Frontline Portal Distribution FAQs
Updated
by
Leigh Hutchens
- Q: Is the distribution the same for all modules (stories, tasks, forms, etc.)?
- Q: Why can't I set a dynamic audience to a task?
- Q: Were the new distribution tools rolled out?
- Q: Will I be able to make an audience (created prior to the release) dynamic?
- Q: If I select audience by role type (e.g., all Store managers in District 1) and toggle private to OFF, who will have access in addition to the recipients?
- Q: Does every audience that you build become a saved audience?
- Q: How are saved audiences ordered by default?
- Q: How are role types ordered?
- Q: Who can access saved audiences?
- Q: Why are there now more steps to follow to create an audience?
- Q: Why do I have to specify that a resource is private when I first create it?
- Q: What kind of files can I import to build my audience?
- Q: How are tasks distributed?
- Q: Is it possible to assign tasks to someone within the same group?
Q: Is the distribution the same for all modules (stories, tasks, forms, etc.)?
A: Yes! With a few necessary exceptions:
- Audiences on Tasks cannot be set as dynamic.
- Audiences including individual people cannot be set as dynamic.
Q: Why can't I set a dynamic audience to a task?
A: Our research showed that most users didn’t want to be able to have new stores/users receive tasks sent before they were added. To keep the user experience simple, we've restricted this option.
Q: Were the new distribution tools rolled out?
A: Live NOW: - import distributions from .xls
- 12th July - Updated UI; Manage Saved Audiences outside a resource. Read more here.
- In subsequent releases: Common distribution flow across all resources, improved approach to private distribution, distribution by role, dynamic distribution.
Q: Will I be able to make an audience (created prior to the release) dynamic?
A: To do this, you should remove the audience and add it again using the new features.
Q: If I select audience by role type (e.g., all Store managers in District 1) and toggle private to OFF, who will have access in addition to the recipients?
A: All users (regardless of role) in groups above the recipients will see the resource (including tasks). Other roles in the recipient's group will NOT see the resource.
Q: Does every audience that you build become a saved audience?
A: No, it doesn't. If you are building a new audience when creating a resource, you have the option to save it as a saved audience or use it just for distributing that resource.
Q: How are saved audiences ordered by default?
A: Newest first.
Q: How are role types ordered?
A: Role types are ordered alphabetically (A-Z).
Q: Who can access saved audiences?
A: Full Rights users and Submitter users (but not View-only users) can access saved audiences. Users will see saved audiences created by themselves and other users in their group. A saved audience can only be edited by the user who created it.
Q: Why are there now more steps to follow to create an audience?
A: In some cases, the flows are shorter (e.g., send to all stores) but in certain cases, there are a few more steps to follow to ensure that you include the desired audience. However, with the introduction of some of the new features (Saved Audiences & Dynamic Updates) we expect you'll build new audiences from scratch much less often.
Q: Why do I have to specify that a resource is private when I first create it?
A: You might not want your peers (users in your group) to see the resource that you working on. Setting the resource as private will ensure your peers can't see it while it's still in draft.
Q: What kind of files can I import to build my audience?
A: Files must be .xls format.
Q: How are tasks distributed?
A: Task distribution works the following way:
- A task sent to all store managers would be visible to all store users.
- A task sent to all store managers would only be permitted to be completed/forwarded by the store manager.
- For the task to not be visible to all store users, the task should be sent as a private task.
Distributing to a particular role type doesn't change the existing oversight rules. If the store users are in the same group in the hierarchy as said store managers, they'll have visibility of the task. If the author of the task wishes for the store managers to be the only ones with visibility, the task needs to be set to private. Distribution selects the audience, privacy controls the oversight.
Q: Is it possible to assign tasks to someone within the same group?
A: Frontline Portal isn't designed to allow task assignments within the same group. This is for a reason. Whereas the Stories functionality is specifically designed for sharing information that others can view, Tasks, on the other hand, involve compliance, and associating them with specific users in the same group can create confusion in the system.
