Why use Matics messaging?
There's a lot happening on the production floor. When focusing on machine activity, operators are required to follow guidelines and update others with changes to ensure efficient collaboration. Matics messaging provides options for direct, ad-hoc communication as well as rule-based, automated messaging. Messages can be sent and read using any of the Matics apps: the Operator app, Web app and Manager app.
Automating messaging via rules ensures specific information is delivered per the set trigger and can help machine operators implement best practices. For example, a reminder to change the machine's production status at the beginning of the shift, or instructions for cleaning a filter at a certain point during the shift.
Since there's much going on during production, using messaging for direct communication boosts collaboration. Machine operators can send updates of what's happening at the workstation, which will be presented also to users of the Manager app and Web app in the machine's messaging area, which keeps everybody informed and enables multi-directional, real-time communication, for example updating that material is about to run out, or that the service crew is late.
It's important to emphasize that when the Matics messaging platform is used for communication, the organization owns the message data. All that data is logged and can be used for tracing and analysis, while if the organization uses external apps, all that valuable communication data is lost.
Automation of messaging via Rules
Use rules to automate sending messages per various triggers.
Chats (direct, ad-hoc messaging)
Tap the chat control.
In the Operator app it's in bottom-right corner of the machine dashboard.
In the Web app it's in the bottom-right corner of the machine tile (either in the Online dashboard, or the machine's page).
In the Manager app it's in the machine's page action menu of all tabs: Online, Shift, Machine Log.
In the message dialog you can either type in the message directly, or reuse a frequently sent message by tapping the plus in the circle icon and choosing one of the messages there, which will then auto-populate the message box.
Tip: In the Manager app you can use your phone's voice-to-text feature to dictate the message to send.Tap send.
The message is sent and will be presented in the chat area of the machine's dashboard, in the chat area of that machine in the Web app and the Manager app.
Operator app only: Machine operators confirm that they've seen the message by tagging the message with any of the three tags, which usually mean:
Green check mark: Agree/will do so
Red X: Don't agree/won't implement
Question mark: Not clear/need more information
The message's status will be reflected in all apps, so for example if the operator tagged the message with a question mark, the person sending the message will know that the message wasn't clear enough.
Example of messaging through the Operator app
Example of messaging through the Web app
Example of messaging through the Manager app
Clearing messages & chats
Chats and messages are automatically cleared from the machine dashboard/tile when a new job starts, or after 24 hours (whatever happens first).
Tracing message history in the Message log
Messages (& notifications) are logged in the job's page, Messages tab.
Tip: If you have permissions, you can also generate a messages report by going to Reports > System Reports > Index 4 ( report type History) > Index 100140 (report name Messages).
Icon legend
| Send message control. |
| Presents message suggestions based on the 5* most frequent messages sent in your site. Choosing a relevant message from this list populates the message box and saves time. -- *In the Operator app it's the 10 most frequent messages. |
 | Chat/messaging control. Opens the messaging dialog. (Op app, Web app) |
 | Manager app only: Opens the messaging dialog. A dot on the right corner of this blue chat control indicates there are messages for that machine.
Tip: the white chat icon in the top-right corner of the app indicates how many unread messages you have for the entire site. Tapping that control will show for which machine exactly. |
 | Indicates that the chat message was sent, but not yet tagged with a status indicator by the machine operator. (Web app) |
 | Indicates that the chat message was sent, but not yet tagged with a status indicator by the machine operator.(Mgr. app) |
| Indicates that the chat message was sent, but not yet tagged with a status indicator by the machine operator. (Op app) |
   | Machine operators confirm they've seen the message by tagging it with any of these tags, which usually* mean:
*Each site can decide for itself what the meaning of these tags should be. |
 | The machine operator marked the message with a confirmation tag. (Web app, Mgr. app) |
| The machine operator marked the message with a rejection tag. (Web app, Mgr. app) |
 | The machine operator marked the message as not clear, or with a request for more information. (Web app, Mgr. app) |
Dictating messages using voice-to-text
Enable voice-to-text in your phone, per the device manufacturer's instructions.
For example, in iPhone you'd enable Dictation in the General > Keyboard settings and make sure that the applicable dictation languages are selected.In the phone's app settings, enable Matics to access microphone and speech recognition. For example:
In the message box, tap the microphone to activate text-to-voice.
Dictate the message and tap send (see the example above).
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