⚡️ Vendor Portal Expert - Workflow Phase Reminder Emails ⚡️

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   Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes

    Estimated Configuration Time: 5 Minutes

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Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Configure Email Reminders
• Email Content Guidance
  • Example Reminder Email
• Internal Reminder Emails
  • Example Internal Reminder Email
• FAQ

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Introduction

Reminder emails are useful for automating chasers and clarifying deadlines in order to avoid delays. These can be used in addition to Notification emails to ensure vendors understand what input is needed and why. 

Configure Email Reminders

1. Click to edit the phase where you wish to configure a reminder.
2. Click the Notifications section.
3. Enable the toggle alongside the relevant email recipient under Email Reminders.
   
4. Enter a number into the Reminder every X days column to define how often emails will be sent after a card has arrived at a phase. 
5. Click the pencil icon to edit the Email Template.
6. Populate the Subject, Content and Button Text.
7. Click Update to save your changes.

Email Content Guidance

To get the most of these emails, it's recommended to use a different template from the initial email notification. If your vendor hasn't completed their required actions, it could be because they:

• Forgot to complete their assigned tasks

• Are having difficulty using the Vendor Portal, or responding to specific questions

To help address these issues, it’s advisable to include the following in your reminder emails:

• Emphasise the deadline by referencing the SLA due date, and highlight any potential delays to the processes if the action isn’t completed on time.

• Provide a clear point of contact so vendors know who to reach out to if they need support or clarification.

Example Reminder Email

The following configuration can be used for an email reminder:

Subject: 

⏰ Onboarding Form Still Required ⏰

Content: 

{{ recipient.full_name }},

This is a reminder to complete and submit the onboarding form for <strong>OUR COMPANY NAME</strong> on behalf of {{ card.name }}

This is a key part of our process to ensure that the setup and management of our supply chain/contractual obligations runs smoothly! ✅

If you have any queries about the process, you can reach out to <strong>[xyz team/person]</strong> via email or by <i>@-tagging</i> them in the below onboarding form's <strong>Messages</strong> tab

Many Thanks,

OUR COMPANY Vendor Management Team 

<hr><i>You will receive an automated reminder every <strong>7 days</strong> until a submission is received. Please aim to complete this form by <strong></strong> to avoid any delays</i>

Button:

View Form 📋

This will produce an email like the screenshot below:

Internal Reminder Emails

Email Reminders can also be used to notify internal users or teams when there's a delay. For example, if you enable a Reminder email for a specific user or group, but do not enable the initial notification, they'll only be alerted when something is overdue.

This means Vendor Portal forms submitted on time won't trigger unnecessary notifications, so your team is only notified when something needs attention. To do this: 

1. Click to edit the phase where you wish to configure a reminder.
2. Click the Notifications section.
3. Enable the toggle alongside the relevant internal stakeholders under Email Reminders.
   • Option A: enable CC Group and select a workflow group
   • Option B: enable Card Creator
     

In the email template, you can include suggested next steps for internal users, such as:

• Reach out to the vendor to check if they need support

• Confirm whether the vendor is on track to submit their form in the near future

• Review whether the card should be manually moved onwards, for example if input was received offline or the onboarding will not continue further.

Example Internal Reminder Email

The following configuration can be used for an internal email reminder:

{{ recipient.full_name }},

This is an automated update that the onboarding form for <strong>{{ card.name }}</strong> has not received a response for <strong>X days</strong>

<i>The deadline communicated to the vendor for this form is: <strong>{{ enter_phase.sla_due_date }}</strong></i>

Delays to this submission may indicate that the vendor is having issues with the form, with the Vendor Portal or that communications have taken place outside Gatekeeper

To avoid further delays, please could you reach out and ensure that the vendor has all the guidance they need to complete the form

<hr><i>👋 You will receive another reminder in <strong>X days</strong> until a submission is received. </i>

 

FAQ 💬

Q: How long will reminder emails continue to send?

A: For as long as a workflow card remains on the phase. If you want to limit the number of reminders, you could use an SLA timer to automatically move cards after a set amount of time. See ⚡️Leveraging SLA Deadlines for more detail.

Q: If a vendor user has not accepted their invitation, can the reminder emails invite them to the portal?

A: No. These only send notifications about workflow phases

To access the portal, vendor users can follow the activation link from the Invitation Email or use the Reset Password option on the Vendor Portal login screen.