Configuring email rules

You use the Email Rules page to configure rules that determine which users are notified when certain events occur in Asta Vision.

To access the Email Rules page from the Asta Vision Home page, click Admin then click Email rules.

You can create rules that send automated emails to users of one or more particular roles when the following events occur:

  • Project Created - an email is sent when a project is created.
  • Project Deleted - an email is sent when a project is deleted.
  • Programme Checked In - an email is sent when a checked-out programme is checked in.
  • Check Out Cancelled - an email is sent when a checked-out programme has its check out cancelled manually.
  • Programme Comment Added - an email is sent when a comment is recorded against a programme.
  • Programme Submitted - an email is sent when a user submits a programme for approval.
  • Progress Submitted - an email is sent when a user submits progress for approval.
  • Progress Approved - an email is sent when a user approves progress and applies it to a programme.
  • Progress Rejected - an email is sent when a user rejects progress that has been submitted.
  • Workflow Action - an email is sent when a user carries out a particular workflow event, which is specified in the email rule.

The email rules that have been set up are categorised by the event that triggers them on the Email Rules page.

To create an email rule:

  1. On the Email Rules page, click Create Rule. The Create Email Rule page appears.
  2. Enter a descriptive name for the rule in the Name field.
  3. Select the event that should trigger the rule in the Action trigger field. For example, if you want the rule to be triggered each time a checked-out programme is checked in, select 'Programme Checked In'. To specify a particular workflow event, select 'Workflow Action' in this field.
  4. If you selected 'Workflow Action' in the Action trigger field, specify the event that should trigger the rule in the Workflow action field.
  5. Select the user roles that you want to be notified when events of the specified type occur in the Email users with roles field. If you want to notify users of more than one role, CTRL or SHIFT-click to select as many user roles as you need.

    To deselect a user role that is currently selected in this field, hold down CTRL and click the user role.
  6. If you want the rule to be triggered only if the value of one or more enumeration or integer-type user-defined fields matches certain criteria, you can add field rules to the rule. For example, you may want to specify that a rule should be triggered only when the value of a project-level user-defined field that represents the regions in which you work equals 'North'. This would create a rule that applied only to projects in your north region; you could create similar rules that applied to the projects in your other regions. Or you may want to specify that a rule should be triggered only when the value of a project-level user-defined field that represents the cost of a project is greater than £40,000. This would create a rule that applied only to projects that cost over £40,000.

    To add field rules to the rule:
    1. Click Add Field Rule. The New Field Rule popup appears.
    2. Specify whether to trigger the rule based on the value of a project, programme or user-level user-defined field in the Object field. For some types of rule, not all three types of user-defined field are available.
    3. Select the enumeration or integer-type user-defined field in the Field field. If you have selected 'Project' or 'User' in the Object field, all project or user-level, enumeration and integer-type user-defined fields are available; if you have selected 'Programme' in the Object field, all programme-level, enumeration and integer-type user-defined fields are available, as well as the Status and Type fields.
    4. Specify whether the rule should be triggered if the value of the selected field is equal to, or not equal to, a specific value in the Comparison field.

      If you have selected a user-defined field that relates to a hierarchical user-defined enumeration, you use this field to specify whether the rule should be triggered if the value of the selected field is within, or not within, a specific branch of the hierarchy.

      If you have selected an integer-type user-defined field, you can also specify that the rule should be triggered if the value of the selected field is less than, or greater than, a specific value.
    5. If the field rule is based on a project or programme-level, enumeration-type user-defined field, the With field appears. Select 'Fixed Value' to populate the Value field with the contents of the user-defined field specified above, or select 'User Field' to populate the Value field with the names of any user-level, enumeration-type user-defined fields.

      Selecting 'User Field' here enables you to specify that a rule should be triggered if the value of a programme or project-level user-defined field is equal to, or not equal to, the value of a specific user-level user-defined field. For example, you might want a rule to be triggered only if the value of a 'Region' user-defined field for a project matches the value of a 'Region' user-defined field for the logged-in user.

      If you select 'User Field' here, it is always the value of the field for the logged-in user that is compared, unless this is a 'Can Be Assigned to Project' rule, in which case the value of the field will be checked for each user in the assignment list, and a user will not be included if the field values do not match.
    6. Select the value that the selected field must be equal to, not equal to, less than, or greater than, for the rule to be triggered, in the Value field.

      If you are basing the field rule on a user-defined field that relates to a hierarchical user-defined enumeration, you select a branch of the hierarchy in the Value field. The rule will be triggered if the value of the selected field is within, or not within, any level of the selected branch.
    7. If you want the field rule to apply only to users with a specific user role, select the role in the Applies to role field. This field enables you to trigger rules according to different criteria for different types of user: a rule may be triggered for one type of user if field 'A' is set to a particular value, or it may be triggered for a different type of user if field 'B' is set to a particular value.

      If you need a field rule to apply to more than one type of user, you can set up two identical field rules, with the only difference being the user role specified against each one. This is easier than having to set up multiple security, workflow or email rules for different types of user.

      If you configure a field rule to apply only to users with a specific user role, the role name appears to the left of the field rule description in the list of field rules once you have created it:

      Two field rules, one with a particular user role highlighted

      The role name also appears to the left of the field rule description on the Security Rules, Workflow Rules or Email Rules page:

      A field rule description, with the user role highlighted
    8. For workflow and security rules, a Ignored by administrator roles check box is available. Select this check box if you want this field rule to be ignored for users with an administrator role, meaning administrator users will be able to carry out the rule's action even if this field rule is not met.
    9. Click OK. You return to the previous page, where a row appears for the field rule to the right of the Fields field. For workflow and security rules, field rules that do not apply to administrator users - those for which the Ignored by administrator roles check box has been cleared - are marked with a star.
    10. Repeat the above steps as many times as required to add more field rules to the rule.

      Click Remove to the right of a field rule to remove it from the list if required.
  7. You can specify that only users that are assigned to the project that triggered the rule are notified:
    • To notify only users that are assigned to the project that triggered the rule, select the All roles must be assigned to project check box.
    • To notify all users, regardless of whether they are assigned to the project that triggered the rule, clear the All roles must be assigned to project check box and select nothing in the Specific roles which must be assigned field.
    • To notify only users with specific roles that are assigned to the project that triggered the rule, clear the All roles must be assigned to project check box and select the user roles in the Specific roles which must be assigned field. CTRL or SHIFT-click to select as many user roles as you need.

      To deselect a user role that is currently selected in this field, hold down CTRL and click the user role.
    If you use these fields to restrict a rule to certain types of user that are assigned to a project, the rule will not apply to users with other roles, even if their role has been specified in the Email users with roles field, or in the Applies to role field in a field rule.
  8. Enter the text that should be sent in the body of the notification email in the Email text field.
  9. Select the Include programme comment check box to include any programme comment that has been recorded following a workflow action in the body of the notification email, or clear the check box to omit any such comments.
  10. Click Create. You return to the Email Rules page, where the new rule appears in the list, underneath the event that triggers it.

You can create email rules by making a copy of an existing rule and editing it. This is a good way of creating email rules if you want to set up a number of rules that are similar, but not identical, to each other, as it saves you from having to set up each rule from scratch.

To create an email rule based on a copy of an existing rule:

  1. On the Email Rules page, click the Actions drop-down to the right of the email rule that you want to copy and select Copy. A copy of the email rule appears in the same category as the original rule.
  2. Click Edit to the right of the copy rule. The Edit Email Rule page appears.
  3. Edit the details of the copy rule as required.
  4. Click Save Changes. You return to the Email Rules page.

To edit an email rule:

  1. On the Email Rules page, click Edit to the right of the email rule that you want to edit. The Edit Email Rule page appears.
  2. Edit the details of the email rule as required.
  3. Click Save Changes. You return to the Email Rules page.

To delete an email rule:

  1. On the Email Rules page, click the Actions drop-down to the right of the email rule that you want to delete and select Delete. A popup appears, asking you to confirm whether you want to delete the email rule.
  2. Click OK to delete the email rule and return to the Email Rules page.

Related Topics:

Configuring user roles

Configuring programme types

Configuring security rules

Configuring workflow rules