Communications

The key point of 3C Office is representation of communications as a well-ordered process that is brought into the program according to your usual work logics.

Incoming and outgoing communications are gathered to make a tree-structure that should define the logics of communications just the way the discussion in Internet forums is organized. Branches of the tree-structure (folders) represent steps of the business process that are described by the Workflow. Leaves of the tree are communications themselves. Another important element is a list of the conference participants – the Distribution List, that is defined during the process planning, and that can be changed later on at each level.

Distribution List

This is a pre-created list of your clients who should receive a communication in the context of further business transactions.

The list is edited with the help of a user-friendly editor. This editor allows you to create a list both including separate contacts – persons and organizations, and including pre-created lists.

With the help of this editor contacts from an existing list can be included into a new list.

Message and Communication

Messages typically get a serial number for tracking purposes. Using this number and the communication type, it is easy to find the top of the process tree, where the communication should be stored.

Outgoing message

Having selected the necessary Distribution List, click the button. Depending on pre-set contact’s preferences, the program will offer an appropriate way of communication: eMail, Letter or Fax.

Your task is to create text and send it using an appropriate e-mail client or post courier. The database stores one record and formatted text of the communication or a formatted text of the communication template.

In order to send a communication to participants of the list, you do not have to communicate with each contact separately. The integration with an embedded MS Word serial mails distribution allows you to plan and execute mass message delivery in the most effective way. In this case the system does not create a document, but modifies the office template, which is selected depending on the step of the Workflow.

Incoming message

You have a possibility to register replies to your inquiry that come from users. If you do not need to store the text of such messages, it is enough to select the category of reaction according to the current step of the business process. For example, in reply to your inquiry to take part in a seminar, you may receive a positive or a negative feedback.

If it is vital to save the received message, create a new communication in the tree-structure. Depending on the type of response, the message can be saved either in the same branch as an outgoing inquiry or in a separate branch, if the business process pre-supposes it. For example, all responses with proposals on product prices can be moved to the Price Quotes folder.

Text of an incoming message can be saved into the database with attached documents, if needed. In most cases it is necessary only to specify user’s reaction, having chosen one possible user’s reaction variant, for example, Confirmation or Declination.

Workflow Scenario

The system offers you to use Workflow : in this way you can keep to a certain procedure in processing your communications. A scenario, created for each significant business procedure allows you to save time and avoid logical mistakes. As a starting point you can use typical models that, as we hope, can be applied to your business after corresponding modifications. However the system requires certain efforts for its fine tuning; your efforts though will be repaid a hundredfold.

To describe a scenario, use a corresponding editor. It allows you to describe the sequence of business steps in an easily understandable way. The sequence of steps is represented as a tree-structure: solutions create the top of the tree, while message templates used later on for e-mail create branches. Besides you can define a list of persons responsible for implementing this or that step in your organization.

When defining a communication for a certain business process, its structure is automatically applied to the communication tree structure, which should be later filled with new communications. New directories are automatically created in the communication during implementing business process steps. Thus you can visually see how far you’ve advanced in your business process.

At a certain step of communication development (represented as a tree-structure) it’s necessary to define a place for each message. By implementing batch distribution of e-mails you save your time significantly. Besides you decrease the risk of breaking the communication chain because of a logical mistake.

After a message has been sent, the initial list can be split and truncated at each communication stage depending on the respondent’s reaction.

However at any time you can either use your own branches in the communication tree or edit your actions manually. In other words, the system logics is not strict but flexible and helpful.