Managing Alerts

In this section:

PMF implements WebFOCUS ReportCaster alerts through an easy-to-use action block. You can display fired alerts and scheduled alerts, modify or delete existing alerts, or add new alerts.

When you log on to PMF, you can access all alert functionality from the action block located on the dashboard. Since the action block is a portable component, it can be placed anywhere on the PMF dashboard by an administrator.

From the action block, you can work with alerts in the following ways:

The action block allows you to choose to display Fired Alerts (alerts that have been sent because the alert condition was met), Scheduled Alerts (alerts that are being monitored and will be sent if the alert condition is met), Scheduled Reports, Measure Tasks (for collaborating), or Measures to Input (for user-entered measures).

When you choose Fired Alerts, for example, a list similar to the following displays.

Fired Alerts

The Fired Alerts list includes the date each alert was sent and a Done check box next to each alert to close the alert. Selecting the New Alert icon opens the Alert Wizard for creation of a new alert.

Viewing and Modifying Alerts

In this section:

How to:

Each alert listed in the Fired Alerts is also a hyperlink to alert options. Click an alert hyperlink to access the following drill-down options:

Scheduled Alerts have the following hyperlink options:

When Do Alerts Fire?

Alerts only fire on a change based on the rule you select in the Alert Wizard. When working with alerts, keep the following in mind:

  • Alerts are based on indicator states, not values.
  • PMF avoids firing an alert if a metric indicator stays the same.
  • Alerts always base their comparisons on whatever the current point in time is set to in the PMF Today Date setting. For more information, see System Settings.
  • You can make compare to previous (the period just before the current point) or prior (the period a year ago from the current point).
  • The time level from the context is also considered.

Procedure: How to Change When an Alert Fires

  1. Click the alert you want to modify and select Change When Alert Fires.

    The Alert Wizard (1 of 4) panel opens. This panel provides the settings that define the conditions under which the alert fires.

  2. Change the necessary settings that define when the alert fires, and click Next until you are in the Alert Wizard (3 of 4) panel. See Creating a New Alert for details on these settings.
  3. Click Finish.
  4. In the Alert Wizard (4 of 4) panel, click Done.

Procedure: How to Add a Comment or Reassign an Alert

  1. Click the alert you want to work with and select Add Comments or Reassign.

    The following image shows the delete alert status panel that opens, with sample values in the fields.


    Edit Alert Status pane

  2. To reassign the alert to another user, select that user from the Owner drop-down menu.
  3. To add a comment or information about the necessary course of action for the alert, add appropriate text in the Action being taken text box.
  4. When the alert has been read, select The alert was read check box.
  5. When the appropriate action is taken for the alert, select the Action was taken check box.
  6. Click Save.

    A message at the top of the panel informs you that the information was updated.

  7. Close the panel.

Creating a New Alert

How to:

The Alert Wizard is an easy-to-use tool that guides you through the step-by-step process of creating an alert for a potential condition that requires a course of action to be taken.

Procedure: How to Create a New Alert

  1. Click the New Alert icon New alert icon to the right of the action block drop-down menu.

    The Alert Wizard (1 of 4) panel opens, as shown in the following image. In this panel, you define the condition that triggers the alert.

    Alert Wizard
  2. Select values in the following fields to define the alert:
    Scorecard

    Select the appropriate scorecard associated with the alert.

    Objective or Measure

    The first drop-down menu determines if the alert is based on an objective or a measure. The second drop-down menu provides the specifics of the objective or measure.

    turns (status indicator)

    Status indicator of the objective or measure. The following options are available:

    Option

    Fires if metric changes:

    Does not fire if the past period was also:

    Below Tgt

    To red.

    Danger ("Red")

    Marginal

    To yellow.

    Warning ("Yellow")

    On/+ Tgt

    To green.

    Acceptable ("Green")

    Better

    From red to yellow. From red to green. From yellow to green.

    The same indicator color. For example, yellow to yellow, or green to green.

    Worse

    From green to yellow. From green to red. From yellow to red.

    The same indicator color. For example, yellow to yellow, or red to red.
    Time Period

    Time period of the objective or measure. Selections are Year, Quarter, Month.

    Compare to (time period)

    Time period for which you want to compare the objective or measure. Selections are previous or prior period (1 year ago).

  3. Click Next.

    The Alert Wizard (2 of 4) panel opens, as shown in the following image. Here you determine the email subject, the type of the alert to send, the selected view to send with the alert, and the User ID of the person to notify when the alert fires.

    Alert Wizard
  4. Select values for the following fields to format the alert:
    Email Subject

    Type a brief message that appears in the alert email.

    Send (type of email)

    Form of alert notification.

    • Simple alert message. Send an email with the Alert email subject and view selected in the second list.
    • Content page. Send an email with the Alert email subject, a content page, and the view selected in the second list.
    Content to send

    Select the appropriate PMF view to send with the alert message.

    To (user ID to notify)

    The User ID of the person you want to notify when the alert fires. Selections are the administrators and users of PMF.

  5. Click Next.

    The Alert Wizard (3 of 4) panel opens, as shown in the following image. This panel provides the parameters to schedule the alert.

    Alert Wizard
  6. Select values for the following fields to schedule the alert:
    Schedule the alert to run

    Desired schedule interval for testing the alert condition. Selections are Once, Daily, Weekly, and Monthly.

    Weekdays

    Select the days of the week to run the alert. Click to select the day. Click twice to deselect. This field only appears when you select Weekly as the schedule interval.

    Days of the month

    Days of the month you want to run the alert (1-31 or Last Day). Click to select the day. Click twice to deselect. This field only appears when you select Monthly as the schedule interval.

    Start Date

    Date you want to start the alert (in YYYYMMDD format).

    End Date

    Date you want to end the alert (in YYYYMMDD format).

    Start Time

    Time you want to start the alert (in HHMM, 24-hour format).

    End Time

    Time you want to end the alert (in HHMM, 24-hour format).

    Note: Your choice of the scheduling interval determines which additional parameters appear in the panel.

  7. Click Save.

    The Alert Wizard (4 of 4) panel, as shown in the following image, shows that the alert was created followed by a summary description of the alert.


    Alert Wizard

  8. Click Done to exit the wizard.

    If you want to create another alert, click New to restart the Alert Wizard.

Procedure: How to Create an Alert from a Measure, Objective, or Risk

  1. Click a Measure, Objective, or Risk from any report. A menu opens.
  2. Select Alert when.

    The Alert Wizard opens.

  3. Select values in the fields to define the alert. For more information on the Alert Wizard fields, see How to Create a New Alert.
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