Announcements Module: User Guide

1. Executive Summary

This guide helps you understand and use the Announcements module within the Communication feature. The Announcements module allows you to easily share important updates, events, and alerts with all or selected users of the system. This ensures everyone stays informed, leading to better coordination and smoother operations. You can create, edit, filter, and export announcements, saving you time and improving communication across the board.

2. Introduction

Are you struggling to keep everyone updated on important information? Do you need a way to quickly share announcements with your team or the entire organization? The Announcements module solves these problems by providing a centralized place to create, manage, and distribute important updates.

What is the Announcements Module? The Announcements module is a feature within the Communication section of the Vehicle Tracking System that allows you to create and share system-wide messages with specific users or groups. This helps ensure that everyone is informed about important updates, events, or alerts.

Key Terms:

• Announcement: A message shared with users to inform them of updates, events, or alerts.
• Content Type: The format of the announcement (e.g., text, image, audio).
• Availability Calendar: A calendar view that shows when announcements are scheduled to be displayed.

3. Main Content (User-Focused Sections):

What This Means for You:

• Stay Informed: Get instant updates and alerts on important events, system changes, or critical information.
• Save Time: Quickly create and distribute announcements to all or selected users, eliminating the need for individual communication.
• Improve Coordination: Ensure everyone is on the same page with clear and timely updates, leading to better coordination of transportation activities.
• Easily Manage Announcements: Filter, edit, and remove announcements as needed, keeping your information organized and up-to-date.
• Access Announcements Anywhere: View announcements from any device.
• Less Time Spent: Minimizing the time spent for communication and get the correct info at the right time.
• Peace of mind knowing: Everyone on the team have the correct and updated information.

How It Works:

The Announcements module provides a straightforward process for creating, distributing, and managing announcements. Here's how it works, as shown in the flowchart:

1. Create Announcement: Navigate to the Communication module and select Announcements. Click the "Add Announcement" button to create a new announcement.
2. Enter Details: Fill in the required fields, such as the announcement title, type (e.g., urgent, informational), and content type (text, image, or audio).
3. Set Availability: Use the availability calendar to schedule the announcement for a specific date or time period.
4. Distribute Announcement: Once the announcement is created and scheduled, it will be displayed to the assigned users in the communication panel or notification section.
5. Manage Announcements: You can filter announcements by title, date, or other criteria. You can also edit or delete existing announcements as needed.
6. Export Announcements: You can export announcements in PDF or Excel format.

Getting Started:

Follow these steps to start using the Announcements module:

1. Navigate to the Communication module.
2. Open the Announcement submodule.
3. To create a new announcement, click the Add Announcement button located at the top-right corner of the page.
4. Fill in the required fields, including:
   • Announcement Title: Enter a clear and concise title for your announcement.
   • Announcement Type: Select the type of announcement (e.g., urgent, informational).
   • Content Type: Choose the format of your announcement (Text, Image, Audio).
5. If you select Image or Audio as the content type, upload the corresponding file.
6. To schedule the announcement, use the availability calendar to select the desired date and time.
7. Click the Submit button to save and publish your announcement.
8. To edit an existing announcement, select it from the list, click the three dots menu, and choose Edit.
9. To delete an announcement, select it from the list, click the three dots menu, and choose Delete.
10. To filter announcements, enter your search criteria in the filter fields and click Filter. To remove all filters, click Clear Filter.
11. To export announcements, click the Export button and select the desired format (PDF or Excel).

Key Features You'll Use:

• Creating Announcements: Easily create new announcements with different content types (text, image, audio).
• Filtering Announcements: Quickly find specific announcements by filtering by title, date, or other criteria.
• Scheduling Announcements: Set announcements to be displayed at specific dates or time periods using the availability calendar.
• Editing Announcements: Modify existing announcements to update information or correct errors.
• Deleting Announcements: Remove outdated or irrelevant announcements from the system.
• Exporting Announcements: Download announcement data in PDF or Excel format for reporting or archiving purposes.
• Previewing Announcements: Previewing announcements before publishing.
• Clear Filter: To remove applied filters.

Common Scenarios:

• Sharing a System Update: You need to inform all users about a planned system update. Create a new announcement with the title "System Update," select "Urgent" as the type, and enter the details of the update in the content section.
• Informing Drivers of a Road Closure: You want to notify drivers about a road closure. Create an announcement with the title "Road Closure on Highway 1," select "Informational" as the type, and add an image showing the affected area.
• Announcing a Company Event: You're organizing a company event and want to invite all employees. Create an announcement with the title "Company Picnic," select "Event" as the type, and include the date, time, and location in the content section.
• Filtering Announcements: You need to find all announcements related to "Maintenance." Enter "Maintenance" in the title filter to quickly find relevant announcements.
• Filtering By Calendar: You want to check what was announced in the 25th of December, Filter by Calendar and see all of the old announcements that have been made on that day.
• Downloading Announcement Data: You need to create a report of all announcements made in the past month. Export the announcement data in Excel format and use it to generate your report.
• Announcing a new policy: You can easily announce a new policy by clicking on "Add Announcement" then writing the title and selecting the type of the announcement then submit to the users.
• When you have a new driver on the team: You can announce the new driver to welcome him on the team.

What to Expect:

After creating and submitting an announcement, it will be displayed to the assigned users in the communication panel or notification section. When filtering announcements, only those that match your criteria will be displayed. When exporting announcements, a file in the selected format (PDF or Excel) will be downloaded to your computer. When editing an announcement, the updated details will be saved and reflected in the system. When deleting an announcement, it will be removed from the system and no longer visible to users.

4. Visual Elements & Supporting Information

Field Validation Table:

Field Name	Mandatory	Field Type	Data Type	Field Size	Is Editable	Description
Announcement Title	Yes	Text	String	255	Yes	The title of the announcement.
Announcement Type	Yes	Text	String	255	Yes	The type of announcement (e.g., Urgent, Informational).
Content Type	Yes	Dropdown	String	N/A	Yes	The format of the announcement (Text, Image, Audio).

5. Summary & Benefits

The Announcements module simplifies communication and ensures that everyone stays informed. By providing a centralized platform for creating, managing, and distributing important updates, you can save time, improve coordination, and enhance overall efficiency. Whether it's sharing system updates, announcing company events, or notifying drivers of road closures, the Announcements module empowers you to communicate effectively and keep your team on the same page.