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What's New in This Release

This section summarizes the enhancements made to Siebel eCommunications for version 7.5. Some enhancements are documented in this guide, while others are documented in other guides. For more information on specific enhancements, see the Siebel Bookshelf.

Billing Management

The Billing module (now called Invoices) includes the following enhancements for 7.5.

Invoice views. The new multi-level Invoice module allows users to see invoices at the summary or segment level, as well as at the detail level. The functionality exposes the information stored in third-party billing systems. Therefore, to determine which information to work with, the invoice views include a new filter to differentiate between external invoices and invoices generated in Siebel applications.

Adjustment functionality. Users now have the ability create adjustment requests for invoice lines, allowing the user to identify a disputed line on the bill and create an adjustment request specifically for that line. It is also possible to identify and adjust multiple lines on one invoice with one adjustment request.

Payment functionality. Payments can now be viewed on separate screens, which allows the user to do queries across accounts. In addition, users can create a payment at the account level, allowing the users to make a payment in spite of an outstanding invoice, as well as against multiple invoices with one payment request.

In addition, invoices, payments, and adjustments can now be viewed on separate screens, allowing the user to do queries across accounts.

Billing Portal view. The new Billing Portal view provides a view of the customer's billing related data. The new Account Balances functionality retrieves data directly from the external billing system. From the Billing Portal, users can perform the most commonly executed tasks related to a customer inquiry, such as viewing an account balance, making a payment, or requesting an adjustment. The Billing Portal also contains a Refresh button for displaying the latest information available from the billing system after a transaction.

SAP/ISU-CCS connectivity. Siebel eCommunications can better integrate with customer information systems, especially the SAP/ISU-CCS solution. Intuitive data mapping and documented design solutions between such areas as account management, order management, and premises management allow Siebel eCommunications to provide a completely integrated solution for processes like enrollment, billing inquiries, budget billing, deposit collection, and payment plans.

For more information, see Billing.

Analytics

Siebel Analytics includes the following enhancements for 7.5.

Loyalty Management Analytics. Successful customer loyalty and retention marketing programs play a critical role in improving margins, profitability, and the operating viability of service providers. Siebel Analytics enhances the effectiveness of loyalty and retention programs by providing customer analysis based upon predictive intelligence gathered about customers using a third-party predictive modeling application (purchased separately from, and integrated with, Siebel applications). These analysis capabilities provide for the ability to proactively intervene, before the predicted customer behavior occurs, with targeted marketing offers or alternative actions.

Enhancements to Loyalty Management Analytics include additional reports for the Churn Propensity and Customer Lifetime Value dashboards. A new Selling Propensity dashboard provides predictive intelligence about upsell and cross-sell opportunities, and a Financial Risk dashboard provides analytics based upon an estimation of each customer's ability to pay financial obligations. New reports are also available that identify those customers who have scored the highest for each scoring category.

Revenue Management and Account Management Analytics. An organization's ability to understand how well its products, services, and accounts perform is key to its success. Siebel Analytics provides a Revenue Management dashboard, and an Account dashboard for insight into each of these areas. Both dashboards provide a separate set of reports for service activation, service modification, and service disconnection trending analysis. While Revenue Management focuses analysis on products and top performing products, Account Management focuses on accounts and top performing accounts. Additionally, Account Management provides trending analysis for trouble tickets and customer satisfaction at both the account and more aggregated levels.

Price Type Filter. Revenue associated with products and services in the Siebel eCommunications product may recur over time (such as a monthly recurring charge), occur only once (one-time only charge), or be based upon usage (such as a per-minute charge). This characteristic of revenue is reflected in the product's Price Type value. Siebel Analytics can narrow product analysis down to only those products of a particular Price Type, if needed. Isolating products in this manner helps companies spot trends that may be related to the nature of a product's revenue stream.

For more information, see the Siebel Bookshelf.

Premises

The Premises module includes the following enhancements for 7.5:

For more information, see Premises.

Siebel Partner Relationship Management

With new usability enhancements, Siebel Partner Relationship Management (Siebel PRM) for Siebel eCommunications provides an improved ordering platform for partners and resellers. It includes the following enhancements for 7.5.

User-based ordering flow. For 7.5, the control of the ordering flow in PRM is based on user responsibilities. This allows a more streamlined order checkout for Standard users and a more thorough Opportunity-Quote-Order cycle for Power users.

Agreements. The Agreements module is now available in the Siebel PRM Partner Portal. This enhancement provides channel partners and resellers with the ability to define Service Level Agreements for their customers' products. It also provides administrators with the ability to assign products to agreements.

Product finder. Users can now search for products using the enhanced Siebel PRM Partner Portal Search Center. This allows partners operating in retail environments to check for a price or product description. In addition, the integration with the product catalog minimizes the number of clicks to add products to the shopping cart and checkout.

For more information, see Siebel Order Management Guide, Siebel Order Management Guide Addendum for Industry Applications, and Siebel Partner Relationship Management Administration Guide.


 Siebel eCommunications Guide 
 Published: 23 June 2003