Managing Contacts
- Stacy Reno (Unlicensed)
- Jorge Raya-Navarro
Contacts are managed within e-PlanReview® (EPR) from the Settings > Configuration > Contacts page.
What is the Difference Between a Contact and a User within EPR?
EPR defines “Contacts” as people who are associated with a project and can be contacted, but they do not have access to EPR themselves. Usually, the main contact is the person who submits a project application to an agency and is communicating with the agency about the project status. Additional contacts are sometimes provided, either as secondary points of communication about a project or simply as additional reference details when filling out the application. For example, an applicant may list the project architect or engineer in their application but do not want this other person to be contacted about the application status.
This differs from “Users” within EPR, who are typically agency staff who can login, view, and/or perform tasks based on their assigned User Role and Group(s).
Contact details are typically provided so that agency staff know who to contact about the status of a project application, either directly through EPR or through another chosen communication method.
| Contact | User |
|---|---|---|
Has EPR Login Access | NO | YES (with credentials, if active) |
Has User Role-Based Permissions | NO | YES |
Has Group Access and Permissions | NO | YES |
Requires Unique Email Address | YES | YES |
Can Be Associated to Project Applications | YES (as “Contact”) | YES (usually as “Team Member”) |
Can Work on Applications within EPR | NO | YES (excluding “Read-Only” user role) |
The same email address cannot be used for both a Contact and a User, even if one account has already been deleted. Attempting to reuse an email address that is or was already in use will result in an error message. Contact the e-PlanSoft Service Desk if you receive this error and need assistance with a contact or user record.
Where Do Contacts Come From?
Contact details may arrive in EPR from one of three places, depending on the agency’s set-up.
Set-Up | Contact Source(s) |
|---|---|
Using EPR Only | Contact information can be created manually within EPR. See Create a Contact for details. |
Using EPR and goPost | Contact information is created in goPost, which sends it to EPR the first time an application is “Accepted” and routed over. |
Using EPR and An Integrated Permitting System | Contact information is created within a public-facing portal or the permitting system itself, which may send it to EPR when the application is routed over. (Details will vary based on the permitting partner and the specific configuration of the integration.) |
Any contact information sent to EPR from another system will exist in both places. If changes to a contact are necessary, it will most likely require updating in both places.
Creating a Contact
To create a contact within EPR:
Click on Configuration within the EPR navigation menu.
Click on Contacts to open the CONFIGURATION / CONTACTS page.
Click on the (Add) button in the lower right corner.
In the “New Contact” form that pops up, enter the contact information in each of the three sections, as needed:
DETAILS
Enter a unique email address (required).
Enter the First Name (required).
Enter the Last Name (required).
Enter the Phone number.
Enter a Secondary Phone number.
Enter the firm, company, or affiliation under “Firm” (if applicable).
Enter the title or position under “Title” (if applicable).
Enter the State License Number (if applicable).
Select the State/Province.
Contact DETAILS Tab
ADDRESS
Enter any desired contact address information.
Contact ADDRESS Tab
PROJECTS
To associate a user to one or more existing project applications, click on the (Add) button in the lower right corner.
In the “Select a Project” form that opens, begin typing in the project number and select it from the dropdown results.
Next, select a role from the “Contact Role” dropdown. This role is only to indicate how this user is associated to the project application and does not confer any permissions.
Click CONFIRM.
Projects are added one at a time from this form, so repeat steps c.i.-c.iv. as needed.
Click SAVE when finished.
A contact only needs to be created once within EPR. After a contact exists, it can be added to as many projects as needed, either through the Contact itself or from within a project application.
Promoting a Contact to a Licensed User
Because a single email address can only be used for either a Contact or a User account, there may be the need to change an existing Contact into a User account instead (most often, this may be the result of testing or accidentally setting up a planned User as a Contact). Instead of deleting the Contact record, EPR provides an option called “Promote to User” that allows the account to be transitioned.
To promote a Contact account to become a User, an Administrator must:
Navigate to the Settings > Configuration > Contacts.
Edit the desired contact by clicking on under the “Actions” heading. The contact form will open.
On the upper right, click on PROMOTE TO USER.
Clicking PROMOTE TO USER will immediately move you over to the Settings > Security > Users page and the “Edit user” form, where you will need to provide additional information.
For instructions on how to create a user account, see Add a User Account.
Once you have provided all required information, remember to toggle the account from “Inactive” status to “Active” to grant login privileges.
Click on SAVE to complete the process.
Deleting a Contact
To prevent a contact from displaying in existing project applications, from being linked to additional project applications, and from receiving emails about the project application, delete the contact.
To delete a contact:
Navigate to the Settings > Configuration > Contacts.
Edit the desired contact by clicking on under the “Actions” heading. The contact form will open.
In the upper right, within the header, click on (ellipses).
Within the dropdown, click on Delete.
Either click on DELETE again to confirm the account removal or click on CANCEL to undo.
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