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Parlevel - Alert Groups & Types (with Video)
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Parlevel - Alert Groups & Types (with Video)
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Purpose

The video and article below will explain what alert groups are in your VMS, as well as how to create them, organize them, and modify them.

 

Alert Groups

In   Settings >Vending > Alert Groups, you can view your alert settings regarding new developments in your machines or kiosks.

Alert Groups are selected groups of machines/kiosks designated as having certain alerts on or off according to the user's preference. You can make as many Alert Groups as you like, and they can be used for filtering in certain Analytics reports. 

Examples of how to organize your Alert Groups may be by high volume machines, routes, or important customer accounts. 

 

Creating and Organizing Alert Groups

Upon first opening the Alert Groups page, you will see your Default Group on the left. You can build your first custom Alert Group by clicking the green Alert Group button on the top right, which will prompt you for the name of the new group and then to save. 

You can begin adding machines to the new group by dragging items from the left group to the  right. Locations are listed automatically, but you can click the location name to receive a list of associated machines, which can be added individually.


Under the Group Options button next to the Alert Group name, you will find options to copy or delete the group, edit its name, or delete individual machines that you have selected.

 Additionally, you can click the icon to bring up your Alert Settings. All alerts have at least three options to toggle: Active/Inactive, whether the alert is viewable in the overview screen, and whether it is viewable while prekitting. A select number of Alerts also have a fourth toggle for the system to auto-solve.

Following is a list of the available Alerts:

  • No Sale Alert: After a given amount of time, a machine/kiosk will alert the user if it has not received any sales within that period. For machines, this threshold is in days; for kiosks, it is in hours. 

  • Temperature reported in DEX is above threshold: If the temperature reading in the DEX passes a selected temperature threshold, the user will be alerted. This is useful for saving product from spoilage in an above-temp environment due to malfunctioning equipment. Please note that not all machines report this data.

  • No Communication Alert: This alert covers a range of problems, but depending on a selected time frame in hours, this alert will trigger if a device has not communicated with the server. This can include an absence of sales or DEX's, but also includes instances in which the device or server asks for a response from the other and does not receive one in a timely manner. This can also indicate -- but does not always mean -- a machine breakdown.

  • Last Service Alert: If a machine/kiosk has not been serviced within a selected time frame in days, the user will be alerted.

  • Probable Coin Jam Alert (DEX): This alert's threshold is based on a selected number of DEX reports and will trigger if in that time the coin mechanism counter does not detect any movement. This is used to indicate a potential coin jam, but can also be triggered by a lack of sales.

  • Probable Bill Jam Alert (DEX): This alert is the same as the coin jam alert above, but applied to the bill validator. 

  • Low Inventory Alert: This alert is triggered when a machine/kiosk's inventory falls below a selected threshold, by units. This alert can generate a considerable volume of notifications, and so it is recommended to be turned on for only select machines you really require this information for.

  • Manual Parlevel Alert: If a selected number of successive Manual Parlevels are detected, this alert will be triggered. This alert can be used to enforce proper Fill/Service DEXing, which assists in accurate consolidation and can help prevent inventory discrepancies caused by Manual Parlevels.

  • Price Mismatch Alert: This alert is triggered if there is a difference in product price reported by the DEX versus what is saved in the VMS. This alert's threshold can be set to within a range of $0.02-$1.00. This alert can be disabled if a user frequently checks the Price Mismatch Fixer Tool available in Vending > Tools. 

  • Selection Alert: This alert will be triggered if a selection stops reporting in the DEX, which can be indicative of several different errors, including a slot tray not being pushed in all the way, a disengaged slot cable, a slot with a failing motor or coil not spinning, etc.

  • Cabling Issue Alert: This alert is triggered by a cabling issue. It is worthwhile to note that only USAT and Parlevel devices report cabling issues specifically; other devices simply stop reporting altogether.

  • Handshake Error Alert: A Handshake error is when a machine/kiosk and server fail to respond to each other in a certain period, and is typically easily solved by power-cycling the machine in question.

  • Sold Out Alert: This alert is triggered when a machine/kiosk's inventory registers as sold out. This alert can generate a considerable volume of notifications, and so it is recommended to be turned on for select machines/markets.

  • Fill DEX Alert: This alert is triggered when a Fill DEX is received for a machine that is not currently routed.

  • Open Door Alert: When a machine door switch is pressed, it registers the count in even numbers. If the switch is triggered an odd number of times, this indicates a possible instance of the door being left open and will trigger this alert.

  • 0 Inventory Sale Alert: This alert is triggered when a sale is generated from a product that is currently listing as sold out, which may indicate that a machine's inventory is incorrect. 

  • Inventory Below Threshold Alert: This alert is triggered when a machine/kiosk's inventory falls below a selected threshold, as a percentage. This alert can generate a considerable volume of notifications, and so it is recommended to be turned on for select machines/markets.

  • Coin Changer Alert (MDB): Unlike the Probable Coin Jam Alert, an instance triggering this alert is based on MDB reporting and not meters. MDB only reports a coin jam if that is definitely the case.

  • Bill Acceptor Alert (MDB): Unlike the Probable Bill Jam Alert, an instance triggering this alert is based on MDB reporting and not meters. MDB only reports a bill validator jam if that is definitely the case.