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Relationships Between Users, Responsibilities, Customization Packages, and Metadata Files

A Siebel CRM Desktop user is associated with a given Siebel CRM Desktop configuration through a responsibility that a customization package references. When the package is activated and published, a user who is associated with the responsibility can download the configuration that is defined in the package. This configuration is a collection of metadata files that Siebel CRM Desktop stores on the Siebel Server and downloads to Microsoft Outlook during synchronization.

Figure 5 illustrates an example of how several users, U1, U2, and U3, are related to several responsibilities, R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5, and how these responsibilities are related with several customization packages, P1, P2, and P3.

Figure 5. Example of Relationships Between Users, Responsibilities, Customization Packages, and Metadata Files

The following relationships exist between users, responsibilities, customization packages, and metadata files:

1. CRM Desktop User. The user of an implementation of Siebel CRM Desktop.
2. Responsibility. A Siebel responsibility, such as Sales Representative. It corresponds to the job role that the user performs.
3. Customization package. A collection of metadata files that Siebel CRM Desktop associates with a particular responsibility. For more information, see About the Customization Package.
4. Metadata File. A description of Siebel CRM Desktop that Siebel CRM Desktop deploys to Microsoft Outlook as XML code or JavaScript files. For more information, see About Metadata Files.

How Siebel CRM Desktop Allows the User to Access Siebel CRM Data

Siebel CRM Desktop allows the user to access Siebel CRM data in Microsoft Outlook in the following ways:

• Through responsibility. Similar to how a view allows the user to access data in the Siebel Web Client. Siebel CRM Desktop associates the user with a customization package through a responsibility. This association determines which application metadata Siebel CRM Desktop sends to the user through metadata synchronization. The metadata defines which objects Siebel CRM Desktop synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook. For more information, see Guidelines for Assigning a Responsibility to a Customization Package.
• Through synchronization filters. The customization package includes metadata files that specify which data access control and which filters to apply when Siebel CRM Desktop synchronizes data with the Siebel Server. For example, the default configuration specifies that the user can synchronize accounts, contacts, and opportunities that are associated with the sales team to which the user is assigned.

Depending on your business requirements, you can define different customization packages and assign them to different users through responsibilities. To meet individual user requirements, you can define different access control and synchronization filters for each customization package.