Support for conversational user channels
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
You can now communicate with users and customers of a Pega® Platform application by using Pega Intelligent Virtual Assistant acting as a conversational user channel. You can now use Facebook Messenger, Alexa voice commands, standard email, or mobile texting (SMS) to interact with Pega Platform, for example, to open a case or display a menu of available options. In addition, in the Facebook channel configuration, you define text analyzer rules for advanced text analysis, based on artificial intelligence, so that the system provides the best response to users.
For more information, see Intelligent Virtual Assistant.
Capture real-time feedback with Agile Workbench
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
Project stakeholders can use the new Agile Workbench tool to capture real-time feedback directly in an application, which can increase the efficiency of application development. You capture feedback by creating a user story, bug, or feedback item, and these work items can include video recordings of screens, annotated screen captures, file attachments, or URLs. In Designer Studio, you can configure Agile Workbench to integrate with Pega® Agile Studio so that bugs and user stories are synchronized between the two systems.
For more information, see:
- Pega Express 7.3 – Agile Workbench
- Pega Platform 7.3 – Agile Workbench
Create application guides that direct users through tasks
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
Use the new Application Guide rule to create a guide that directs users through a set of tasks. A task can provide instructions to the user and include links to a landing page, wizard, URL, rule, or data record. After you add an application guide to a portal, users can open the guide from the Resources menu.
For more information, see Creating an application guide.
Associate project management work items with application features
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
You can associate project management work items that you create in Agile Workbench with features in your application stack. Work items include bugs, user stories, and feedback. Associating a work item with a feature improves traceability in your application.
For more information, see Associating a project management work item with a feature.
Adding a conversation to a case type
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
You can add a conversation that uses a messaging or voice application (for example, Facebook Messenger) as a channel for adding information to a case. You configure the messaging workflow as part of the case life cycle. At run time, a user working in the selected application sees (or hears) a series of questions that ask the user to enter information.
For more information about adding a conversation in Designer Studio, see Adding a conversation to a case type.
For more information about adding a conversation in Pega® Express, see Adding a conversation to a case type.
Email instantiation added to case types
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
You can now configure a case type to support email instantiation. By associating your case type with an email account, you can provide a way for users to create cases without logging in to your application. In addition, stakeholders can track updates to a case in one place, because the email and related discussion thread are stored in Pulse.
For more information about email instantiation, see Configuring the Email channel.
Improved interactions for email and Pulse
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
You can now continue a discussion that was initiated by email when you post a message to Pulse or reply to an email message. By providing a consistent thread of discussion in a case, you can keep stakeholders informed while allowing them to use the communication channel of their preference.
For more information about the communication interchange that occurs when you initiate a discussion, see:
- Pega Express 7.3 - Email instantiation
- Pega Platform 7.3 - Email instantiation
Pega Agile Studio integration
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
You can configure the new Agile Workbench tool to integrate with Pega® Agile Studio so that bugs and user stories are synchronized between the two systems. In addition, you can improve traceability in your development environment by using the Current work feature to associate a user story or bug with development changes.
For more information, see Integrating Agile Workbench with Pega Agile Studio and Tracing development changes to work items.