Some functions can be configured to send e-mail messages to designated users. For example, optional e-mail messaging is used in System Security, Product Change Control, Supplier Performance, and the Global Requisition System. Additionally, you can have the system send report output in an e-mail message and you can send links to programs using e-mail.

To take advantage of this feature, the e-mail system must be defined and addresses specified. The e-mail interface is built around an operating-system command that communicates with the user’s e-mail system. This command tells the e-mail system how to construct and address messages.

There are two ways to set up e-mail:

The following topics discuss these methods.

With text e-mail, you cannot inform e-mail clients, such as MS Outlook or Lotus Notes, in which code page the data resides. So, for Unicode or non-English environments, the e-mail client determines the code page of the text. In most cases, if the text does not display correctly, you can right-click within the e-mail to access the code page; for example, in MS Outlook, you can right click to select Other Actions, then Encoding, then select the character set to access. In Lotus Notes, you can right click to select Encoding, then Other, then select the character set.

You can convert the text to HTML, then convert to UTF-8 to make an attachment. When you open the e-mail attachment in your Web browser, the attachment displays correctly.

To use HTML e-mail, you must use an e-mail command that supports attachments, like the command for attachments for the Mutt e-mail client. Mutt is a free, text-based program for reading electronic mail under the UNIX or Linux operating systems. Mutt provides a -a option for attachments.

If you want HTML e-mails as an attachment, you must add the -a option to the Mutt configuration file. Once the command is added to the configuration file, you can send text e-mails with an attachment by pressing the less than (<) key.