Alfresco Content Accelerator – Document Notification Distribution Lists

Policy and Procedure users will now have access to Distribution Lists in Alfresco Content Accelerator.  Distribution Lists allows users to receive automatic notifications when a document or a case folder reaches a specific status or lifecycle state. This post will explore how the Alfresco Content Accelerator uses Distributions to make end users more efficient.

Why are Distributions Lists Needed?

A typical content management application stores hundreds of thousands and even millions or billions of files. A single user is typically only interested in a small subset of these documents and needs a way to monitor when these documents are updated, released or obsoleted.  The distribution functionality allows a user to be automatically notified when a document reaches a specific status or lifecycle state. Two examples are:

• HR Policies – When a Corporate Policy changing how employees take personal time off (PTO) is released all employees should receive a notification.
• Manufacturing – A new Assembly procedure document was made effective today. Key users on that assembly line trained on the procedure a month ago, but a follow up notification is required to remind them to start using that new Assembly procedure today.
• Insurance Claim – A user may want to receive an automatic notification when the status on the claim was changed to “Closed.”
• Health Care – Once all pertinent forms and documentation are received, a notification needs to be sent that the patient intake is complete

How Distribution Lists Work

In the short video below you will see how:

1. Distribution groups and users are added to a document by an author or business admin
2. The triggering of the notification message when the document reaches a specific status/lifecycle state

Look for an upcoming enchantments that will add in Subscription (self-service) notifications as well as expand current distribution functionality for “case” scenarios allowing users to receive a notification message if a document is added or updated in a specified case folder.