Summary of "PeopleSoft Spotlight Series: Notification Composer Part1 (1 of 4)"

Summary of “PeopleSoft Spotlight Series: Notification Composer Part1 (1 of 4)”

This video provides an introductory overview of the PeopleSoft Notification Composer, focusing on its purpose, evolution, architecture, and terminology. It sets the stage for deeper dives in subsequent parts.

Key Technological Concepts and Product Features

1. What Are Notifications in PeopleSoft?

Notifications are messages or alerts generated by the PeopleSoft application. They can be delivered via multiple channels including:

Onscreen messages (warnings, errors)
Tiles and notification panels on the homepage
Worklists (action items)
Emails
In-app messages (formerly called push notifications)
Text/SMS messages

The video focuses primarily on email, in-app, and text/SMS notifications as handled by Notification Composer.

2. Historical Evolution of PeopleSoft Notifications

PeopleSoft has evolved since 1989 with various notification technologies layered over time. Key milestones include:

Trigger Business Events (PeopleTools 4.x, 1990s)
Workflow email notifications (1990s)
Multi-channel framework (8.4.2 in 2002)
Push notifications (8.5.6 in 2017)
Text/SMS support (8.5.7 in 2019)
Notification name/configuration (A5.8 in 2019)
Actions and alerts on homepage (A5.9 in 2021)
Fluid Notify (8.6.0 in 2022)
Harmonization of classic notify with Fluid Notify (8.6.1 on Cloud)

This history led to a “Frankenstein” approach with inconsistent notification mechanisms scattered across pillars (HCM, FSCM, ELM, Campus).

3. Challenges with Previous Notification Approaches

Multiple overlapping technologies and inconsistent use across applications
Customers often unaware of which notification technology is in use
Difficulty in managing, configuring, and personalizing notifications
Trigger Business Events and other legacy tools were not fully integrated or easy to manage

4. Notification Composer: The New Unified Framework

Notification Composer is a centralized, enterprise components-based framework to create, manage, and deliver notifications. Its features include:

Integration with PeopleTools notification configuration layer
Harmonization of notifications across all PeopleSoft pillars (HCM, FSCM, ELM, Campus)
Configuration-based control of notification delivery methods (email, in-app, text)
Grouping and organizing notifications by business process and functional category
Visibility and documentation of all system notifications in one place
Support for bind variables for dynamic content (e.g., employee name)
User personalization options if allowed by admin (users can choose delivery methods or opt out)
Ability for customers to create custom notifications using event mapping and configuration
Note: Notification Composer is not part of PeopleTools but requires a minimum PeopleTools version to function

5. Technical Architecture and Terminology

Notification Event: An application event triggering a notification (e.g., expense report submission)
Notification Name: A PeopleTools concept grouping one or more notification events sharing common attributes (purpose, delivery methods, personalization)
Business Process: Grouping of notification events by transactional area (e.g., life events, job data changes)
Functional Category: Logical grouping of notification names for easier organization (e.g., benefits, payroll)
Notification Composer resides in the application layer (enterprise components), while PeopleTools handles notification configuration and delivery
The key link between Notification Composer and PeopleTools is the PeopleTools Notification Name
Notifications can be sent via email templates, message catalogs, or custom text

6. Types of Notifications

System Generated: Automatically triggered by application events (e.g., approvals, expense submissions)
One-time/Ad hoc: User-initiated notifications (e.g., manager sending reminder email). Generally, these are not managed by Notification Composer except for some exceptions like HCM’s HR notifications framework which can optionally use Notification Composer for recurring or category-based notifications

7. Use Case Example: Life Events in HCM

Life event transactions (e.g., marriage, adoption) trigger multiple notification events. These events map to notification names grouped under the business process “Life Events.” Notifications inform administrators and employees about status changes, approvals, or required documentation.

8. Future Direction and Adoption

Notification Composer is the future standard for system-generated notifications
FSCM and HCM are actively converting notifications to this approach
Campus Solutions is still evaluating how to adopt Notification Composer
The goal is to phase out older technologies like Trigger Business Events and push notification APIs in favor of this unified approach

9. Benefits Highlighted

Consistency: Unified technology across the application
Visibility: All notifications are registered and viewable in setup pages
Configurability: Admins can enable/disable notifications, choose delivery methods, and allow personalization
Personalization: End users can control how they receive notifications if permitted
Extensibility: Customers can create their own notifications without modifying delivered code

Guides, Tutorials, and Reviews Mentioned

This video is part 1 of a 4-part series, focusing on overview and terminology
Part 2 will cover detailed walkthroughs of setup pages and configurations
Part 3 will discuss pillar-specific adoption and support considerations
The session includes Q&A clarifications about integration with email clients (Outlook), Campus Solutions adoption, and differences between system-generated and ad hoc notifications

Main Speakers/Sources

Russell (primary presenter) — Provides detailed explanations, historical context, and technical insights
Other unnamed participants ask questions and provide clarifications during the session

Overall, this video serves as a foundational introduction to PeopleSoft Notification Composer, explaining its role in modernizing and unifying the notification system across PeopleSoft applications.