - Task Assignee

TASK_PARENT_USR

Task

Internal - Task Parent Item Processor

USER_SELF

User - Account, User

User Account Holder

System Action Priority Ranking

On the System Actions List page, each system action will display a Priority ranking. Priority is a system-calculated value. The notification generation logic will always select the highest ranked notification that matches the criteria of the entity to which the notification relates (e.g., program area, entity type, etc.).

Imagine three scenarios:

  1. Submission Status Change Notification - Program Area =  Unassigned, Action Type filters = Unassigned (most generic) - Priority = 3

  2. Submission Status Change Notification - Program Area = "Air Quality",  Action Type filter =  Unassigned (more specific) - Priority = 2

  3. Submission Status Change Notification - Program Area = "Air Quality",  Action Type filter = "Renewal" (most specific) - Priority = 1 

Recalling that Unassigned is equivalent to any or all...

  • If a submission's status is updated for an Air Quality permit whose Action Type = "New" then #2 will be sent since it does not meet the criteria of #3.

  • If a submission's status is updated for a NPDES permit then #1 will be sent since it does not meet the criteria of #2 or #3.



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