The CyberGrants Alert Extension implementation requires meticulous planning and clear requirements. Success factors include precisely defined trigger criteria, adequate resource allocation for User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and training, maintenance planning for evolving program needs, and change management preparation for administrators. 

•  The extension evaluates records against custom criteria without disrupting existing workflows, enhancing administrative oversight while maintaining compliance with organizational business rules. 
• Following Bonterra's methodology ensures seamless integration with the core platform. 

This guide walks you through the complete implementation process, from initial planning through post-implementation management. 

Pre-Implementation Planning 

Step 1: Define Your Requirements 

Before beginning implementation, you need to clearly define what you want your alerts to accomplish: 

1. Identify Alert Scenarios - Document specific situations where you need administrators to receive notifications.
   1. Example - "Flag organizations that have received over $15,000 in grants this calendar year"
   2. Example - "Warn administrators when reviewing grant requests with incomplete impact reports"
2. Determine Alert Types - Decide which record types require alerts:
   1. Organization records
   2. Grant Request records
   3. Employee Giving Request records
   4. Employee Giving Nomination Records
3. Define Alert Severity - For each scenario, determine if it requires:
   1. Soft alerts (informational warnings that allow processing to continue)
   2. Hard alerts (blocking notifications that prevent further processing)
4. Draft Alert Messages - Create clear, concise messages for each alert scenario. Remember that these messages:
   1. Cannot contain merge fields
   2. Must clearly explain the issue and any required actions
   3. It should be understandable to all administrators who might encounter them 

Step 2: Plan Resources 

1. Identify Stakeholders - Determine who needs to be involved in:
   1. Defining alert criteria
   2. Testing the implementation
   3. Providing final approval
   4. Using the system after implementation
2. Establish Timeline - Create a realistic schedule that includes:
   1. Requirements gathering
   2. Initial configuration
   3. User Acceptance Testing
   4. Adjustments based on testing feedback
   5. Final approval and production implementation
3. Allocate Solution Credits - Confirm you have sufficient solution credits available for the extension purchase and implementation. 

Step 3: Evaluate Technical Factors 

• Analyze your current data to understand how often alert conditions might be triggered.
  • Example - If creating alerts for organizations receiving over $10,000, determine how many organizations currently meet this threshold.
• Assess how alerts might affect your administrators' workflows.
  • Will alerts significantly increase processing time?
  • How will administrators respond to different alert types?
• Clearly define the logical conditions for each alert in specific, technical terms.

Implementation Process 

Step 4 - Engage with the Bonterra Implementation Team 

1. Schedule Initial Meeting - Contact your Bonterra representative to initiate the Alert Extension implementation.
2. Share Requirements Document - Provide your prepared requirements document, including
   1. Alert scenarios with clear descriptions
   2. Alert types for each scenario
   3. Severity levels for each alert
   4. Draft alert messages
3. Review Methodology - Confirm your understanding of Bonterra's implementation methodology and the extension's limitations. 

Step 5 - Collaborate on Technical Specification 

1. Partner with your assigned Bonterra Business Analyst to translate your requirements into technical specifications.
2. Work with the implementation team to establish the specific Program Constants that will drive your alert criteria.
3. Review and Approve Specifications - Carefully review the technical specifications document provided by Bonterra to ensure it accurately reflects your requirements. 
   1. Verify alert types, criteria, messages, and severity levels
   2. Confirm any specific logic required for complex evaluations
4. Sign Off on Specifications - Provide formal approval of the specifications before development begins. 

Step 6 - Configuration and Development 

1. Bonterra will configure the Alert Extension based on your approved specifications. No action is required from you during this phase.
2. Bonterra will perform internal testing to ensure the alerts function according to specifications.
3. Once development is complete, Bonterra will prepare your test environment for User Acceptance Testing. 

Step 7 - User Acceptance Testing 

1. Develop Test Plan - Create a comprehensive test plan that includes:
   1. Test scenarios for each alert type
   2. Expected results for each scenario
   3. Test data required to trigger each alert
2. Conduct Testing - Execute your test plan in the UAT environment:
   1. Test each alert type with multiple scenarios
   2. Verify that alerts appear when expected
   3. Confirm alerts do not appear when conditions aren't met
   4. Test both soft and hard alerts to verify appropriate behavior
3. Document Issues - Record any discrepancies between expected and actual behavior.
   1. Be specific about the scenario tested
   2. Describe the expected vs. actual results
   3. Provide screenshots when possible
4. Request Adjustments - Submit any required changes to Bonterra.
   1. NOTE: Major changes to requirements may affect the timeline and costs
5. Retest After Adjustments - After changes are implemented, retest to verify proper functionality. 

Step 8 - Production Implementation 

1. Final Approval - Provide formal approval to deploy the Alert Extension to production.
   1. NOTE: Bonterra will not implement without explicit approval
2. Schedule Deployment - Coordinate with Bonterra to schedule the production implementation.
   1. Consider selecting a time with minimal system activity
3. Verify Production Functionality - After deployment, perform quick verification tests to ensure alerts function properly in the production environment. 

Post-Implementation Management 

Step 9: Administrator Training

• Create documentation explaining:
  • What alerts administrators might encounter
  • What each alert means
  • Appropriate responses to different alert types
  • Who to contact if an alert requires escalation
• Train all administrators who will encounter alerts:
  • Explain the purpose of the Alert Extension
  • Review common alert scenarios
  • Demonstrate appropriate responses to different alerts 

Step 10: Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance 

• Monitor the alert frequency by tracking how often each alert type is triggered.
  • Too frequent - Consider whether the criteria need adjustment
  • Too rare - Evaluate whether the alert is still valuable
• Schedule a yearly review of your alert criteria:
  • Are alerts still aligned with current business rules?
  • Have program requirements changed, necessitating alert adjustments?
  • Are there new scenarios that should trigger alerts?
• Remember that only one change to alert configurations is permitted per calendar year.
  • Consolidate multiple change requests into a comprehensive update
  • Prioritize changes based on business impact
  • Coordinate with Bonterra well in advance of the desired implementation 

Step 11: Troubleshooting Common Issues 

• Alert Not Appearing - If an expected alert doesn't appear:
  • Verify that the record truly meets all alert criteria
  • Check if any Program Constants have changed
  • Contact Bonterra support if the issue persists
• Unexpected Alerts - If alerts appear in unexpected scenarios:
  • Document the specific scenario with screenshots
  • Analyze whether the record actually meets alert criteria
  • Contact Bonterra support for assistance
• Alert Message Clarity - If administrators find alert messages confusing:
  • Collect specific feedback about unclear messages
  • Consider requesting message updates during your annual change opportunity

What else do you need help with?

• What is the Alert Extension?

Not what you're looking for? Navigate to Alert Extension Overview

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