We’re excited to announce the External Interaction module — a starter kit for tracking incoming communications and engagements from external parties across multiple contact channels.

What is the External Interaction Module?

The External Interaction module provides structured data capture for managing external communications from initial receipt through assignment, progress tracking, and final resolution. It enables organizations to track correspondence with partners and stakeholders, manage public inquiries, document constituent engagement, and maintain comprehensive interaction histories with consistent follow-up and resolution tracking.

Key capabilities include:

  • Multi-Channel Intake – Capture communications received via in-person visits, phone calls, emails, social media, web forms, and traditional mail
  • Contact Information Management – Structure submitter details with name, multiple phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, and social media URLs
  • Topic Categorization – Organize interactions using hierarchical topic taxonomies for improved routing and reporting
  • Source Attribution – Document originating channels, programs, and referral organizations
  • Queue-Based Routing – Distribute interactions to specialized departments, subject matter experts, or geographic service teams
  • Status and Priority Tracking – Monitor interactions through lifecycle stages with configurable priority levels
  • Service Level Management – Track first response due dates and resolution due dates to support service commitments
  • Progress Documentation – Maintain running commentary on actions taken, information gathered, and coordination efforts
  • Activity Integration – Link appointments, phone calls, emails, letters, and tasks for complete engagement timelines
  • Resolution Management – Document final outcomes, answers provided, and knowledge base content
  • Interaction Assistant Custom Page – Streamline interaction management with a unified interface for updating progress, drafting AI-powered acknowledgements (optional feature), resolving to contacts, routing to queues, and closing interactions

What’s Included

This initial release (v1.1.0.0) provides a complete solution:

  • 8 entities for comprehensive external interaction tracking
  • Main forms and active views for each entity to support intake, routing, assignment, and resolution workflows
  • Integration with Core module for persons, countries, states/provinces, and organizational structures
  • Integration with Dataverse activities for appointments, emails, phone calls, letters, and tasks
  • Queue integration for team-based workload distribution
  • Sample data for testing and demonstration including constituent inquiries, public information requests, and stakeholder correspondence

The module provides implementors with a baseline application that can be customized for constituent casework, partner correspondence tracking, public inquiry management, stakeholder engagement documentation, and customer service request coordination.

Getting Started

The External Interaction module is available in the FAST Modules Repository under the MIT license. It requires the Core module as a foundation.

View the complete External Interaction module documentation for entity descriptions, data model diagrams, and implementation guidance.