As part of our closer integration with the Arbor MIS, we have upgraded our communication capabilities. The "Send Email" step is being replaced by the more powerful Send Message step.
This change ensures that your workflow communications aren't just "lost in an inbox" but are natively tracked within your MIS environment.
What is the "Send Message" Step?
The Send Message step allows your workflows to communicate with staff, parents, or students. Unlike the old email tool, this step prioritises sending through the Arbor MIS Communications engine.
Key Benefits
Visibility: Messages sent via this step appear in the My Communications area of Arbor MIS for the sender.
Centralised Records: Keep a professional audit trail of workflow actions directly on the user's MIS profile.
Hybrid Delivery: Messages are delivered both to the recipient's MIS dashboard and their external email inbox.
How it Works:
The system automatically determines the best way to send your message based on the users involved. We will send internally via the MIS comms if
- The sender exists on the MIS
- The sender has full permissions to send to all staff, students and guardians
- All recipients exists on the MIS
If any of the above are not true, we will send externally via our Arbor Workflows email system, which will not be visible in the 'My Communications' area on the MIS. To utilise the full "Arbor Comms" experience, both the sender and all recipients must exist as valid users within your Arbor MIS. All communication can be seen from your Activity page with details of how it was sent and why.
Sender details
Internal Sender will default to the email of the user that has added the step.
External Sender will default to the domain that is organisationname@workflows.arbor.education
The Send Message step has the same functionality as sending an email including the use of tags, styling the content block, setting recipients.
You will find any messages that have been sent internally via the Send Message function in the Sent->Email section of the Mail Merge area. They also appear on the sender/recipient's profiles under Communications.
Recipient details
You will be able to Tag any of the following as a recipient of a Message:
- an Arbor Role;
- a Custom Role;
- an email question type from a preceding form; or
- an Arbor List question type from a preceding form.
Moving from "Send Email" to "Send Message"
If you have existing workflows using the old "Send Email" step, they will continue to function as normal. However, to take advantage of MIS integration, we recommend transitioning:
Arbor & Arbor Workflows Users: You can no longer add the legacy "Send Email" step to new workflows. You must use Send Message.
Updating Old Workflows: You cannot add an Arbor recipient list to an old email step. To upgrade, simply delete the "Send Email" step and replace it with a "Send Message" step.
Updates: The "Updates" function (used in Decisions, Checklists, and Forms) will operate using this same logic, ensuring reminders are tracked effectively.
Tracking Activity: From the activity page you can see how the message was sent and why.
FAQ
Can I still send to external email addresses?
Yes. If the recipient is not a valid user in the MIS, the system will automatically route the message through our external mail provider.
Why should I swap my old steps?
The primary benefit is In-MIS visibility. By using "Send Message," school admins can see exactly what was sent and when, without leaving the Arbor platform.