Using HTML Email Approvals with ELM Transactions

The PeopleSoft Approval Framework enables you to take action on approval requests directly from an email (for example, approve, deny, or pushback).

The HTML Email Approval feature delivers HTML email templates for key PeopleSoft Enterprise Learning Management transactions. This table lists these transactions along with their corresponding process IDs:

Transaction	Transaction Process IDs
Class Enrollment	ACT BOTH-SPECIAL ACT INT-MGR EXT-NONE ACT INT-MGR EXT-PAYADMN ACT INT-MGR EXT-SPECIAL ACT INT-NONE EXT-PAYADMN ACT INT-NONE EXT-SPECIAL ACT INT-SPECIAL EXT-NONE ACT INT-SPECIAL EXT-PAYADMN ACTIVITY ENROLLMENT
Program Registration	PRG BOTH-SPECIAL PRG INT-MGR EXT-NONE PRG INT-MGR EXT-PAYADMN PRG INT-MGR EXT-SPECIAL PRG INT-NONE EXT-PAYADMN PRG INT-NONE EXT-SPECIAL PRG INT-SPECIAL EXT-NONE PRG INT-SPECIAL EXT-PAYADMN PROGRAM REGISTRATION
Supplemental Learning	SUP BOTH-LEARNER SELECTED SUP BOTH-SPECIAL SUP INT-LRNRSEL EXT-NONE SUP INT-LRNRSEL EXT-SPECIAL SUP INT-MGR EXT-LRNRSEL SUP INT-MGR EXT-NONE SUP INT-MGR EXT-SPECIAL SUP INT-NONE EXT-LRNRSEL SUP INT-NONE EXT-SPECIAL SUP INT-SPECIAL EXT-LRNRSEL SUP INT-SPECIAL EXT-NONE SUPPLEMENTAL LEARNING

Note: This feature is dependent on the Approvals Framework delivered by Enterprise Components. For more information on setting up the Approval Framework for PeopleSoft ELM, see Understanding the Approval Framework.

Configuring HTML Email Approvals

The Approval Framework supports HTML email approvals as delivered. However, after the framework is enabled, you need to perform the following steps to ensure that your system uses this functionality according to your business needs:

Use the URL Maintenance Page to define the URL of the application server associated with the HTML_EMAIL_APPROVAL URL identifier.
Select the Use Email Approvals check box on the Register Transactions Page to enable HTML email approvals for the process IDs associated with your ELM transactions.
Use the Edit Template button on the Configure Transactions Page to review the template associated with a process ID and, if necessary, modify it to meet your business requirements.
Set up the EOAWEMC Application Engine process to run periodically to process the approval action emails sent by approvers.
The EOAWEMC process updates the approval status for the approver(s) and routes the approval request to the next person in the approval chain, if applicable. We recommend that you add a recurrence to the process to have it run as often as necessary so that approval responses are handled in a timely manner. For more information on the EOAWEMC process, see Scheduling the Application Engine Program EOAWEMC.

For each transaction submitted for approval, the system generates an email and sends it to the appropriate approver. The email contains detailed information about the transaction request. An approver can take action directly from the email by clicking a link, such as Approve, Deny, or Pushback, to generate a reply to the request. The email displays requestor comments and approval history. In addition, if the approver needs further details or information, the email provides a link that enables her to view the approval request in PIA.

Example of an HTML approval email for a class enrollment

Example of an HTML approval email for a program registration

Example of an HTML approval email for a supplemental learning request

Information Displayed for Classroom Enrollment Approval Emails

The summary section of the email displays the following information for the class:

Field	Derived From
Class Code	Class Code field on the Maintain Classes - Class Details Page
Course Name	Course Long Name field on the Course Details: Basic Data Page
Description	Description field on the Course Details: Basic Data Page
Type (delivery method)	Delivery Method field on the Maintain Classes - Class Details Page
Start Date	The first scheduled session date less than or equal to the current date if a scheduled session exists The Start Date field on the Maintain Classes - Class Details Page if there are no scheduled sessions
End Date	The End Date field on the Maintain Classes - Class Details Page
Duration	Days, Hours, and Minutes fields on the Maintain Classes - Class Details Page
Cost	For internal learners, Internal Price field For external learners, External Price field Currency derived from the Currency field All three fields are located on the Maintain Classes - Class Details Page.
Drop Charge	For internal learners, Internal Price Drop field For external learners, External Price Drop field Currency derived from the Currency field All three fields are located on the Maintain Classes - Class Details Page.

Note: If any of these parameters are not defined for a class, they are not displayed in the email. For more information on defining class details, see Understanding Management of Classes.

The Scheduled Sessions grid lists all of the scheduled sessions for the class being requested. For each session, the page displays:

Field	Derived From
Start Date	Date field defined on the Session Details Page.
Start Time	Start Time field defined on the Session Details Page.
End Time	End Time field defined on the Session Details Page.
Location	Combines the following three fields, concatenated: Facility field defined for the session on the Session Details Page Building Name associated to the selected room on the Room Detail Page Room field defined for the session on the Session Details Page

If there are no scheduled sessions for the class being requested, this section does not appear on the page. For more information on scheduling sessions, see Understanding Sessions, Webcasts, and Assignments.

Information Displayed for Program Registration Approval Emails

The summary section of the email displays the following information for the program:

Field	Derived From
Program Code	Certification Code or Curriculum Code field on the Maintain Programs - Details Page
Program Name	Long Name field on the Maintain Programs - Details Page
Description	Description field on the Maintain Programs - Details Page
Type (Certification or Curriculum)	Program type selected when the program is created
Validity	Validity Period field on the Maintain Programs - Details Page Note: The Validity field appears only for certifications that have a validity period defined.

For more information about defining program details, see Defining Programs.

Information Displayed for Supplemental Learning Approval Emails

The summary section of the email can display the following information for the supplemental learning:

Title
Description
Start Date
End Date
Institution
Location
Provided By
Supervised By
Travel Hours
Study Hours
Currency Code
Education Units
Price
Free Field One
Free Field Two
Free Field Three
Free Field Four
Instructions

All of these fields are derived from their counterpart on the Supplemental Learning: General Attributes Page. A field appears in the email only if both of the following are true:

The field is defined for the supplemental learning.
The Display check box is selected for the field on the Define Supplemental Learning - Details Page.

For more information on supplemental learning, see Understanding Supplemental Learning.

Approval History Grid

This grid appears for all ELM transactions. It displays the name of the current approver with a status of Pending. It also lists approvers that have already responded to the transaction. This grid does not show the approval chain, which consists of approvers that are in the queue to approve.

Comments Grid

This grid appears for all ELM transactions. displays any comments entered by approvers.

Responding to an Approval Request

The approver can act upon an approval request by selecting the appropriate action link that appears at the bottom of the email: Approve, Deny, or Pushback.

Upon selecting an action, a response email opens in the approver’s default email client. The email includes text to instruct the approver where to enter any comments.

Note: The Push Back link does not appear for first-level approvers.

Example of an email generated from clicking an action link

The approver can enter comments after the Comments text, but this is not a requirement.

Note: Approvers should not remove or modify any other identifiers or text from the response email.

After the approver sends the response email, the system updates the approval status of the associated request the next time it runs the EOAWEMC Application Engine process.