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Configuring Assignment Objects for Interactive Assignment

This topic is part of Configuring Assignment Objects.

Interactive assignment allows users to invoke Siebel Assignment Manager immediately, view the list of assignees generated by Assignment Manager, and then override or confirm the assignees in the list. Users can invoke interactive assignment by clicking the appropriate object's form Menu button and choosing Assign, as shown in Figure 19.

For example, you could choose the Assign option from the Menu button in the All Service Requests view after navigating to the Service screen, then Service Requests, and then Service Requests List view, and then choosing All Service Requests from the view drop-down list.

When you choose Assign to assign the current service request, the Siebel client contacts the Assignment Manager and creates a list of qualified employees sorted by descending scores. The list of qualified employees appears to the user in the Employees window. Then, you can select an employee from the list as the service request owner.

Figure 19. Example of Invoking Interactive Assignment

Alternatively, you can allow Siebel SmartScript to have Assignment Manager select the most qualified candidate from the list. In this case, a list of qualified employees does not appear in the Employees window, and the most qualified candidate is assigned. The procedure below has an optional step related to using Siebel SmartScript in this manner.

The Service Request assignment object is configured for interactive assignment by default. However, you can use Siebel Tools to configure interactive assignment for other assignment objects.

To configure interactive assignment for an assignment object

1. Verify that Assignment Manager is configured to perform assignment of values in the desired field, including the presence of the necessary assignment object and assignment rules and values.
2. Verify that the displayed business component is of the CSSBCBase class or one of its subclasses and add the Assignment Object business component user property to the business component.
   1. In the Object Explorer, select Business Component.
   2. In the Business Components window, select the business component.
   3. In the Class property for that business component, verify that the value is CSSBCBase (such as in the Account business component).

      NOTE:  Business components based on other classes cannot be configured for interactive assignment. If the class is not CSSBCBase, then note the class name and locate it in the Object Explorer for the Class object type. Note the value in the Super Class property for this class. If the Super Class is CSSBCBase, then interactive assignment is permitted. If the Super Class is not CSSBCBase, then check the Super Class property for that class.

   4. Set the Name property to Assignment Object.
   5. Set the Value property to the name of the assignment object that is to be used in the assignment process.
3. Verify that the appropriate applet is of the CSSFrameBase class or one of its subclasses.
   1. In the Object Explorer, select Applet.
   2. In the Applets window, select the applet that you want to verify.
   3. In the Class property for that applet, verify that the value is CSSFrameBase (such as Account Entry Applet).

      NOTE:  Applets based on other classes (including CSSFrameListBase) cannot be configured for Interactive Assignment.

4. Add the Assignment Type business component user property to the business component.
   1. In the Object Explorer, select Business Component.
   2. In the Business Components window, select the business component, and then click Business Component User Prop.
   3. Set the Name property to Assignment Type.
   4. Set the Value property to:
      • People, if you are setting up an employee- or position-based assignment
      • Organizations, if you are setting up an organization-based assignment
      • Both, if you are setting up an employee- or position-based assignment but need passed organization to be assigned as well.

        NOTE:  The behavior for the value Both is the same as for the value People, except that the result applet displays the list of passed employees or positions, and along with the actual assignment of the selected position or employee, passed organizations are assigned to the record.

5. (Optional) If you want to enable Siebel SmartScript, then add the Assignment Interactive business component user property to the business component.
   1. Set the Name property to Assignment Interactive.
   2. Set the Value property to TRUE.
6. Add the Assign selection to the applet menu button.
   1. In the Object Explorer, select Applet.
   2. In the Applets window, select the applet to which you want to add the Assign functionality.
   3. In the Object Explorer, select Applet Method Menu Item.
   4. Select the Applet Method Menu Items window, choose Edit, then New Record, and set the following values:
      • Command = Assign(SWE)
      • Menu Text = Assign
      • Position number = 1 (or to the number corresponding to the preferred placement in the menu)
7. Add the business component that holds assignment results records to the business object of the view in which the reconfigured applet is used. This business component already exists, and is either:
   • Assignment Results (Position) or Assignment Results (Employee), if Assignment Type is set to People (depending on whether you are setting up an employee- or position-based assignment)
   • Assignment Results (Organizations), if Assignment Type is set to Organizations
8. In the Object Explorer, select Business Object.
   1. In the Business Objects window, select the Business Object for which you want to add a child business object component.
   2. In the Object Explorer, click Business Objects Components, and in the Business Objects Components window, choose Edit, then New Record.
   3. In the new record, enter values in the appropriate fields with the BusComp name set to: Assignment Results (Position), Assignment Results (Employee), or Assignment Results (Organization).
9. (Optional) Define the business component user property called Assignment Results BusComp and the applet user property called Assignment Results Applet.

   These user properties are desirable when you have to show additional information about the results. For example, the service request assignment results can be joined with the CTI tables, and can query only qualified service people who are not currently using their telephone:

   • The name of the business component that is used to hold data for the additional fields would be specified in an Assignment Results BusComp user property in the business component being assigned.
   • The name of the applet that is used to display the assignment results would be specified in an Assignment Results Applet user property in the applet from which assignment is invoked.
10. Add one of the following Business Components (depending on what is being assigned) to the relevant Business Object: Assignment Group Position, Assignment Group Employee, or Assignment Group Organization.
11. Update your deployment with the new configurations.

    For instructions, see Step 1 in Updating Your Siebel Assignment Manager Deployment with New Configurations.

    NOTE:  Other than recompiling the siebel.srf file, there are no additional administrative tasks required for this procedure. For more information about when to recompile, see Updating Your Siebel Assignment Manager Deployment with New Configurations and Using Siebel Tools.