Using SMTP Email enhancements
Related topics: System Email Defaults
A number of enhancements have been made to SMTP emailing for Sales Statements and/or SOP Invoices. These enhancements comprise the ability to:
limit access to this functionality through the Security Profile,
access a new function in which you can create, edit, and delete email templates,
create plain text and/or HTML email templates for SOP Invoices and/or for Sales Statements,
add fields, based on underlying XML tags, such as Dear <customer name>,
set a default email template against a Customer,
apply an email template when emailing Sales Statements and/or SOP Invoices.
Security Profiles
Access to the Email Templates functionality is controlled through Security Profiles where this feature is found at System Control > Records > Email Templates.
Email Templates function
The Email Templates function is found at System ribbon > Records.
When you Insert a new Email Template, you should
give the template a Name, so that you can locate the template when emailing a Sales Statement, SOP Invoice, Purchase Order, or Remittance Advice,
add a Subject to the template, so your recipient can determine the content of your email,
Select to make the format either Plain Text or HTML; these are described below,
Set the Type to be SOP Invoice, Sales Statement, POP Order, or Purchase Remittance,
Tick the checkbox if this template is to be the Default for the Type.
Please note: While making a template the Default is not required, not doing so bypasses the Email Templates function. Because the system has no way of knowing which Customers or Suppliers you intend to set up with this feature, instead it reverts to pre-Email Templates functionality for all customers and suppliers, i.e. basic, static summary and body text. If you want to use Email Templates, you should make one template of each Type the Default.
Add the Body of your email, referring to below for notes on choosing Plain Text or HTML,
OK to save your template. The Name is listed in the left-hand pane.
If you need to amend your template, you can select to Edit and then choose the appropriate template in the list.
You are also able to Delete a template and/or to Duplicate a template. When using the Duplicate function, you must give the new template a unique Name.
Plain Text:
If the Plain Text format option is selected then you can type your message directly into the Body pane, and can use the available dynamic fields found under the Insert Fields menu. However, what you type is what you get; if you need advanced formatting, you should use HTML format.
Example: In the following example any items shown in angle brackets refer to a selection from the Insert Field: menu, whereas text shown in keyboard font is what you type directly into the Body pane. Fields used are in the Sales Statement Type. What is shown in the Body pane is your text and code that refers to the underlying database, which should not be amended.
Date: <Current Date>
Our Ref: <Customer Account Code>/1502010JB
Dear <Contact Name>, <Customer Name>
Please find attached your latest Sales Statement.
Kind regards
Joe Bloggs
If HTML is selected:
If the HTML format option is selected, then you will need to click into the Body pane in order to open the HTML Editor. The HTML Editor allows you to use advanced formatting, such as fonts and alignment, colours, images and special characters, and tables. Additionally, you still have access to the Insert Field: menu for adding dynamic content.
Using the above example, you could make the Date field right aligned, the Our Ref: field Bold and Red, and the signature block a different font and indented.
Select an Email Template against a Customer record
Navigate to and Edit a Customer record, selecting the Documents tab. Click to open the Document Settings dialog.
In the Email Template column, from the menu select the template that you want to use as the default for this Customer. If no template is selected here, then the default for the Document Type is used.
Sales Statements
From Debtors Reports, select Records > Statements.
When using SMTP via webmail (i.e. not using an email client such as Outlook), when you select to email the Sales Statement, in order to determine the email format, the system will first look to the Customer Documents for any saved template, if not found then it looks to the default set against the Email Template for Sales Statements.
If no default is set against the Email Template, then the system reverts to the pre-templates functionality. See the cautionary note above.
SOP Invoices
When using SMTP via webmail (i.e. not using an email client such as Outlook), when you Invoice/ bulk email Invoices from SOP, in order to determine the email format, the system will first look to the Customer Documents for any saved template, if not found then it looks to the default set against the Email Template for SOP Invoices.
If no default is set against the Email Template, then the system reverts to the pre-template functionality. See the cautionary note above.
Select an Email Template against a Supplier record
Navigate to and Edit a Supplier record, selecting the Documents tab. Click to open the Document Settings dialog.
In the Email Template column, from the menu select the template that you want to use as the default for this Supplier. If no template is selected here, then the default for the Document Type is used.
Purchase Orders
When using SMTP via webmail (i.e. not using an email client such as Outlook), when you select to email the Purchase Order document, in order to determine the email format, the system will first look to the Supplier Documents for any saved template, if not found then it looks to the default set against the Email Template for POP Orders.
If no default is set against the Email Template, then the system reverts to the pre-templates functionality. See the cautionary note above.
Purchase Remittances
When using SMTP via webmail (i.e. not using an email client such as Outlook), when you email Remittance Advice documents from Creditors, in order to determine the email format, the system will first look to the Supplier Documents for any saved template, if not found then it looks to the default set against the Email Template for Purchase Remittances.
If no default is set against the Email Template, then the system reverts to the pre-template functionality. See the cautionary note above.