SMART - importing Service Requests from SIMS

This document explains how to install and operate a utility (Get_SIMS.exe) which will transfer Service Requests and Alarm Response requests from SIMS to Smart.

Overview

1. Service Requests

Service Requests and notes are keyed into SIMS by the SIMS operators. These are exported from SIMS to a text file by running a report and choosing 'File' as the destination (refer to SIMS documentation for further information on how to do this). The text file must have names ending in .doc or .txt.

The Get_SIMS utility automatically picks up these text files and transfers them to Smart, where they become either Service Jobs or Reminders. Log files show transfer history and store any errors. There are a number of configuration options.

2. Alarm Responses

If your SIMS system has been modified for this purpose, the SIMS operator can press a hotkey to send alarm details to SMART to initiate an alarm response job. For details of this modification and the hotkey to press, contact your SIMS supplier.

Pressing the hotkey creates a text file with a .msg suffix in the SIMS data directory. The Get_SIMS utility picks these up and creates a response job. If the SIMS account has not been previously copied to Smart, basic account details (location name and address) are created in Smart. Remaining details will be brought across during the next SIMS Sync.

Installation

The Get_SIMS utility must be installed on a PC with the following minimum attributes. The PC may also be used as a normal workstation.

Any version of Windows from Windows 95 on.
32Mb of RAM
5Mb of disk space
SQL Server client installed
access to the network directory where the text files produced by SIMS are stored.

Simply copy the program file (Get_SIMS.exe) and this help file (Get_SIMS.chm) to any directory in the PC, and create a shortcut in the PC's Startup folder to operate it. If the PC has multiple users and is running Windows NT, be sure to choose the system Startup folder and not the user Startup folder, so that the program will start regardless of login.

If you see an error message File System Error when you first run the program, the SQL Server client has not been installed correctly.

Configuration

Click on the shortcut to start Get_SIMS. The first time you start the program after installation the Setup window will appear (if not, click on the Setup button).

Smart Database	Press this button if you wish to change to a different database. You should need to do this rarely, if at all. Your system administrator will assist you with the correct settings.
SIMS Folder Name	This is the name of the folder (directory) where SIMS has placed text files containing Service Requests.
Check Every	This is the interval between checks (default 30 seconds). Choose a shorter period if you want SIMS Service Requests to be picked up more quickly by Smart. Choose a longer period if you which to maximise performance on the PC where Get_SIMS is installed (for example, if the user is running other applications).
Control Room	(Also known as Operating Unit.) Smart Service Request jobs will appear in this Control Room. A Smart operator with appropriate access permission may reassign the job to another control room .
Service	The service for the Smart Service Request job. If there is no pricing set for the customer, default pricing will apply. A Smart operator with appropriate access permission may specify a different service.
Default Division	(Also known as Class.) The Smart Service Request will be billed by the Division set for the Customer linked to the Site (Sites are also known as Locations). If there is no Division specified for the Customer, or if there is no Customer linked to the Site, the Default Division specified here will bill the job. A Smart operator with appropriate access permission (usually, an Accounts operator) may specify a different Division.
Alarm Company	Any SIMS accounts which are copied to Smart (as Locations) during job creation are linked to this Alarm Company. You can change this choice later, in Smart.
Exceptions	By default, all SIMS Service Requests are transferred to Smart as a job. However you may also create a message for a Smart operator and/or prevent a Smart job being created. Right click and select Add for the Exception Window (below).

If this phrase ...

Select a phrase which appears in the body of the SIMS Service Request (not the account name, address, or contact details) which will identify a type of Service Request. If possible, use special characters (e.g. *** ) which will not appear in other requests.

Only Service Requests which contain this phrase will have this rule applied to them.

Create a Smart job

Creating a Smart job is the default behaviour for Service Requests. Uncheck this box to prevent a job being added (e.g. if your 'Service Request' is actually a sales lead).

Create a message for

Checking this box will create a message for a Smart operator containing the full Service Request.

Smart Reminder Messages can be displayed by selecting \Operations \Reminder Messages from the main Smart menu, or by pressing the button on the main Smart toolbar. Smart messages can also popup automatically, if the No Popup checkbox on the Reminder window is unchecked.

Messages can be addressed to a single operator, or all operators. In the example above, messages for Sales will be directed to Annette Russell.

Operation

After closing the Setup window, the main window appears (below). Once setup is complete, this window will appear as soon as the program is started. No operator intervention is necessary.

Successful Imports and Failed Imports show the number of SIMS text files which have been successfully imported, or which have not been imported. Further details are in the log files (below). Any number of Service Requests may be contained in a SIMS text file. Each Response request is contained in a single text file.

Log Files

Information about Service Requests or Responses which have been imported or failed to import is contained in the log files. Press the View Log button to view the Log Window (below).

Processed Service Requests/ Responses

An entry appears in this list for each Service Request which has been successfully extracted from the SIMS export file. If details do not appear correctly, the SIMS file layout may have changed.

If the Service Request could not be added to Smart, details appear in the Error column.

Outcome

This list contains further information about errors, including about SIMS files which cannot be open or read.

Alarm Response information provided by SIMS

The following SIMS fields are provided to Smart when creating a SMART alarm response

Time of Alarm
AccountNumber
EventCode
EventName
Detector
Time submitted to Smart (appears as Received Time in Smart)

If no matching site code is found in Smart for the SIMS account number, the following details are added to Smart. Otherwise, the details already in Smart are used:
SiteName
Contact
Address
Suburb
State
Postcode
CrossStreet
Map Reference

The following fields are supplied but not used in Smart
Alarm Company
Password

Further information

Please contact Skorpion

Ph (02) 9280 0728
Fax (02) 9280 0739
support@skorpion.com.au
www.skorpion.com.au