Setting Up Automated Mail Processing

This chapter provides an overview of automated mail processing (AMP) and discusses how to set up AMP.

Understanding Automated Mail Processing

This section discusses:

• AMP overview.

• Use of AMP in unstructured and structured email.

• Delivered behavioral rules.

AMP Overview

AMP performs automated actions on inbound emails based on the content analysis of emails and behavioral rules that are established in the system. The framework consists of these components and concepts:

• Categories.

• Actions.

• Rules, rules engine, and mailbox relationships.

Note. The functionality of AMP applies to both structured and unstructured emails. Topics discussed in this chapter are common to both email types. Please refer to subsequent chapters for additional AMP documentation that is specific to unstructured emails and structured emails.

Categories

Every email that AMP processes has a category, which is either recommended by natural language processing (NLP), if available, or, in the case of structured email where NLP is unavailable, it is the default value that comes from the email's associated webform definition.

Typically, AMP triggers email actions by matching the category and threshold of an email to a list of rules that you define in the system. You specify categories into which email can be classified in the NLP framework. When NLP receives an email, it analyzes the email content. It returns a suggested category and a category threshold score for that mail (for example, this email belongs to the problem category with a score of 80). AMP uses these two pieces of information to find a matching behavioral rule, and it invokes an action of the rule that can meet the email's threshold value.

PeopleSoft Customer Relationship Management delivers categories to be used for AMP. They are specified under a category set called AMP Categories, which includes Problem, Inquiry, Spam, Complaint, and Unsubscribe. To add custom categories to the AMP category set, create these categories under Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Correspondence, Categories & Types. Subsequently, add them to the AMP Categories category set under Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Knowledge Base, Category Set.

Actions

Through AMP, the email response management system (ERMS) can take immediate actions on the kinds of email that are relatively common and straightforward in terms of their purposes, such as making a complaint, filing a product problem, or requesting status information. The ERMS reduces agents' workload and helps them focus on resolving more complicated issues that are routed to them. You define email-specific actions that AMP can trigger using the action framework of the Active Analytics Framework. The action framework provides a flexible environment that enables you to implement custom actions by referencing your application class method in the runtime section of the action type definition. Specify an application class method in the design time section of the action type definition if you need to gather more details about the action from customers. The system triggers the design time code of an action when customers specify the action in a rule definition. Clicking the Configure link on the Define Automated Mail Processor Rule page enables customers to enter additional configuration details about that action for a particular rule.

System-delivered actions include Auto response, Auto acknowledge, Auto route, Auto suggest, Create case, Spam, and Unsubscribe.

Rules, Rules Engine, and Mailbox Relationships

A rule consists of a category, a threshold value, and a list of prioritized actions. Rules are subject to evaluation that is performed by the rules engine to determine which action to trigger for each email that it processes. In a rule definition, you specify the minimum confidence (threshold) score that an email with the same rule category has to meet for this rule to be applicable to this email. You can specify one or more actions in a rule and prioritize them.

When the rules engine obtains a category and threshold score for an email, it identifies the rule of that category that is specified in the mailbox definition to which the email is sent. The rules engine tries to take the action of the highest priority, one level at a time. If it cannot take the action for some reason (for example, the returned threshold score of the email is lower than the one specified at the action level), it moves to the next priority to see if it can trigger any action. If the rules engine cannot find any rule, or there is no action that can be triggered from the applicable rule due to low threshold score, the email is then routed to the default group worklist specified in the mailbox definition.

Note. AMP closes emails after auto responses are sent. If AMP cannot apply any rules to route emails that are in open status, they are routed to the default group worklist.

See Also

Defining Webform Templates

Understanding NLP

Use of AMP in Unstructured and Structured Email

AMP supports both unstructured and structured emails. The process behaves slightly different as a result of the availability of NLP:

• If NLP is available and the incoming email is either unstructured or structured, the AMP rules engine interacts with NLP to obtain the category that is suggested for the email, locates the relevant rule, and performs applicable actions automatically.

• If NLP is unavailable and the incoming email is structured, the AMP rules engine obtains the default category that is specified in the webform definition from which the email generates; the engine then locates the relevant rule and performs applicable actions automatically.

• If NLP is unavailable and the incoming email is unstructured, AMP doesn't apply and the email is routed to a worklist as a result of a keyword-based content analysis performed by Verity.

Process Flow

This diagram illustrates the AMP flow for unstructured and structured email:

AMP flow for structured and unstructured email

Analysis Steps

Here is a summary of how AMP works:

1. The mail reader process fetches an email from the email server and classifies it as unstructured or structured.

   AMP applies to structured emails, as well as to unstructured emails if NLP is available.

   • A structured email is generated from a form that a user submits online (called a webform).

   • An unstructured email is written from an email client.

2. AMP interacts with NLP (if applicable).

   AMP sends the email subject and body to the NLP server for content analysis. The NLP server returns a recommended category and threshold score for the email. The rules engine finds the rule for that suggested category from the mailbox definition to which the email belongs.

   If NLP is unavailable and the email being processed is unstructured, it will be routed by a keyword-based mechanism using Verity.

3. The rules engine goes through the rule's actions and runs the ones with the highest possible priority whose threshold values are satisfied by the returned threshold value.

   If the rules engine cannot find a matching rule or action, it routes the email to the default group worklist that is specified in the mailbox definition.

Delivered Behavioral Rules

PeopleSoft CRM delivers AMP rules for categories created in the system:

You specify a rule for each category in a mailbox definition. The rules engine references this information when it tries to find a rule that can apply to a categorized email belonging to a particular mailbox.

Setting Up Automated Mail Processing

To set up automated mail processing, use the Define AMP Rule (RB_DEFINE_AMPRULE) component.

This section discusses how to:

• Define webform templates (for structured email).

• Identify email workspace fields for mapping (for structured email).

• Specify webform and email workspace field mapping (for structured email).

• Set up NLP.

• Define actions.

• Define AMP categories.

• Define rules.

• Configure auto response actions.

• Configure auto acknowledge actions.

• Configure case creation actions.

• Configure auto suggest actions.

• Configure spam actions.

• Associate rules in mailboxes.

• Specify rules for categories.

• Configure rule actions.

Pages Used to Set Up Automated Mail Processing

Defining Webform Templates

See Defining Webform Templates.

Identifying Email Workspace Fields for Mapping

See Identifying Email Workspace Fields for Mapping.

Specifying Webform and Email Workspace Field Mapping

See Specifying Webform and Email Workspace Field Mapping.

Setting Up NLP

See Natural Language Processing.

Defining Actions

Access the Register Action Type page.

AMP leverages the action framework of the Active Analytics Framework to define actions. Use these fields on the page to define actions that are triggered by the rule engine.

The system delivers actions that can be used by the rules engine to handle some of the common email scenarios. Customers can add custom actions by writing their own application class methods and reference those methods here.

See PeopleSoft Enterprise Components for CRM 9 PeopleBook, “Considerations for Enabling the Framework” Considerations When Creating a New Action Type.

Defining AMP Categories

Access the Category Set page.

PeopleSoft CRM delivers a set of categories that can be used by NLP to classify email after analyzing its content. To add custom categories to be used for AMP, define them first on the Categories & Types page.

See Understanding NLP, Defining Template Categories and Types.

Defining Rules

Access the Define Automated Mail Processor Rule page.

Behavior Name and Description	Enter the name that uniquely identifies the rule, and enter descriptive text to explain the sequence of actions for this rule. The system uses the text in the Description field to display rules (for each category) in the mailbox definition.
Category	Select a category from the drop-down list box to associate with this rule. The list box lists all the categories that are available in the system-delivered category set called AMP Categories.
Confidence Must Exceed	Enter the minimum threshold value that an email needs to obtain for the specified category before this rule can apply. NLP processes email and returns one or more categories and their threshold values. The system uses the threshold value to determine which rule to apply to the email if NLP returns multiple categories. In other words, the system assigns the category that has the highest threshold value to the email. If more than one threshold value exceeds the confidence value specified in this field, the rules engine doesn't apply any rule to the email; instead, the email is routed to the default group worklist of the mailbox.
Priority	Enter a number to prioritize actions. The smaller the number, the higher the priority. The rules engine triggers actions with the highest priority. If no actions from the first priority can be invoked, it attempts the actions with the next highest priority. For example, the AMP rule is associated with three actions, auto response (in priority 1), create case, and auto route (both in priority 2). If an email matching this rule's category exceeds this rule's confidence level, the auto response action is invoked. If this action cannot complete, the create case and auto route actions are triggered. If none of them can succeed, the system sends the email to the default group worklist of the associated mailbox. You can assign the same priority to multiple actions.
Action Type Name	Select the type of action that the rules engine invokes. The drop-down list includes all action types that are established in the action framework.
Configure	Click to access the page to enter configuration details for the specified action type. A message appears if you click the link to configure an action type, but it doesn't require any configuration. Each delivered action type has its individual configuration page where you specify action-specific configuration information.

Configuring Auto Response Actions

Access the Configure Auto-Response Action page.

Configuring Auto Acknowledgement Actions

Access the Configure Auto-Acknowledge page.

Select a correspondence template package used to format the acknowledgement email.

Note. If you set up the auto acknowledge action, make sure to select Determine from Ruleauto acknowledgement option on the Mailbox Definition page.

See Also

Applying Customer-Based Routing Rules to a Mailbox

Configuring Case Creation Actions

Access the Configure Create Case page.

Select the display template used to create the case.

Configuring Auto Suggest Actions

Access the Configure Auto-Suggest page.

Auto-Suggest

Maximum Number of Documents

Configuring Spam Actions

Access the Configure SPAM page.

Delete SPAM from System	Select to remove spam email from the system.
Mark as Spam and Route to WL (mark as spam and route to worklist)	Select to mark email as spam and route it to the worklist specified in the Group Worklist Name field.
Route email to a Spam Mailbox	Select to route spam email to the mailbox specified in the Spam Mail Box ID field.

Associating Rules in Mailboxes

Access the Associate Rules and Worklist page.

Behavior Summary

This group box does not appear if NLP is unavailable.

Associated Worklists

Use this group box to associate worklists with a mailbox and prioritize worklists for that mailbox.

See Associating AMP Rules and Worklists with a Mailbox.

Specifying Rules for Categories

Access the Select Rule page.

Select one rule for each active category that is associated with a mailbox. Click the rule link to access the Define Automated Mail Processor Rule page to view the rule definition and modify it as needed. After selecting a rule, the Configure link becomes active. The system takes you to the Associate Rules and Worklist page where the rule link appears. Click it to access the Define Automated Mail Processor Rule page on a new browser window.

When you select a rule on the Select Rule page, its Configure link becomes active. Click this link to access the Configure Actions on Mailbox page (RB_MB_CFG_ACTIONS) and configure the actions available in the rule.

Configuring Rule Actions

Access the Configure Actions on Mailbox page.

This page contains the configuration parameters required for all the actions associated with the selected rule. If no actions of the rule require further configuration, they do not appear here. The fields for each type of actions are identical to those that appear on each individual action configuration page.