[Mifos-users] Points to remeber while using SMS campaign

[Santosh Math]

Hi All,

Some of the important points you have to remember while using SMS campaign:

1.    There are mainly two SMS providers, namely Twilio and Infobip(you have to register your mobile number with those SMS providers. 

 2. There are three triggered types to send SMS:

        >>Direct

        >> Triggered

        >>Scheduled

3. There are lot of business rules for each type of triggered type. Direct and Scheduled types have same types of business rules(Ex: Active Loan Clients, Loan In Arrears, Loan Payment Received(Active Loans), etc).  On the other hand Triggered type has different business rules(Ex: Loan Repayment, Client Activated, Savings Activated, etc)

3. We can create any SMS campaign using any one of the SMS provider and any one of the above said triggered types and choosing appropraite business rule and parameters.  Once SMS campaign is created you will see following tabs under particular SMS campaign:

 

   >> Pending SMS(this type is updated/highlighted only for 'Direct' triggered type.

   >> Waiting for Delivery Report

   >> Sent SMS

   >> Delivered SMS

   >> Failed SMS 

4. Scheduler Jobs to be run for particular triggered type:

    >> Direct Type: (Two Scheduler Jobs required to be run)

          i) If 'Direct' type of SMS campaign is created , all the messages related to it ,will be highlighted under 'Pending SMS' tab. 

          ii)Send SMS to message gateway:(List of messages under the tab 'Pending SMS' will be moved to 'Waiting for delivery report' tab.

          iii) Get Delivery Report from SMS gateway: (List of messages under the tab 'Waiting for delivery report' will be moved to 'Delivered SMS' tab if delivered to client's mobile numbers and if not delivered yet , then those messages highlighted under 'Sent SMS' tab. If failed to deliver, then all the messages under "Sent SMS" tab will be moved to "Failed SMS" tab.

    

    >> Triggered Type:(Only one scheduler required to be run)

     Note: you don't need to run scheduler job 'Send SMS to message gateway' for this type as messages are automatically triggered. 

      Let's say Client is activated, the message is automatically sent to message gateway and hence forth client's mobile and all the messages are highlighted under 'Waiting for delivery report' tab and all you need to run only one scheduler job , that is , ' Get Delivery report from SMS gateway' and all the messages under 'Waiting for delivery report' tab will be moved 'Delivered SMS' or not yet delivered then they moved to 'Sent SMS'. If failed to deliver after some time, the messages will be moved to 'Failed  SMS'.

    >>Scheduled Type:(All Three scheduler jobs required to be run)

   For this type you have to run all three scheduler jobs:

  

  i) Update SMS outbound with campaign message:(it will update next scheduled date to send SMS)

   ii) Send Messages to SMS gateway:(it will send messages to client's mobile number and those messages will be highlighted under 'Waiting for Delivery Report' tab. 

  iii) Get Delivery Report from SMS gateway.

      just like previously said, all the messages under 'Waiting for Delivery Report' tab will be moved to either Sent SMS or Delivered  SMS tabs in order to confirm message status.

Note: Whenever Particular SMS campaign is run , it is better to be 'closed' and 'Reactivate' again when you wish to run it again . The reason is,

    >> New activities(ex:loan repayment, savings deposit) will be updated in SMS campaign, Otherwise it will show only old activities. 

   >> Messages of old activities will be sent again.(Duplicate Messages). 

These are avoided if we 'Close' particular sms campaign after using it and 'Reactivate' it if we want to use it again..

  

--

Regards

Santosh 

QA Team

Skype:santoshmath99