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About Business Objects

A business object represents a major area of the enterprise. An opportunity, account, or contact are examples of a business object. For more information, see Business Object. For an introduction to the relationships that this topic describes, see Hierarchy of Object Types and Relationships.

Figure 21 describes an example of how a business object groups business components into a logical unit. For example, the Opportunity business object groups together the Opportunity, Contact, and other business components.

Figure 21. How The Opportunity Business Object Groups Business Components

Each business object includes one business component that works as the parent business component. In Figure 21 the parent business component is Opportunity. A link creates a relationship between the parent business component and other child business components, such as Contact and Product. This link allows the business object to display products that Siebel CRM relates to an opportunity or contacts that it relates to an opportunity.

Relationship Between a View or Screen and a Business Object

A business object provides the foundation for a view and a screen. Typically, each view that a screen references uses the same data for the view when Siebel CRM gets the data from the same business component. For example, the Opportunities Screen references the following views:

• All Opportunity List View
• Opportunity Detail - Contacts View
• Opportunity Detail - Products View

Siebel CRM gets the data for each of these views from the Opportunity business component. The Siebel schema groups views that get most of their data from an opportunity into the Opportunity screen. Views in a screen typically get their data through the same business object. A screen is indirectly related to the business object.

Figure 22 describes the relationships and objects that Siebel CRM uses with a business object, screen, and view.

Figure 22. Relationships and Objects That Siebel CRM Uses with a Business Object, Screen, and View

A one-to-one relationship typically exists between a screen and a business object. A view references a business object through a formal property of the view. A screen does not reference a business object through a formal property. An informal relationship exists between a business object and a screen. Siebel CRM applies design principles to create this informal relationship. Siebel Tools does not formally enforce this relationship. All the views that a screen contains are typically informally related to the same business object.

Not all business components that a business object references participate in a parent-child relationship. A business object can reference a business component that is not part of the business model.

Multiple business objects can reference a business component or a link. For example, two business components can each possess a one-to-many relationship in one business object. In the context of one business object, an unambiguous set of relationships exist between the business components that a business object references.

Example Parent and Child Relationships In a View That References a Business Object

Each view references a business object. A master-detail view can define only a one-to-many relationship that the business object that the view references supports. To examine an example of this relationship, in the Siebel client, you can navigate to the Contacts List, drill down on the Last Name field of a contact, and then click the Opportunities tab. The parent Contact form displays above the Opportunities list. This contact to opportunities relationship is a one-to-many relationship that Siebel CRM defines in the Contact business object. To examine this relationship in Siebel Tools, locate the Contact Detail - Opportunities View in the Views list. This view references the Contact business object.

To implement a view that displays a many-to-one relationship between contacts and an opportunity, where many contact child records are related to one parent opportunity, a view references the Opportunity business object. To view this relationship in the Siebel client, navigate to the Opportunities List, drill down on the Opportunity Name field, and then click the Contacts tab.