Summary of Feature

This feature allows Dolphin customers to update a folder's "folder status name" via the Bulk Customer Docs functionality.  In addition, a Bulk Customer Doc template can process a folder multiple times.

Folder status can be automatically changed by the BMM after a bulk customer doc printing action has occurred. For example, Itinerary Required <->Itinerary Sent or Invoice Required <-> Invoice Sent, allowing more automation of workflows and moving folders through their life-cycle without manual intervention.

These actions can be performed by selecting the relevant setting within templates where the Request or Request and Fulfil actions were selected. 

To understand the benefits of this new development an example workflow has been outlined below:

• A folder is created and agent sets folder status name to "Itinerary Required"
• A ‘Bulk Customer Doc’ template called (for example) 'Print Itinerary' looks for folders with folder status name = "Itinerary Required", amongst other matching criteria.  The template executes the following actions against all matching folders:
  • Bulk Customer Doc Template updates the folder status automatically from Status "Itinerary Required" to "Itinerary Sent".
  • Itinerary automatically sent to the customer
• The customer subsequently makes an amendment to their arrangements.  The agent changes folder status from "Itinerary Sent" to "Itinerary Required"
• The same Bulk Customer Doc Template called 'Print Itinerary' looks for folders with the same matching criteria as before, and automatically sends a second updated itinerary to the customer and updates the folder status name again to 'Itinerary Sent'.
• The above can repeated as many times as is necessary.

The workflow above could also be achieved by GDS file interfacing, whereby the folder status name is automatically updated to 'Itinerary Required' using structured remark functionality each time a GDS file is interfaced.

Configuration:

Configuring a new Bulk Customer Doc template, or editing an existing template:

• The new 'Allow template to process folders multiple times' checkbox will not display for action type “Fulfil”, only 'Request' and 'Request and Fulfil' action types.  This is because the “Fulfil” action already permits folders to be processed multiple times, therefore the check box is not required.
• A folder’s status will only be updated once the “fulfil” action of a template has been successful executed by the Bulk Customer Doc Template, e.g. if a “request and fulfil” template is configured, and the request was successful, but fulfil failed, the folder’s status will not be updated.
• A template needs to include: 
  • Separator "And", where “Folder Status Name”, is “equal to”. This will ensure that the template only captures folders with the desired folder status name for processing by the template. 

• • Separator "And", where “Folder Last Saved Date Time”, is "between Today -1 day" and "Today +0". This will ensure that the template only looks for folders last saved in the last day and avoid performance issues when the template is running

• It is recommended to review all existing Folder Status to establish if any status are configured for use with specific branch codes.  If so, consider if it’s feasible to remove the branch restrictions from a ‘Folder Status’.  If this is not possible, care should be taken when configuring ‘Folder Status Update’ values and Branch Code related ‘where’ clauses in Bulk Customer Doc Templates and ensure that the template only processes folders from branches that are also permitted to use the configured folder status.

• Ensure that the "Dolphin User" that executes the Bulk Customer Doc templates is permitted to “Change Folder Status”. This is configured in the Security Profile -> Folder tab.  This also includes the Auto PNR User.

• Before enabling this functionality, consider if it is necessary to avoid re-sending documents for all folders where a document has already been sent. This could occur if you configure a template with 'Allow template to process folders multiple times' that contains a where clause with a folder status that exists in current folders.  This can be avoided by setting the template's “Folder Status Name” where clause to uses a brand new Folder Status Name (i.e. no existing folder has this folder status name set). This would mean that folders with an old/original folder status name would not be picked up by said template and a document re-sent.  Any questions or concerns around this area should be discussed with Dolphin Support before configuring.