Unit4 products setup for Unit4 Advanced Virtual Agent (Ava)
About this guide
This implementation guide covers the setup required in Unit4 products to use the Unit4 Advanced Virtual Agent (Ava), and is aimed at implementation consultants (Professional Services) and system administrator level staff who are responsible for configuring and maintaining an installation.
Steps overview
The following sections describe the setup process for Ava.
Enable Unit4 Identity Services
Unit4 Identity Services (U4IDS) must be enabled for the customer. This step can be done by anybody with access to Community4U:
- Check if U4IDS is enabled.
- If U4IDS is not enabled, request it via Community4U.
Request Ava
Request Unit4 Advanced Virtual Agent (Ava) through Community4U Service Catalog. This can also be done by anybody with access to Community4U.
Accept Ava apps permissions
If you are using the PIM (Procurement Invoice Management) service or any other service that uses the Team Discussion functionality, accept Unit4 Ava apps permissions. This step needs to be performed by someone with administration permissions in the Microsoft Teams organisation.
ℹ️ Note: Skip this step if you are not using these services.
Configure access and functionalities
Ava functionalities fall into two categories depending on the setup required. For a detailed overview of each functionality, see Ava functionalities.
- Features available by default (no additional setup required): Some functionalities, such as Real-Time Help, are enabled as soon as Ava is deployed and connected to the customer environment. These do not require access rights configuration.
- Features that require configuration (access rights needed): Other functionalities, such as Task Assistance, require access rights configuration in the Unit4 environment before users can access them. Ava needs specific permissions to perform actions on behalf of the user.
For functionalities that require configuration, someone with administrator permissions within the environment needs to:
- Assign access rights for the relevant users as listed in ERPx access setup overview for ERPx or ERP CR access setup overview for ERP CR.
- Perform the corresponding setup for the functionality of interest.
Install the Ava app
Install the Ava app in the end users' Microsoft Teams accounts. This can be done in two ways:
- Each user installs it individually.
- Someone with administration permissions in the Microsoft Teams organisation installs it for a group of employees or all employees.
ℹ️ Note: For a smoother installation process, we recommend the second option.
Go to End user setup for further details.
If an issue appears during any of these steps, raise a ticket with Unit4, registering the issue in Support4U.
General considerations
Cloud delivery
Ava is delivered as a cloud service with continuous non-breaking releases, which means that it will get smarter and learn new skills on a regular basis.
Terms and conditions
Customers must agree to the overall Unit4 privacy policies for Ava as outlined in Unit4 Privacy Statement relating to cloud-based services and Platform services. Customers must also agree to the Terms and Conditions for Microsoft Services such as the Microsoft Language Understanding Service and Microsoft Bot Connector.
Privacy policy
When end users start using Ava, they are asked to review and grant several permissions through the Consent window. The following table describes each consent.
| Permission | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Use your user identifier | Mandatory | Allows Ava to securely identify the user within the organisation. |
| Use your user information | Optional | Gives Ava access to user profile information such as first name and last name. |
| Remember you (offline access) | Optional | Extends the user's access lifetime and allows Ava to act on their behalf without prompting for permission each time. |
| Use chat messages | Mandatory | Allows Ava to read and process chat messages when performing tasks on behalf of the user. Ava also stores chat messages securely and anonymously to help the service learn and improve. |
| Use your collaboration app user identifier | Mandatory | Links the user's collaboration app ID to their work or organisation account so that Ava can securely connect to Unit4 from within their collaboration app. |
End users can withdraw optional consents at any time by using the withdraw consent command in a chat message. They can also request deletion of their personal data by using the forget me command or request a data export by emailing privacy@unit4.com.
For details on the privacy policies of Unit4 for Ava, see the Unit4 Ava Privacy Statement.
Feedback
End user feedback helps Unit4 improve Ava while keeping data protected. Feedback is used exclusively to improve the accuracy, quality, and relevance of Ava's responses.
End users can provide feedback in two ways:
- Send feedback command: Users can type the feedback command in their chat with Ava at any time to voluntarily give feedback or report a problem.
- Rate an answer: After each interaction, users are prompted to rate their experience with a thumbs up or thumbs down icon and can optionally add comments.
Ava stores messages anonymously. The anonymised messages allow Unit4 teams to understand how Ava is used and identify areas for improvement. Feedback cannot be accessed by any users inside the customer organisation. Only authorised Unit4 personnel may access this anonymised data when necessary, such as for troubleshooting or support and only in accordance with applicable laws.
Ava usage scenarios
Supported scenarios
The Unit4 Advanced Virtual Agent (Ava) cloud service can be used in managed cloud scenarios, where Unit4 applications and required Unit4 Platform services are hosted and managed in the cloud by Unit4 Cloud Operations.
Required Unit4 Platform services
The following Unit4 Platform services are required:
- Unit4 Identity Services (U4IDS): Provides authentication and identity mapping. U4IDS is a multi-tenant Federation Gateway using the OpenID protocol.
- Unit4 Message Hub: Provides message handling and management for notifications.