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Setting Up a Matrix-Pricing Business Component

This section includes general guidelines for setting up matrix-based business components. It does not include specific instructions. Only people who are experienced in working with Siebel Tools should set up matrix-based business components.

To set up a matrix-pricing business component, you go through the following process:

1. Designing a Matrix-Pricing Table
2. Creating a Matrix-Pricing Table
3. Creating a Matrix-Pricing Business Component
4. Loading the Matrix-Pricing Data (Necessary only if you created the matrix pricing table in an external application.)

For more information about using Siebel Tools, see Siebel Tools Reference.

Designing a Matrix-Pricing Table

Matrix-pricing tables are similar to spreadsheets or database tables where different price adjustments can be defined for each row that has a unique set of key values. These key values are the pricing criteria.

If Siebel ePricer searches finds a match when it searches these key values, then it can apply that row's price adjustment. The search criteria are always based on values in a quote or order, and the format of the key values in the search criteria must be logically comparable to the values in the quote or order.

For example, a distributor of consumer goods needs to apply a simple price markup in order to cover shipping charges. The markup could depend on the following fields: City of Origin, Destination City, Shipment Method, and Shipment Priority. The matrix must be set up with one row for each possible combination of these values, and the markup for that combination of values. This table could be maintained in a spreadsheet and periodically imported to a Siebel component.

A simpler example has just two key values, Entitlement ID and Product ID in the Product Entitlements table. The discount that a customer gets depends on the customer's entitlement and on the product the customer is purchasing. You must set up a matrix with rows for every possible combination of customer and product, and with the discount for each combination.

Creating a Matrix-Pricing Table

For business components that are not based on existing tables, you will need to create a table using Siebel Tools.

When you create database tables to support Matrix business components, in addition to the key values described previously, you must include two fields:

• Adjustment Amount. Must be numeric and can hold a value that represents a markup, a discount, or a price override.
• Type of Calculation. Also known as adjustment type. Tells the pricing engine how to apply the adjustment amount. This field should be based on the PRICE_CALCULATION_TYPE LOV, which limits the selection of price calculation types to a valid list of values. The options are: % discount, amount discount, % markup, amount markup, price override, multiplicative amount, power (target price, power) and round (current, decimal places). For more information about these options, see Creating Pricing Models and Pricing Factors.

For more information about defining data types, see the section about creating tables in Siebel Tools Reference.

Creating a Matrix-Pricing Business Component

For business components that are not based on existing tables, you will need to create a business component using Siebel Tools.

When you create a matrix-pricing business component, you must include two fields corresponding to the matrix-table fields:

• Adjustment Amount. The business component must identify one column that holds the adjustment amount and designate it as the adjustment amount through its user properties, which the pricing engine will use to identify the field. To do this, create a new business component user property named Pricer Adjustment Value. As the value of this user property, specify the name of the column in the business component that stores the adjustment amount.
• Type of Calculation. The business component must identify one column that holds the type of calculation, also known as the adjustment type. To do this, create a new business component user property named Pricer Adjustment Method. As the value of this user property, specify the name of the column in the business component that stores the adjustment type.

For more information about defining data types and tables, see the section about creating tables in Siebel Tools Reference.

Loading the Matrix-Pricing Data

If you created the matrix-pricing table in a Siebel business component, this data is already present in the component, and you do not have to load it.

You do have to load the data when you are:

• Loading rules from another system that stores pricing rules in a matrix-like form
• Synchronizing rules from another system that stores pricing rules in a matrix-like form

For example, if you want to integrate Siebel ePricer with SAP, you must load the pricing rules that are stored in SAP tables into Siebel tables.

One way of loading the rules is to map the SAP tables to Siebel tables. Then the load is handled through Siebel Enterprise Integration Manager (EIM) or Siebel eBusiness Application Integration (eAI).

For help with Siebel EIM or eAI, contact your Siebel system administrator.

For more information about Siebel EIM, see Siebel Enterprise Integration Manager Administration Guide.

For more information about Siebel eAI, see Overview: Siebel eBusiness Application Integration Volume I.