How to get user's attention with a message banner – A quick guide to User Broadcast Function

3 minute read time.

Good afternoon readers. I know that most of you who are reading this are probably sitting at home (like I am), standing in line to buy food, supplies, toilet paper, et cetera, or anxiously walking through isles looking for some specific items. I’ll try my best to keep this post as easy to read as I can. I was planning on writing a nice long intuitive detailed post about the Syracuse Migration Tool but, considering the current situations, I have decided to pick a more simplistic topic.

So today, we are going to look at a new function added in Version 12 Patch 21. This new function isn’t technically new to Sage products but is new to Sage X3. As of the most current of current versions, we have added a User Broadcasting function. This new function allows you to schedule broadcasted messages to Users currently logged into the system.

This new function can be found under the Administration, Usage sub module.

Once you have found it and loaded it, you should be seeing the actual function like so.

At this screen (above) you can see a list of messages types, alerts, and whatnot that you have already sent. Like a running history log. As you can see, I got nothing, since I have not sent anything yet. That’s going to change real quick. At this screen we’re going to click the create button to get to the part where you can build your message and stuff. It should look like this (below):

 

This is the part where you get to type out your message.

Just so you know, there is no limit to the length of the message that you can type but be mindful of how long to actually make it. Depending on the browser, display resolution, and browser sizing the message may or may not fit.

Example:

I made the message 10000 “1”s for fun. As you can see, I do not see 10000 1’s.

 

Anyways…

Back to the messages. You get four (4) types of message categories you can use. These are used for categorizing the types of messages you are sending. Mainly these are used for auditing purposes, so you know when you told people, for example, to log out.

This is what the System message looks like:

This is what the Warning message looks like:

And… you get the idea. It’s a little bar that pops up over the Home screen and they all look the same.

Once you have selected the type you want and the message you want displayed you can now pick a time frame where the message is sent.

The times are set by date and time, in minutes, so you must have at least a one-minute delay before the message will pop up. Also, to remember it’s a Greater than Less then no equals to. What I mean by that is that if you pick 3/18/2020 at 10:00 AM it will kick off the message at 10:01. Why, no idea. I have tested it a dozen times and its always displayed one-minute after.

And Lastly, the link box. This is a totally optional item, but you can use it if you want to. The Link box is if you would like the message to have a URL Link like a website or web document in the message.

 

You would fill it out like this. You have to include the exact URL link (with the http and stuff) for it to work correctly.

This is what it looks like when you have it successfully working:

As you can barely see, the message I wrote becomes a link that the user can click on. When you hover your mouse over it, it will become underlined (like the screenshot).

It opens the link in another tab, like so.

 

And that’s about as simple as I can make it. There is some other things like exporting the messages and stuff to an excel sheet but that’s for another time.

Good luck and stay safe everyone.

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