Question
I would like all stakeholders to be notified every time there is an update on a form. How do I accomplish this?
Example: The creator, assignee, and the last editor get an in-app, or push notification, once a form changes statuses, or when the form assignee changes. How do I get all other stakeholders to get a notification of form and notification for different form stages?
Example 1:
| Some forms only have two statuses: |
Example 2:
| Other forms have multiple statuses: |
Answer
A notification is sent out to the creator, assignee, and the last editor of the form when a form is switched from an editable to a non-editable state (for example, draft to submitted).
Please note the workflow advised below is a manual process that requires stakeholders to interact with a Task. A task is a useful intermediary to help notify all stakeholders. A task also provides a means to add contextual information, outside of the form itself.
Please review the following article on tasks in Fieldwire: What is a Task?
How to Fix
Tasks can have 'Watchers' - meaning, additional users, outside of the assignee, who will be notified of any task updates.
You can create a task, and link a form, to use as a distribution list where you will add any stakeholders as watchers. Any time the form is updated, a constituent update can be made on the task to inform all watchers. Through contingent task updates, stakeholders communicate on and be updated on the status of a form.
Add Watchers to your Task:
1. Create a new category where you will organize all of your tasks that are used for form notifications:
Note: Alternatively, use tags to track tasks that are created for form updates. Review the following article: What are tags and how do I manage them?
2. Create a new task.
3. Attach either a 'New form' or 'Existing form' to the task:
Note: Make sure to add an assignee to the form before closing the form pop window.
4. Close the form window, add your task assignee (presumably the same as the form assignee), and add a message:
Note: Writing a message, adding a photo, or file, can keep everyone on the same page.
5. Add any contingent Form stakeholders as task watchers:
Note: You can also add watchers using the '@' symbol and the name of the user. Additionally, you can edit (add/remove) watchers on multiple tasks at once by using the ‘Batch edit’ feature within the ‘Tasks’ tab. Make sure to always add the assignee first. If not, whoever is first will become the task's assignee, and the rest will be added as watchers. The convenient part of this workflow is that watchers can also comment on the task to request form updates, etc.
How to notify stakeholders when the Form Assignee changes:
It would be the Form assignee's job to provide Form updates to the watchers through the Task. He will be able to complete the form and notify all users from the message module. If the task assignee changes, then all task watchers will receive a notification - however, if a form assignee changes, only the form creator, last editor, and assignee will receive a notification. If you'd like all users to know when the form assignee changes, review the process below:
1. Change the Task Assignee and the new Form Assignee, so both the Task Watchers and Form Assignee will receive a push notification:
2. The assignee can then open and edit the form from the task:
3. The assignee can then submit, or re-assign the form and notify all task watchers by typing a message in the constituent task:
Note: The message section could also be used to ask questions, ask for updates on the form, or communicate any concerns. Every time a new message is created, it will trigger a push notification for the task watchers.
How to notify/update stakeholders who do not have a Fieldwire Account:
You can send manual notifications or updates to non-Fieldwire stakeholders of form updates by emailing the form or the task. Please see the steps below on how to email a task or a form:
To share task updates via email:
1. Open the task, click 'Share' and choose 'Email':
2. Add any email recipients, adjust the subject line and add a message, then choose to send:
Note: Make sure to separate email addresses using commas
To email the Form itself:
1. Head to the 'Forms' tab, identify the relevant form, and click the envelope icon:
2. Add the contingent email recipients and choose to send the form:
What if the Non-Fieldwire user needs to sign the form?
The non-Fieldwire needs to sign a form then review this article: Q&A: Can a non-Fieldwire user sign a form?
More Information
Here are a few additional articles that go into 'Forms' and the 'Settings' tab: