Getting Started with Alerts Setup

The Alerts Setup wizard allows you to configure an alert by setting properties such as what line item will be used to report information for the alert, when the alert is generated by the system, the subscribers of the alert, and what stores are monitored by the alert. The Getting Started section walks you through the following series of steps:

1.	Defining the Alert

2.	Setting Threshold Criteria

3.	Scheduling the Alert

4.	Defining Stores

5.	Defining Subscribers

6.	Formatting Message Content

7.	Testing the Alert Message

Generally, you should have performed the following tasks before working with Alerts:

•	Configured your stores in Aloha Insight.

•	Assigned security settings to all users who should have access to the Alerts Setup wizard.

If you meet these requirements, continue to Defining the Alert. If you do not meet these requirements, complete your store setup and assign security settings to your users that have access to the Alerts Setup wizard.

Defining the Alert

The first tab you access when defining an alert is the General tab. This tab contains important information, such as if the alert is Active, Alert Name, Description, Alert Severity, and the Insight Line Item.

To define the alert:

1.	From your Aloha Insight home page, select Aloha Insight > Alerts Setup wizard.

2.	On the Welcome to Alerts Setup Wizard, click Add.

3.	Type an alert name.

4.	Type an alert description.

5.	Select a severity level.

6.	Select a line item.

7.	If the line item requires additional data qualifiers, click the green arrow and specify the elements of the line item you would like to filter.

8.	Click the Content tab.

You must type a unique name for the alert. You can enter up to 50 characters for the alert name. The ‘Alert Description’ text box is optional

The symbols that display next to the alert indicate the severity level assigned to the alert by your company. Select one of the following severity levels for your alert:

	None
	Warning Alert
	Critical Alert

You can use any line items defined in Aloha Insight, including custom line items. The alert monitors the information that the line item represents.

Continue to Setting Threshold Criteria.

Setting Threshold Criteria

After defining the information on the General tab, you set threshold criteria by defining a condition and date range for the alert. This controls the days of data reported by the alert.

To set the threshold criteria for the alert:

1.	Click the Content tab.

2.	Select one of the following alert condition settings from the drop-down list:

•

Between

•

Equal To

•	Greater Than

•	Greater Than or Equal To

•

Less Than

•	Less Than or Equal To

3.	Select a date range for the alert content by clicking one of the following:

•	Use Selected Date Range

•	Use Custom Date Range

4.	If you select a date range with multiple days, ‘Reporting Alerts for Multiple Days’ is activated. Select one of the following:

•	Create a single alert for all dates combined

•	Create a separate alert for each date

5.	Click the Schedule tab.

Use the ‘Custom Date Range’ option to enter a specific date range such as Thanksgiving or Christmas week.

Continue to Scheduling the Alert.

Scheduling the Alert

Now that you have named your alert and defined the alert threshold setting on the Content tab, it’s time to specify when the alert is sent to the subscribers.

To configure the alert schedule:

1.	Click the Schedule tab.

2.	Select the Once at time from the drop-down list to process the alert at a specified time.

OR

Select Every from the drop-down list to process the alert every x number of minutes or hours. If you select Every, select the ‘Starting at’ time and ‘Ending at’ time from the adjacent drop-down lists. All times are in military time.

3.	Select the time zone for the alert.

4.	Select an interval from the Process this Alert section.

5.	Type a start date for the alert.

6.	Type either an end date for the alert or select No End Date.

7.	Click the Stores Monitored tab.

When selecting any ‘End of...’ selection under ‘Process this Alert,’ the alert is sent to the users the day AFTER the ‘end of’ selection.

The alert schedule allows you to specify the days when an alert is sent to a subscriber. It does not control the days or range of days the alert reports. You can specify the days the alert should report by selecting the Content tab.

Continue to Defining Stores.

Defining Stores

After defining when the alert will be sent to subscribers on the Alert Schedule tab, you are now ready to define what stores will be monitored by the alert.

To define the stores monitored by the alert:

1.	Click the Stores Monitored tab.

2.	Select one of the following:

•

Home

•

Selected

•	All Stores

‘Home’ and ‘Selected’ require you to select one of the following: Store, Region, Area, or Store Group.

3.	Select either Create a Single Alert for all Stores or Create a Separate Alert for Each Store.

4.	Click the Subscribers tab.

Continue to Defining Subscribers.

Defining Subscribers

After setting up the Stores Monitored tab, you define which subscribers will receive the alert.

To define the subscribers that receive the alert:

1.	Click the Subscribers tab.

2.	Select the subscriber option from the following:

•	Send Alert Only to Me

•	Send Alert to Other Subscribers

3.	If you select ‘Send Alert to Other Subscribers,’ select a Subscriber Group from the drop-down list. The list of subscribers display in the ‘Subscribers included in the Subscriber group’ list box.

4.	Select Base stores monitored on subscriber’s security, if you want the subscriber to view only alerts based on their security access.

5.	Click the Message tab.

The Subscribers button allows a user with access to create a new subscribers group. After clicking the Subscribers button, move the names to the Subscribers Group list using the arrow buttons.

When you select ‘Base Stores Monitored on subscriber’s security,’ subscribers only receive alerts for stores they can access. If this option is not selected, the subscriber receives alerts based on the access level of the logged in user.

Continue to Formatting Message Content.

Formatting Message Content

After you define your subscribers on the Subscribers tab, define where to send the alert and the alert message format.

To format the alert message:

1.	Click the Message tab.

2.	Select one of the following Alert Send Options:

•	Send Alert Message to an Email, Pager, or Cell Phone

•	Send Alert Message to the Insight Alerts Viewer

3.	If you select ‘Send Alert Message to the Insight Alerts Viewer,’ select Notify subscriber of alert at login to Aloha Insight to alert the subscriber immediately upon login.

If you select ‘Send Alert Message to an Email, Pager, or Cell Phone,’ refer to Customizing an Alert Message for more information on sending alerts to email, pagers, and cell phones.

4.	If you selected ‘Send Alert Message to the Insight Alerts Viewer’ in step 2, type the number of days to expire before the system removes the alert from Alerts Viewer in the ‘Remove Alert from Alerts Viewer’ text box.

5.	Select the Alert Message Format for the message from one of the following:

•	Long Message

•	Short Message

•	Custom Message

6.	If you select Custom Message, click to display the <INSERLINK> Custom Alert Message screen where you can customize the alert message.

Customizing an Alert Message

To customize an alert message:

1.	Select Custom Message on the Message tab.

2.	Click to display the Custom Alert Message.

3.	Click in the body of the text message you want to customize.

4.	Use the drop-down list to select custom options, such as Keywor‘ds or Drilldowns to include in the message. For more information on these options, refer to the Custom Alert Message screen.

5.	Click the Insert button to insert the option in the text message. Continue customizing the message as needed.

6.	Click Done when finished customizing the message.

Define the email/pager/cell phone account in Aloha Insight as a new user. For more information on sending an alert to an email/pager/cell phone account, refer to the How to Send Alerts to Pagers, Email Addresses, and Cell Phones section the Message tab help.

You can insert keywords, drilldowns, and text into your custom message. Use drilldowns only when you are sending the alert to the Alerts Viewer in Aloha Insight.

Continue to Testing the Alert Message.

Testing the Alert Message

After you define your alert, test the alert to verify it returns the intended message.

To test an alert message:

1.	Click Test to display the Alert Test screen.

2.	Click Yes to confirm you want to save the alert before testing.

3.	Select a store.

4.	Type a date or click to select a date from the calendar.

5.	Click Test.

6.	Verify the results in the read-only ‘Alert Message’ text box.

7.	Click Save to save the alert.