Use External Request Scenarios

An external request scenario tells dspCompose™ to create a request when an external data email account configured in dspCompose™ receives an email sent from a valid email account.

While an external request scenario can be configured to simply create a request when an email is received, templates may also be configured to use an external request scenario that creates an Excel-initiated request. In this case, dspCompose™ accepts an Excel file attached to the email. The Excel file provides data for the first Data Entry role in the workflow. Not only will the request be created, but the worksheet data from the Excel file will be inserted into the table used by the first Data Entry role (after certain conditions are met).

This section contains the following topics:

Additionally, an external request scenario can be configured to create requests using data from Information Steward (IS) reports.

Refer to External Request Scenarios that Create Information Steward-initiated Requests for more information about this type of external request scenario.

External Request Scenarios and Org Units

When a template uses Org Units and an external request scenario, dspCompose™ works with Org Units differently than it does when a request does not use Org Units.

When the template is activated, dspCompose™ displays a message warning that requests created from the external request scenario will be assigned Org Unit values based upon the Org Unit Security Level and Only Show Org Unit Values Assigned to Requester values assigned to the template. Access this list box and  check box on the Templates page’s Vertical View on the Advanced tab. Refer to Set Org Unit Assignment Security for a Request for more information.

When a user with a valid email account for the external request scenario sends an email to the external data email account, dspCompose™ creates and activates the request. The request is assigned to the lowest priority role in the workflow and the Confirm Org Units icon on the Page toolbar is disabled. In all other cases in which Org Units are used with a template, a user must click Confirm Org Units on the Request (Roles) page before the request roles are activated.

If the check box Only Show Org Unit Values Assigned to Requester is enabled for the template, dspCompose™ does not copy Org Unit values into the request created by an external request scenario, regardless of how Org Unit security is set on the template. Access the check box on the Templates page’s Vertical View on the Advanced tab.

External Request Scenarios and External Data Roles

A user assigned to an External Data role receives a spreadsheet with columns for adding (or in the case of validation failures, updating) request data. Using an External Data Role can streamline request data entry: the user does not have to log in to dspCompose™, but instead works in a spreadsheet that contains only the required columns. When the spreadsheet is submitted, it has to pass basic validations to reduce errors and processing time.

Refer to Use External Data Roles in Request Processing for more information.

External Data roles can be used with external request scenarios.

If the External Data role is the first role in the template, the External Data role will receive an email with a blank Excel file attached when the request for the external request scenario is created. At this point, the External Data role enters data in the Excel file and sends it to the external data email account configured for dspCompose™. Refer to Complete the Spreadsheet as an External Data Role for more information.

External Data roles can also be used with external request scenarios that create Excel-initiated requests with one exception: An External Data role cannot be the first role in the scenario’s associated template