Whether you're part of a growing team or simply want to structure your team's communication web, admin-defined channels allow you to build a network of custom conversations tailored to different projects, or departments. The best part? You have the freedom to make as many as you want!
In this article, we'll dive into how you can harness the full potential of Admin Defined Channels, show you the easy steps to customize them, and explore why having no cap on the number of channels will transform how you collaborate!
A few important things to note, before we start:
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Administrators can define channels for specific subsets of Users at the Site level
- Examples: Safety, Turnaround, Everyone, Maintenance, IT Request
- Users can be added to Admin Defined Channels via Tags, Crafts, or just the User name
How to create an Admin Defined Channel
The first thing you are going to want to do is navigate to your weavix Console. Once in Console, you are going to want to select "Admin Defined Channels" under your Configuration tree. Now that we are in the Admin Defined Channel section, please follow the steps below to build out your customized Admin Defined Channels.
Select the big blue "Add Channel Button" in the top left hand corner of your screen.
General
Now that you are on the General page, you will want to name the channel under "Channel Name".
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Pro Tip! When naming a channel, you will want to make sure the title is clear so that users know what the specific channel is for.
- EX: Maintenance Request - any requests that need to go to the Maintenance team will be communicated in this specific channel.
You will then need to determine if you want this to be a "read only" channel or a channel that is open for two way communication. A read only channel allows for many users to be on a channel and receive messages, but only selected users are able to send messages to the channel.
- Read Only Channels are great for "All Call" or "Emergency Response". This is a great way for one to two users to send out quick communication when needed.
To enable the "Read Only" option all you need to do is check the box and select your "Allowed Senders" in the "Allowed Senders" text box.
- If you want your channel to be an open two-way channel, ensure that the read only box stays unchecked.
You will then want to assign a Site to this channel. It is required that you select a site when creating an Admin Defined Channel because this will ensure that only users who have permissions at the selected site, see the channel.
People
Now that you have made your changes on the General Tab, you are going to want to customize who has access to this channel. On the "People" page, you will see a list on the right-hand side of all users that are included in your Admin Defined Channel.
- Pro Tip! By default, all members of the selected Site will have access to every channel. This is why it is important for you to determine who you want to be a part of the channel to streamline communication.
To customize the channel members, you will need to select the blue plus sign on the right-hand side of the channel filter.
Once you select the plus sign, you will see that the drop-downs under Conditional Filter will open up.
The first drop down you are going to want to select will determine the way you are going to customize the channel.
Your options listed here will be as follows:
- People - you are able to add or exclude as many people to a channel.
- People Tagged As - Allows you to add people with specific tags (EX: All shifts, All channels, etc).
- People with company - this is beneficial if you have multiple contractors coming onsite.
- People with craft - You are also able to add or exclude as many crafts as you would like to a channel. Click here to read what a craft is.
The next drop-down will determine if you want to include or exclude this group of users.
Now that this has been selected, you will click into your last text box and include anyone that you want to be a part of the channel.
- Pro Tip! Your "People Included" list on the right hand side of your screen will update as you add and remove users from the channel.
Advanced Toggle
When toggled on, you can use the advanced mode to select which users will or will not be included on a channel, giving you even greater control over what channels users have access to.
Example: You have a manager who needs visibility across all channels but you don't want to assign them to every craft or group, you can simply create a custom tag, such as 'All Channels.' This tag can then be applied as a condition for every relevant channel, ensuring they have the access they need without unnecessary clutter.
Notifications
Once you have determined who should be included in the channel, you will then want to customize your notifications for the individual channel.
Pro Tip! These notifications will determine how Users will receive the Notifications for the specified Channel
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- Allow Muting: By default, this will be on. When selected, users have the ability to mute this channel, if unselected, users are prevented from muting. When a channel is muted, the user will not hear live messages come through on their device.
- Allow Disabling Notifications: By default, this will be on. When selected, users have the ability to turn off notifications, if unselected, users are prevented from turning off notifications. When notifications are turned off, a user will not receive a buzz, ding, or notification that a message was received on the channel.
- Sound Muted: if selected, this channel will be automatically muted for anyone on the channel including all Push To Talk audio messages. Users will still have the option to unmute.
- Notifications Off: if selected, this channel will automatically have notifications turned off. Users will still have the option to on notifications
- High Priority Channel: if selected, this channel will play messages without regard to scan mode status or the currently selected channel. It will take precedence over all other transmissions
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SMS Notifications: users who have a cell number tied to their profile will receive a text message for each message in this channel.
- Pro Tip! This feature is great for an All Call or an Emergency Response channel. We do not recommend this setting for a channel that is going to get high traffic, because you will receive a text with every channel message that is sent.
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Only Receive Notifications When on Site: if selected, users will only receive notifications and play sound when they are onsite. If users are offsite, the message will show in their history, but they will not be notified. If unselected, the channel will follow the user's settings regardless of location
- Pro Tip! If you would like to enable this feature, please speak with a weavix representative to discuss location accuracy options.
Conditional Overrides
Conditional overrides allow you to override the notification settings above for specific groups of users.
- Pro Tip! If you had a maintenance request channel that you wanted everyone on site to have access to, you could choose to mute and turn off notifications by default for the channel. Then you could use Conditional Overrides to set different default notification settings for users with the Maintenance craft, ensuring those users always hear messages that come through on this channel.
Advanced
Please reach out to help@weavix.com to discuss the advanced options further.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Admin Defined Channels offer an incredible way to keep your workspace organized, efficient, and perfectly suited to your team’s needs. By allowing you to customize channels and create an unlimited number, you can keep conversations focused, manage projects seamlessly, and ensure every aspect of communication is clear and organized.