RB User Guide > Calendar > Resource Blast

Sending urgent requests for help

RB9 only

Have you ever panicked looking for a reporter for a job called in at the last minute? How would you find someone who lives close to the job location and is willing to take the job without spending hours on the phone? Send an urgent job alert out to a group of resources based on a series of parameters.

  1. View resources

    1. Calendar > Resource Blast
    2. In the Resource Blast window’s Search By pane, enter or change search criteria:
      • *Job No.

        Required. Enter the job number of the job that needs a resource.

      • Miles within Job Location

        Default is 20 miles. Enter a new number or press up and down arrows to increase or decrease the range by 1 (longest distance for a physical location is 100 miles). Delete the default number (leave the field blank) when the job location is Online Meeting.

      • Resource State

        To restrict the search to specific states, click lookup button to select a state or states in the Lookup State popup. See Lookup panel.

      • Priority Level

        Order of preference or availability. Priority levels, including the default, are defined in Lists > Resources.

      • Resource Type

        Profession(s) and/or other type of resource(s). Resource types, including the default, are defined in Lists > Resources.

      • Specialty

        Skills and/or expertise. Specialties, including the default, are defined in Lists > Resources.

      • Show Available Only
        Default is Yes. Click to select No to include resources that have already been assigned to tasks that conflict time-wise with this new job.
    3. Click search button. RB9 lists all of the available resources that meet your search criteria.

  2. Send message blast

    1. Select resources to alert:
      • To send an email blast, check the Email box at the top to send an email to all of the resources listed, or check individual resources’ boxes.
      • To send an SMS text-message blast, check the SMS box at the top to send a text message to all of the resources listed, or check individual resources’ boxes.
    2. Click Send.
    3. In the Options popup:
      • Click Show mail composer to select Yes if you want to preview and/or edit the blast.
      • Change the email address you are sending the blast from by clicking the default address in the From drop-down and selecting a different address. Email addresses and the default are set in System Preferences > General > Email.
    4. Click OK. (If you are using the mail composer, also click Send in the Email/SMS popup after previewing/editing the email.) RB9 sends the blast.
    5. Click OK again in the popup that appears when the reports have been sent. RB9 notes the success of its emailing for each resource in the Result column.
TIP: Customize Resource Blast messages

To change the default contents and settings for Resource Blast emails and SMS text messages, see System Preferences > Calendar and Customizing communications.

Reference
Step-by-step instructions