Groups

Task

Process / Helpful Hint

Benefit

• Numerous reasons to utilize groups, below are a few examples

  • Different forms of payment

  • Different policy groups

  • Different policy display configuration

  • Different PCC

  • Different GDS

  • Different company profile

Need to Know

• Groups defined by profile fields only

Task

Process / Helpful Hint

Define Groups

• Define how you many groups you will need

  • Default/Everyone along and guest group

    • Hint: Define the Guest group by first name as guest, and all other profiles will automatically fall under the Everyone group. Remove all other groups from your site if you inherited them from your template site.

  • Everyone Group, VIP as well as guest group

    • Hint: Define VIP Group by VIP indicator profile attribute, and Guest by first name of Guest, all other accounts will fall under the Everyone group

  • Manager, VIP, Guest and Everyone

    • Hint: Use profile field to capture policy group

    • Demonstrate throughout this article

Define Profile Field

• Define profile field you will use to capture policy group

  • Hint: Dedicate a profile field to be used specifically for configuring different policies. Use this dedicated field anytime you may need to define more than VIP, Guest and Default/Everyone groups. 

    • Example:  Dedicate one of the MIS Fields

  • In this example I will be using MIS Field7. I will dedicate this field as the policy group field for all of my sites which need more than the basic VIP, Guest and Default/Everyone group.

• Click on Settings tab

• Click on Profile Field Settings

• Click on Configure Profile Field

• Click in box to the right of the MIS field7 and change the name to Policy Group

  • Reminder:  The Field Name is the name used when programming your Profile and PNR mapping, whereas the Display Name is what the customer will see

• Click the checkbox to the left of Profile Load

  • Also the field to be captured in an HR feed/profile upload

• Click on radio button to the left of All Users

  • By selecting All Users the field will be evaluated and each profile will be updated if there are any changes. Whereas if you select New Users Only, the file will only update traveler profiles if the profile is new/does not already exist.

• Check boxes to the left of: Agent Editable, Admin Editable

• Check first box to the right of these fields, under the Display in Setting column

• Move to the bottom of the screen and click on Save

• Define the policy groups within the profile field by clicking on Customize Profile Fields

• Click on MIS Field 7

• Click on Field Type and select List

• Under Field Type Preference: List enter policy groups

  • Note: Before the equals sign will be what the customer will see, what is after the equals sign will be written to the GDS. Therefore keep in mind GDS character restrictions when entering data after the equals sign.

  • When uploading profiles through an HR feed/Profile upload file, the data after the equals sign is what you will need to enter into the upload/feed.  This field is case sensitive, therefore how you enter the data in this field is exactly how it will need to be entered in the upload/feed.

  • Hint: It is best to enter the list in alpha/numberic order, as this makes it much easier to add and remove data from the field.

  • In this example I have entered the following

    • Default=Default   - Indicates Everyone Group

    • Manger=Manager - Indicates Manger Group

    • VIP=VIP Group - Indicates VIP Group

• Click on Select no value as a default

  • The client will see Select One in the profile if no entry has been made

• Click on Save

Configure Groups

• Click on Groups tab

• Click on Add a New Group, if the group does not already exist and you need to create one. If a group is available click on the group to update parameters if necessary.

  • Note: The garbage can with a red X indicates group is applied to rules, without the X indicates rules currently not applied to rules

• Group Name: Enter a name that will be easily recognizable for the group. 

  • Note:  Do not include any special characters in the Group Name

• Description: (Optional) Enter a group description

• Applying Rules

  • Note: Typically only the Service Rules are applied to all groups, as the others are inherited

  • Service Rules: Allows you to apply policy, policy display, rail services, car services etc. You will always check this box.

  • Account Rules: No longer used in configurations

  • Groupware Rules: Calendar or ICal integration - Inherited do not check this box

  • Display Options Rules: Display configuration, date, time, currency and time zone - Inherited.

    • Helpful hint: Typically only checked if your site is an international site where members of one group are for example located in the UK and others are located in the US.  You would then check this box to select different currency, measurement, and time zone displays for each group.

  • Web Services Rules: Profile sync - Inherited, do not check this box unless the group is to sync to a different PCC or company profile

  • Mobile Rules: Allows for mobile access - Inherited, do not check this box unless a group should not have access to the Etta mobile app, while another group should have access

  • Dynamic Profile Attribute Assignment Rules: No longer used in configurations

• Select parameters for defining each group:

  • Note: In this example I am configuring for a Manager, VIP and Guest group. Anyone who does not fall under these groups will fall under the Everyone group

• Manager Group

  • First Parameter

    • Profile attribute: Select [Policy Group] from drop-down menu to the right of User

    • Clarification Drop-down: Equals

    • Data field: Enter Manager

  • Second Parameter:

    • Because we have a guest group

    • Profile attribute: Select First Name

    • Clarification Drop-down: Not Equal to

    • Data field: Guest  

• VIP Group

  • First Parameter

    • Profile attribute: Select [Policy Group] from drop-down menu to the right of User

    • Clarification Drop-down: Equals

    • Data field: Enter VIP

  • Second Parameter:

    • Because we have a guest group

    • Profile attribute: Select First Name

    • Clarification Drop-down: Not Equal to

    • Data field: Guest  

• Guest Group

  • Parameter

    • Profile attribute: Select First Name

    • Clarification Drop-down: Not Equal to

    • Data field: Guest  

• Groups have been Created

Enable Service Rules

Prior to testing, validate the Service Rules have been activated for each group. You will need to activate each group that is not currently active.

• Groups followed by a garbage can with the red X are active

• Access Service Rules to activate the group/groups that are not active

Note: You can go back to the service rules to fully configure later

• Click on Rules tab

• Click on Service Rules

• Click on link under Travel Add under the Travel column

• Click on Activate Rules

• Click on Enable Deem Travel

• Click on Save

Test Groups

Be sure to run a few tests to ensure profiles are being passed to the appropriate group. There are two ways to verify if this is working as you intended. Both will require you to have profiles built in the site, either test accounts or client accounts.

• First test to confirm group is working

  • Access traveler profiles

  • Click on User tab

  • Click on Edit User

• Click on Support Information

• Move to the bottom of the screen - Enabled Services (Group Name)

• Second test to confirm group is working

  • Click on Groups tab

  • Click on group

• Click on View Active Users

• Yay! Group configuration is successful!