Configure Message Center

Learning promptly when a producer's license application has been state-approved can be a formidable business advantage. With Message Center, you can set the system to send an email notification to alert any interested party whenever a state takes action on a license application submitted through AgencyEDGE.

To use the Message Center service, in the AgencyEDGE navigation bar, click the Administration link. The Administration page will open. Then, in the License Application Management group, click the Configure Message Center link.

The Message Center page contains the following sections:

Current Email Notifications

Displays a table listing automated notification jobs that are currently active in the system.

• Delete ( ): For each automated notification job listed that you wish to delete, click to checkmark the checkbox to select it for deletion. The operation is completed when you click the Delete button. All email notifications generated from the deleted notification job will cease.
• Service Type: For each automated notification job listed, displays the type of compliance transaction that will generate an automated email, either Appointment Processing or License Application.
• Email Notification Type: For each automated notification job listed, displays the event that will cause the job to generate an automated email: State Response, Additional State Response, Form Generated - Subscriber, or Form Generated - Producer (available only if value of Service Type field is License Application).
• Response Type: Available only if value of Email Notification Type is State Response or Additional State Response. For each automated notification job listed, displays the state action that will cause the job to generate an automated email: Approved, Rejected, or Status Update (available only if value of Service Type field is License Application).
• Edit: For each automated notification job listed that you wish to modify, click to move its information to the edit fields in the Add/Update Email Notifications section.
• Delete Button: Click to delete any notification job whose corresponding Delete checkbox is checkmarked.

Add/Update Email Notifications

Offers edit fields and controls to set up or edit an automated notification job and save it to the system.

The Add/Update Email Notifications section contains the following sub-sections:

Basic Setup

Set basic configuration options for a notification job.

• Service Type: Required. From the dropdown menu, select a type of compliance transaction that will generate an automated email, either Appointment Processing or License Application.
• Email Notification Type: Required. From the dropdown menu, select an event that will cause the job to generate an automated email. Choose one of the following:
  • State Response: Select to generate an automated email notification whenever a state issues an initial response to a compliance request of the transaction type selected in the Service Type field.
  • Additional State Response: Select to generate an automated email notification whenever a state issues a reversal of its initial response to a compliance request of the transaction type selected in the Service Type field. (For example, initial response of Approved and subsequent response of Denied, or vice versa.)
  • Form Generated - Subscriber: Select to set up an automated email notification to the system user (subscriber representative or authorized submitter) who submitted a license application or appointment or termination request to a state that accepts only paper form submissions. The email is generated when the form is generated at the end of the license application or appointment form generation process. The license application or appointment form will be attached to the email as an Adobe PDF file.
  • Form Generated - Producer: Available only if value of Service Type field is License Application. Select to set up an automated email notification to the system user (subscriber representative or authorized submitter) who submitted a license application to a state that accepts only paper form submissions. The email is generated when the paper application form is generated at the end of the license application process. The license application form will be attached to the email as an Adobe PDF file.
• Response Type: Required. Available only if value of Email Notification Type is State Response or Additional State Response. Select from the dropdown menu a state action that will cause the job to generate an automated email: Approved, Rejected, or Status Update. Only one Response Type per allowed Email Notification Type value is allowed.

Recipient Group

Set recipient information for all automated email generated by a notification job. You can set email to be forwarded to the email address of the subscriber representative who submitted a compliance transaction or of anyone anywhere, such as the producer related to the transaction.

• Notification Method: Click a radio button that corresponds to the intended recipient(s) of the automated notification. Choose from the following:
  • Send [ServiceType] notifications to the subscriber rep who submits the request: Select to send an automated notification to the user (subscriber representative) who submitted the transaction request. The system will obtain the subscriber representative's email address from his or her AgencyEDGE user account. (For more information, see Edit User.)
  • Send [ServiceType] notifications to the subscriber rep who submits the request and a copy to a specified email address: Select to send an automated notification to the user (subscriber representative) who submitted the transaction request and also to another recipient. You must enter the email address of the other recipient in the Email field.
  • Send [ServiceType] notifications to a specified email address: The automated notification will be sent to a specified recipient only. You must enter the email address of the recipient in the Email field.
• Email: If you have selected a Notification Type or Notification Method option that will send an automated notification to a recipient other than the user (subscriber representative) who submitted the transaction request, enter a valid email address for the recipient.

Email Template

Configure the content of email generated by a notification job. You may insert merge field codes to dynamically pull values of fields from a transaction into the Subject line or Message box of generated email.

• Subject: Required. Enter a value to be included as the subject line of all automated email generated by the notification job. You also may embed merge field codes (or "tokens") in the subject that will pull specific data from the related transaction.
• Message: Required. Enter text to be included as the body of all automated email triggered by the notification job. You also may embed merge field codes (or "tokens") in the message that will pull specific data from the related transaction.
• Click here for more format information: Click to open a separate window with a reference guide of merge field codes that you can use to include field values related to a specific transaction in generated email.
• From Alias: Enter a value that will display in place of a valid email address in the “From” line of all automated email, to help prevent Message Center email from being intercepted by email spam filters. Maximum 72 characters.
• Save: Click to save the automated notification job and display its information in the Current Email Notifications section. The notification job will begin listening for state (or system) actions and generating email immediately.

To exit the Message Center page, click the Administration link in the navigation bar or the breadcrumbs.

Although the option to set up appointment processing notifications is available in AgencyEDGE, the system will not issue appointment notifications.

You may set up a virtually unlimited number of automated notification jobs per Service Type, Email Notification Type, Response Type, or Recipient Group.

The Additional State Response option in the Email Notification Type dropdown menu is available only for non-resident license application requests submitted to states through the NIPR Gateway.

In order to receive automated notifications, users must have a valid email address associated with their user accounts. To verify users' email addresses and to add email addresses if necessary, use the Manage Users page.

Depending on the Notification Type you have selected, the Subject field and Message box already may contain suggested text and merge fields. You may edit the content of the Subject field or Message box as desired.

To avoid virus and spam filters in the recipient's email software from blocking automated notifications, it is important to include a valid email address in the From Email Address field. You then can notify the email administrator to configure virus and spam filters to allow email from the specified email address. Including a value in the From Email Address field also will allow you to be notified if delivery of automated notifications fails.

Use the Status Update option in the Response Type field to send email notifications when a license application has status changes other than Approved or Denied, such as Under State Review, Awaiting NIPR Validation, etc.

You cannot update values of the Service Type, Notification Type, or Response Type fields. To change information in these fields, you must delete the notification job and create a new one with the desired values.

When using the <TIN> merge field to email content in the Email Template section, emails using the template will display only the last four digits of an individual producer's Social Security Number (e.g., XXX-XX-1234).

An appointment or termination request that originates in PLM Producer Express and processes through Auto-Pilot to completion without manual intervention will not trigger a Message Center email alert.

Add merge fields (or “tokens”) to your email template to dynamically include specific transaction details in any email generated by a notification job. For example, if you want the subject of an email regarding a license application to be: “License Application Status for John Doe from Nebraska," you would enter the following: “License Application Status for <NAME> from <ST_CD>”. The system will validate any value within two brackets (< >) and display an error message if validation fails. For a list of commonly used merge fields, click the Click here for more format information link in the Email Template section, or review the screen capture, above.