This chapter covers the following topics:
Oracle Sales Offline gives you the information you need to remotely manage your sales efforts and offers sales organizations the functionality required in an interface that is both familiar and effective. Leveraging the capabilities of desktop applications, Oracle has designed a template that provides sales organizations a way to manage sales information without the need to install additional software.
The template is downloaded from Oracle Sales and provides upload and download data capabilities. Oracle Sales Offline provides you with the ability to view and edit sales information while your support organization does not have to support any additional technical software on laptop computers.
To manage and close deals successfully, sales teams often cross group boundaries, territories, and even company lines. Oracle Sales Offline works with Oracle Sales and with Oracle TeleSales to create a virtual sales team that enables the sharing of opportunities, contacts, notes, and other customer information between sales team members. You can automatically or manually assign opportunities to sales members. Sales representatives can see information from partners about their accounts as they prepare for on site meetings. Oracle sales automation modules complement each other and provide the solution for team selling in a dynamic environment.
Oracle Sales Offline imports and exports (synchronizes) information from an Oracle enterprise database and enables you to view and update your sales information remotely with your laptop computer. You can add, view, and edit customers, opportunities, leads, quotes, and tasks from your laptop, saving the changes for subsequent upload.
You can optimize your selling time in the field by having key customer information readily available. This enhances your relationships with customers and promotes company profitability. Oracle Sales Offline integrates with the Oracle Sales applications and is designed to maximize sales effectiveness in the mobile environment. Oracle Sales Offline is part of the Oracle E-Business Suite, an integrated set of applications that are engineered to work together.
Note: Oracle Sales Offline is NOT supported in Mac machines.
The following information describes the prerequisites for Oracle Sales Offline.
Oracle Applications
Oracle Sales release 12.0 or later
Oracle Quoting
Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator
System Requirements
Microsoft Windows 95/NT/2000/XP operating system
Microsoft Excel 2000/2003/2007
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Licensed copy of WinZip, PKZIP, or WinRAR
Microsoft Windows Common Controls-2 6.0 (Mscomct2.ocx)
System Recommendations
500 MHz or higher processor
256 MB RAM or higher
To increase your knowledge of Oracle Sales Offline, Oracle provides many sources of information including documentation, training, and support services. We recommend that you review the latest release of Oracle Sales Implementation Guide and the Oracle Sales User Guide in addition to using the Oracle Sales application. There is also a number of Oracle Sales training classes available through Oracle University including an Oracle Sales Fundamentals course.
Before you upgrade Oracle Sales Offline with the latest patch, you must:
Synchronize Oracle Sales Offline to upload any outstanding changes in the template, and then resolve any outstanding Conflict, or Non-Validated records in Sales Offline. Perform another synchronization if necessary.
Download a new Oracle Sales Offline template after the patch has been applied.
If you do not complete this step, you will not be able to synchronize using an older template after the patch is applied.
You need access to Oracle Sales to download the Oracle Sales Offline template. You also need a valid Sales responsibility to complete the download. See the Oracle Sales Implementation Guide for details.
Sales Offline supports a Date Picker for the Calendar. To ensure that the Date Picker works properly, install the file Microsoft Windows Common Controls-2 6.0 (Mscomct2.ocx). Before installing this file, verify that it is not already installed on your computer.
Previous versions of Sales Offline displayed the date fields in the format specified by the regional settings of the current PC. However, in Release 12 the profile "ICX: Date format mask" is downloaded and the date fields are displayed in the format specified by this profile.
In Release 12, for environments where the mscomct2.ocx is present, the datepicker appears for date fields, the time picker for time fields, and the date time picker for date time fields respectively. In earlier versions of Microsoft office (for example, Office 2000), the mscomct2.ocx is available with the Microsoft Office installation. However, for later releases of Microsoft Office (for example, 2002, 2003), the mscomct2.ocx (which supports the date, time and datetime picker) is not available.
Follow these steps to make the mscomct2.ocx available:
Download the mscomct2.ocx from the Microsoft site to the system32 folder.
Register the mscomct2.ocx by running the following command in Start->Run:
regsvr32 "<path of OCX>\mscomct2.ocx"
After successful registration, Open Microsoft Excel. Go to the Menu: Tools -> Macro -> Security-> Trusted Sources/Publisher tab and check the option "Trust access to Visual Basic Project".
Reopen the Sales Offline template.
The following information describes some of the features included in Oracle Sales Offline.
Oracle Sales Offline supports the Common Product Catalog, which is used by all Sales applications. In the past, product categories were limited to interest type, primary codes, and secondary codes. Using the common product catalog, multiple levels of product categories are possible based on implementation needs. Product catalog security is inherited from the security set in Oracle Sales.
The Common Product Catalog is set up in Oracle Product Lifecycle Management and manages product hierarchy. Sales and Marketing seeds a hierarchical catalog called Product. You can either use this seeded catalog or create a new product hierarchical catalog with Product Categories.
For information on setting up the product catalog, upgrading from a previous release, and mapping interest types, see the Oracle Sales Implementation Guide
Oracle Sales Offline is MLS compliant. Multilanguage support includes:
Language Data Handling: Support for characters from any language as data in the application.
Locale Formatting: Support for local formats for date, time, number, address, and name.
Search and Sort: Support for locale-specific searches and sorting.
Status bar messages display during file open, synchronization, file save, and file close operations. Status bar messages are reported as each processing phase occurs. For example, if the phase is 'save contacts', the message 'Saving Contacts' displays.
The messages related to sync are also displayed in the Sync Console window. In this window, click Show to expand the Sync Console and show synchronization processing messages or click Hide to hide the processing messages.
Oracle Sales Offline client log stores messages about these activities:
Opening the template
Loading sheets
Synchronizing data
The timing statistics which are logged enable administrators to analyze Oracle Sales Offline’s performance and identify issues that may arise when a large volume of records are processed.
The log file, aslclient.log, is located in the logs directory in the folder containing Oracle Sales Offline. Oracle Sales Offline supports the following kinds of log messages:
Statement
Procedure
Event
Timing
Exception
Error
Unexpected
The two types of logging available are:
Normal: Set at Oracle > Logging > Normal. The log messages of type TIMING, EXCEPTION, ERROR, and UNEXPECTED appear on the client log file if you select this option. By default, the timing log is always enabled.
Detailed: Set at Oracle > Logging > Detailed. All types of log messages appear on the client log file if you select this option.
Note: Each time you open the Oracle Sales Offline template, the log file is copied to a .bak file and the .log file is cleared. To view the log, look at the log in the logs directory before you open the template. To restart logging, select Oracle > Logging > Reset. This deletes the existing log file and starts a new one during the current session.
You must download Oracle Sales Offline from Oracle Sales before using the application for the first time.
When using Oracle Sales Offline in conjunction with Oracle Sales, the system administrator must perform the following manual post install steps to enable the Sales Offline Template Download page under the Oracle Sales, Preferences link, where users can download the Oracle Sales Offline application:
Add Oracle Sales Offline Preference Menu (ASL_PREFERENCE_MENU) as a submenu under Sales Dashboard Home Page Menu (ASN_HOME_MENU).
After you save the submenu, run the Compile Security concurrent program manually with Yes for the parameter. Bounce the server to display the new menu addition.
Note: Oracle Sales Offline is not supported in Mac machines.
Next, follow these steps to download Oracle Sales Offline:
Log into Oracle Sales, with a valid Oracle Sales user responsibility.
Click the Preferences link.
Create a new folder in a directory.
Click on the Sales Offline Template Download link, and then click on Click here to download Sales Offline template.
Navigate to the downloaded file SalesOffline.zip in the directory.
Unzip the file into a folder.
Run Oracle Sales Offline by double-clicking SalesOffline.xls.
Enable macros when prompted.
Click the Sync icon.
Enter the requested user information and then click Sync. The synchronization preferences will display the first time users synchronize.
Note: The Sales Team Driven download is the default download type. There is no radio button to select the download type in the Sync Preferences page.
The Sales Team Driven download results in records based on the users sales team access. If the user is on the sales team of an Oracle business object (for example, organization, lead, or opportunity), these records are downloaded to Oracle Sales Offline.
You can further filter data using the Sync preference filters. You can save these preferences for use in future synchronizations. The Sync preference filters are:
Lead Preferences - filtered by Status, Channel, Lead Rank, Budget Status, Time Frame, or Number of Records
Opportunity Preferences - filtered by Status, Sales Stage, Sales Channel, Win Probability (from/to)
Quote Preferences - filtered by Inventory Category Set (Default Category Set or Common Product Catalog), Inventory Category, Price List, Operating Unit
Note: Select items (from the Default Category Set or the Price List) for download. You can select items from multiple categories. Select multiple items by highlighting a row and using the Ctrl or Shift functions.
Note: If the price lists are not displayed, ensure the 'Mobile Download' checkbox is selected for the price list in the Advanced Pricing Price List application.
Customer Preferences - can be filtered by Customer Category and Country
Oracle Sales Offline downloads the profile ASO:Operating Unit Override. This profile allows system administrators to always default the users default operating unit into a newly created quote. If set to No (default), the operating unit associated to a new Quote and the Operating Unit available in the Sync Preferences, Quote tab will be your default Operating Unit and it will be read only, non-editable.
If the ASO:Operating Unit Override is set to Yes, the operating unit values available in the Sync Preferences, Quote tab will be all the Operating Units associated to your login responsibility. Any newly created quotes will contain the Operating Unit value you selected in the Operating Unit dropdown of the Sync Preferences, Quote tab.
Oracle Sales Offline will also download the profile MO: Default Operating Unit. These two profiles are described in the following table.
| Profile | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
| ASO: Operating Unit Override | Quote profile that allows users to override operating unit associated to a quote. In Oracle Sales Offline, this profile will/will not allow users to change the Operating Unit on the Sync Preferences, Quote tab. | Yes, No and Null for Site, Application, Responsibility, and User levels. Default = No |
| MO: Default Operating Unit | Defaults the users default Operating Unit into the Operating Unit dropdown of the Quote Tab - Sync Preferences form. | Operating Units available to the user/application. Default: None |
Using the Operating Unit in Oracle Sales Offline obsoletes the Quote profile ASO:Default Order Type.
The Quote tab in the Sync Preferences form contains an Operating Unit dropdown displaying your default operating unit and any other operating unit you are associated with. The operating unit is linked to your login responsibility and your default operating unit is derived from the profile MO: Default Operating Unit. You can only select one Operating Unit from the dropdown.
The Quote tab in the Sync Preferences form displays product information containing values associated with the Operating Unit you selected in the Operating Unit dropdown menu. The Inventory Category Set, Inventory Category are not dynamically generated based on the value in the Operating Unit dropdown. Additionally, Price List and Product will be filtered based on the Operating Unit selected.
You must be on the Sales Team of any Quote you want to download and only the Quotes associated with the Operating Unit you selected in the Sync Preferences form will be downloaded to Sales Offline.
Any quote created in Sales Offline will be associated to the Operating Unit you selected in the Sync Preferences, Quote tab. This operating unit value will be displayed as read only on the Create Quote or Quote Details forms.
When you create a new quote (or a new quote is created via the opportunity to quote flow) certain attributes will default based on the Operating Unit associated to the Quote as described in the following table:
To correctly display these ‘default’ attributes for it’s associated Operating Unit, you must download the Operating Unit to Order Type system parameters. The product information displayed in the Select Product LOV’s will be those products associated to the Operating Unit you selected in Operating Unit dropdown in the Sync Preferences, Quote Tab.
Each Opportunity created in Oracle Sales Offline will be stamped with the name of the Operating Unit you selected in the Sync Preferences form. There is no functional impact for this. You will only be able to add products (inventory items) to an Opportunity – Product Category, which have been mapped to that Product Category and which have been associated to your Operating Unit selected in the Sales Offline, Sync Preferences – Quote tab. If you did not select an Operating Unit in the Sales Offline, Sync Preferences – Quote tab, the following message displays, and nothing will be saved:
"To create a new Opportunity you must choose an Operating Unit in the Sync Preferences form. Please select an Operating Unit and perform a synchronization in to create a new Opportunity."
Oracle Sales Offline provides a version number that identifies the version of the client you are using. This enables you to provide support personnel with a unique version number that identifies the implemented client version. Navigate to Oracle > About Sales Offline to find the version number.
Each downloaded Oracle Sales Offline template has a unique identifier that allows it to maintain separation from all other templates on the user's computer.
Multiple templates using the same server instance do not affect each other's functionality. This applies to all combinations of user names, server names and server ports.
For Oracle Sales Offline synchronization in an SSL enabled environment you must download the Sales Offline template from an SSL (https) URL. If the SSL Acceleration is configured in a Load Balanced Environment, set the "ASL: Excel SSL Acceleration On" profile to Yes along with the ASL:Excel Server Host and ASL:Excel Server Port profiles. See General System Profiles for information on these profiles
If you have a multiple mid-tier instance, you do not have to create a shared directory as required in previous versions of Oracle Sales Offline. You can set the profile BNE Upload Staging Directory to a directory having read/write permissions for Apache users on each mid-tier instance. If this profile value is not set, the system will use a temp folder for writing data.zip.
Oracle Sales Offline supports forecast information at the Opportunity line level. You can edit Best, Forecast, and Worst amounts for each opportunity line. The Opportunity should have a forecastable status. You can view (read only) Forecast Details but not edit this information.
By default the Forecast field is a summation of all the Forecast fields in the Opportunity Purchase lines. The Forecast field is displayed on the opportunity header level. The Amount field on the opportunity header contains the total purchase line amount. For example, it you add a new purchase line with a new forecast amount of $500, the Forecast field at the header level will increase by $500. Any changes or deletions to an existing opportunity line will also be reflected in the Forecast field at the header level.
In Oracle Sales Offline the Opportunity Details and Opportunity Create forms will contain Best, Forecast, and Worst columns. These forms also contain a Forecast Details button. When you click the Forecast Details button the Forecast Details information will be downloaded from the online applications for existing opportunities. Forecast details will be generated for new Opportunities created in Oracle Sales Offline. For downloaded, existing opportunities, the Forecast Details form will display existing revenue and non-revenue information already saved in the online applications. For additional information on revenue and non-revenue credits see the Oracle Sales Offline User Guide.
You can set the defaults for forecast amounts (Best, Forecast, Worst) for opportunity lines using the ASN:Forecast Defaulting Type profile option. For information on how the Best, Forecast, and Worst values are calculated refer to the Oracle Sales Offline User Guide.
In Oracle Sales Offline, Conflict Resolution support is available in all modules - Opportunity, Organization, Contact, Person, Lead, Task and Quote modules. Sales Team information is not supported in Conflict Resolution.
Note: Enhanced conflict support is not available for Lead, Task and Quote modules.
All Sales Credit (Forecast Credit) conflicts will be associated to the parent record, and placed in the appropriate parent records table.
Oracle Sales Offline Conflict Resolution associates the header (parent) and line (children) records. If a conflict occurs for a line record, the line record will display in the appropriate parent objects table. The header of the line record will display directly above the line record allowing you to clearly decipher which parent record the line is associated with.
For Leads and Opportunities if multiple line records for one header are captured in conflict resolution, each line record will be placed directly below the header record, and will be separated accordingly. If there are multiple line conflicts for one header, these line conflicts will be grouped together in the table for display.
The following table summarizes Conflict Resolution.
Oracle Sales Offline supports Non Validated Records (NVR) for the Opportunity, Organization, Contact, Person, Lead, Task and Quote modules. The following table describes Non Validated records.