Applications Administration Guide > Configuring the Inbox >

Planning for Inbox Configuration

Before you start configuring the Inbox, you need to do some research and planning.

This task is a step in Process of Setting Up and Configuring Inbox.

To plan an Inbox Configuration

1. Choose the feature object you want to integrate with the Inbox.

   For example, Employee Self-Service forms, Service Requests, Opportunities.

2. Analyze how the object is currently being accessed by answering the following questions:
   1. Is the object accessed from the UI or from workflow processes? Is the object accessed from one place or many?
   2. How is the object related to other objects? Are other objects dependent on the object?
   3. What operations do end users perform on the object?
3. Determine the integration mechanism by considering what needs to happen to the object after it enters the Inbox.

   There are two kinds of integration with the Inbox:

   • Inbound (Typically triggered through workflows, eScripts, Runtime Event, or Workflow Monitor agents)
   • Outbound (Typically through workflows and eScripts)

     For example, if end users access the feature object in other ways besides through the Inbox, you need to synchronize (inbound) the Inbox with the object's current data. (See also Figure 8.)

4. Consider the following best practices:
   • Only interact with the Inbox through the methods in the Universal Inbox business service. (Do not edit Inbox fields directly.)
   • Do not customize fields in the Inbox.
   • Once an Inbox item has been deactivated for a given owner, it cannot be reactivated. Instead, create a new Inbox item for that owner.