This chapter covers the following topics:
You can use the Relationship tab of the eBusiness Center to capture both business and personal relationships between any parties in the database and between outside parties and your internal organizations.
You can capture:
Business relationships between two individuals, such as "is the manager of." You can establish these types of relationships for business contacts (parties of type Party Relationship).
Personal relationships between two individuals, such as "is the father of," and "is the son of." You can establish these relationships for consumers and business contacts (parties of type Person and Party Relationship).
Relationships between individuals and organizations, such as "is an employee of," or "purchasing manager for." You can establish these relationships for business contacts (party of type Party Relationship).
Relationships between different organizations, such as "is a subsidiary of." You can establish these relationships for organizations (party of type Organization).
Relationships between outside organizations and your own internal organizations. For example, you can track the actions of your competitors by setting up the relationship "is the competitor of" between outside organizations and your own internal organizations.
There is no limit to the number of relationships or the combination of relationships you can capture for any one person or organization.
You can make a relationship inactive, for example, when the contact is on an extended vacation. Or you can terminate a relationship by entering an end date, for example, when an individual moves to another company.
You capture a relationship between two parties by displaying one of the parties in the eBusiness Center and entering the relationship to another party on the Relationship tab.
If you want to capture relationships your organization has with other organizations such as competitors or suppliers, then you must enter your organization into the database as you would a customer. The only difference is that you flag your organization as internal by selecting the Internal check box on the Organization tab.
Most relationships, such as "is the father of" or "is a subsidiary of" describe the relationship in only one direction. To capture a relationship between two entities fully, you must also specify the reciprocal relationship.
For example, if you specify that John is the father of Mary, then you want Mary's information to include the fact that she is the daughter of John. If you specify that ABC Company is the subsidiary of XYZ Corporation, then you want the XYZ Corporation information to show that it is the parent company of ABC Company.
Oracle TeleSales supplies the reciprocal relationships for you automatically. You must enter only one of the relationships.
Use this procedure to capture the relationship between a contact and an organization, for example, when a contact moves from one organization to another. A contact can have relationships with many organizations.
Prerequisites
Steps
In the View Details region, select the person's name.
Select the Relationship tab.
From the Type drop-down list, select the relationship of the person to the organization.
From the Object Type drop-down list, select Organization.
Use the Object Name List of Values to enter the organization.
Enter a start date if different from the date of entry.
If there is a time limit to the relationship, then enter an end date.
Click Save on the toolbar.
Use this procedure to establish and create a relationship between two organizations. For example, to capture the fact that one company has been acquired by another.
Prerequisites
Steps
In the View Details region, select the name of one of the two organizations.
Select the Relationship tab.
From the Type drop-down list, select the relationship of the organization to the second organization.
From the Object Type drop-down list, select Organization.
Choose the second organization from the Object Name List of Values.
Enter a start date if different from the date of entry.
If there is a time limit to the relationship, then enter an end date.
Click Save on the toolbar.
Use this procedure to capture a relationship between two persons, such as a reporting relationship.
Prerequisites
Update access to both persons
Steps
In the View Details region, select the name of the person.
Select the Relationship tab.
From the Type drop-down list, select the relationship that person has to the second person. For example, "Is the manager of," "Is the spouse of," or "is the father of."
From the Object Type drop-down list, select Person.
Use the Object Name List of Values to enter the second person. The LOV displays all parties available to create a relationship with.
Enter a start date if different from the date of entry.
If there is a time limit to the relationship, then enter an end date.
Click Save on the toolbar.
Use this procedure to indicate a person is no longer associated with an organization, for example, when the person moves to a job at another organization.
Prerequisites
Steps
In the View Details region, select the name of the organization.
Select the Relationship tab.
Select the relationship you want to terminate.
Select the Inactive check box.
If you know the relationship has ended permanently, then enter a date in the End Date field.
Click Save on the toolbar.