We're planning on rolling out changes to the messaging feature on eyworks. All communications will now take place within the system, meaning external messages will no longer be available. The current messaging feature will also be replaced with Campaigns and Conversations, which provide two different ways of communicating with parents and employees.
What are Campaigns?
Campaigns is a feature designed to make it easier to send out communications to many people at once, like announcements or newsletters, though they can also be sent to individuals. Received campaign messages will be found in the Communications tab on the new messaging screen, and cannot be replied to.
What are Conversations?
Conversations are direct messages between users on the system. Currently, if you want to send a message you need to sift through a lot of menus, which makes it cumbersome to communicate efficiently through the system. With the new Conversations feature, you only need to select the person you want to talk to, and you'll be able to message them instantly, as well as see your entire conversation history on one screen. Additionally, you'll be able to create group conversations involving multiple users.
What does it mean that I can no longer use external messages?
Currently, you can choose between sending messages internally or externally, according to your Branch/Nursery settings. Whichever one you chose, you will receive an email notification whenever someone sends you a message. External messages can be viewed within your email inbox. Internal messages cannot be viewed through your email inbox, and the notification will prompt you to view the message on the system.
With the changes to the messaging feature, you will no longer be able to view messages through an external inbox. All communications will pass through the app or web system. This also means that eymanage customers will no longer be able to access messages through eylog, which are currently linked to external messages.
Will I still receive email notifications?
Yes! You will still receive notifications through your email inbox when a message is sent to you.
What will happen to my previous messages?
You will still be able to view messages you received prior to the messaging update in the Legacy tab.
Can I customise Campaign messages for different audiences?
Yes! Campaigns have the same features as the current messages, including the ability to filter the recipients, and the ability to use Email Templates to personalise the message to each recipient. The only difference is that you won't have the option to turn on replies, unless you are an eylog-only customer.
Do Campaigns and Conversations support media attachments?
Yes! You will be able to add attachments to both campaigns and conversations, as you can with the current messaging feature.
Will these changes affect all products?
No, at first, the changes to messaging will only affect the parent app. However, we plan to eventually have this feature available across all our products, for employees as well as parents.
Do I need to do anything to prepare for the switch?
No! The change will take place automatically and will not affect the messages you send prior to the switch.
Will these changes affect both the app and web systems?
On release, these changes will only affect the parent app, and will not be available through the web-based parent portal.
Who can I contact for further questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the eyworks support team through the in-system chat, by emailing support@eyworks.co.uk, or by calling 0330 088 2008.