SMS Support

You can use Smart to despatch jobs or send freeform messages using SMS (Short Message System) which is now supported by all Australian mobile phones. Sending a short message costs around 12c (less in volume) plus any dial-up charges. Although most messages are received within about a minute of transmission, unexpected delays can occur and you should have the guard or patrolman confirm receipt of mission-critical messages.

See below for system requirements and setup instructions.

Despatching via SMS

  • Select a Service Provider which is set up for despatch by SMS, then despatch the job as normal. The SMS is sent when you press F6 in the main Despatch window or Job Details window, or F10 (OK) in the Job Details window.
  • Depending on the setting you chose in Operator Interaction (see Setup) you may be asked to acknowledge the despatch.
  • To see whether the message was sent successfully, go to the job details displayed at bottom left in the main Despatch window, and scroll down to the 'Communications' section.  
  • If the same job is subsequently despatched to another Service Provider, the first Service Provider automatically receives a cancellation message.
  • Once you dispatch the job, if you change details of the request, scheduled time, or order number the details will be resent to the Provider.
  • The actual content of the message depends on you system setup (see below).

Free form messages via SMS

  • Click on the MDT (mobile data terminal) icon at the top  of the main screen. A window headed SMART messaging will appear.
    • To send a message, go to the New Message tab.
    • If you enter a valid Service Provider number, the mobile number (if any) for that Service Provider or the current driver is displayed.
    • You may also key in any other mobile number.
    • Enter your message and press Send to send the message.

 Message replies

Some SMS providers (e.g. Message Media) enable replies to be automatically processed into Smart, removing the need to talk to an operator or for the operator to update job details. Details of how to reply are available on this page (you may wish to print it out and give it to Providers.

An SMS containing reply instructions can also be sent to the Service Provider. Go to the messaging icon on the top toolbar, then select the New Message tab. If your SMS provider enables reply processing a button labelled 'Reply Instructions' appears at the bottom of this tab. Click it to generate a message containing the instructions.

Other systems (e.g. Optus) allow the the Service Provider to reply but the reply cannot be automatically processed by SMART because they cannot be reliably matched with the job they are related to. These replies are emailed on to the address (e.g. controlroom address) specifed in the setup (see below).

System requirements

  • Version 3.1 or later of Smart.  (This documentation applies to version 4.1 or later.)

  • An internet connection, any speed.

  • An account with an SMS service provider. Currently , the service providers are supported by Smart (please confirm this with Smart support before opening an account). IN most cases they allow you to open an account on line and become active immediately.

 

Setting up

a. Communications Processor

To send SMS messages the SMART Communications Processor must be installed and running. For installation instructions, go here.

The SMART Communications Processor is usually installed on your database server. It also handles your SmartNet link, dispatch via email, and other functions.

If you can't find a shortcut on the server you should find the program at c:\smart4\smcomms.exe. It usually runs as a service (so you can't see it running except by looking at Task Manager) but you can start a second instance for setup or testing.  

  • Go to the SMS tab and choose your SMS provider from the list.

  • Enter the settings required by the provider. If in doubt, hover the mouse over the field you are entering to see further help.

  • Choose from the check boxes at right to determine what is sent in a dispatch message.

    Here is a sample text message dispatching a job:

Job 800  2000 CHARCOAL BBQ  21-23 BRIDGE STREET BLACKTOWN Disp:06:50

b. Service Provider

  • Set up Service Provider communications (including SMS and other forms of communication) in the Service Provider Details window (\Maintenance \Service Providers).
    • Ensure that a mobile phone number has been entered on the first tab
    • Set Auto Despatch By to Email on the second tab
  • If a driver has been logged on to the Service Provider, the driver's mobile number(if any) is used by default.

© Skorpion Pty Ltd 2011