Daily Log

As part of your messaging operations toolkit, you should have a method by which your operations staff can report events and procedure outcomes. The daily log becomes a knowledge repository about your organization messaging system. As events occur and procedures are applied to those events, the daily log system becomes a knowledge base that less experienced users can query when troubleshooting.

The daily log should have the following characteristics:

• It should be easily accessible from any desktop system.
• It should have adequate storage capacity for growth.
• You should be able to generate reports of daily log activity.
• It should be easily searchable using text strings as search criteria.

Solutions in use at successful organization messaging operations centers include Web-based entry and searching systems, and Microsoft Exchange Server electronic form-based implementations. In either case, the most important part of the system is the backend database and its design and maintenance. If you don't index the database properly or keep its record count manageable, you will find no shortage of complaints when messaging operations staff use it for troubleshooting purposes.

Web-based implementations have an advantage over other implementations because there are little or no client configuration changes that need be addressed. You can provide users with an URL and the Web server handles presentation of the data. Other implementations, especially those based on electronic forms, require logging on to the computer and creating a messaging profile for accessing the appropriate public folder or forms library on the Microsoft Exchange Server computer. These steps are sometimes enough to discourage use of any daily log system. Ease of use and access are important for successful daily log systems. The daily log system should be as easy to use as a notebook and pen for recording events. This ease of use will better ensure frequent and correct usage of the daily log system.