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Enabling automatic responses for inbound emails using Service Collaborator

BMC Helix ITSM uses the generative AI capabilities of Service Collaborator to send automatic responses to inbound emails. This capability reduces the manual effort required to send responses for incidents created from inbound emails.

(Version 26.1.00 or earlier) Automatic responses are sent by using the RAG configuration in the following way:

  1. When an incident is created by email, the Service Collaborator analyzes the email subject and body.
  2. Knowledge articles are searched for the relevant information.
  3. Information from the knowledge articles is summarized and sent to the requester as a response in a predefined email template.

The Incident Agent Assist Resolution skill is used to automatically respond to inbound emails.  

(Version 26.1.01 and later) Agentic AI is used to send automatic responses to inbound emails in the following way:

  1. The inbound email is used as an input for an agentic skill.
  2. The skill, associated with the ITSM agent, evaluates the request, and retrieves relevant information primarily from the configured knowledge source.
  3. The skill follows the predefined initial instructions to generate a response.

The Agentic Auto Email Reply skill is used to respond to automatic emails. You can define the knowledge sources from which agentic AI can search for information to summarize for replying to an email.

Skills for the Automatic email responses capability

The response to the requester contains the following information:

  • Reference to the incident
  • Recommended resolution
  • Links to up to three recommended knowledge articles
  • Link to resolve the ticket

The email template is available in all locales that are supported by . You can also customize the email template according to your requirements.

Knowledge sources

Before 26.1.01, you can use BMC Helix ITSM or BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management as your knowledge source to search for information in knowledge articles.

To use Service Collaborator to automatically respond to inbound emails, we recommend that you set BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround as your knowledge source.

If you use BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround and BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management, an additional workflow makes sure that Service Collaborator uses BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround to search for information.

Before 26.1.01, if you added external source links to the email responses, the links did not work. Starting with version 26.1.01, you can select the knowledge sources to find the required information for the email response. You can select external sources, such as Microsoft SharePoint, Wiki, and so on.Learn how to select a knowledge source for agentic AI in Defining knowledge search settings.

Upgrading to 26.1.01 or later

If you have customized the skill and email responses, create a backup of your agent, skills, and tools. See Backing up BMC HelixGPT custom configurations. 

If you have customized by adding or modifying an agent, skill, or tool, and you want to upgrade to 26.1.01 or later to use agentic AI, you must modify the initial instructions. See To customize initial instructions.

Before you begin

Make sure that  is enabled, and all configurations are completed. For more information about the configurations, see Configuring settings to use Agentic AI capabilities.

To configure automatic responses to inbound emails by using HelixGPT configuration console

The HelixGPT Configuration Console is a unified, Innovation Studio-based interface to centrally manage all BMC HelixGPT feature settings across BMC Helix ITSM applications.

  1. As an administrator, log in to BMC Helix ITSM Application.
  2. Select Settings > HelixGPT Configuration > Features.
  3. From General Settings, select Auto Email Response.
  4. Set the Value parameter to true.
    auto-email.jpg

To enable automatic responses to inbound emails by using CCS parameters

  1. As an administrator, log in to Mid Tier.
  2. Click Applications, and select AR System Administration > AR System Administration Console.
  3. Select System > General > Centralized Configuration.
  4. From Component Name, select arsystem.bmc.arsys.itsm > *.
  5. Set the HelixGPT-Auto-Email-Reply parameter to true.
    Automatic responses to inbound emails are enabled. BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround is also automatically set as the knowledge source. 
  6. To use BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management also as the knowledge source, from Component Name, select com.bmc.arsys.server.shared > *, and set the Apply-Cognitive-For-Recommending-KB parameter to true.
  7. Click Apply.

To customize the initial instructions in auto email responses for agentic AI

  1. Log in to the BMC Helix ITSM application.
  2. Select HelixGPT Configuration > GPT configurations > GPT configurations.
  3. Click the Incident Intent type corresponding to email-reply. auto_email.png
  4. On the Edit HelixGPT Configuration pane, modify the following configuration parameters as required:Customize automatic email HelixGPT configuration

     

    Configuration parameter

    Description

    Skill

    The skill ID associated with the use case.

    Status

    Indicates the current operational state.

    Description

    A brief overview of the use case.

    Initial Instructions

    A set of guidelines to generate an auto email response.

    The following instructions are provided out of the box and point to the knowledge tool:

    **Goal**: Produce end-user-ready resolution for the issue described in the Subject and Body
    by consulting the knowledge tool.
    **Hard requirements**:
    Use the knowledge tool to find a solution based on the Subject and Body.
    Detect the language of the combined Subject + Body.
    ​​​​​​​The final response MUST be written in that same language.
    If language cannot be detected, use en_US.
    If a solution cannot be found for ANY reason 
    ​​​​​​​(including missing info, no matching knowledge, tool failure, or uncertainty), output EXACTLY:
    NO_RESOLUTION_FOUND
    Never return errors, disclaimers, tool/process commentary, or “standard messages”.
    Never include an “Ambiguity Notes” section (or any similar section).
    Output must not use any markdown syntax.
    Output must be ONLY one of:
    1) The solution, OR
    2) NO_RESOLUTION_FOUND
    Do not repeat the full Subject/Body in the output unless absolutely required to reference specific values.
    **Inputs** (provided below; may be large):
    **Subject**: #email_subject#
    **Body**: #email_body    #

    Modify the initial instructions in the Agentic Auto Email Reply skill according to your custom tools or the required customization.

  5. Click Save.

Examples

  • For issues about leave balance or HR-related queries, you can modify the initial instructions to:
    If your queries are about HR Management or leaves, use the Leave Balance tool.
    For anything else, use the knowledge tool to find a solution based on the Subject and Body.
  • For issues related to facilities, seat booking, access, and so on, you can modify the initial instructions to: 
    If your queries are about Facilities, seat booking, or access to the work area, use the Facilities tool.
    For anything else, use the knowledge tool to find a solution based on the Subject and Body.

After customizing the initial instructions, you must then customize the agent as required. For more information, see Creating and managing agents by using the Agent Studio editor.

Related topics

Agentic AI capabilities in BMC Helix ITSM

Leveraging Service Collaborator to automatically respond to inbound emails

 

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BMC Helix ITSM 26.1