QTRACA Chat is a built-in messaging tool that lets your team talk to each other without leaving the app — and, crucially, link the message straight to the record it's about (a batch, a form, or a non-conformance). It works the same way on the desktop interface and the operator (shop-floor) screens, so office and production staff are on the same conversation.
Where to find it: the chat icon in the top bar (next to notifications and your profile). It's present in the desktop UI and in both operator menu layouts. A red badge on the icon shows your unread count.
Why use it
Quality and production conversations usually happen about something — a specific batch, a CCP form, a raised non-conformance. Email and external chat apps lose that context. QTRACA Chat keeps the conversation attached to the record, so anyone reading later can click straight through to what was being discussed, and the discussion lives inside the same system as your traceability and compliance data.
Quick start
- Click the chat icon in the top bar to open the panel.
- Click New to start a conversation.
- Search for a colleague by name or username and select them. Select two or more people to create a group.
- (Groups only) optionally type a group name. If you leave it blank, the group is named after its members.
- Click Start chat — the conversation opens and is added to your list.
- Type a message and press send. To attach the record you're currently looking at, use the "Link this…" chip above the box (see below).
Conversations
- Direct messages (1:1) — pick one person and start chatting.
- Groups — pick two or more people; the panel switches to group mode and lets you name the group.
- Inbox list — every conversation shows the last message preview (or "No messages yet"), and an unread badge when there are messages you haven't seen.
- Online presence — in a 1:1, a small green dot shows when the other person is currently online.
Messages & attachments
- Text messages are plain text.
- Attachments — click the paperclip to attach files. Supported types: PDF, JPG/JPEG, PNG, DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, CSV, up to 5 MB each. You can attach more than one file to a message.
- Image preview — images you attach show as thumbnails in a preview strip before you send, and you'll see an upload progress indicator.
- In the thread — images appear as thumbnails you can click to open full-size; other files appear as a download chip with the filename.
- Time markers — long threads are broken up with "Today / Yesterday / " dividers so you can find your place.
Linking records to a message
This is what makes QTRACA Chat different from a generic messenger. You can attach a QTRACA record to any message so the conversation is anchored to it.
Supported record types:
| Record | Shown as |
|---|---|
| Batch | Batch number |
| Form | Form number, or the code of what it was raised against |
| Non-Conformance | NC code |
| Inwards Goods | Receipt reference |
| Dispatch | Invoice number |
| Sales Order | Order reference |
| Purchase Order | Order reference |
| Invoice | Document number |
| Credit Note / Bill | Document number |
The last four are order documents and only appear where your account has the orders and demand planning switch turned on. If your account does not use orders, they are simply absent from the list rather than shown and refused.
There are two ways to add a link:
1. Link the record you're viewing (one tap)
When you're on a batch, form, or non-conformance detail page, a chip appears at the top of the message box:
Link this Batch [record label] +
Click it to instantly attach the open record — no typing.
2. Type # to search
Type # in the message box followed by a few characters to open an autocomplete list. It searches matching batches, forms, and non-conformances as you type. Use the arrow keys and Enter to pick one. The record you're currently viewing is pinned to the top of the list with a (Current) badge.
Selected links sit in a strip below the box until you send (remove any with its ×). Once sent, each link renders as a clickable card with an icon, type, and label.
Cross-site links: if a linked record lives in a different site, clicking it switches you to that site automatically. If you don't have permission to view the record, you'll see "You don't have access to this record" rather than the record opening.
Seeing everything said about a record
Linking records makes each message traceable. The chat tab on a record turns that around: standing on a batch, you can see every message anyone has linked to that batch, gathered from whichever conversations they were said in.
This answers the complaint that discussion about a job gets lost inside people's private chats. It is not a separate thread you have to remember to use — it reads the links already being made, so it is complete from the day you start linking, including messages sent long before.
What you see is still governed by who you are. The tab shows mentions from conversations you take part in. Two people discussing your batch in a direct message you are not in does not appear — chat remains private between its participants, and this view does not change that.
Oversight for supervisors
A user given the chat admin role can read any conversation in the account, not only their own. It is intended for supervisors and for investigating a complaint or an incident after the fact.
The role is read-only, by design:
- A chat admin can open and read any conversation, and see every mention of a record.
- A chat admin cannot post into a conversation they are not part of, cannot rename it, and cannot add or remove people.
- Reading does not join them to the conversation and leaves no trace to its participants.
A separate All chats tab appears for these users, listing every conversation in the account. Your own inbox is unchanged and still shows only your conversations.
This is a real privilege. Anyone with the chat admin role can read private messages between colleagues. Grant it deliberately, and tell people it exists — staff should know their messages can be reviewed.
Notifications
- The unread badge on the chat icon shows your total unread count across all conversations (displayed as 99+ above 99). It appears as soon as you log in or refresh — you don't have to open chat first.
- New messages arrive in real time while you're working, even if the chat panel is closed; they're waiting for you when you open the conversation, and the unread count updates live.
- Notifications work in both the desktop and operator interfaces.
There are currently no read receipts or typing indicators — chat focuses on getting the message and its linked record to the right people.
Pinning & docking the panel
By default the chat panel floats over the page with a dimmed backdrop (click the backdrop to close).
Click the pin icon (top-right of the panel) to dock it:
- The panel stays open on the right and the main page content shifts left to make room — so you can keep chatting while you work.
- Drag the handle on the panel's left edge to resize it (between roughly 320 px and 900 px).
- Your pin state and width are remembered next time you log in.
Docking works in both the desktop and operator UIs.
Tips
- Anchor every quality conversation to its record. Before sending, glance at the "Link this…" chip — one tap keeps the discussion traceable.
- Use groups for a line or shift rather than repeating yourself in several DMs.
- Pin the panel during a handover or investigation so the thread stays visible alongside the batch or NC you're working through.