How to set up an email reminder for increasing cargo flight efficiency???
 

I was wondering if there are any IT "boffins" who might know how to do this...

A client operates a cargo flight (CAO) to a remote airport/station and we supervise the loading and unloading of the aircraft among other things. We provide a loading supervisor/ turnaround coordinator to meet the aircraft on arrival, send the crew to a hotel and assist the loadmaster to unload and load the aircraft whilst it is on the ground. The aircraft operates irregularly and flight plans and loading and unloading schedules regularly change. All flight plans and logistics are developed at a central HQ and our supervisor remains planeside liaising with them via email. He has to arrange crew transportation, hotels, ground handling assistance, refuelling, cargo breakdowns, catering deliveries, strap/net/pallet reconcilations etc... As the airport in question is primitive and the majority of airport service providers hopeless, he has quite a task on his hands and the HQ (on another continent) sit there pulling their hair out wondering what is going on and desperately wanting an update.... sometimes they think everyone must be dead!

I regularly remind the loading supervisor to send an update every 30 minutes to the HQ. Even if there is no news he should just send an update to say no news. So for instance, if he is just waiting for the fuellers he could update and say "just waiting for fuel, fuellers say they will come in 10 mins..." Then 30 mins later he would say "fuellers still not at aircraft but they promise that fuel truck will be planeside in next 15 mins. Will confirm when it arrives..." Unfortunately, he does not manage to send his updates every 30 mins which causes unnecessary stress...

Is it possible to arrange it that if you have not sent an email to a certain email address within a predefined timeframe you receive a notification to send another email?

I doubt anyone has thought of this but I was wondering???

Tell the guy his emails updates are used as his timecard. If he misses one, he didn't work the previous 30 min, and he will never miss another email ever again. ;)

But seriously, I think your HQ people are micromanaging. Update every 30 min even if nothing happens? Really? :p Basically you are asking for progress report every 30 minutes.

HQ is client HQ. That is what client wants... This client only has a couple of aircraft and micromanages them... this is way client operates....

Other clients have many more cargo aircraft and only care when aircraft arrives and departs...

Is a difficult client, this one!!!!

Due to poor internet access, I don't fancy deducting wages from the employee or may end up in tribunal which would find in his favour (socialist system) and blame internet, the west etc...

The employee is just lacadaisical and does not understand western business... His heart is in right place - he just can't fathom why people need updates all the time - the fuel truck will come one day is his view!

I have watched him remotely (from a hill top) operating and he does the work... he just needs prodding to tell the client he has done the work and the fault is with the fuellers or whoever (and not with him)...

He is a laid back islander who grew up in a socialist system!

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but does he have a mobile device with a countdown timer function? If so, then he could just set it for 30 minutes, send the e-mail, reset the timer for 30 minutes, and so on.

If not, I could see how it could be done through scripting and an open SMTP relay, but the logic looks to be rather complicated. So option 1 above is definitely preferable.

Make him wear one of the "electric shock" dog collars when at work.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/electric-dog-collar

Tell him it is remotely operated by email, and if you dont get an email every 30 mins he will get a shock :D:D

Seriously, he is working to a different cultural standard. "Soon Come" has a sense of urgency just after "Manana" :D

Perhaps a small bribe might help? $1 per email whilst "on the job"?

Said employee is not capable of resetting a device!

He is working to a standard that is not acceptable in aviation... I love the dog collar idea but fear it is illegal for use on him - otherwise I would love to use it!

I am interested in the above gobledeguuk!

I have already bought the idiot an iPad which he uses for facebook. It needs my internet/IT chap to get this up and running... any further information on scripting and open relay would be appreciated...

(I barely know what scripting is in English yet alone what open relay is - I have to translate this concept in to their language and be convincing!)

It turns out that when person A sends email to person B, there are big machines in between them that actually send and receive the mail. The one that sends the mail (the relay) generally wants to know who you are and approve you as a sender before it lets you use its services. If it is promiscuous and lets anyone uses its services to send mail, it is said to be "open". Left unsecured, can you imagine how such a machine might be used nefariously?

Scripting is a fancy word for a type of programming that does not require the machine to pre-process the programming code in advance.

There are many ways to skin a cat. Your best bet would be to explain your general needs to your IT staff and let them figure it out. Some organizations do not permit open relays, others have strong feelings about who programs what.

Thanks for taking the time to reply... am a bit clearer now... will hand to IT though!