(2024.1) Workers/Contacts

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The Workers/Contacts grid lists the Contact information for all the people that are associated with the User's organization. The Workers/Contacts grid is essentially a directory of all the people who have interacted with the User organization over a period of time. This includes Service Reps, standard Workers, new Customers, and other categories.

Adding a New Worker/Contact

Navigate to Main > People > Workers/Contacts.

Click the  button located immediately above the Workers/Contacts Grid.

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In the Contact data entry form, there are two Required fields: First and Last Name.

By checking the Directory check box, gives the option for the Contact to appear in the Directory in the CustomerCenter. The Phone Number of the Contact must also have the Directory flag set. Whether the Phone Number will appear along with the Contact in the Directory will depend on the Phone Service having its Directory flag set to false. This allows the Contact to appear in the Directory independent of the Service.

Next, select one or more Type of Contact from the drop-down list of available types. Keep in mind that based on the User's choice of Type of Contact some previously optional fields may become required. Additional tabs may also become available and may have their own required fields. For example, if the User selects the Customer type, a new Customer tab containing required fields appears in the Contact data entry form.

Worker / Contact tabs

Contact Types

In PCR-360, the types assigned to each Contact determine how the contact functions in the system and how it can be assigned by the system. The default Contact Types installed with the system are outlined below. The System Administrator can create additional types at any time for informational purposes.

Customer

This type is used to classify a Contact as a Customer in the system. Customer contacts have a Customer Number and some other specialized fields on the Contacts Customer tab. Only Customer type contacts can own services and equipment. Customers can also be assigned to a Departmental Hierarchy (or department). Selecting this type automatically enters a GLA Permission as "Permit None" if nothing else is selected.

Coordinator

This is a specialized iteration of the Customer contact type which oversees a Departmental Hierarchy unit. In PCR-360, Departmental Hierarchies are departments – and those departments contain Customers. Coordinators are required to be Customers themselves, and the application enforces this requirement when the types are manually added. Any Coordinator that is assigned to a Departmental Hierarchy has the privileges to submit Service Requests in the CustomerCenter for other Customers of that Departmental Hierarchy. The Coordinator can also view bills for other Customers in their Departmental Hierarchy. Additionally, when a Departmental Hierarchy is specified as the owner of any service or equipment, all communications (notifications) regarding that service or equipment is sent to the Coordinators. See Setting up Coordinators for more details.

Guest

This type is used whenever PCR-360 cannot determine a type to assign to a Contact. As the application processes incoming emails, a Contact is created for each unknown email address coming into the system. These new Contacts are assigned as the Guest type.

Service Rep

This type allows the Contact to be assigned to Service Desk items as the Service Rep (CSR). Only Contacts with the Service Rep type can be assigned to items in Service Desk. Service Reps must also be assigned as the Worker type. The application enforces this requirement when types are manually added.

For the steps to create a Service Rep, please see our How-To article.

User

This type is assigned to any Contact that is also a User in the system. The system creates an internal User record for everyone who accesses the application, and this User record must be associated with one Contact record. Personal details for each User (First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, etc.) are stored in the associated Contact. This Contact must be a User type.

Vendor

This type is assigned to any Contact of a system Vendor. Vendors of Equipment and Services are tracked by the system, and these Vendors have associated Contacts. Only Contacts of the Vendor type can be associated with a Vendor record.

VIP

This type is used to classify a Contact as a VIP. When a Service Desk Incident is received from a VIP Contact, it assigns the appropriate 'Urgency' to that Incident based on the Tenant's default 'VIP Urgency' setting.

Worker

This type specifies that the Contact is a Worker (or Technician). Workers are utilized by the system when assigning Workflow and labor. Each Worker must be assigned to at least one Workgroup.

Default Workgroup Rates

When a Workgroup is added, either by selecting a Worker or adding the Workgroup, the Rate will automatically populate based off the value defined by the Workgroup.

Editing a Worker/Contact

Users can edit any item on the Workers/Contacts grid by double-clicking the item or highlighting it and clicking the  button immediately above the grid. This action opens the Contact's data entry form at which point edits can be made and saved.

Setting a Primary Phone Number

If there is only one Phone Number associated with a Contact record, it is set to Primary by default. The Primary Number is the one that appears along with the rest of the Contact information in searches elsewhere in PCR-360.

If there are multiple Phone Numbers associated with a Contact, use the following steps to select one as Primary.

1. Select the phone number desired by double clicking or single clicking the phone number and clicking the button.

2. Click the check box to set the number as Primary.

3. Click the button.

The Phone Number is set as Primary.

Setting a Primary Email Address

If there is only one Email associated with a Contact record, it is set to Primary by default. The Primary Email is the on that appears along with the rest of the Contact information in searches elsewhere in PCR-360.

If there are multiple Emails associated with a Contact, use the following steps select one as Primary.

1. Select the Email desired.

2. Click the   button to set the number as Primary.

Toggle Status

Sometimes a User might wish to make another User inaccessible to other portions of PCR-360. This is the function of the   button. Changing a Worker/Contact to Inactive makes the User hidden from selectors elsewhere in PCR-360 without removing the User's information.

Deleting a Worker/Contact

Users can delete any item on the Workers/Contacts Grid by double-clicking the item or highlighting it and clicking the   button above the grid.

Bulk Updates

Replacing a Contact

This button replaces all instances of a Contact with another Contact. To use Replace, select a Contact and click the  button. The Contact is replaced by any Service Order/Action, Service, Equipment, Workflow, Vendor, Coordinator, GLA, Location, or Purchase Order where that Contact appears.

To use, select a Contact to replace and click the   button. The Select Replacement Contact dialog opens.

Click on the checkbox in the grid to select the Contact that should replace the old Contact. Click the  button on the form. The Event is sent and a Notification alerts the User when all the replacements have been made.

The Contact is replaced on any Service Order, Service, or Equipment where that Contact appears. Because the Replace function can change LARGE volumes of data is highly recommended that this button is permissioned where only authorized Users can access it. For more information on securing the Replace button, see the Permissions and Best Practices sections.

The Delete Contact checkbox serves a dual purpose. The default behavior leaves the checkbox unchecked. This makes the Replace function leave the Replaced Contact Active and simply replace it anywhere it has been previously associated if it can. If the User selects the Delete Contact checkbox, the Replace functionality tries to delete the existing Contact. If the Contact cannot be deleted because of any lingering associations, the Replaced Contact record is set to Inactive instead.

The following are special circumstances related to using Replace:

• Service Desk and Service Desk Action: We can only update the Owner if the Status of the Order/Action is not Finalized, Void or Billed.

  • If the Billing Group of the new Contact does not match the billing group of the old Contact, the Contact is NOT replaced.

  • The Service Rep field is NOT replaced.

  • The Requestor field is NOT replaced.

• Service Desk tabs: Equipment, Contact, Labor, and Workflow: All of these require a Service Desk Order/Action which does NOT have a status of Complete, Finalized, Billed, or Void.

• Services: The Billing Group of the new Contact must match the Billing Group of the old Contact.

  • If the Billing Group of the new Contact does not match the Billing Group of the old Contact, the Billing Group Override is set to the new Billing Group.

  • If the Contact in the Contacts tab is also the Owner of the Service, the Contact on the Contacts tab is NOT changed otherwise it is changed.

• Equipment: If the Billing Group of the new Contact does not match the Billing Group of the old Contact, the Contact is NOT replaced.

• Purchase Order: The “Approved By” Contact is only replaced if the Purchase Order has a Pending Status. The "Attn" is always replaced.

• Vendor: If the Contact is on the Contact tab, it is always replaced.

• Departmental Hierarchy: If the Contact is on the Coordinators tab, it is always replaced.

• Workgroup: The Worker on the Workers & Rates tab is replaced. The Manager is NOT replaced.

• Contact Type: If the Contact type that is replacing another Contact does not have the Type 'Coordinator' and the one being replaced does, the 'Coordinator' type is added to the replacing Contact.