Process of Creating Assignment Criteria for Use in Assignment Rules

Assignment criteria are the conditions that the candidates must satisfy in order to qualify for assignment to a particular work item. You usually define assignment criteria along with criteria values in assignment rules. Criteria values are the details associated with a criterion. There might be several criteria values for the same criterion.

Siebel Assignment Manager provides several predefined assignment criteria and criteria values. You can, however, create your own criteria and criteria values using Siebel Tools.

To create new assignment criteria for use in assignment rules, perform the following tasks in the order presented:

1. "Creating Assignment Attributes"

2. (Optional) "Enabling Assignment Attributes for MLOV"

3. "Mapping Assignment Attribute Columns to an Assignment Object and a Workflow Policy Component Column"

4. "Creating Assignment Criteria"

5. "Creating Assignment Criteria Attributes for Assignment Criteria"

Creating Assignment Attributes

Assignment attributes are logical attributes of an object or candidate that can be used for matching. An assignment attribute allows you to associate a single attribute on an object or a person or an organization to multiple fields in the application.

For example, you can define an assignment rule that matches candidates based on the U.S. state. However, State is stored in a different field in the application for different objects. Assignment attributes map the places that State is defined into a single State attribute.

This task is a step in "Process of Creating Assignment Criteria for Use in Assignment Rules".

Assignment attributes can be either column-based or skill-based. Column-based attributes are stored as columns in the object (such as Opportunity). You can use existing columns in the object, or use Siebel Database Extensibility to add new extension columns to the object. Skills-based attributes are stored as rows in the object's skill tables (if any).

For more information about Database Extensibility, see Configuring Siebel Business Applications.

Figure 6-5 shows a Product Line Wildcard assignment criterion that uses the Compare to Person comparison method. The assignment criterion also uses the Include All inclusion method and includes two criteria values, Monitors and Graphic Cards. Each criteria value includes two assignment attributes. In this example, only candidates that possess an Expert-level expertise in monitors and graphic cards qualify for the assignment criterion. Furthermore, 25 points are added to the qualifying candidate's score.

Figure 6-5 Sample Assignment Attributes

If you are adding an assignment attribute to a new table, then you must modify the existing Workflow Manager definitions in the Siebel repository. For more information about making modifications to Workflow Manager, see Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide.

An assignment attribute object definition defines an attribute that can be referenced in assignment criteria records. It specifies a logical attribute that can be chosen from a picklist for defining comparisons; it does not directly specify a particular database column or combination of columns. Column mapping is accomplished through the child assignment attribute column object definitions, one for each assignment object that uses the parent assignment attribute.

An assignment attribute also specifies the picklist that appears in the Values list in the Criteria subview when you are entering an attribute in a value record, as shown in Figure 6-6.

Figure 6-6 Picklist for Populating an Attribute in a Value Record

Note: Assignment criteria configured to include multiple assignment attributes cannot have these attributes based on columns in different tables.

An assignment criteria attribute object definition implements each list column in the Values applet, as described in "Creating Assignment Criteria Attributes for Assignment Criteria". The assignment criteria attribute is based on an assignment attribute, as specified in its assignment attribute property. The referenced assignment attribute identifies a picklist, which is the same picklist that appears when you click the drop-down arrow next to the list column cell.

The Assignment Attribute object type functions as an intermediary between the assignment criteria and the assignment objects, as shown in Figure 6-6.

An assignment criteria attribute references an assignment attribute through its assignment attribute property. In turn, each of the assignment attribute's child assignment attribute columns specifies an assignment object and a workflow policy component and column combination.

An assignment attribute is a logical grouping of similar mappings to different assignment objects that can use the same picklist for value selection.

For example, the Account State assignment attribute has several child assignment attribute column object definitions. Each assignment attribute is used for selection of the state in which an account is located, but five of them are used for different assignment objects (Activity, Account, Campaign Contact, and Order), and the other five are used for different account state attributes in the Opportunity assignment object (such as Primary Account State and Indirect Account Primary State).

Note: To generate a trigger based on an assignment attribute, a corresponding assignment attribute column must be configured. See "Mapping Assignment Attribute Columns to an Assignment Object and a Workflow Policy Component Column".

To create an assignment attribute

1. Start Siebel Tools.

2. In the Object Explorer, select the Assignment Attribute object.

   
   

   Tip: If the Assignment Attribute object is not visible in the Object Explorer, then you can enable it in the Development Tools Options dialog box (choose View, then Options, and then Object Explorer).

   
   

3. Lock the project for the object by choosing Tools, then Lock Project (or Alt+L).

   The pencil icon appears in the W field to indicate that the project for the object is locked.

4. In the Assignment Attributes window, choose Edit, then New Record, and configure the assignment attribute object by setting values in the appropriate fields.

   1. In the Name field, type the name of the new assignment attribute.

   2. In the Project field, select a project.

   3. (Optional) If the attribute supports a range of values (such as revenue), then check the Use Range field.

   4. In the Data Type field, select a data type for the attribute.

   5. (Optional) If you want a picklist for the attribute to allow users to select values for the assignment attribute, then enter a value in the Pick List field.

   6. (Optional), Pick a field for the attribute to allow users to select values for the assignment attribute, enter a value in the Pick Field field.

   For a description of these properties, see Table 6-3.

5. Update the Siebel runtime repository and run various server administration tasks.

   For instructions on updating your deployment with the new configurations, see "Updating Your Siebel Assignment Manager Deployment with New Configurations".

Table 6-3 shows some of the properties of the Assignment Attribute object type.

Table 6-3 Assignment Attribute Properties

Property	Description
Bounded	When checked, the picklist is bounded (you can select a value from the picklist). When unchecked, you can enter a value that does not appear in the list.
Data Type	Data type for the assignment attribute. Number, UtcDateTime, and Varchar are supported.
Name	Name of the assignment attribute. Must be unique within the repository.
Order By LOV Type	Not used.
Pick Field	Name of the field to select from the picklist.
Pick List	Name of the picklist that supplies the selection values for populating any list column in the Values list (in the Assignment Criteria view) that is based on this assignment attribute.
Use Range	Specifies whether a single list column or a pair of list columns, indicating a range, appears for assignment criteria attributes based on this assignment attribute. For example, the Revenue assignment attribute, which has a TRUE value for Use Range, appears as two list columns, Revenue Low and Revenue High. You can enter 50000 in the former and 100000 in the latter in a value record to indicate a range of $50,000 to $100,000.
Translate	When checked, enables MLOV (multilingual list of values) capability for the attribute. For more information about enabling this feature, see "Enabling Assignment Attributes for MLOV".

Enabling Assignment Attributes for MLOV

Multilingual List of Values (MLOV) capability allows assignment attributes to be stored in a form that can be retrieved and displayed in a variety of supported client languages. To enable assignment attributes for MLOV, use the following procedure.

This task is an optional step in "Process of Creating Assignment Criteria for Use in Assignment Rules".

To enable an assignment attribute for MLOV

1. Start Siebel Tools.

2. In the Object Explorer, select the Assignment Attribute object.

3. In the Assignment Attributes list, select the assignment attribute for which you want to enable MLOV.

4. Lock the project for the object by choosing Tools, then Lock Project (or Alt+L).

   The pencil icon appears in the W field to indicate that the project for the object is locked.

5. Locate the Translate property for this attribute, and set the value to TRUE.

6. Locate the Translate Pick Field for the assignment attribute, and select from the Translate Pick Field dialog box the field in the Pick List Business Component that stores the Language Independent Code (in most cases this is the Name field).

7. Locate the Pick Field for the assignment attribute, and select from the Pick Field dialog box the field in the Pick List Business Component that stores the Display Value (in most cases this is the Value field).

You can also configure the application to enable MLOV for workload criteria, criteria values, and skills. For more information about configuring MLOVs, see Configuring Siebel Business Applications. See also Siebel Global Deployment Guide.

Mapping Assignment Attribute Columns to an Assignment Object and a Workflow Policy Component Column

An assignment attribute column is a child object type of the Assignment Attribute object in Siebel Tools, as shown in Figure 6-1. The parent assignment attribute is an abstract logical attribute to test for a value match, and attribute columns provide mapping of assignment attributes to workflow policy component columns.

Workflow policy component columns define the column and the table name from where Assignment Manager retrieves the data for the attribute from the database. The same assignment attribute can be used for different assignment objects.

For example, consider the Account State criterion. You can apply this criterion to many assignment objects. For account objects, it means the physical U.S. state in which the account resides. For opportunity objects, it might mean the U.S. state for the accounts associated with a specific opportunity. In these instances, you define multiple assignment attribute columns for the Account State attribute and define the assignment object and the workflow policy component column to indicate where to get the data.

An assignment attribute can have multiple attribute columns for the same assignment object. For example, for the Opportunity assignment object, Account City could either mean the primary city associated with the opportunity itself or the primary city associated with the account associated to the opportunity. In this instance, the Account City assignment attribute has two attribute column records for the Opportunity assignment object.

Also define the Sequence property on the assignment attribute column object. The sequence determines the order in which the data is retrieved in the event there are multiple attribute columns for the same attribute for the same assignment object.

An assignment attribute column object definition maps an assignment attribute to an assignment object and a workflow policy component column, as shown in Figure 6-2. These mappings set up value matching within the assignment object and workflow policy object for criteria that use the parent assignment attribute.

The parent assignment attribute is an abstract logical attribute to test for a value match, which you can specify in an assignment criteria. The child assignment attribute columns specify the actual mappings to assignment objects and workflow policy component columns. Each assignment attribute column can specify a different assignment object to search, or a different attribute within the same assignment object.

This task is a step in "Process of Creating Assignment Criteria for Use in Assignment Rules".

To map assignment attributes to an existing assignment object

1. Start Siebel Tools.

2. In the Object Explorer, expand the Assignment Attribute object, and select the Assignment Attribute Column object.

3. In the Assignment Attributes window, select the assignment attribute for which you want to map the logical location in the database schema.

4. Lock the project for the object by choosing Tools, then Lock Project (or Alt+L).

   The pencil icon appears in the W field to indicate that the project for the object is locked.

5. In the Assignment Attribute Columns window, choose Edit, then New Record.

6. Configure the assignment attribute object by setting values in the appropriate fields.

   1. In the Name field, type the name of the new assignment attribute column.

   2. In the Assignment Object field, select an assignment object to which the assignment attribute is applied.

   3. In the Workflow Policy Component field, select a workflow policy component to which the workflow policy object is applied.

   4. In the Workflow Policy Component field, select a workflow policy component column to which the workflow policy component is applied.

   5. In the Sequence field, enter a sequence value.

   For descriptions of these properties, see Table 6-4.

7. Update the Siebel runtime repository and run various server administration tasks.

   For instructions on updating your deployment with the new configurations, see "Updating Your Siebel Assignment Manager Deployment with New Configurations".

Table 6-4 shows some of the properties of the Assignment Attribute Column object type.

Table 6-4 Assignment Attribute Column Properties

Property	Description
Assignment Object	Assignment object that is checked for a value match with the parent assignment attribute.
Name	Name of the assignment attribute column. The typical format is: assignment_object: workflow_component_column For example: Service Request: Account Area Code
Sequence	A unique sequence number for the assignment attribute column within the assignment attribute. If an assignment attribute has multiple assignment attribute columns, then Assignment Manager searches for attribute values in the order of the values in this property.
Workflow Policy Component	Name of the workflow policy component, within the specified workflow policy object, with which this assignment attribute column is associated.
Workflow Policy Component Column	Name of the workflow policy component column, within the specified workflow policy component, with which this assignment attribute column is associated.
Workflow Policy Object	Name of the workflow policy object with which the assignment attribute column is associated. When an assignment object is selected, the workflow policy object defaults to this selection.

Creating Assignment Criteria

Assignment criteria define an object and are used in assignment criteria records in assignment rules. After you create and redeploy an assignment criteria object definition in Siebel Tools, it becomes available for selection from the Criteria list column picklist in assignment criteria records in Siebel Business Applications.

For static assignment, you use the Assignment Criteria object properties to specify the criteria name (internally and as displayed) and to configure skill tables. However, most of the behavior of assignment criteria is configured in the assignment criteria attribute children. For dynamic assignment, you use special team-based criteria. For more information about criteria for dynamic assignment, see "Examples of Dynamic Candidate Assignment".

An assignment criteria can consist of one or more assignment attributes, such as the criteria Account City, Account State, and Account Country. These assignment attributes are grouped as assignment criteria. In this case, a single criterion, called a composite criterion, includes three assignment attributes. To add or change drop-down fields that define assignment criteria in an assignment rule, define or modify assignment criteria. Assignment criteria attributes enumerate assignment attributes for the assignment criteria.

The Criteria list column in an assignment criteria record specifies the assignment criteria that is tested for a match against one or more attributes of the assignment object or candidate. For example, in an assignment criteria that determines whether the state is California, the assignment item would be State, Home State, or Account State, and the value California (CA) would be specified in a child value record.

When you click the drop-down arrow button in the Criteria list column for an assignment rule, a picklist appears for selection of an assignment criteria. The picklist lists the available assignment criteria (assignment criteria object definitions in the repository). When you select an assignment criteria, its name is stored in the Criteria Name field in the current Assignment Rule business component record.

This task is a step in "Process of Creating Assignment Criteria for Use in Assignment Rules".

Note: When enabling the standard assignment attributes and criteria to be skill-based, create the new assignment criteria and assignment attributes (based on the existing predefined ones), and set them for skill-based assignment.

To create assignment criteria

1. Start Siebel Tools.

2. In the Object Explorer, select the Assignment Criteria object.

3. Lock the project for the object by choosing Tools, then Lock Project (or Alt+L).

   The pencil icon appears in the W field to indicate that the project for the object is locked.

4. In the Assignment Criteria window, choose Edit, then New Record, and set values in the appropriate fields.

   1. In the Name field, type the name of the new assignment criteria.

   2. In the Project field, select the Assignment project.

   3. In the Display Name field, type the name that appears for the assignment criteria.

   4. (Optional) If you want the assignment criteria stored in the skill table, then check the Employee Skill field.

      For information about skill tables, see "Enabling Assignment Objects for Skills".

   5. (Optional) If you want expertise codes stored for the skill, then check the Use Expertise field.

      If you check this field, then Assignment Manager uses expertise codes to match objects to candidates.

   6. (Optional) If you do not want the assignment criteria to appear in the Criteria picklist, then uncheck the Display Flag field.

   7. If this is a team-based criterion, then check the Team flag. In this case, you define only one criteria attribute record and you do not define any attribute columns for the assignment attribute.

      For more information about team-based criteria, see "Examples of Dynamic Candidate Assignment".

   For descriptions of these properties, see Table 6-5.

5. Update the Siebel runtime repository and run various server administration tasks.

   For instructions on updating your deployment with the new configurations, see "Updating Your Siebel Assignment Manager Deployment with New Configurations".

The assignment criteria object definition has two properties to specify the name (internally and as displayed) and two properties that are used to configure skill tables (Employee Skill and Use Expertise). Most of the behavior of an assignment criteria is configured in the assignment criteria attribute children. Table 6-5 shows some of the properties of the assignment criteria object type.

Table 6-5 Assignment Criteria Properties

Property	Description
Display Flag	A check mark indicates that the assignment criteria appears in the Criteria picklist.
Display Name	Name that appears for this assignment criteria in the picklist and the Criteria list column in the Criteria list in the Criteria view (Assignment Rule, then Criteria). If it is not specified, then the value in the Name property is used instead.
Employee Skill	A TRUE or FALSE property that specifies whether the attribute is actually stored in the skill and skill item tables for the candidate or object. For more information about skill tables, see "Enabling Assignment Objects for Skills".
Name	Name of the assignment criteria.
Use Expertise	A TRUE or FALSE property that applies to assignment criteria that are skills. It specifies whether expertise codes are stored for the skill. If so, then Assignment Manager uses the expertise code to match the assignment object to people.

Creating Assignment Criteria Attributes for Assignment Criteria

An assignment criterion includes one or more assignment criteria attributes, stored as object definitions for child assignment criteria attributes. Assignment criteria attributes are implemented as object definitions of the assignment criteria attribute object type. Assignment Criteria Attribute is a child object type of Assignment Criteria, as shown in Figure 6-2.

The set of assignment criteria attributes in an assignment criterion determines the set of list columns that appear in the Values list. One list column appears in the Values list for each assignment criteria attribute in the assignment criteria. In Siebel Tools, as Figure 6-7 shows, the Account Wildcard assignment criteria (the Account Name assignment criteria with a display name of Account Wildcard) has an Account Name and a Site Name list column in the display of its child Value records. Both the Account Name and Site Name list columns correspond to the Account Name assignment criteria attribute.

If there were more assignment criteria attributes for this assignment criterion, then each would have a list column in the Values list. The Score list column is automatically provided, and the Expertise Code list column appears in this instance because the assignment criteria has a Use Expertise property setting of TRUE.

Figure 6-7 Assignment Criterion with Child Assignment Criteria Attributes

Composite Criteria

Assignment criteria attributes make it possible for a single assignment criterion to consist of multiple attributes, known as composite criteria.

For composite criteria, all the attributes must have a 1:1 relationship and refer to the same base table record. For example, the Account City-State-Country is a good composite criterion because San Mateo (city) resides in the state of California (state) and California resides in the U.S. (country). All of these attributes are stored on the same record in the same table.

Note: It is not possible to create composite criteria with attributes based on different tables.

This task is a step in "Process of Creating Assignment Criteria for Use in Assignment Rules".

To create an assignment criteria attribute

1. Start Siebel Tools.

2. In the Object Explorer, expand the Assignment Criteria object, and select the Assignment Criteria Attribute object.

3. In the Assignment Criteria window, select the assignment criteria for which you want to enumerate assignment attributes.

4. Lock the project for the object by choosing Tools, then Lock Project (or Alt+L).

   The pencil icon appears in the W field to indicate that the project for the object is locked.

5. Select the Assignment Criteria Attributes window, then choose Edit, then New Record.

6. Configure the assignment criteria attribute by setting values in the appropriate fields.

   1. In the Name field, type the name of the new assignment criteria attribute.

   2. In the Assignment Attribute field, select the assignment attribute for this assignment criteria.

   3. In the Display Name field, type the name for the assignment criteria attribute.

   4. In the Store Column field, specify the column in the assignment factor items table where the value for the assignment criteria attribute is stored.

   5. In the Display Sequence field, specify the sequence in which the assignment criteria attribute appears.

   6. (Optional) In the Pick Applet field, choose a pick applet for the assignment criteria attribute to allow users to view or select values for the assignment criteria attribute.

Note: For composite criteria, repeat Steps 5 and 6 as many times as is necessary.

For more information about these properties, see Table 6-6.

You also must update the Siebel runtime repository and run various server administration tasks using the procedures in "Updating Your Siebel Assignment Manager Deployment with New Configurations".

Table 6-6 shows some of the properties of the assignment criteria attribute object type.

Table 6-6 Assignment Criteria Attribute Properties

Property	Description
Assignment Attribute	Name of the assignment attribute that this assignment criteria attribute is based on. Selected from a drop-down list.
Display Name	List column label that appears for this assignment criteria attribute in the Values list. If it is omitted, then the Name is used in the list column label.
Display Sequence	Order in which the list column for this assignment criteria attribute appears in the list applet, relative to those of other assignment criteria attributes in the assignment item. A lower number places the list column closer to the inside margin.
Name	Name of the assignment criteria attribute, for identification. This name must be unique within the parent assignment criteria.
Pick Applet	If a picklist is defined for the associated assignment attribute, then you specify the name of a pick applet to display the picklist for selection of a value in the attribute's list column.
Store Column	Specifies the column in the assignment factor items table (S_ASGN_RULE_ITEM) in which to store the value for the assignment criteria attribute. There are four columns of each data type (Number, UtcDateTime, and Varchar) provided for storage of assignment criteria attribute values in each assignment criteria. You must specify a unique value, between 1 and 4 inclusive, for each assignment criteria attribute of the same data type. The data type can be determined from the Data Type property in the referenced assignment attribute object definition. Note: You can have up to four assignment criteria attributes for each assignment criterion (a composite criterion can have a maximum of four attributes).