SAP CRM 7.0 Detailed View
SAP CRM 7.0
Actions
Table of Contents
1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Overview of Actions Actions in Detail Customizing Actions Output Determination Alerts
3. Conclusion 4. Further Information
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Challenges and Market Trends
Long-term customer relationships are essential in a world of transparent and competitive markets. Customer satisfaction is a key factor in such relationships.
Automated processes can help you achieve customer satisfaction and fulfill customers’ needs. They enable sales personnel to act and react promptly and appropriately to critical situations.
Optimized internal processes are another critical success factor. Reducing costs and increasing the ROI play a key role for companies.
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Actions – Key Features
Create subsequent documents automatically, depending upon conditions
Execute changes in the document currently being processed
Create output (print, fax, and e-mail)
Trigger workflow processes
Trigger alerts
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Actions – Business Benefits
Increased efficiency and reduced workload for sales personnel with predefined, automated processes
One face to the customer with clear and familiar processes
Flexibility with adjustment to customer requirements and internal processes
Complete integration with all SAP CRM transactions
Integrated early warning system
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Table of Contents
1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Overview of Actions Actions in Detail Customizing Actions Output Determination Alerts
3. Conclusion 4. Further Information
© SAP 2007 / Page 6
What are Actions? Actions are flexible functions and processes, based upon freely-definable conditions, that occur automatically You can use the action feature in SAP CRM for
Processing subsequent functions and output Triggering workflows or alerts
Actions are integrated into the following SAP CRM business transactions
Activities Opportunities Quotations and orders Service processes Sales, service, and leasing contracts Complaints Leads
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Sample Actions
You can schedule and start predefined actions from transaction documents
Opportunity
Sales contract
Order
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Action
Condition
Gather information on customer (task)
Document in identification phase
Call customer (create follow-up activity)
If released value < target value two weeks before contract ends
Trigger alert when contract is cancelled
If customer notifies you of an intention to cancel
Print order confirmation
Order has been saved
Uses of Actions in Transactions
Smart Forms output Print E-mail Fax
Call a method Copy document (create follow-up document) Change status Trigger alert Any BADI
Start a workflow
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Basics of Actions in Transactions
Setup
One action profile per transaction type or item category Several actions per action profile Several processing types per action
Timing options for processing
Immediately On saving With a batch job
Conditions
Schedule condition – when should the action be brought into the document? Start condition – when should the action be processed?
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Table of Contents
1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Overview of Actions Actions in Detail Customizing Actions Output Determination Alerts
3. Conclusion 4. Further Information
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Processing Actions – Process Flow Action profile
Action Schedule condition Fulfilled Schedule automatically
Yes
Active Action tab
Start condition Fulfilled
No Processing time Inactive F4 (manual)
Toolbar (manual) SAP 2008 / Page 12
Processing medium
Processing Actions – Segments Processing medium and time
Transaction header and item
Planning
Starting
Schedule condition
Start condition
Action profile Examples Create task Trigger alert Send e-mail
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Document – Manually
Actions
Monitoring
Processing Actions – Steps
When a user creates a document, the following steps occur
Step 1
Planning
Step 2
Starting
Step 3
System checks whether start conditions have been fulfilled System starts actions automatically at defined processing time You can start an action manually (if allowed)
Monitoring
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System checks which actions are possible for the transaction or item System checks if the schedule conditions have been fulfilled System schedules active actions automatically Actions appear in the action list You can add or schedule inactive actions manually
You can monitor which actions are planned or have occurred with
Actions tab
Action monitor
Actions in WebClient UI
The WEB Client UI also contains an Actions tab (at the header and item level)
Actions list: list of all executed actions
Details of a selected action
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Action Monitor
The action monitor gives an overview of all planned actions and their status. You can trigger or repeat action processing and display the output (preview)
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Table of Contents
1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Overview of Actions Actions in Detail Customizing Actions Output Determination Alerts
3. Conclusion 4. Further Information
© SAP 2007 / Page 17
Controlling Actions
For each action, you can define…
Processing time (when should processing take place?)
Determination technique (whether conditions must be met for an action to occur)
Partner determination (is the action partner-dependent?)
Action merging (how many actions can be processed?)
Processing types (method call, Smart Forms, and workflow, for example)
Other attributes
Whether scheduling should be automatic or manual
Whether the action is executable or changeable in the dialog
Whether the action is displayed in the toolbar
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Customizing Actions
How to define actions Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
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Define action profiles and action types for this profile
Define schedule and start conditions; adjust action profiles (if necessary)
Assign the action profiles to transaction types or item categories and/or use the condition technique for action profile determination
Define Actions – Step 1
Define action profiles and actions
Action profile Define action profile Assign date profile and object type
Action Define actions for the action profile Specify default settings for the action Processing time period Determination
Processing type Set how the action is executed (workflow, method call, or Smart Forms) Specify settings for processing type SAP 2008 / Page 20
Define Action Profile
Assign the business object type for which you want to use the profile Assign a date profile if you want to work with time-dependent conditions Enter the context class: CL_DOC_CONTEXT_CRM_ORDER
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Define Actions
Specify the default values for the action
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Define Processing Types for the Action
Assign the processing types to the action
Make additional settings for each processing type
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Create Actions with the Wizard
The wizard helps you create new actions
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Define Actions – Step 2
Define conditions and adjust the action profile
1. Choose the action profile you want to process 2. Choose the action you want to adjust 3. Define conditions Schedule condition
Start condition
Decides whether an action should be scheduled or not
Checked before the action is processed
Example: net value > $10,000
Example: two weeks before the “valid to” date
4. Adjust action (processing settings) SAP 2008 / Page 25
Define Conditions
Select action profile
Select the action for which you want to create conditions
Define conditions
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Condition Editor
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Additional Remarks
The default values from the action settings are automatically proposed (if the Default Settings From Action Definition flag is active) on the Overview tab
You can display and change the processing parameters on the Action Details tab
If you don’t define any conditions, the system automatically assumes that the conditions have been fulfilled and triggers the action
If you want to use time-dependent conditions, you must define date profiles with dates, duration, and date rules in date management You must also ensure that the correct date profile is assigned to the action profile
Always use search help for constants in the condition editor
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Define Actions – Step 3 Assign action profile to transaction type or item category and/or use condition technique for profile determination
Transaction Type
Item Category
Action Profile
Action Profile
Header
Item Detail Actions
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Actions
Condition Technique for Action Profile Determination Advantages: Action profile determination
Is very flexible
Can be controlled according to individual customer needs
Can consider certain dependencies
Is recommended when a large number of actions should be triggered and actions can be grouped
Examples
Action profile determination can be controlled depending upon
Input channel (such as Internet sales or mobile sales)
Customer, customer hierarchy, or customer group
Product group
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Condition Technique for Action Determination – Customizing
Action profile determination with condition technique
BADI for defining requirements for determination procedure
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Action Profile Determination
Transaction Type
Action Profile 1 (Header)
Static AP Assignment
Action Profile Determination Procedure
A P D Procedure
Condition Type (A) Access Sequence
Req.
Action 1
001
Action 2
(001) SalesOrg/Cust. (002) Cust/Transact. Type (003) Customer
Condition Type (B) Access Sequence
Condition Type (C) Access Sequence
Item Category
Action Profile 2 (Header) 002
Action 4 Action 5
003 Action Profile (Item) Action 3
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Example: Action Profile Determination Procedure Action Profile Determination Procedure: OCRM01 (Sales Order) Condition Type: OACK (Order confirmation) Access Sequence:.
1
2 3
Sales Organization Distribution Channel Division Transaction Type Customer
Actions profile: ACP001
Transaction Type Customer
Action 1
Order Confirmation with Email
Action 2
Mail to responsible Sales Rep
Transaction Type
Condition table with condition records
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Sales Distr. Diviso Trans.ty pe Org. Chann n el
Custom er
Act. Profil
1000
10
00
TA
4711
AP001
2000
10
00
TA
AP002
Table of Contents
1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Overview of Actions Actions in Detail Customizing Actions Output Determination Alerts
3. Conclusion 4. Further Information
© SAP 2007 / Page 34
Output Determination Output determination enables you to print, fax, or e-mail documents in SAP CRM applications and solutions with SAP R/3 Enterprise
You define output as action definitions
For every output type you define one action. You can choose from
Processing time (immediately, when saving, or by report)
Processing type (print, fax, or e-mail)
Determination technique (related to conditions or automatically)
Partner determination (related to partners or not)
Action merging
Print settings
Use Smart Forms to design your forms
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Output – Order Confirmation
Address – ship-to party Company data General data
Order items
Quotation items
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Printing in the WebClient UI
Choose the Preview Output button to start Acrobat Reader
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Printing from the Action Monitor You can display and print several types of output together with the action monitor. You can also repeat the print run
Process output
Preview
Processing log
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Customizing for Output Determination
To define output actions, assign the Smart Forms processing type to the required action Assign a form, a processing class, and a processing method
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Define Conditions and Output Details
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Table of Contents
1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Overview of Actions Actions in Detail Customizing Actions Output Determination Alerts
3. Conclusion 4. Further Information
© SAP 2007 / Page 41
Alerts You can use actions to trigger alerts. This feature helps accelerate processing of critical situations by immediately informing the person responsible about potential problems
Example Send an alert to the sales manager if a valuable contract is cancelled
The alerts are delivered to recipients in their alert inboxes (in SAP NetWeaver Portal, for example)
The actions are used to trigger the alerts. Alert management – a generic business tool – performs subsequent processing
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Alert Management – Overview
SAP CRM triggers an alert of a particular alert category from action management (PPF)
Alert Engine (SAP NetWeaver Application Server 6.20) E-Mail
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Alert Inbox (SAP NetWeaver Portal)
Infrastructure for creating and providing the alerts
Cell Phone and SMS
The Alert Inbox in the WebClient UI You can use the alert inbox and alert list iViews to display the alerts in all SAP CRM roles
The alert inbox displays an overview of all alerts (all categories) The alert list displays the details of alerts for one category
The user can display the details of the document that triggered the alert (with a hyperlink)
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Settings for Triggering Alerts
How do I define actions for triggering alerts?
1. Define alert categories within alert management
2. Define an action with Alert processing type
3. Enter the category as a processing parameter
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Alert Categories
Define alert categories in alert management
Define alert category
Define properties, texts, and subsequent activities You can also define recipients for every alert category IMG: Basis Æ Basic Services Æ Generic Business Tools SAP 2008 / Page 46
Define Action
The Alert processing type offers tight integration with alert management; RFCenabled search help is available
Built-in search help reads alert categories maintained on the central alert server
Call maintenance of alert definitions on the central server SAP 2008 / Page 47
Define Processing Parameters
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Table of Contents
1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Overview of Actions Actions in Detail Customizing Actions Output Determination Alerts
3. Conclusion 4. Further Information
© SAP 2007 / Page 49
Comparison of Workflow and Actions
Workflow
Actions
All necessary workflow
Workflow settings not required
settings must be made Complex scenarios with
multiple steps and systems can be processed Triggered by events, actions,
customizing, or programming; requires a COMMIT WORK No separate planning and start
condition Combined with organizational
management Creates work items in
business workplace
Simple processes for single
steps in a single SAP CRM system Triggered by a Basis PPF,
which does not require a COMMIT WORK Flexible planning and start
conditions Appropriate for date-driven
processes Independent of organizational
management Independent of business
workplace SAP 2008 / Page 50
Tips and Tricks
Create new action profiles and actions with the wizard. For later changes or processing, select J Change Actions and Definitions J Define Action Profile and Actions.
You can select an action profile as a common profile and include it in other profiles. This feature saves you from having to define the same action several times
Determination Using Conditions technique: these conditions must be coded and cannot be transported. We therefore recommend that you do not use this type of condition unless truly necessary
Make sure that the action profile, the date profile you are using, and the transaction type to which you assign the action profile have the same business object type
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Table of Contents
1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Overview of Actions Actions in Detail Customizing Actions Output Determination Alerts
3. Conclusion 4. Further Information
© SAP 2007 / Page 52
Further Information
SAP 2008 / Page 53
SAP CRM - Roll-Out Map https://portal.wdf.sap.corp/go/crm-rollout-map
SAP CRM - Ramp-Up Knowledge Transfer (RKT) http://service.sap.com/rkt-crm
SAP CRM – Demo Portal http://crmportal.wdf.sap.corp:1080
SAP CRM – WiKi https://wiki.wdf.sap.corp/display/SAPCRMHub/Home
SAP CRM - Help Portal http://help.sap.com/crm
SAP Public Web http://www.sap.com/crm
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