Introduction
When setting up Communication Triggers in the TMS, it is essential to understand how triggers, parameters, and their values interact.
In this guide, we will walk you through:
An overview of triggers and their types.
The role of parameters in refining communication timing.
How to set specific values for parameters to achieve desired communication results.
Detailed examples of how triggers, parameters, and values interact to send timely and relevant messages.
Triggers
Triggers are specific events in the delivery process that prompt the system to send a communication.
There are 13 event triggers available in Mover TMS. Some of these are suitable for customer-facing communications, others are recommended for internal use only (e.g. to alert your Planners when a route optimization job fails).
Customer-facing triggers:
Order Delivery Arrived
Order Pickup Completed
Order Delivery Completed
Order Delivery Failed
Order Delivery ETA Provided
Order PickUp ETA Provided
Order Delivery Delayed ETA Provided
Order Schedule Triggered
Service Schedule Triggered
Order Put on Hold
Internal-use triggers:
Order Removed from Route
Route Optimization Unscheduled Task
Route Optimization Job Failed
If your organization has a communication need which is not covered by any of these triggers, reach out to us. We might be able to help!
Parameters
Parameters refine when the message should be sent in relation to the trigger event.
They allow for customization based on specific needs and conditions. The parameters available differ depending on the selected trigger.
Example of Parameters for Trigger "Order Delivery ETA Provided":
Minutes Before Delivery: Defines how many minutes before the expected delivery time the message should be sent.
Minutes Added to Estimate: Specifies additional time to be added to the estimated time of arrival (ETA) before sending the message.
Minutes Subtracted from Estimate: Specifies the time to be subtracted from the ETA before sending the message.
Values
Values are the specific numbers you input for each parameter, determining the exact timing of the message.
How They Work Together
Trigger Event: The first step is to select a trigger event. This is the point in the delivery process when you want the system to prepare to send a communication. For example, "Order Delivery ETA Provided."
Select the Parameter: After selecting the trigger event, you need to choose the appropriate parameter that will control the timing of the message relative to the trigger event.
Input Values: The values you input for the parameters determine the exact timing of the communication.
Scenario
A customer has ordered furniture to be delivered in the time interval 15:00 - 17:00. You want to notify them via SMS that their delivery is due to arrive in the next 30 minutes so that someone is at home to receive it.
To achieve this, you could use the Order Delivery ETA Provided trigger.
Here is how the parameters might look:
Minutes Before Delivery: 30 - with this, you set the value indicating how many minutes before the scheduled delivery time the message should be sent. The TMS will consider the driver's route progress to calculate the ETA, and send out a message 30 minutes before this ETA.
Minutes Added to Estimate: 0 - this value adds minutes to the ETA to account for unforeseen delays. In our scenario, the ETA is dynamic and directly connected to the driver's progress, so it is not necessary to consider delays.
Minutes Subtracted from Estimate: 0 - this value subtracts time from the ETA before sending the message, to account for situations where the driver might arrive earlier than the original ETA.
Detailed Examples of Trigger and Parameter Relationships
To better understand how triggers, parameters, and values interact, here are detailed examples for each scenario.
Some event triggers will require parameters, and others will be sufficient on their own.
The need for a parameter with a trigger event depends on the trigger's specificity and the information it provides.
Triggers like Order Delivery ETA Provided are broad and require a parameter to pinpoint the exact communication needed. Conversely, triggers like Order Delivery Arrived are self-explanatory and don't need a parameter because they clearly define the situation for sending a message.
Order Delivery Arrived
Use-case: Notifies the customer when the driver has arrived at the delivery location. Note that "arrived at the delivery location" is not the same as "delivery completed". This trigger is useful for situations when the delivery requires signature, or for delivery at complex locations where someone needs to come outside and meet the driver.
Parameters: None
Example: You are delivering office chairs for a company whose offices are located in the same place as their production line. The delivery instructions require the driver to wait outside until someone from the Facilities Department is ready to receive them. You can use this communication trigger to notify the customer that the driver is outside and ready to complete the delivery.
Order Pickup Completed
Use-case: Order Pickup Completed: When a driver picks up an order, a message can be sent to the customer to inform them that the order has been collected and is due to be delivered during a certain interval, or at a specific time.
Parameters:
Minutes added to estimate: This adds extra time to the ETA to account for variability in pickup times. For example, if the ETA is 3:00 PM and you add 60 minutes, the message will be sent as if the ETA is 4:00 PM.
Minutes subtracted from estimate: This subtracts time from the ETA. For example, if the ETA is 3:00 PM and you subtract 120 minutes, the message will be sent as if the ETA is 1:00 PM
Example: As soon as the order has been picked up, the TMS will calculate an Estimated Delivery Time based on the pick-up time, the delivery address, the number of stops on the route, and traffic conditions. The calculated ETA is 3:00 PM, but you want your customers to be informed that the order will arrive between 2:00 - 4:00 PM, to account for unforeseen delivery circumstances. To achieve this, you should set 60 minutes added to the estimate, and 60 minutes subtracted from the estimate for the trigger Order PickUp Completed.
Order Delivery Completed
Use-case: Notifies the customer when the driver has completed the delivery. This means that the goods have been left at the customer's address, or an agreed location indicated by the customer in the delivery instructions. This can be a neighbour's house (in case of no-answer), a covered shed on the property, or a pick-up point in the vicinity of the delivery address.
Parameters:
Delivery methods (Delivered to consumer, Left at agreed location)
Example: You have a weekly delivery of office supplies to an office located on the 7th floor. The delivery person is the Office Manager. For the past couple of weeks, the elevator in the building has been broken so the Office Manager has left delivery instructions for the supplies to be left at reception next door. To let them know when the supplies have arrived, you can set up a Communications Trigger using the Left at Agreed Location parameter.
Order Delivery Completed
Use-case: Notifies the customer when the driver has registered a deviation in the driver app, marking the delivery as failed.
Parameters: None
Example: For every delivery requiring a signature where no one was present at the address to sign, you want to send out an SMS informing customers that they should contact your Support team to re-arrange delivery.
Order Delivery ETA Provided
Use-case: Order Delivery ETA Provided: This sends a message with an Estimated Delivery Time when the order is already on the route. The trigger is useful for cases when you want to notify customers a few hours ahead of their delivery, so that they can be present to receive it.
Parameters:
Minutes before delivery: With this, you set a value indicating how many minutes before the scheduled delivery time the message should be sent. For instance, setting it to 360 means the message will be sent 6 hours before the delivery time.
Minutes added to estimate: This parameter adds extra time to the ETA before sending the message. For example, if the ETA is 3:00 PM and you add 60 minutes, the message will be sent as if the ETA is 4:00 PM.
Minutes subtracted from estimate:
Example: This parameter subtracts time from the ETA before sending the message. For example, if the ETA is 3:00 PM and you subtract 120 minutes, the message will be sent as if the ETA is 1:00 PM.
Order Pickup ETA Provided
Use-case: Order Pickup ETA Provided: Notifies customers before their order is picked-up by a driver.
Parameters:
Minutes before pickup: This defines how long before pick-up the message should be sent.
Minutes added to estimate: This adds extra time to the pick-up time to account for variability in pickup times.
Minutes subtracted from estimate: This removes time from the estimated pick-up time
Example: You are delivering fresh bread to a canteen for lunch. You have an agreement to notify them while the bread is being baked, as it typically takes 2 hours from that moment until the bread is delivered to them. The canteen has to ensure that a member of staff is free within the next 2 hours to receive the bread. You can set up a Communication trigger for Order PickUp ETA, informing the customer 15 minutes before the bread is handed to driver, and accounting for some extra/minus time to give some flexibility to the driver to arrive.
Order Delivery Delayed ETA Provided
Use-case: Order Delivery Delayed ETA Provided - Notifies the customer when their expected delivery time cannot be met due to delays encountered en route.
Parameters:
Minutes added to estimate: This parameter specifies the additional minutes that should be added to the new ETA
Minutes subtracted from estimate: This specifies the number of minutes that should be extracted to the new ETA.
Minimum minutes delayed before sending: This sets the threshold for how many minutes the delivery must be delayed before a notification is sent. For example, if set to 10 minutes, a notification will only be sent if the delay is 10 minutes or more.
Minimum minutes prior to planned delivery before sending: This parameter ensures that notifications are not sent too close to the planned delivery time. For instance, if set to 15 minutes, the system will avoid sending notifications within 15 minutes of the originally scheduled delivery time.
Example: An order of perishable items with an initial ETA at 2:00 PM has been delayed due to traffic congestion for 15 minutes. The new order ETA is 2:30 PM. You want to leave room for unpredictability along the route, and to communicate to customers that the order has been delayed and it will be delivered between 2:20 - 3:00 PM instead. You would set minutes subtracted from the estimate at 10, minutes added to the estimate at 40, and set the message to be sent 30 min before the original ETA.
Order / Service Schedule Triggered
Use-case: Communicates a time interval during which an order or a service is expected.
Parameters:
Minutes added to estimate:
Minutes subtracted from estimate:
Schedule ID:
Update route stop timeframe:
Example:
Summary
Trigger Events define when a communication is considered.
Parameters refine the timing of the communication in relation to the trigger event.
Values are the specific timings set for the parameters to determine the exact moment the communication is sent.
By understanding and correctly setting the relationship between triggers, parameters, and their values, you can ensure your communications are timely and relevant, enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.