actions

SAP CRM 7.0Detailed View

SAP CRM 7.0Actions

© SAP 2007 /

1. Challenges and Market Trends2. Actions

1. Overview of Actions2. Actions in Detail3. Customizing Actions4. Output Determination5. Alerts

3. Conclusion4. Further Information

Table of Contents

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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1. Challenges and Market Trends 2. Actions



Table of Contents

You can use the action feature in SAP CRM forProcessing subsequent functions and output Triggering workflows or alerts

ActivitiesOpportunitiesQuotations and orders Service processesSales, service, and leasing contractsComplaintsLeads

Actions are integrated into the following SAP CRM business transactions

Actions are flexible functions and processes, based upon freely-definableconditions, that occur automatically

What are Actions?

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You can schedule and start predefined actions from transaction documents

Sample Actions

Opportunity Gather information on customer (task)

Action

Document in identification phase

Condition

Salescontract

Call customer (create follow-up activity)

If released value < target value two weeks before contract ends

Order Print order confirmation

Trigger alert when contract is cancelled

If customer notifies you of an intention to cancel

Order has been saved

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Uses of Actions in Transactions

PrintE-mailFax

Copy document (create follow-up document)Change statusTrigger alertAny BADI

Smart Forms output

Call a method

Start a workflow

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Basics of Actions in Transactions

One action profile per transaction type or item categorySeveral actions per action profileSeveral processing types per action

ImmediatelyOn savingWith a batch job

Schedule condition – when should the action be brought into the document?Start condition – when should the action be processed?

Setup

Timing options for processing

Conditions

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Table of Contents

Processing Actions – Process Flow

Start condition

Action profile

Action

Schedule automatically

Action tab

Toolbar (manual)

F4 (manual)

Processing time

Processing medium

Schedule condition

Yes

No

Inactive

ActiveFulfilled

Fulfilled

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Processing Actions – Segments

Starting Monitoring

Action profile

Examples Create taskTrigger alertSend e-mail

Schedule condition

Planning

Start condition

Processing medium and time

Transactionheader and item

ManuallyDocument –

Actions

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Processing Actions – Steps

PlanningSystem checks which actions are possible for the transaction or item System checks if the schedule conditions have been fulfilledSystem schedules active actions automatically Actions appear in the action listYou can add or schedule inactive actions manually

StartingSystem checks whether start conditions have been fulfilled System starts actions automatically at defined processing timeYou can start an action manually (if allowed)

MonitoringYou can monitor which actions are planned or have occurred with

Actions tabAction monitor

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

When a user creates a document, the following steps occur

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Actions in WebClient UI

Actions list: list of all executed

actions

Details of a selected action

The WEB Client UI also contains an Actions tab (at the header and item level)

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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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Controlling Actions

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 attributesWhether scheduling should be automatic or manualWhether the action is executable or changeable in the dialogWhether the action is displayed in the toolbar

For each action, you can define…

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Customizing Actions

How to define actionsDefine action profiles and action types for this profile

Define schedule and start conditions; adjust action profiles (ifnecessary)

Assign the action profiles to transaction types or item categories and/or use the condition technique for action profiledetermination

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

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Define Actions – Step 1

Action profileDefine action profileAssign date profile and object type

ActionDefine actions for the action profileSpecify default settings for the action

Processing time periodDetermination

Processing typeSet how the action is executed (workflow, method call, or Smart Forms)Specify settings for processing type

Define action profiles and actions

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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 conditionsEnter the context class: CL_DOC_CONTEXT_CRM_ORDER

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Define Actions

Specify the defaultvalues for the action

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Define Processing Types for the Action

Assign the processingtypes 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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1. Choose the action profile you want to process

2. Choose the action you want to adjust

4. Adjust action (processing settings)

3. Define conditions

Schedule condition

Decides whether an action should be scheduled or not

Example: net value > $10,000

Start condition

Checked before the action is processed

Example: two weeks before the “valid to” date

Define conditions and adjust the action profile

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Define Conditions

Define conditions

Select the action for whichyou want to create conditions

Select action profile

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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 managementYou 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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Transaction Type Item Category

Action Profile Action Profile

HeaderActions

Item DetailActions

Assign action profile to transaction type or item category and/or use condition technique for profile determination

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Condition Technique for 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

Action profile determination can be controlled depending uponInput channel (such as Internet sales or mobile sales)Customer, customer hierarchy, or customer groupProduct group

Advantages: Action profile determination

Examples

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Condition Technique for Action Determination –Customizing

BADI for defining requirements

for determination procedure

Action profile determination with condition

technique

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Action Profile Determination

Transaction Type Action Profile 1 (Header)

Action 1

Action 2

Item Category Action Profile (Item)

Action 3

Static AP AssignmentAction Profile

Determination Procedure

Action Profile 2 (Header)

Action 4

Action 5

A P D Procedure

Condition Type (A)Access Sequence

(001) SalesOrg/Cust.(002) Cust/Transact. Type(003) Customer

Condition Type (B)Access Sequence

Condition Type (C)Access Sequence

Req.

001

002

003

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Example: Action Profile Determination Procedure

Action Profile Determination Procedure: OCRM01 (Sales Order)

Condition Type: OACK (Order confirmation)

Access Sequence:.

Sales Org.

Distr. Channel

Divison

Trans.type

Customer

Act. Profil

1000 10 00 TA 4711 AP0012000 10 00 TA AP002

Condition table with condition records

1 Sales OrganizationDistribution ChannelDivisionTransaction TypeCustomer

2 Transaction TypeCustomer

3 Transaction Type

Action 1 Order Confirmationwith Email

Action 2 Mail to responsibleSales Rep

Actions profile: ACP001

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Table of Contents

Output determination enables you to print, fax, or e-mail documents inSAP CRM applications and solutions with SAP R/3 Enterprise

Output Determination

You define output as action definitions

For every output type you define one action. You can choose fromProcessing 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 mergingPrint 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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You can display and print several types of output together with the actionmonitor. You can also repeat the print run

Printing from the Action Monitor

Processoutput

Processinglog

Preview

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Customizing for Output Determination

To define output actions, assign the Smart Forms processing type to the required actionAssign a form, a processing class, and a processing method

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Define Conditions and Output Details

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You can use actions to trigger alerts. This feature helps accelerateprocessing of critical situations by immediately informing the personresponsible about potential problems

Alerts

ExampleSend 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

Alert Engine (SAP NetWeaver

Application Server 6.20)

SAP CRM triggers an alert of a particular alert category from

action management (PPF)

Alert Inbox (SAPNetWeaver Portal)

E-Mail Cell Phone and SMS

Infrastructure for creating and providing the alerts

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You can use the alert inbox and alert list iViews to displaythe alerts in all SAP CRM roles

The Alert Inbox in the WebClient UI

The user can display the detailsof the document that triggered

the alert (with a hyperlink)

The alert list displays the details of alerts for one

category

The alert inbox displays an overview of all alerts

(all categories)

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Settings 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

How do I define actions for triggering alerts?

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Alert Categories

IMG: Basis Basic Services Generic Business Tools

You can also define recipients for every

alert category

Define properties, texts, andsubsequent activities

Define alert category

Define alert categories in alert management

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Define Action

The Alert processing type offers tight integration with alert management; RFC-enabled 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

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Define Processing Parameters

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Comparison of Workflow and Actions

Workflow ActionsAll necessary workflow 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

Workflow settings not required

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

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Tips and Tricks

Create new action profiles and actions with the wizard. For later changes or processing, select Change Actions and Definitions 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 youdo 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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Further Information

SAP CRM - Roll-Out Maphttps://portal.wdf.sap.corp/go/crm-rollout-map

SAP CRM - Ramp-Up Knowledge Transfer (RKT)http://service.sap.com/rkt-crm

SAP CRM – Demo Portalhttp://crmportal.wdf.sap.corp:1080

SAP CRM – WiKihttps://wiki.wdf.sap.corp/display/SAPCRMHub/Home

SAP CRM - Help Portalhttp://help.sap.com/crm

SAP Public Webhttp://www.sap.com/crm

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