Communications app

The Communications app allows you to create and track multiple types of communication for a project in a central location, where they become part of the project record.

From the Communications app, you can create and distribute letters, memos, records of conversation, transmittals, and faxes. Any message created in Kahua can be copied to the Communications app, including messages used to distribute documents from other applications. Emails from Outlook or Gmail can be copied to the Communications app, when you are using the appropriate email plugin for Kahua.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Create a document in the Communications app
• Create multiple individual documents at once
• Print a document from the Communications app
• Copy documents to the Communications app
• Enable different communication types

Create a document in the Communications app

To create a new document in the Communications app, complete the following steps:

1. Review the header to ensure that you are in the correct project or partition.
2. Navigate to the Communications app (Apps >  Document Management > Communications).
3. Click New and select a communication type. By default, the following options are available:
   • Letter
   • Fax
   • Transmittal
   • Memo
   • Conversation
4. Complete the fields as appropriate. Different communication types will have different fields available. 
   • If necessary, modify the document Number. By default, the number will auto-increment. The numbering scheme for each communication type can be modified in Configuration. 
   • The Date will be entered automatically, but can be modified.
   • If present, enter the appropriate contacts in the To, CC, or Participants fields. If you want to include a person who is not yet set up in the Contacts app, select Add Person. This will allow you to add the person as a contact in your domain.
   • If present, enter additional people to the CC Other or Additional Participants fields as appropriate. These fields do not require selection from the Contacts app and can be used for people who are not listed in the Contacts app in your domain.
5. Enter text in the Home field. Use the Insert tab to enter a Table or a Hyperlink.
6. Use the Media section to add photos or other media files.
7. Use the References section to add additional files.
8. Click Save when you are done.
9. Once saved, depending on the document type, you will have one or more of the following options available to you:
   • Submit For Signature: If the document is intended to come from someone other than yourself (i.e., another user is listed in the From field), select this option to submit the document to the person in the From field so they can add their signature and return it to you. 
   • Sign: If you are the named author of the document, select this option to add your signature. You will be required to enter your signature pin to add your signature. 
   • Send: Select this option to send the document to all the parties in the To, CC, CC Other, or Additional Participants fields.
   • Create Individual: Select this option when you have multiple recipients and want each of them to receive a copy of the document addressed only to them. 

     

10. Select the appropriate action.

Create multiple individual documents at once

You can choose to create multiple documents from one Communications record, with each document addressed to one individual, rather than having one document with multiple contacts listed on the distribution. For example, if you are creating Notice to Proceed letters, you may want a separate letter generated for each contractor.

To do this, complete the following steps:

1. Follow the steps above to create a document. 
2. Once the record is saved, select Create Individual. Note that this action is only available if the document has not yet been signed or submitted for signature. 

   

3. Multiple documents will be created, one for each of the recipients listed on the To or CC lines. Each document is assigned its own document number. You can access all the newly created documents from the log view.
4. If you want to sign the documents or submit them to someone else for their signature, you can now do so. It is not possible to sign the document prior to creating the individual records.
5. When you are ready, select Send to send the document to the appropriate recipient. A message appears. Click Send on the message.

Process a document to another app

Records from the Communications app can be processed into Issues, RFIs, or Punch List Items. Selecting Process from the record will generate a new item in the selected app and copy field values from the communication to the destination record.

To process a record from the Communications app to another app, complete the following steps:

1. Review the header to ensure that you are in the correct project or partition.
2. Navigate to the Communications app (Apps > Document Management > Communications).
3. Select the document from the log view. The detail view appears.
4. Select Process from the action bar.

   

5. The Process dialog appears. Select the appropriate Target Application. Select the references you want to include.

   

6. Select the references you want to include.
7. Click Start Processing. A new record in the selected app will open. Add and edit the field values as necessary and select Save to save the new record.

Print a document from the Communications app

Documents in the Communications app can be opened and printed from the portable view. For more general information on portable views, refer to Portable View Templates - Overview.

To print a document from the Communications app, complete the following steps:

1. Review the header to ensure that you are in the correct project or partition.
2. Navigate to the Communications app (Apps >  Document Management > Communications).
3. Select the document from the log view. The detail view appears.
4. Select View from the action bar.

   

5. A PDF of the document appears. Click the Expand icon to open the PDF in a printable view.

   

6. Note that the address on the portable view may be pulling from the company's primary address, not the address of the individual sending the communication.

Copy documents to the Communications app

Messages can be copied to the Communications app by selecting Copy to Communications where appropriate. This option is available in the following applications:

• From the Messages app. Refer to Messages app.
• In Outlook, if you use the Kahua for Outlook plugin. Refer to Using the Kahua for Outlook Plugin.
• In Gmail, if you use the Gmail plugin. Refer to Kahua for Gmail plugin - How to use.

Copy to Communications is available in other applications where the Send option creates a message to distribute a document. Select the Copy to Communications check box on the resulting message prior to selecting Send. If you do not select Copy to Communications prior to sending the message, you can do so later from the list of Sent Items in your Messages app by opening the message in the detail view and selecting Copy to Communications from the action bar.

Enable different communication types

The list of communication types is managed in the Configuration application. Only users with the appropriate administrator permissions can make configuration changes.

To disable or enable different communication types, complete the following steps:

1. Review the header to ensure that you are in the correct project or partition.
2. Navigate to the Configuration application (Apps > Administration > Configuration).
3. From the Applications tab, select Communications.
4. Open the Settings tab.
5. Select Override.
6. Select or clear the check boxes for the Communication Types you want to enable or disable. These settings will be inherited by partitions and projects lower in the hierarchy until they are overridden.
7. Click Save when you are done.