Email Authorization to continue task

[Jason]

Is there anyway I could insert an email authorization in the middle of a workflow process? If certain things needed to be done, an email would be sent to someone with authority to approve it with numbered choices to proceed. The recipient would reply to the email with the number indicating the next step. AA would read that email and be able to continue the process.

Any ideas? I haven't yet purchased the product but would like this feature. It may be possible to create an email with sufficient fields to be able to start a new process and pass those variables into it. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[forumsupport]

Hello,

Yes, it can certainly be automated using Email Automation feature of Automation Anywhere. You can use 'Send Email' command to send an email for approval. The email body should be in particular format so that data can be easily extracted later. Using Email Automation command, you can loop for unread messages on server and check if particular email is received using 'If $Email From$' and If $Email Subject$ conditions. Inside If block you can extract the entire message ($Email Message$) into user variable. Eventually, using 'String Manipulation' command you can extract the required response from email body. All the fields in Email Automation command provide variable support so you can the same task with different values.

Email Automation command is the exclusive feature of Integration Pack version. You can download free version of Automation Anywhere Integration Pack from our website:
Automation Anywhere Enterprise + Integration Pack - Automation Software for automating complex and simple tasks

The text format of task would appear something like this,

Send Email: Subject: "Approval Needed"
Variable Operation : No To $MailReceived$
Loop While $MailReceived$ Equal To "No"
Start Loop "Each unread message on server: mail.abc.com, User name: a@xyz.com"
If $Email From$ Equal To "b@xyz.com" Then
If $Email Subject$ Includes "Approval Needed" Then
Variable Operation : $Email Message$ To $MessageVariable$
Variable Operation : Yes To $MailReceived$
End If
End If
End Loop
End Loop
String Manipulation : "$MessageVariable$" and assign to : $Prompt-Assignment$
Message Box: "Reply for Step1 is: $Prompt-Assignment$"
String Manipulation : "$MessageVariable$" and assign to : $Prompt-Assignment$
Message Box: "Reply for Step2 is: $Prompt-Assignment$"


We have also attached sample task for your convenience. Please copy it under location, 'C:\...\My Documents\Automation Anywhere\Automation Anywhere\My Tasks' folder. Before you run this task, you need to change the email server settings as per your requirement at line #1 and #4.

Hope that helps.