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Scenarios for Administering and Using the Inbox

These two scenarios provide examples of processes performed by administrators and end users. Your company may follow a different process according to its business requirements. The examples provided in this topic are for an approval process, however, similar logic applies for other items such as notification.

• Scenario for Service Request Management
• Scenario for Approving Personnel Action Forms Requests Captured Using ESS

Scenario for Service Request Management

This organization has implemented an automated Inbox assignment and escalation policy for service requests. According to this policy, service requests are assigned based on the area, and an Inbox item is created to notify the service request owner of each assignment. In addition, an Inbox item is also created for the service request owner's manager—this is done based on a preset criterion, the priority of the service request. The Inbox was configured when the Siebel application was initially rolled out, but this recent change in policy requires the administrator to perform some tasks.

The administrator changes the replication-level feature, which is currently set to Regional. He changes the setting so that Inbox items are downloaded to both regional and local databases.

In addition, the policy has to be implemented in Japanese installations, so he adds the appropriate language translation.

Previous Inbox items have been lingering in the Inbox for too long, so the administrator reduces the item expiration period.

Finally, he adds a new drilldown destination view for certain users who do not have access to the standard Service Request views.

Scenario for Approving Personnel Action Forms Requests Captured Using ESS

The Human Resources manager at a company has outlined new personnel action policies for employees. Management has mandated that personnel change requests be filed electronically. An HR representative for the employee's department must first check and approve the request, followed by an approval from the employee's immediate supervisor, and the departmental vice president. This new policy is handed off to a Siebel administrator for implementation.

After using the Employee Self-Service feature to set up and activate the integrated Personnel Action Form (PAF), the administrator designs the approval flows for the business object using Siebel Business Process (Workflow) Administration. Using the Inbox, the administrator creates the required approval type. When an end user submits this particular item, the approval type created by the administrator invokes the approval workflow process.

A manager at the company submits a PAF. The form is routed to the human resources representative, then the manager, and finally the vice president. Each approver can reject the form and send it back to the requestor. If approved, the process flow results in an update of data fields.