Developing and Deploying Siebel Business Applications > Assigning Objects and Automating Business Processes >

Customizing How Siebel CRM Assigns Objects

This task is a step in Roadmap for Developing a Siebel Application.

In this topic, you create an assignment rule that assigns opportunities to agents depending on the ZIP code. When a user creates a new opportunity, NREC requires Siebel CRM to automatically assign the opportunity to an NREC agent or a partner agent according to the ZIP code. Siebel CRM must assign the opportunity to the real estate agent whose sales region includes the ZIP code that is specified in the Zip Code field.

Siebel Assignment Manager is a Siebel CRM feature that allows you to assign the most qualified person to a specific task. To accomplish this, Assignment Manager matches candidates to assignment objects. To assign the most qualified candidate to each object, Assignment Manager applies assignment rules that you define. You can specify how Siebel CRM uses Assignment Manager to evaluate a record. You can configure Assignment Manager to make assignments in the following ways:

• Interactively in real time
• Dynamically when the user makes a database change
• Periodically in batches

For more information, see Siebel Assignment Manager Administration Guide.

To customize how Siebel CRM assigns objects

1. Create an assignment rule:
   1. Log in to the Siebel client as an administrator, navigate to the Administration - Assignment screen, and then the Assignment Rules List view.

      For more information, see Logging In as the Siebel Administrator.

   2. In the Assignment Rules List, click Menu, and then choose the Columns Displayed menu item.
   3. In the Columns Displayed dialog box, make sure the Assignee Filter column is included in the Selected Columns window, and then click Save.
   4. In the Assignment Rules List, click New.
   5. Enter a new record using values from the following table.

      Field	Value	Description
      Name	San Francisco	Enter a unique name for the rule.
      Object	Opportunity	To choose the object Siebel CRM must assign, do the following: In the Objects to be Assigned field, click the select button. In the Assignment Object dialog box, click New. In the Name window, choose Opportunity and then click Save. Click OK.
      Rule Group	Default Rule Group	Not applicable.
      Minimum Score	0	Although NREC does not require scoring, you must enter a value.
      Assignee Filter	All Above Minimum	Choose the filter from the list. This filter causes Siebel CRM to assign all assignees who possess an assignment score that is greater than or equal to the minimum score of the assignment rule. For more information, see Siebel Assignment Manager Administration Guide.

2. Specify assignment criteria and values:
   1. In the Assignment Rules List, in the Name field, click San Francisco.

      This is the rule you created in Step d.

   2. In the Criteria list, click New, and then define fields values from the following table.

      Field	Value	Description
      Rule Criterion	Prospect ZIP code	Choose the type of criteria.
      Comparison Method	Compare to Object	Choose the method that Siebel CRM uses to match objects to candidates. For example, Compare to Object compares the criteria value to an object attribute.
      Inclusion	Include	Choose the method that Siebel CRM uses to match criteria values and candidates.
      Required	Always	Determines whether the criteria is required.
      Score	0	If the candidate satisfies this criteria, then Siebel CRM adds this score to the total score for the candidate.

      Siebel CRM uses the criteria to determine which candidates qualify to receive the assignment. In the NREC example, the criteria compares the ZIP code of an opportunity to the ZIP codes that constitute the region that the agent covers.

   3. In the Values list, add a new record for each ZIP code included in this assignment rule using values from the following table.

      Score	Zip Code
      Leave empty	94101
      Leave empty	94102
      Leave empty	94103

      Siebel CRM displays the Values list below the Criteria list. In this list you specify values or a range of values for a given criterion. Siebel CRM uses these criteria values for comparison. In the NREC example, the ZIP codes that are in a particular territory are the values for the assignment criteria.

3. Add positions to the assignment rule:
   1. Click the Position Candidates view tab.
   2. In the Position Candidates list, click New.
   3. In the Add Positions dialog box, in the Find window, choose Position.
   4. In the Starting With window, enter NREC Sales Agent, click Go, and then click OK.
   5. Repeat Step c for the NREC Partner Agent position.

      Each rule must include a list of positions, employees, or organizations that specifies the candidates for the assignment. In the NREC example, the position determines the assignment. Each assignment rule is associated with a position at NREC or at the partner real estate agency. For example, the positions at the San Francisco Real Estate Agency are associated to the assignment rule for the Peninsula and East Bay territories.

4. To add rules for the Peninsula and East Bay territories, repeat Step 1 through Step 3 for each of the following assignment rules.

   Assignment Rule Name	Zip Code
   Peninsula	Add the following ZIP codes: 94301 94401 94010
   East Bay	Add the following ZIP codes: 94701 94602 94580

5. Navigate to the Assignment Rules List, and then click Release.

   This step instructs Assignment Manager to use these rules.

   NOTE:  This step releases all assignment rules. Do not release assignment rules while associated server tasks are running.

6. Activate Assignment Manager rules.