Automated Email & GUS General GUS contains a number of customizable email interfaces, making it simple to send current data reports, notifications, and other electronic communications directly from a common interface. Predefined messages can be selected from a pull-down list, or chosen automatically based on data pertaining to project, order, award or proposal status. Messages are fully editable prior to sending. GUS sends relevant email messages within the context of the underlying data, however GUS does not receive email. It is not intended to replace email management programs such as Outlook Express or Eudora. Email functionality is limited to certain areas of GUS. Additional email functionality is currently planned for future versions. Common Applications Commonly used built-in email features include: Sending current balances, funding source information, and project issue data directly to PIs, while working with the Budget Module. Emailing the originator of a purchase order directly from the Purchasing Module, to announce that their goods have arrived. Notifying a PI or other staff upon receipt of an award, directly from the Contracts and Grants screen. Remind appropriate staff of actions required to receive matching funds related to a particular award. GUS & Email Revised 10/25/05 Page1 of 7
Email Setup Email Tab Area Tabs Email Server Settings Area Active Checkbox Help Buttons Email Message Settings Area Messages List To activate and configure email functionality within GUS: Make sure you have appropriate permissions for the affected area. For example, to activate email and enter server information for the Budget- Financial email areas, you need to be in the Budget_Mgr group or higher (Administrator, Full Access). See your department s GUS administrator if required. After the splash screen, use the menu and go to Utilities > Preferences On the Preferences screen (shown above), click the Email tab. Area Tabs - Unique defaults and preferences can be set for each affected area. Choose the appropriate tab to configure relevant messages. Activation - Click the Area Active checkbox to activate email for this area. GUS & Email Revised 10/25/05 Page2 of 7
Email Server Settings - These settings can reflect those of any existing email account, however, recognizable department addresses such as gus-purchasing@... or chemistry-budget@... are generally preferred. Email Message Settings Optional default settings for pre-defined messages sent from the specified area. (NOTE: Default values can be easily modified before sending any email.) From: - Who sent the email. Defaults to account address. Reply To: - Where replies should be sent CC: and BCC: - Addresses to be copied or blind copied in, respectively. (Blind copies are not indicated to other recipients.) Auto Cc and Auto Bcc Enable sending to the addresses listed in the CC: and BCC: fields, respectively. Signature Appended to all email messages from this area. Can also be added to a predefined message using the <Signature> keyword (see Keywords, below). Area Messages Commonly used, predefined email templates which are customized in the context of the area where they re available. Doubleclick the Area Messages list to edit. You can create as many area messages as you wish. Area Message Preferences Help Button Relevant Keywords GUS & Email Revised 10/25/05 Page3 of 7
Double-click the Area Messages list to display this screen. You can also get here via the Prefs button which appears on the lower left of the screen when editing an email. Area Messages are templates that you create to simplify or automate responses to various data conditions and reporting criteria. Settings include: Email Area: - The area in GUS where this template will be available, such as Purchasing, Contracts & Grants, or Budget. Message ID: - The name by which you ll refer to this email template. It shows up in drop-down lists on email screens throughout its area. Status Key: - Optional. Reflects the data criteria used to determine when this template should be used by default. For example, in Purchasing areas a Status Key of Complete would make this the default email template when the underlying order status was Complete. Status Keys are unique for each area: Budget Areas - Reflect project status (Active, Closed, Hold, etc.) Purchasing Reflect order status (Pending, Complete, etc.) Contracts and Grants Reflect proposal or award status Email Client Sort Key: - Optional. Should be small and unique for each template. Used to assist in filtering and organizing incoming messages in desktop email management programs such as Outlook Express or Eudora. For example, you can set the Project Ending Area Message to BCC: you automatically and give it an Email Client Sort Key of PE. Then you set your email program to automatically send all incoming messages with a sort key of PE to a certain folder for record keeping purposes. See your email managing program for information on their automated message organization features. Reply To:, CC:, BCC:, Subject Line:, and Message Body: - These fields set the defaults for the corresponding fields in the email. Keywords These placeholders are replaced by data from the currently selected record when the email is sent, and can be used as pointers to relevant data in message templates. GUS & Email Revised 10/25/05 Page4 of 7
For example, a keyword of <Projected_Start> will be replaced by the Projected Start Date from the currently selected GUS record, in any email sent using the affected Area Message template. Keywords must be copied exactly as shown in the boxes on the right of this screen in order to work correctly. See the Keywords tables below for more information. Address and Body Keywords Table <PIs> Budget Email addresses for all of the PIs associated with a Project, Proposal or Award <Ordered_By> Purchasing Primary email address of the person who placed a Purchase Order <Ordered_By_All> C&G Primary email address plus up to 3 alternate email addresses <Proj_Approver> Purchasing Email address for the person associated with a Project who gave approval to place a Purchase Order Keywords by Area Financial and Budget Project Keywords Table <Project_Code> Project Code <Title> Project Title <NickName> Project Nickname <Projected_Start> Project projected start date <Projected_End> Project projected end date <Award_Start> Award begin date <Award_End> Award end date <Funding_Start> Date when first funds were received <Funding_End> End date for latest funding increment received <Contract_Start> Contract begin date <Contract_End> Contract end date <Fiscal_Year> Fiscal year (if any) for this Project <Account> Account number for this Project <Fund> Fund number for this Project <Projected_Total> Total anticipated funding for this Project <PIs> Summary list of Pis for this Project <Total_Allocs> Total allocations received for this Project <Signature> Email area signature GUS & Email Revised 10/25/05 Page5 of 7
Purchasing Area Keywords Table <Project_Code> Project Code charged for this order <Sub_Id> Sub charged for this order <Cost_Type> Cost Type for this order <PO_Number> Purchase Order number <Dept/Dash> Department or Dash number for this P.O. <Vendor> Name of vendor <Description> Summary description of order <Date_Ordered> Date order placed with vendor <Date_Expected> Expected date of goods delivery <Lien> Anticipated total expenses <Ordered_By> Person who placed the order <Order_Status> Status of the order Contracts & Grants - Proposals Keywords Table <Agency> Name of Proposal Agency <Agency_Number> Proposal number <Start_Date> Projected start date <End_Date> Projected end date <Amount> Total funds requested <Title> Proposal title <Status> Proposal status <Date_Submitted> Date proposal submitted <IDC_Rate_Type> Indirect Cost Rate type usu. On or Off- campus <OR_Number> Office of Research record number <Signature> Email area signature Contracts & Grants - Awards Keywords Table <Agency> Funding agency <Agency_Number> Funding agency award number <Award_Start> Date award starts <Award_End> Date award ends <Contract_Start> Date contract starts <Contract_End> Date contract ends <Amount> Total amount funded <Title> Award Title <Agency> Funding agency <Status> Award Status <Date_Awarded> Date Awarded <IDC_Rate_Type> Indirect Cost Rate type usu. On or Off- campus <OR_Number> Office of Research record number GUS & Email Revised 10/25/05 Page6 of 7
Sending Messages with GUS After an Email Area has been activated in the Preferences screen, Send Mail buttons will become visible in common forms related to that area. These buttons are usually near the bottom of the form, but may also be elsewhere. To send a message, click the button. The New Message window will appear. Drop-Down Lists Prefs Button White fields are editable. Drop-down buttons contain lists of email addresses, names, or Area Messages relevant to the currently selected record and Email Area. Drop-down categories beginning and ending with an asterisk * represent entire groups. Drop-down lists contain: Budget Related Areas Project PIs and other report recipients for the selected Project Purchasing Areas The person who placed the selected order, related funding source PIs, any fully-authorized funding source administrators Contracts & Grants PIs involved with selected Proposal or Award For more details and information about GUS, please visit http://gus.ucsb.edu. GUS & Email Revised 10/25/05 Page7 of 7