What Is Letter Generation?

Letter generation is the process through which letter requests are created, generated, and maintained. A letter request is created from the Letter Generation Request page or automatically from a system process. However, you access the Letter Generation Request page from the Letters & Responses panel of other functions in ND MMIS, such as Log Case, Log Correspondence, TPL Recovery, HIPP Information, and Service Authorization. You can also create a letter from case events and case steps on the Log Case page. You can only create letters using pre-defined letter templates; you cannot create free-form letters.

Some letters may be sensitive in nature and the template is set up to require a supervisor's approval before the letter can be generated.

Letter Generation Request Page

On the Letter Generation Request page, you can generate letters in two ways:

• Real-time This letter request is processed immediately. To process the letter in real time, use the Generate Letter option. An image of the letter is displayed in a separate browser. The image is also stored in the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS). You can manually print the letter using a local printer.
• Batch This letter request is generated through a nightly batch process. To send the letter request to the batch process, use the Submit Request option. Letters are generated at scheduled times and automatically printed through the central printing process.

Letter Details Panel

You enter general information about the letter in the Letter Details panel of the page.

Letter Recipients Panel

The entities you select from the Associated Entities table are added to the Letter Recipients table. You can perform the following actions for the selected entities: add or remove attachments and remove entities from the Letter Recipients table.

You use the To option to select the primary letter recipient and the CC (Carbon Copy) option to select the secondary letter recipient.

Other Details Panel

The Other Details panel is specific to the template you select. Therefore, this panel may or may not have fields. Additionally, the fields displayed are based on the keywords defined for a template on the Maintain Templates and Maintain Keywords pages of Contact Management.

The Letter Generation Process

• The first step in creating a letter request is to select the appropriate template from the Letter Name field on the Letter Generation Request page. The template you choose is based on the category listed in the Letter Category field.

  Note: A category can be associated with multiple templates, and a template can be associated with multiple categories.

• If a letter template requires supervisor approval, the completed letter request is sent to the supervisor before it is generated. An alert is automatically generated and sent to the supervisor to approve or reject the letter request. A supervisor receives an alert to approve or reject the letter. Approved letters are sent for nightly batch processing and an alert that the letter has been approved is sent to the user who created the letter request. If the letter must go out immediately, the approving supervisor can choose to generate the letter in real-time in lieu of approving it. If a letter is rejected, the user that created the letter receives an alert and can modify the letter and then resubmit it for approval.
• The completed letter request is then processed through an online process (If the Generate Letter option was chosen) or batch process (if the Submit Request option was chosen). The generated letter then is printed manually or through the central processing system. The generated letter is also stored in Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) for long-term letter storage.
• A new row is also added to the Letters & Responses table.

When a letter request is created or processed, it is assigned a status. Listed below are the statuses for a letter request:

• In Review - Status before a supervisor approval has been made.
• New - Status after the letter request has been saved for the first time. You can postpone submitting or generating a letter request with this status.
• Generated - Status of the letter request after it has been generated successfully. To be successful, the letter request has been assembled and published, a PDF image has been generated and store in EDMS and the letter has been mailed to the recipient.
• Approved - Status of the letter request after it has been submitted and approved for generation.
• Rejected - Status when a supervisor rejects a letter request.
• Deleted - Status when a letter request is deleted. A letter request with a status of generated cannot be deleted.

Instructions

How to Add (Create) a Letter Request

How to Edit a Letter Request

How to View Letter Information

Field Descriptions

Letter Generation Request Page

Letters & Responses Page

See Also

What Is My Tasks?

What Is Entity?

About Contact Management

Version as of 5/16/14.