13. The Skedulo Mobile App: Dynamic Messaging

Overview

Dynamic messaging provides a flexible communication platform for resources in the field to stay up to date on information they need to complete their work throughout the day.

Messaging is a less formal, faster, and more efficient way of communicating on work in Skedulo than having to rely on a separate email client or another external communication tool.

When enabled in your organization, all users with an active Skedulo user profile will be able to access and use the messaging service.

Resources and schedulers then have the ability to stay in contact through group message channels and private channels within the Skedulo mobile application, similar to the way other popular messaging applications like Slack or Microsoft Teams operate. 

Messaging is available on mobile devices for resources in the field to be able to communicate between themselves and schedulers, who can also use messaging from the Skedulo web application.

See Skedulo Mobile App: Device Compatibility for more information about supported mobile devices.

Resources can access messaging functionality from their mobile device by tapping the Messages icon on the bottom navigation bar in the Skedulo Mobile App.

Messages can be sent to multiple users within a channel or as a direct message to one or more users.

Creating a channel

You can create a channel in your organization from the mobile app or from the web UI.

Channels can be useful for discussing specific jobs or company-wide topics. 

1. Tap the + icon next to Channels to create a new channel in the mobile app.
2. Provide a name for your channel.
   Only lower-case letters, numbers, and basic punctuation are supported for channel names.
3. (Optional) Provide a channel description or topic.
4. (Optional) Set the channel to Public if you want other users to be able to find and join the channel.
5. Tap the Add members button to add other users from your organization to the channel.
   
6. Select the users you want to include in the channel. The user creating the channel is automatically included. Tap Done in the upper-right when you have finished.
   
7. Tap Save in the upper-right corner of the New channel screen to create the channel.
   The channel opens automatically in the mobile application. 
8. Type your message to begin chatting in the channel. 

You can access the channel list and any direct message conversations from the Messages screen. 

Public channels are prefixed with a hash (#), while private channels are prefixed with a lock symbol:

Channel information

To view the channel information, including the description and members, click or tap the information icon in the channel view on the Skedulo web app:

Tap the information icon in the upper-right of the channel on the mobile app to view the channel information:

Leaving a channel

Users can click or tap Leave channel in the channel info tab in either the web or mobile app.

Users can only leave the channel if they were not the channel creator.

The Leave channel option is not available in the web app for the channel creator.

If the channel creator attempts to leave the channel from the mobile app, they remain in the channel even after tapping to confirm they want to leave the channel.

When a user successfully leaves the channel, the other channel members are notified in the chat window:

Creating a direct message channel

You can create a direct message between you up to eight other Skedulo users in your organization.

Direct messages are private channels for communication between the channel participants and cannot be searched for or joined by other users.

1. In the Skedulo Mobile App, open the Messages page and tap the + next to Direct messages to start a new direct message channel.
2. Add the users you want to include in the channel.
   
3. Tap Done when you have selected the participants. This opens chat window for you to begin the conversation.

Chatting, tagging users, uploading images, and other chat features

Dynamic messaging includes many of the messaging and chat features you would be familiar with if you have used other messaging applications, such as Slack, Facebook Messenger, or Microsoft Teams.

Notifications

When you have been tagged in a channel or sent a direct message, a notification icon appears on the Messages menu item and on the Messages page next to the channel where you have a new message:

This notification is cleared when you have opened the channel to view the message.

Emojis and reacts

You can react to messages using standard react emojis.

Click the message you want to respond to and select the emoji symbol from the pop-out menu.

The react count appears beside the reaction emojis that have been made on the post.

You can also send an emoji as a message using the messaging keyboard:

 

Adding images and attachments

You can add images and attachments to your message using the + icon on the message input.

Select the file or image you want to attach. Currently, you can only attach one image at a time, but you can attach additional files or images by tapping the attach icon ().

Send the image/s with accompanying text message by typing your message into the input box and sending the message once all files are uploaded to the message.

You can open an image file for a larger view by tapping on it in the chat page:

Dynamic messages from the Skedulo web application

Schedulers and resources with access to the Skedulo web application an access their messages through the web UI.

You can perform all of the same messaging actions in the web UI as you can from the mobile application.

To access dynamic messaging from the Skedulo web application, click the chat bubble icon in the upper-right corner of the web UI.

Creating a dynamic message channel in the Skedulo web application

1. Click the chat bubble in the upper-right corner.

   

2. You can create a channel in the web application by clicking the + icon next to either Channels or Direct messages and complete the required information in the modal. 

   

3. Add users to the channel from the Members tab. You can do this by selecting one or multiple users from the list, or select all to add all users in your organization. 
   
   Or by filtering the list from the search bar to find the users you want to include in the channel:
   
4. Click Create when you are finished.

Sending direct messages in the Skedulo web application

You can use the same process to create a direct message channel in the web application.

1. Click the + next to Direct messages to open a new direct message channel.
2. Select the user or users you want to include in the direct message channel.
   
   You can include up to eight users including yourself in the channel.
   
3. Click Go to create the channel and begin chatting.
4. You can attach images and files using the attach icon () or use emojis from the emoji icon.

Tagging and notifications in the Skedulo web application

You can tag a user in a channel from the web app by typing @ and selecting their name from the prompt.

The chat bubble icon in the Skedulo web application displays a notification number when there are new messages available for the logged-in user. 

Direct messaging offline support and limitations

 

• Pull-to-refresh - The web view cannot be refreshed while offline. This includes while viewing the channels list as well as the message history. 

• Incoming messages - new messages will not be delivered to mobile devices while there is no connection.

• Notifications & bubbles - push notifications for new messages will not be displayed on devices without connectivity and unread bubbles/indicators will not change.

• Marking unreads as read - navigating to channels that display as unread will not make them appear as read while the device is offline.

• Adding new channels/directs - while offline, users cannot navigate to the create channel or create direct message screens, and therefore, they cannot create any new channels or direct message conversations. 

• Sending new messages - users are unable to send new messages while offline. Sending a message when no connection can be detected displays an error message in red, as well as a try again option.

• Upload/send new attachments - attachments will not upload while the device is offline. There is no indication of error but there tapping the send button results in no action.

• Reactions, Edit & Delete messages - reacting to messages, deleting, or editing messages is disabled while offline.

• Viewing of attachments - attachments are not accessible while the device is offline.

• Viewing of channel members - the Channel info page is available while offline however, the View members will produce an error message while the device has no connectivity, as this screen requires an internet connection to fetch the member info.

• Leave a channel - the Channel info page is available while offline however, the Leave channel button will produce an error message while the device has no connectivity.

• Add members - the Channel info page is available while offline however, the Add members button will produce an error message while the device has no connectivity.