Providing regular communications to an applicant during the lifetime of their home buy case, specifically around when actions are planned or taken, should be seen as a prerequisite to success. An ad hoc communication can be generated for a home buy case at any point in time, directly from within an inherent task, and linked to a specific definition, governing all related components of the communication - the format, the style, the recipient-specific fields (merge tags), the output channels (Letter, Email and Text Message), etc.
The procedure to create an ad hoc communication for a home buy task is as follows:
- Using the Advanced search spy-glass (
), select Home Buy Task as the Search for and Search by category, and enter the Task ID as the search criteria 
1.
- With the Results tab in current focus, double-click on the row containing the exact record match, or return to the Criteria tab and refine the search filters. The Home Buy Task Details window is displayed.
- Navigate to Menu > Ad hoc communication. The Ad hoc Communication Creation - Communication Selection window is displayed.
- Using the Communication drop-down field, select the desired communication definition for the home buy task. A list of proposed recipients is displayed in the Recipients summary table 2.
- Optionally, to include additional recipients: (a) Click on Search For Contact - The Search Contact window is displayed; (b) Enter sufficient contact details into the search fields provided and click on Search - The Select Contact window is displayed, returning all possible matches; (c) Double-click on the row containing the exact record match or use Refine Search to enter alternative criteria.
- Confirm the final recipient distribution list by activating the Receive tick boxes provided.
- Optionally, to override the communication method for a recipient: (a) Select the row containing a specific contact; (b) Using the Override method drop-down field, select an alternative communication method - The Apply Override option is activated 3; (c) Click on Apply Override - The alternative method of communication is displayed against the recipient.
- Click on Next.
- Enter an appropriate value or response for each customised communication parameter i.e. a date and time, an integer (within a specified range), a lookup selection or free text 4.
- Click on Next. The Ad hoc Communication - Confirmation window is displayed, revealing the underlying correspondence templates in the Communication Confirmation summary table.
- Optionally, to incorporate changes to the correspondence prior to final dispatch, highlight the relevant communication job and click on Edit. The Editor window is displayed, ready to apply minor alterations to the letter, email or SMS, as appropriate. This requisite step mirrors the procedure covered separately in the topics To define a communication letter template, To define a communication email template and To define a communication SMS template.
- Optionally, to override the destination queue for a communication job: (a) Highlight the row containing a specific communication job; (b) Using the Queue override drop-down field, select an alternative communication queue - The Apply Override Queue option is activated 5; (c) Click on Apply Override Queue - The alternative queue is displayed against the communication job.
- Click on Finish 6. A confirmation message is displayed, and each communication job is dispatched to the designated queue.
Note
1 Additional search criteria may need to be employed (e.g. start and end date ranges, stage, description, status) to ensure that the correct home buy task is returned; an alternative Search by category of Home Buy Case may be selected to extend the available search fields.
2 This list includes only those contact records that are linked to the parent home buy case.
3 The ability to override a communication method will only be available if the permission is set within the communication definition.
4 This step will only be encountered where parameters exist; values for all mandatory parameters must be entered before proceeding onto the next step.
5 The ability to override a communication print queue will only be available if the permission is set within the communication definition template.
6 The desired output can be verified using the Preview option.
See related topics...
To define a communication letter template
To define a communication email template
To define a communication SMS template
To send a communication held in a queue
To create an ad hoc communication for a home buy case
To create a new communication definition
Using the search facility
