Unified Inbox in Gateway SP09

The Unified Inbox is a UI5 based inbox that enables the users to get the business tasks from different task providers (for example, Business Workflow, BPM, etc.) in a single inbox. The tasks in Unified Inbox can be viewed in two differently styled views, List and Stream.

List of features in Unified Inbox Gateway SP09

View standard and additional attributes of the business tasks

By default, Unified Inbox displays standard task attributes, such as, title, status, priority, creator of the task, creation date and due date.
The user can view custom attributes in both list and stream view. The custom attributes provide relevant business context information that helps the users to take appropriate steps and decisions on tasks. In stream view, user can also view the custom attributes for all the tasks at once. It also shows task description in normal as well as HTML text format.

List view

Custom attributes in Stream view

Filter and sort the business tasks

The filters in Unified Inbox are used to display a subset of business tasks. A user can filter the task list based on various filter criteria. 
Unified Inbox also provides free text search facility to find a particular task.
The tasks in Unified Inbox can be sorted based on status, task title, priority, creator of the task, start date and due date.

Execute standard and custom actions

User can perform standard as well as custom actions for a business task in Unified Inbox. The standard actions include Claim, Release and Forward.
If the user wants to work on a task, the user can reserve it by choosing the Claim action. By claiming the task, the user becomes the actual owner of the task and the task will disappear from other potential owners’ Unified Inbox.
A reserved task can be released by the actual owners of a task if the they do not want to work on it. In this case, the task will become visible again in all potential owners’ Unified Inbox.
The Unified Inbox allows the users to forward their tasks to other users to work on.

The custom actions (additional actions specific to particular tasks) help the users to perform additional actions on the tasks without opening the task application. Custom actions can be executed in both list and stream views of Unified Inbox.

Mass execution of standard and custom actions is possible in the list view of Unified Inbox.

Navigation to task application

The task application provides information and functions about the task and the process. It provides a user interface to work on the task. User can navigate to task application from both list and stream views. Navigating to task application for multiple tasks in a single click is possible in list view.

Comments and Attachments

User can view and post comments for a task in stream view of Unified Inbox.
They can see all previously added attachments along with details and add attachments to a task. The user has options to delete or download the attachments.
Note :  Adding an attachment is not possible for Internet Explorer version 9 or below.

Comments

Attachments

Substitution

A user can create substitution rules to manage their tasks in their absence. Substitution rules can be created for planned or unplanned absences. User can nominate substitutes to work on their tasks on their behalf. They can also accept to take over tasks from other users in case of unplanned absence or during an emergency.

A substitution rule can be created with or without a substitution profile. A substitution profile comprises of specific task classes (group of individual tasks or standard tasks).
If a rule is created with a substitution profile, The specified substitute can then log on and work items of the substituted users are displayed to the substitute in their Unified Inbox with the restrictions resulting from the specified substitution profile. e.g. they will only see work items associated with the particular substitution profile.
If a rule is created without a substitution profile, all the work items of the substituted user will be displayed in the substitute’s Unified Inbox.The substituted user has options to enable or disable their substitute from receiving their tasks. A substitution rule can also be deleted.

Manage substitution screen

Create substitution rule window

Portal Integration

Unified Inbox Portal Integration

Portal integration is a solution that offers tight integration of Unified Inbox with SAP NetWeaver enterprise portal technologies to help business users to view and interact with Unified Inbox, tasks directly from the portal.

Configuration

Unified Inbox configuration procedure

There is a set of SAP defined configuration entries that can be added or modified by the administrator.

The administrator can configure the Unified Inbox user interface to show with or without the application header. By default, the application header is visible. Application header can be set to hidden by configuration if the user wants to use more screen space to view the task list or if they are using lower resolution screens.

The administrator can specify whether the Task Execution Application should be opened in a new window or in the same window as a popup. By default, Unified Inbox opens task execution application in a new window.

SAPUI5 theme for Unified Inbox is also configurable. By default, the theme applied to the Unified Inbox application is sap_goldreflection.