I still think that full email
integration with OpenERP would be the perfect way to go but would
not recommend it today with current OpenERP functionality.
Alias and automated server action is good enough to treat email
(+maybe the IMAP synchronization) but I have the feeling that this
way we stay in the middle of the bridge...
Eric Caudal
CEO
--
Elico Corporation, Shanghai branch
OpenERP Premium Certified Training Partner
Cell: + 86 186 2136 1670
Office: + 86 21 6211 8017/27/37
Skype: elico.corp
[email protected]
http://www.elico-corp.com
On 14/10/2013 13:34, Tony Gu wrote:
Hi Martin and others,
Allow me to describe a simple support request scenario that people
use only email client to interact with OpenERP without even login
into it (you don't need a TB plugin or any of such kind). Of
course this will involve some auto action/server action settings
and even coding in this part, but it is fully workable.
We can setup let say two support teams: A and B, A is the parent
of B, so that B provide L1 support while A provides L2 support
People send in a support request email to a email address that
linked with the OpenERP helpdesk module( eg. [email protected])
.
The incoming email will generate a support ticket(email thread)
and associate with the related portal user ( if there is no user
with the same email address existed in the OpenERP, then create
new portal user) . With the portal user account, people who
initiate the support request can always sign in OpenERP later on
to check the status of his/her ticket or issue new ticket.
With a proper auto action setting, OpenERP will automatically
assign an available team member from team B as the responsible for
this newly created ticket and forward the email content to that
team member.
Another auto action can also be triggered when this new ticket
created, for example, the system will check whether the
responsible actually replied the requested user in 4 hours, a
reminding letter will then send to the responsible if it is not.
(Noted here, when the responsible receive the forwarded mail
content from OpenERP, it actually do not contain the request
user's emaill address. Thus, the responsible's replies will always
go back to OpenERP mail gateway and be forwarded to the request
user, so that OpenERP will 'know' all the interaction between the
above two parties while separating them.)
Action can also be defined like when the responsible didn't reply
the user in certain period of time, another available team member
will be picked from team B and the team manager will be notified.
Yet again, we can set an action that when the ticket can not be
solved (in solved state) in certain timeframe, either notify the
manager from team B to allow him to upgrade the support level or
automatically upgrade the support level and set the responsible
from team A while notifying manager in team B.
The request user will receive all the replies redirected by
OpenERP, if the user want to cc or bcc to someone else in the
middle of support request, he can do so and the later responses
from OpenERP will include all those correspondents.
For the ticket responsible, he can also cc or bcc to his
colleague by using the email alias and maybe with a certain
remarks in email subjects or body to indicate the response as
internal communication, so that those internal exchange mail won't
be redirected to the request user. This also require us to make
some development to parse the "remarks" here to change the default
email routing.
If the ticket is solved, then the responsible can just reply the
previous email with a remarks let say [[solved]] to change the
ticket's state in OpenERP become 'solved'.
With some regex parsing and auto action definition, we can even
realize more complex business process without logging into
OpenERP.
People are already familiar with their dedicated email client like
outlook, thunderbird, gmail, etc., why do we need to reinvent one
in the OpenERP?
my 2 cents.
Tony Gu --Shine IT-- Shanghai, China
Tel : + 86 21 66044468
Cell: + 86 13386068213 Skype: digitalsatori
http://www.openerp.cn
OpenERP Consultans China Linkedin Group
OpenERP Official Partner in China
On 10/14/2013 02:00 AM, W. Martin
Borgert wrote:
On 2013-10-12 12:12, Tony Gu wrote:
However, IMHO, the design of OpenERP email/alias system is not
intend to be a full featured email client or replace the usage of
any other email client, and it shouldn't be. The OpenERP mail/alias
system is actually deem to be a request tracking or enterprise
social networking system. Combining with the mail gateway, email
alias, and proper defined actions, we can interact with the
resources inside OpenERP through email exchange without even logging
into it.
Probably I don't yet understand how to use the system properly.
My intention to use OpenERP as a request tracking system seems
to fail. That's why:
Customers helpdesk requests go into OpenERP via email. Note,
that customers do not have any access to the OpenERP system.
Helpdesk people can answer to requests via OpenERP, but the
actual request is not quoted, nor is it easy to answer to the
right group of people without going through some "invitation
ritual". Furthermore, one can't search (full text) through
helpdesk requests, which is very important.
OTOH, if helpdesk people answer using their email client, which
does quoting and Cc'ing easy and includes full-text search, why
do I need OpenERP anyway in the context of helpdesk? Of course,
because other important things are missing, like the contacts,
or the possibility to enter requests received by phone.
But than we have to deal with two clients, the email user agent
(e.g. Thunderbird) and OpenERP web interface - but the two do
not work together. (The OE Thunderbird plugin used to work on a
very basic level and stopped working entirely in my setup since
some weeks.)
I'm not sure which way I shall go:
- just understand, how email client and OpenERP are supposed
to work together :~)
- invest some time in solving at least some of the most
pressing issues with email and helpdesk in OpenERP
- moving to another request tracker, such as rt4 or otrs3 or
Trac with email2trac, maybe integrate them with OpenERP
So this is my question: How are email client and OpenERP
supposed to work together? What is the recommended workflow?
TIA!
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