Why broadcast messages may not reach some users

One of the main things to consider when selecting your recipients for a broadcast or check-in message is the difference between potential and addressable audiences. When a potential audience (an organization, group, or combination of the two if utilizing Enterprise Structures with an applied geofence as a filter, if applicable) is first selected, it is done without consideration of the communication channels that will be used to deliver the message. Once the communication channels are selected, the potential audience is narrowed down to the addressable recipients based on who is able to be reached via the channel(s) selected.

• Organization-wide - all users subscribed to the organization

• Groups - all users in the static, preset group(s)

• Applied geofence as a filter - all users who are a part of the organization or group selected and are within the boundaries of the selected geofence(s) who have a current location logged within the last 24 hours in the LiveSafe system

Once the potential audience is determined, the system then considers addressable recipients based on the communication channels selected. For example, the below scenario shows how a broadcast message with a potential audience of 10 people is actually only sent to six individuals (the addressable recipients):

1. An entire organization consisting of 100 subscribed users is selected as the intended recipients.
2. A geofence is applied as a filter, with only ten of those original 100 actually within the geofence boundaries at the time of the broadcast. This is your potential audience.  
3. SMS text message is chosen as the communication channel; and of those ten people within the geofence, only six have a validated phone number associated with their accounts. These six individuals are your addressable recipients.

Additionally, there are geofence-specific factors that need to be considered:

• The user is not fully registered - LiveSafe can only send to geofence-based broadcasts to fully-registered users. If a user is only added to the system via user sync (SCIM, batch, Dashboard) but never onboards in the mobile application, the system does not have a current location for the user and as such they are not considered for geofence-based broadcasts.

• Location services is not enabled (or for iOS only enabled when the user is in the app) - If location services are not enabled or not set to Always (specifically for iOS) then the LS platform is not getting a user’s current location on a regular basis. As such we will likely not have their current location which is used for determining who is in the geofence.

• Location has not been updated in the LAST 24 hours - If the user has turned off his or her phone or has not had recent data connectivity, his or her location may not be updated. On iOS, LiveSafe relies on a built-in feature called “Significant Location Change” to keep power consumption low. As a result, if the user does not move “a significant distance” (approximately 500 meters for iOS devices and 200 meters for Android devices - both are determined by the operating systems and are not controlled by LiveSafe) for more than 24 hours, LiveSafe may not have an updated location and therefore doesn’t include the user.

• Location accuracy limitations - If the user was close to - but not identified as being within - the geofence, it is possible that the location information was not 100% accurate. It’s important to note that the use of different hardware and environmental factors can also affect location accuracy. Current connectivity, having WiFi and bluetooth enabled, the operating system of a device, as well as the model of a device could all affect the accuracy of a location recorded.