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Adding Criteria Values to Assignment Criteria

This topic explains how to add criteria values to assignment criteria. Each assignment criterion has one or more criteria attributes (values) that are shown as columns in the Values list.

This task is a step in Process of Defining Criteria Values as Skills with Expertise Codes and Weighting Factors as well as a step in Process of Defining Assignment Rules.

About Criteria Values

Criteria values are details associated with criteria that are compared to an object or candidate. For assignment criteria that use the Compare to Object, Compare to Person, or Compare to Organization comparison method, each criterion includes one or more criteria values. A value represents the actual string, number, or date that is used in matching. Criteria values can be based on MLOVs, picklists (a pop-up pick applet from where you can choose a record), or simple free text fields.

Depending on the inclusion method, candidates that meet the criteria value have the criteria value score added to their total score. Criteria values can be defined as constants or can use wildcard characters to include a wider selection of potential matches between assignment rule and object.

There are predefined criteria values available dynamically based upon the criterion you select, or you can create your own criteria values using Siebel Tools. Each criteria value can include one or more attributes. For example, the Account City State Country criterion has three attributes: one each for City, State, and Country. This type of criterion is known as a composite criterion. Each of the assignment attributes appear as list columns in the Values list under Criteria.

For more information about assignment attributes, see Creating Assignment Attributes.

Criteria values are considered differently when child components are involved. For example, consider a rule that uses both of the following criteria on the attributes coming from an Opportunity component; assume also that both criteria are configured to be available to the Account and Opportunity assignment objects:

Opty Criteria1 = value1
Opty Criteria2 = value2

Consider the following two scenarios:

• Scenario 1: When the rule assigns to the Opportunity object

  The Opportunity component, in this context, is the primary component. Both criteria work on the same record, so the opportunity record must match both criteria if it is to be assigned.

• Scenario 2: When the rule assigns to the Account object

  The Opportunity component, in this context, is the child component of the Account object. All the opportunity records associated with the account represent one entity (a particular account), so the criteria are evaluated on all child records. If only one of the child records matches, then the criteria match. As a result, the rule passes if one of the opportunities matches Opty Criteria1, and one of the opportunities matches Opty Criteria2.

To add criteria values to an assignment criterion

1. Navigate to the Administration - Assignment screen, and then the Assignment Rules List view.
2. In the Assignment Rules list, select a rule, and click the Criteria tab.
3. With the appropriate assignment criterion selected in the Criteria list, scroll down to the Values subview.
4. In the Values list, click New.
5. In the new record, click in the available fields to enter the relevant information.

   NOTE:  The assignment attributes for criteria values that are available differ depending on the assignment criterion you select in Step 2.

You define different types of criteria values depending on the assignment attribute. For example, criteria values may:

• Appear as list of value (LOV) fields from which you choose a value (such as Account State).
• Show a pick dialog box from which you choose a value (such as Account).
• Represent numbers which you choose using the calculator button.
• Represent dates which you choose using the calendar select button.

Table 24 shows examples of assignment attributes for the assignment criterion created in Adding Assignment Criteria to Assignment Rules.

Avoiding Duplicate Assignment Criteria Values

It is possible to create duplicate criteria values for an assignment criterion. If both criteria values use scores in this case, then both scores are added to the assignment criterion if the criteria value passes. This result can occur when you create criteria values that use ranges, such as criteria values for the Revenue assignment criterion.

CAUTION:  It is recommended that you do not create duplicate criteria values for the same assignment criterion, even though Assignment Manager allows this. If both criteria values use scores and you use the Include inclusion method, the score added to the passing candidate may be inconsistent. If you use the Include All or Include All Matching inclusion method, both the scores are added to the passing candidate.

Using Wildcard Characters When Defining Criteria Values

Wildcard characters can also be used when defining specific criteria values. This option allows for a greater range of assignment object matches. For example, if you create an assignment rule for Account objects with the Account City as assignment criteria, the corresponding criteria value City can be defined as A*. This setting matches Accounts in cities beginning with the letter A.

If a criterion value includes the special characters ?, *, and \ that are used as literals, the escape identifier character (\) must be added before each special character in the value field. For example, the criteria value Tri*Laptop is entered into the Values field as Tri\*Laptop.

Criteria values that include alphanumeric entries are stored as string values. These values are sorted lexicographically, that is, in dictionary order, when determining specific ranges for assignment rules. For example, the value AB10 is sorted between AB1 and AB9, even though you may require AB10 to be placed greater than AB9.

Figure 9 shows an example of creating Product Defect Priority criteria values using the procedure in Adding Criteria Values to Assignment Criteria and the values in Table 24.

Figure 9. Example of Adding Criteria Values to an Assignment Criterion