This documentation supports the 23.3 version of BMC Helix Digital Workplace Basic and BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced. Icons distinguish capabilities available only for the Advanced and External license levels. For more information, see License types and features.To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Notifications

Notifications are messages that keep end users informed and engaged in a environment that supports both in-office and remote work. For example, an HR team receives a bell notification with a broadcast about the upcoming time management training. Users get notifications on desktop and mobile devices. The latter help track the status of services regardless of the location. For example, an employee services member can quickly approve a request to create an office badge for a new joinee so that work hours are not lost in waiting for permission to enter the office.

The following personas are the key users that receive notifications:

  • Requester —Applies to everybody within an organization who submits service requests.
  • Approver and alternate approver —Applies to specific users who approve service requests.
  • On-behalf-of requester —Applies to managers, administrators, and support agents who are entitled to submit service requests on behalf of other users.

The following notification types are supported:

Related topics

Managing-broadcasts-and-notifications-for-end-users

Service-request-approvals

Submitting-service-requests-for-other-users

Setting-up-surveys

Setting-up-service-health-items


Email notifications

Email notifications are emails that the application sends to inform users about changes or updates to services and activities. Such notifications are sent to work email addresses specified in user preferences. Users can select for which events they want to receive email notifications. Administrators can customize email notifications; for example, change the name of headings and footer content, or select which sections to hide in the email template.

Scenario of receiving an email notification

Allen, a manager in Apex Global, wants to add a new account for Mary who has recently joined the company. Allen submits a request. Bob, a support employee who approves Allen's requests, receives an email notification about Allen's pending approval. 

Users can receive email notifications for the following events:

  • Status changes of service requests submitted by users directly or as on-behalf-of users (emails about an approval or rejection of service requests are not sent)
  • Events related to service requests for which users are original or alternate approvers (for example, a comment on a service request)
  • Social activity
  • Feedback survey

DWP Advanced icon.pngBMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced license only

  • Status changes of service health items to which users subscribe
  • New and canceled appointments 
  • Shared requests

Email.jpg


Push notifications

Push notifications appear on a mobile device's screen and make a sound when the mobile device is locked or when a user is interacting with another mobile app. To start receiving push notifications, end users must first enable them in the general settings of their mobile device and then be logged in to the application. For newly created users, administrators can configure push notifications in the notification settings. After logging in to the application, users can configure push notifications in their preferences.

For Android devices, users need to create a browser shortcut of the application. For iOS devices, users need to install a native wrapper app from the Apple App Store. 

Scenario of receiving a push notification

Ian, a manager in Centari, is flying for a business trip to Vancouver. Francie, an employee in the London office, submits a day-off request. After Ian lands in the airport and connects to the internet, he receives a push notification and quickly approves the request straight from his phone.

Users can receive push notifications for the following events:

  • Status changes of service requests submitted by users directly or as on-behalf-of users

  • Events related to service requests for which users are original or alternate approvers (for example, a comment on a service request)

    Important

    If multiple comments are added in the activity log, the notification for only the newest comment is displayed in the in-app notification (bell icon). 

  • Broadcasts
  • Social activity
  • Feedback survey

DWP Advanced icon.pngBMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced license only

  • Status changes of service health items to which users subscribe
  • Shared requests

Push iOS.png


In-app (bell) notifications

In-app notifications are designed to alert end users about the most recent notifications within the application. To see these notifications, end users must be logged in to the application and click the bell icon. 

Scenario of receiving an in-app notification

Allen has submitted a request to create a new account for Mary whose account has been blocked. Ian, a manager, clicks the bell icon and sees a new approval request. He clicks the Approve button so that a process of creating Mary's account starts.

Users can receive bell notifications for the following events:

  • Events related to service requests for which users are original or alternate approvers (for example, a comment on a service request)
  • Approval or rejection of service requests
  • Broadcasts
  • Feedback survey

DWP Advanced icon.pngBMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced license only

  • Status changes of service health items to which users subscribe
  • New appointments 

In-app1.jpg


How notifications work

All users added to the CTM:People form in BMC Helix ITSM can receive all types of notifications. Both users and administrators can configure notification settings: the end user sets up notifications to avoid unnecessary updates and concentrate only on specific messages while the administrator sets up notifications that are of upmost importance for employees.

The following table gives an overview of where and how to configure notifications:


Details

Email notifications

Administrators configure email and push notifications in Configuration > Email & Notifications; see Configuring-status-updates-and-notifications. 

End users configure email and push notifications in their preferences; see Setting-up-end-user-preferences.

Push notifications

In-app notifications

Administrators configure in-app notifications in Application Features; see Enabling-end-user-features.

End users configure in-app notifications in their preferences.


How notifications work for logged-in users

By default, new users do not receive any notifications. However, the administrator can modify default notification settings. Users who leverage the application's SaaS deployment can also raise a request for the BMC Operations team to perform a bulk upgrade for existing users.

Scenario of updating default notification settings for end users

Apex Global has recently introduced a new product, which boosted the growth of the customer base. The company receives more and more support tickets, so they decide to hire an extra customer care team. The administrator enables request notifications for new employees so that they can keep track of all customer queries right after their first login to the application.


How notifications work for never logged-in users

(Version 22.1.04 and later) Users who have an account, but have never logged in to the application can receive email and in-app notifications. However, push notifications are not supported for these users. All notification events are supported except for service health items updates. To receive email, push, and bell notifications about service health items, users must log in to the application and subscribe to service health items of their interest (DWP Advanced icon.pngBMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced license only).

Scenario of receiving an email notification by a user who has never logged in to BMC Helix Digital Workplace

Mary, an employee at Apex Global, has requested reimbursement for a business trip. Bob, an approver in Mary's department, has started a sabbatical leave and forgot to approve Mary's request. The IT team creates an account for Sarah, who is going to fill in for Bob, and reassigns the approval request to her. Sarah receives an email with a link to the application to approve Mary's request.


What languages notifications support

End users receive notifications in the language selected in their preferences; see Setting-up-end-user-preferences. The administrator can also enable end users to override the language setting; see Setting-a-language-for-your-end-users. If both the end user and the administrator do not select a language, the application uses the browser's notification settings. If the browser's locale is not supported by the application, notifications are sent in English; see Supported-languages-and-locales. 


How branding works with notifications

If the administrator rebrands the application, email, and bell notifications are automatically rebranded with the new logo, product name, and global navigation style. Rebranding does not affect push notifications. For more information, see Rebranding-BMC-Helix-Digital-Workplace.

For detailed restyling of notifications, see Customizing-email-push-and-in-app-notifications.

 

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