đď¸ Launching November 11: This article covers features launching on November 11. Admins can opt in early.
Set up Newsfeed and Messages on one page: choose who can post and message, create group messages, and add training for your team. Try it with a few team members first, then turn it on right away or pick a launch date.
â Before you start: Admins with the Change Org Settings permission see the Enable Newsfeed and Messages card on Home.
Table of Contents:
Plan Your Launch
Decide these before you start, so the setup takes minutes and your team knows what to expect on day one:
What moves into Opus: name the group texts, WhatsApp groups, or other apps your team uses today, and decide which ones Newsfeed and Messages replace.
Who tries it first: pick a few team members for the preview, like a Manager and two Trainees from one Location, so you can see it from each side before everyone gets it.
Who can post: start with Admins and the Managers who share news today. Managers don't have Send Posts by default, even if they sent Messages before, so turn it on for their Roles.
Who can start conversations: decide whether Trainees can start Direct and Group Messages, or only reply in the ones they're added to.
Which group messages to start with: one per Location with everyone there is a good default. Add one for the Managers at each Location, or for each region, brand, or franchise, where your team already works that way.
When to launch: give your team a few days' notice, and pick a time when Managers are on shift to answer questions.
đĄ Make sure notifications are on: Messages notify only by push notification in the Opus Training app. Remind your team to update the app and allow notifications before launch.
Start the Setup
Everything happens on one setup page, which any Admin with the Change Org Settings permission can open from Home:
On Home, find the Enable Newsfeed and Messages card.
Click Get started. If another Admin already started, click Continue.
Changes save as you go, and the top of the page shows who edited it last. Use Launch steps on the left to jump to any section. To leave without launching, click the back arrow in the top left corner.
Start with What's changing: watch the short video, or click Learn more for a summary of what your team gets.
đĄ Have a question? Click Have a question? in the top right corner to chat with our team.
Try It with a Few Team Members
The team members you pick get Newsfeed and Messages right away, in the Opus Training app and the dashboard. Everyone else gets them at launch.
In the Test internally card on the left, click Select users. You're checked to start with.
Search, or filter by Roles, Locations, or User types, and check each team member you want.
Click Start preview.
The card shows Live for and how many team members have it. If you're one of them, click Open Newsfeed or Open Messages to try it yourself. To change who's in it, click Edit users.
â ď¸ Posts are real: A post sent during the preview goes to everyone you send it to. Team members outside the preview get it in their current Messages.
Choose Who Can Post and Message
Two permissions decide who can start conversations:
Send Posts: send Newsfeed posts.
Start Messages: start Direct and Group Messages. Managers and Trainees can only message team members at their Locations.
On each card, use the Admins, Managers, and Trainees rows to choose which Admins and which Roles have it. To turn it on or off for one team member, click Edit at the bottom of the card.
To start, Admins have both, and anyone who could send Messages before has Start Messages. You can change these later in Newsfeed > Preferences and Messages > Preferences.
Anyone in a conversation can reply to it, with or without these permissions.
Create Group Messages
Check the group messages you want Opus to create for you. Each card creates one group message per Location, region, brand, or franchise:
Everyone at each location: everyone at each Location. It's recommended and checked to start with.
Managers at each location: the Managers at each Location.
Managers in each region, brand, or franchise: the Managers at its Locations, plus the Managers assigned to it. There's a card for each kind your business has.
When a card is checked, you can change its Group message titles. A name in braces, like {location_name}, is replaced with each Location's name. The Group message preview shows the first few.
Opus creates the checked group messages at launch, and creating them doesn't notify anyone. If you check a card after launch, its group messages are created right away.
To add a group message of your own, under Or create group messages one at a time:
Click Add group message.
Give it a Custom title and, if you like, a Description.
Choose its Members and Owners.
Under Permissions, choose whether members can edit the title and add or remove members. When these are off, only owners can.
Click Save.
Click Edit to change a group message, or the X to delete it. You can also change group messages after launch.
Add Training for Your Team
Under Training made for your team, keep Newsfeed and Messages folder checked to add post templates, a monthly content calendar, Manager quick guides, and the Newsfeed & Messages 101 Module to your Library. It's added when you click Enable or Schedule, and you can share it with your team from there.
Launch Now or Pick a Date
The launch bar stays at the bottom of the setup page:
Click Pick a launch date and choose:
Now: turns on for everyone as soon as you click Enable.
A later date and time: pick the day and time. Times are in your business's time zone.
Click Enable or Schedule. The button matches the launch date you picked.
Enable asks you to confirm, then Newsfeed and Messages turn on for everyone right away. This can't be undone.
Schedule saves the date right away, and the launch bar shows when they turn on. Until then, you can pick a new date and click Schedule again, or choose Now and click Enable. The Home card shows the launch date, and View setup takes you back to the page.
Send a Welcome Post
Once Newsfeed and Messages are on, send your whole team a welcome post in Newsfeed. The Newsfeed and Messages folder has post templates to start from. Make it answer their questions before they ask:
Where it is: in the Opus Training app they already use.
What it replaces: the group texts or apps you're moving away from, and when to stop using them.
What goes where: Newsfeed for announcements and shout-outs, Group Messages for their Location or team, and Direct Messages for one-on-one.
Who can post and message: so nobody wonders why they can or can't start a conversation.
What to do now: update the app and turn on notifications.
Who to ask: a name, like their Manager or an Admin.
Keep it short and friendly, and add a photo of your team or a Location to make it feel like yours. Comments are on by default, so invite everyone to say hello in the comments.
đŻ Example: "Starting Monday, March 2, our team news and shift chat move from WhatsApp into the Opus app. Check Newsfeed for announcements and shout-outs, and use your Location's group in Messages for shift questions. Managers can post, and anyone can comment. Update the app and turn on notifications today. Questions? Ask your Manager."
âĄď¸ Learn more:
Newsfeed and Messages Best Practices: how to keep your team reading and using it after launch
FAQ
Why don't I see the Enable Newsfeed and Messages card?
The card shows only to Admins with the Change Org Settings permission, and only until your business has Newsfeed and Messages.
Can I turn Newsfeed and Messages off after launch?
No. Once they're on, they stay on. Try them with a few team members first in the preview.
Does creating group messages notify my team?
No. Your team sees group messages only once Newsfeed and Messages turn on for them. The group messages you pick from the cards are created at launch.
What does my team need to get notified?
The Opus Training app with notifications on. Group and Direct Messages notify by push notification only, with no text message.
Can I change the launch date after I schedule it?
Yes, until launch. Pick a new date and click Schedule again, or choose Now and click Enable to launch early.
What happens to the team members in the preview at launch?
Nothing changes for them. They keep Newsfeed and Messages, and everyone else gets them too.