Every project has its own messages. That way the coordination with customer and contractor sits with the project and is not scattered across mailboxes. You find the messages on the project under the Samenwerking (Collaboration) tab, and for all your projects together under CRM → Berichten (CRM → Messages). The Beamcore interface is in Dutch, so button and menu names are shown in Dutch with a translation.
Starting a conversation
- Open the project, go to Samenwerking and click Nieuw bericht (New message) under Berichten (Messages).
- Optionally enter an Onderwerp (Subject) (at most 150 characters).
- Write your Bericht (Message) (at most 5000 characters).
- Under Versturen naar (Send to), choose who it is meant for.
- Click Versturen (Send).
If you start from CRM → Berichten, you first choose the Project in the same window.
Who the message is for
Under Versturen naar there are two options:
- Alleen klant (Customer only): the default option. The team and the customer see the conversation, the contractor does not.
- Klant en aannemer (Customer and contractor): the contractors linked to the project also see the conversation and are notified.
The team always receives a message. The team consists of the colleagues who are linked to the project. If nobody is linked, the messages go to the owners and admins of your company. The choice applies to the whole conversation: replies follow the audience of the first message.
Who can start a conversation
- The team and the customer can start a conversation and see all conversations of the project.
- A contractor cannot start a conversation. They only see conversations with the audience Klant en aannemer and can reply to those. Their reply goes to the team and the customer, not to other contractors.
Replying, with or without attachments
- Click the conversation or Reageren (Reply). You see the whole conversation with all earlier replies and attachments.
- Type your answer under Jouw reactie (Your reply).
- Optionally add files under Bijlagen (Attachments): at most 10 files of no more than 1 GB each.
- Under Opslaan in map (Save in folder), choose the project folder the attachments go into. With + Nieuwe map maken (+ Create new folder) you enter a new folder under Naam nieuwe map (New folder name).
- Click Reactie versturen (Send reply).
Attachments are ordinary project files. After sending they are also among the project's files, in the folder you chose. That is why you only see the Bijlagen field if you are allowed to upload files and the project is not locked. Only someone who may also see that file in the project can download an attachment.
Notifications and unread messages
Recipients get an email with the full text of the message and the names of the attachments, and a notification in the portal. The sender does not get a notification themselves.
Next to Berichten in the menu is a counter with the number of conversations that contain something unread. In the list you recognise such a conversation by the bold text and a dot before the subject. As soon as you open the conversation, it counts as read.
The overview of all projects
Under CRM → Berichten are the conversations of all projects you are allowed to see. You filter there by Project, Zichtbaar voor (Visible to), Type, Van (From) and Periode (Period). The Status column shows per conversation whether it went to the customer only or to the contractor as well.
Messages you send along when submitting documents also end up in this list. That way everything about a project can be found in one place.