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  5. Configure a response option as a user attribute

Configure a response option as a user attribute

Response options can be either of the following types:
  • Custom
    : Defined during the creation of an alert or alert template. This is the most common type.
  • Preset
    : Defined in advance as user attributes. The preset options have a feature that is not available in custom responses. When a user responds to the alert using a preset option, the response value is copied to their user record as a user attribute that can later be the subject of a query. The user attribute must be a single-select picklist, status attribute, or check box type. Use the single-select picklist type when you want to customize the response options. Use the check box attribute type if you require only a "Yes" or "No" response. Status attributes are used primarily as a single-select picklist for accountability events, but are also available as preset response options.
    Single-select picklist, and status attributes can have a maximum of 9 values when used as response options.
When a user responds to an alert on multiple devices, only the response on the first device updates the alert summary. A user can update the user attribute from the response options one time for each device that received the alert. For example, if email is used to update a response option, and more than one email address is targeted, only the first email address the user responds from will update the attribute. Each subsequent response is ignored in alert reports. The user can update the attribute value by using another device, such as Phone or SMS, each device can update one time per alert.
If an attribute is used as a response option in an alert, the last response from a single device is the response that updates the user attribute value. If the attribute needs to be updated again after the alert, the user must access Self Service to make the update. Additionally, operators and administrators can update the attribute in the
BlackBerry AtHoc
 management system.
If an attribute is used as a response option in an accountability event, each device can update the event if there are changes to the user's status. Only a single device can be used to update the status attribute value.

Benefits of using a preset response option

Preset response options created as user attributes are appropriate in the following situations:
  • As a way to efficiently gather data about users for use later in alert targeting. The response an alert recipient gives to an alert asking if they have medical training, for example, could be added to each respondent's personnel record. During a subsequent emergency, the user database could be searched and an alert immediately sent out to all users whose user attribute value for Medical Training is set to "Yes."
  • When there is a need to send out multiple versions of the same alert but view the results in a single, aggregated report. The responses from each version of the alert are added to each respondent's user record. At any time, operators can generate a single personnel report that shows the aggregate totals for all response options across the multiple versions of the alert.
  1. In the navigation bar, click Settings icon.
  2. Click
    Users
     >
    User Attributes
    .
  3. On the
    User Attributes
     screen, click
    New
     >
    Single-select Picklist
    .
    If you require only a "Yes" or "No" response, select
    New
     >
    Checkbox
    .
    Single-select Picklist attributes can have a maximum of 9 values when used as response options.
  4. In the
    Basic
     section, in the
    Name
     field, enter a name for the attribute.
  5. In the
    Basic
     section, select
    Use as a Response Option
    .
  6. For a Single-select Picklist attribute, in the
    Values
     section, add the response options for each picklist option. The recommended number of response options is 3 to 5. Do not use more than 9 response options.
  7. In the
    Page Layout
     section, leave all drop-down lists set to
    Do not show
    .
  8. Optionally, to track the responses:
    1. In the
      Personnel Reports
       section, select the Enabled
      Yes
       option.
    2. In the
      Name
       field, enter the same name you entered in Step 4.
  9. Click
    Save
    .
The response option user attribute appears in the
Response Options
 section of the alert details screen.
If you selected the
Enable
 check box in Step 8, each time an operator publishes an alert with the response options you created, the option value each respondent selects is added to their user record. To view a summary of responses to each option, go to
Reports
 >
Personnel Reports
 and click
Summary
 beside the name you gave the report in Step 8.  A list of attributes and users who have selected the values are listed. A pie chart of the selected values is displayed.
For the attribute to show as a response option, at least one user must make a selection in the attribute. You may need to log out and log in to see the new attribute as a response option.