MailApproval

The WEBCON BPS platform allows you to delegate tasks assigned to other users in the system, and to automatically close tasks and select a workflow path by answering standard e-mail messages sent by the system.

To choose a workflow path via an e-mail message:

• configure parameters of the e-mail inbox supporting the MailApproval functionality,
• configure the predefined list of commands for approval (optional) or a command enabling task delegation,
• on workflow paths for which you want to start approval, configure respective options in the MailApproval tab.

Moreover, standard e-mail messages sent by WEBCON Business Process Suite should contain the following fragment:

"Information: You can reply to this message with a MailApproval command in the e-mail body. Type HELP in the e-mail body to get the list of all available MailApproval commands. WFD_ID[-|368|-];WFD_Guid[-|77c6dadb-aab2-4b47-80ff-8ccfb02f8a25|-];

To traverse one of the configured paths, reply to such an e-mail by entering one of the commands available on the path in the message body.
If you want to delegate a task, in the message body enter a command for delegations followed by unique user identifier (login, e-mail address, displayed name).

The MailApproval node window is divided into two tabs, i.e. General and Commands, that allow you to configure the functionality.

General

The tab enables the configuration of basic Exchange server connection parameters that are necessary for MailApproval to work correctly.

1. MailApproval enabled

The parameter specifies whether the task delegation support and e-mail approval support are activated.

2. General

• E-mail address of person to be notified about invalid email – e-mail address of the person to whom information about incorrect e-mail messages will be sent.
• BPS Service – specifying the server name reduces the processing of MailApproval messages. The messages will be processed only if the server name hosting the WEBCON Workflow BPS service corresponds with the name provided in this field. Leaving the default value ensures that the messages can be processed by the service regardless of its location.
  If you use only one WEBCON Workflow service, leave the default value unchanged.
• Attach e-mail with command as workflow instance attachment – the entire e-mail with the approval command is added to the workflow instance affected by the MailApproval command. Eventual restrictions to attachment adding are applied. All standard procedures (e.g. actions triggered on attachment add) are executed. If the e-mail contains any attachment on its own, it will not be processed separately. It will be available in WEBCON BPS only through the e-mail attachment.

3. Inbox parameters

• Server type – connections to an on-premises Exchange server are handled via Exchange Web Service (EWS) with Basic authentication. For Exchange Online, it is possible to choose a connection through either EWS with Basic authentication or Microsoft Graph with OAuth authentication.

caution

As of 1 October 2022, Microsoft has stopped supporting the Basic authentication for Exchange Online.

• Server address – the field allows you to enter the target server address.
• Login – name of the user authorized to access the server.
• Password – password associated with the account of the user authorized to access the server.
• Test connection parameters – the button allows you to check whether the entered data enables connection with the defined server.

info

To learn more about configuring connection through Exchange Online - Microsoft Graph, read the ARTICLE available in the WEBCON Community website.

4. Outbox parameters

Standard and custom outbox parameters. The user can apply standard settings (the Use standard outbox settings button) or custom configuration of the outbox (the Use custom outbox settings button). Selecting the latter option activates the fields that enable outbox configuration. Once you enter relevant data, you can send a test e-mail (the Send test e-mail button) to check if the configuration is correct.

5. Folders settings (exchange)

• Source folder – name of the Exchange server directory from which files are retrieved.
• Archive folder – name of the Exchange server directory to which the correctly processed messages are transferred.
• Error folder – name of the Exchange server directory to which the incorrect messages are transferred (e.g. messages which do not include in its body the task acceptance or delegation commands).

Commands

The tab allows you to configure optional values of commands available on workflow paths and commands required to delegate tasks.

1. Command groups

A list containing predefined value groups. Those groups are available on the workflow path. It is not possible to delete the Delegation command group.

2. Commands

A list of commands available within a given group of commands.