Developing and Deploying Siebel Business Applications > Configuring Siebel CRM to Use Data From an External Data Source > Process of Configuring Siebel CRM to Use Data From an External Data Source >

Examining Business Requirements for Using Data from an External Data Source

This task is a step in Process of Configuring Siebel CRM to Use Data From an External Data Source.

Assume NREC stores house renovation data in a comma-delimited text file that a third-party vendor provides to NREC. NREC must retrieve the data from this file and display it in the Partner Portal application. Partner agents and NREC employees can use it to display a history of renovation information for each house stored in the NREC Siebel database. The text file includes the following information:

RENOVATION HOUSE_ID="1F-X234" DATE="07/13/2008" DESCRIPTION="Remodeled kitchen"

RENOVATION HOUSE_ID="1F-A431" DATE="07/07/2009" DESCRIPTION="Added second story"

RENOVATION HOUSE_ID="1F-L134" DATE="08/01/2010" DESCRIPTION="Added two rooms"

Figure 20 includes a screen capture that illustrates how Siebel CRM must display the data from the external file in the Siebel client. It display this data in a typical master-detail view that includes a house record in the top applet and a list of renovations in the bottom applet.

Figure 20. Applet Displaying Data Brought in from an External File

About Virtual Business Components

A virtual business component (VBC) is a type of business component that brings data from an external data source to a Siebel application. For example, you can use a VBC to represent data from the following data sources:

• Back office application
• Legacy application
• Transaction service
• Web site

The example in this chapter uses a simple file as an external data source instead of an external database or external application.