Partner Asset-Based Ordering

This chapter describes asset-based ordering in Oracle’s Siebel Partner Relationship Management applications and includes information about the tasks a partner user completes for quote and order management. This chapter includes the following topics:

About Order Management in Siebel Partner Relationship Management

Siebel Partner Relationship Manager allows your partners to resell and purchase the products of your organization and allows your partners to communicate and collaborate with your organization. For more information about Siebel Partner Relationship Manager, see Siebel Partner Relationship Management Administration Guide.

Siebel Partner Relationship Manager order management processing provides support for the following types of partner users in the Siebel Partner Relationship Manager module:

Standard Partner Commerce User. This partner user employs the Shopping Cart view to purchase products and services for the partner organization or their customers. This order capture interface is similar to the interface in the Siebel eSales application, is designed for ease of use, and is most appropriate for business to consumer transactions. The Standard Partner Commerce user has access to the product catalog. For more information about Standard Partner Commerce, see Order Management with Standard Partner Commerce.
Power Partner Commerce User. This partner user employs the same quote and order modules that employees use. This user supports the partner user who assists customers with specialized needs. For more information about Power Partner Commerce, see Order Management with Power Partner Commerce.

Scenario for Partner Asset-Based Ordering

This scenario provides an example of how a partner organization can establish a partnership with a brand owner organization and complete sales channel. You and your partners might follow a different process according to the business requirements of your organization and your partnership program.

Brand Owner Recruits Partners

The channel manager for TeleMedia Inc. Mobile developed a partnership campaign to use channel partners to resell TeleMedia mobile phone packages.

Prospective partners receive a campaign email message that directs them to the TeleMedia Partner Portal. On the portal, partners can view information about available TeleMedia partner programs and apply to become partners.

The TeleMedia channel manager reviews and approves these applications. After the manager approves an application, the partner organization has full access to the Partner Portal. TeleMedia assigns accounts and responsibilities to the organization and assigns the appropriate user type (power user or standard user) to employees of the organization.

Partners Order Through the Partner Portal

After TeleMedia partner approval, the electronics department manager for ComTel Networks can expand his store selections by offering TeleMedia products. The partner store manager logs in to the TeleMedia Partner Portal. The Home Page displays a partner alert about a promotional campaign for the TeleMedia mobile package. This package includes partner resell incentives.

He decides to upgrade the existing store inventory of mobile phones and promote the mobile package through the newer mobile models along with clearance of older mobile models.

The partner store manager browses the TeleMedia product catalog to find the best deals that TeleMedia offers partners. He adds the products to the shopping cart and completes the ordering process.

Partners Create and Modify Customer Orders

The mobile package promotion allows ComTel Networks to sell a substantial number of TeleMedia products.

One of the mobile packages that TeleMedia offers is a family package that provides primary phone service with 1500 plan minutes and the option to add multiple mobile phones managed under one service account. Each additional mobile phone receives individual service options at discount rates and shares the primary service minutes.

A ComTel Networks customer purchases a family 1500 plan for his wife, his daughter, and himself. The next morning, this customer calls and wants to add two new mobile products with service options to his account.

A partner employee who is a Power Commerce user handles this call. The employee finds the customer account showing all the products and services that the customer requested.

The employee orders two more phone products with the service options that the customer requests. In the orders list, the employee selects the open order. The Sales Order form and Line Items List appear. The employee revises the order to add the two additional phone products with the service options.

The product Configurator appears showing all of the installed products for the customer and the expected state of the customer service profile after the open order is provisioned. The employee customizes the phone packages and submits the order.

The employee essentially creates a supplemental order, which is an order that revises an existing open order. When you submit the revised order, an entirely new order (and not the difference between the revised order and the previous order) is submitted. For more details, see the topic about revising a submitted order in Siebel Order Management Guide.

Several weeks later, after the service is provisioned, this customer wants to change the service options for one family member in the plan. A partner employee uses the TeleMedia Partner Portal to look up the customer account and sees the three mobile phones and service plan options in this customer account. The employee uses Configurator to change the service options for one phone, and then submits the order. This employee modifies an order that was already fulfilled. For more details, Revising an Order (Standard Partner Commerce).

Note: This ordering process is different if the employee is a Standard Partner Commerce user. The employee works with eCatalog and the shopping cart. For more information, see Order Management with Standard Partner Commerce.

Order Management with Standard Partner Commerce

This topic provides information about how Standard Commerce users create quotes and orders. The Standard Commerce user works with an interface similar to the Siebel eSales user interface. This interface includes eCatalog, the shopping cart, and other simplified quote to order features.

This topic covers the following tasks for quote and order management:

Quote management tasks for Standard Partner Commerce:
Order placement tasks for Standard Partner Commerce:
Order change tasks for Standard Partner Commerce:

Adding Items to a Shopping Cart (Standard Partner Commerce)

Standard Partner users can add items to the shopping cart in the following ways:

By selecting items from a catalog.
By selecting items saved to Favorites.
By selecting an item from Recommended items.
By using Quick Add to specify an item.
By retrieving a stored quote.
By retrieving a quote template.

When the user adds an item from a catalog to the shopping cart, the user remains in the catalog view, and the item appears in the Last Item Added area.

If the shopping cart contains items when the user exits the session, then these items remain in the shopping cart when the user next logs in. Users do not have to log in before adding items to the shopping cart. However, users must log in to convert the shopping cart contents to an order and to save the shopping cart as a quote or quote template.

The types of shopping cart pricing include:

Non-recurring charge (NRC). This price is charged only once. Examples include items such as hardware and one-time installation charges.
Monthly recurring charge (MRC). This price is charged on a subscription basis, such as once a week or once a month. The unit of measurement (UoM) field specifies the time period. Examples include monthly telephone line service charges.

Each price type has a separate total.

To add items to a shopping cart from a catalog

Log in to the Partner Portal and navigate to the Product Catalog screen.
In the Browse list, click the catalog that you want.
The catalog screen displays all the items in the catalog.
Click the name of a catalog item.
A view appears showing item information. You can also perform the following tasks:
- Enter an item quantity.
- For customizable products, click Customize to select components and attributes.
In the Catalog Items list, enter the quantity in the Qty field of the item that you want.
Click the Add Item button next to the item name.
The item is added to the shopping cart. The Last Item Added display shows the item name, the number of line items in the shopping cart, and the total price of all items in the shopping cart.
In the real-time shopping cart, click View Details.
The Shopping Cart form displays the item that you select, and a Recommended Items form appears listing other items that you might need.

Verify that the items you select appear correctly.

The following table describes some of the shopping cart fields.

Field	Description
Line #	The Siebel application assigns a number to each line item. If an item has components, then a file folder appears in this field. Click the file folder to see the components for the item.
Item	Item name. Click this field to see additional product information, such as product literature and related products.
Qty	Quantity of the item. Click this field to revise the quantity.
MRC Subtotal	Subtotal of monthly recurring charges for the item.
NRC Subtotal	Subtotal of non-recurring charges for the item.
Options	Product attributes.
Action	Action code.
Unit	Unit of measurement (for each month, year, and quarter).
Comments	Comments from the Pricer.

Customizing an Item (Standard Partner Commerce)

Standard Partner Commerce users customize items by selecting item components and attributes in a configuration session. To start a configuration session, the user clicks Customize. When the user exits the configuration session, the configuration is transferred to the shopping cart.

Note: Users can customize only customizable or complex products.

If the quantity of a configurable item is greater than one, then the configuration is applied to each of the configurable items. For example, a user adds a configurable residential phone service package to the shopping cart, specifies 4 in the Qty field, and clicks Customize. When the user exits the configuration session, the configuration is applied to all 4 of the residential phone service packages.

You must have a Configurator license to configure customizable products.

To customize an item

In the Catalog screen, in the Items list, click Customize.
Selection pages appear showing customizable components and attributes.
In each category, select the component and enter a quantity (if applicable).
If a component has customizable attributes, then an icon appears in the Customize column.
Click the icon to configure the attributes for the component.
If you select quantities or combinations of components that are incompatible, then a configuration message appears showing alternative selections.
After you configure the item, click Save.
When you finish, click Done.
The shopping cart appears.

Revising Shopping Cart Contents (Standard Partner Commerce)

Standard Partner Commerce users can remove single items from the shopping cart or remove all items at the same time. Users can also change the quantity of items. In addition, users can reconfigure items and add new items.

To revise the contents of the shopping cart

Navigate to the shopping cart.
Perform one or more of the following actions, as appropriate:
- To delete an item, click the active record indicator for the item (the diamond icon), and then click the trash can button.
- To delete all the items, click Empty Cart.
- To change the quantity of an item, enter a new quantity in the Qty field and click the Update Quantity button.
- To use Quick Add to add an item, enter the Item Name, Item Code, or Manufacturer Code and click Add to Cart.
- To add an item from the Recommended Items form, click the item name. When the view showing item information appears, click Add To Cart. In the real-time shopping cart, click View Cart to return to shopping cart.

Adding Bulk Items to the Shopping Cart (Standard Partner Commerce)

Business users frequently order customizable items in bulk. For example, a business user might order 20 customizable phone lines for installation at the same location. Rather than configure each phone line separately, the user can configure one phone line and apply that configuration to all the phone lines. The user can then adjust as needed the configuration of individual phone lines.

This procedure uses the workflow described in Workflow That Ungroups Quotes.

To add bulk items to the shopping cart

Add a customizable item to the shopping cart.
Navigate to the shopping cart and click the active record indicator for the item (the diamond button).
In the Qty field for the item, enter the quantity.
Click Update Quantity.
If necessary, click the active record indicator to select the item again.
Click Customize.
Selection pages display the customizable components and attributes of the item.
Select components and attributes, and then click Done.
The shopping cart appears.
Verify that the active record indicator for the item is highlighted, and then click Ungroup.
To adjust the configuration of an ungrouped instance of the item, click the active record indicator for the item, and then click Customize.

Saving a Shopping Cart as a Quote or Quote Template (Standard Partner Commerce)

When the user saves the shopping cart, the Siebel application prompts the user to log in if the user is not logged in. If the user is not a registered user, then the Siebel application prompts the user to register.

When the user saves the shopping cart as a quote, the quote is added to My Quotes. The user can later convert the quote to an order. When the user converts a quote to an order from My Quotes, the quote is removed from My Quotes.

When the user saves a quote as a template, the quote is added to My Templates. The user can later use the template to create orders. When the user uses a template from My Templates, the template is not removed from My Templates.

To save a shopping cart as a quote or quote template

Navigate to the shopping cart.
Click Save Cart.
The Save Cart form appears.
In the Name field, enter a descriptive name.
To save the shopping cart as a quote, click Save as Quote.
My Quotes appears listing the quote. The shopping cart is empty.
To save the shopping cart as a quote template, click Save as Template.
The shopping cart appears. The shopping cart contents are unchanged.

Converting a Quote to an Order (Standard Partner Commerce)

The user converts a quote to an order by transferring a quote from My Quotes to the shopping cart. This transfer removes the quote from My Quotes.

If the quote is not expired, then the items in the quote are transferred to the shopping cart and the checkout process starts. If the quote is expired, then the Siebel application verifies the shopping cart contents:

If the shopping cart is not empty, then the Siebel application presents the shopping cart contents to the user. The user can cancel the process, save the shopping cart, or discard the shopping cart.
If the shopping cart is empty, discarded, or saved, then the Siebel application transfers the quote to the shopping cart. The Siebel application recalculates prices and removes items that are no longer available from the quote.

To convert a quote to an order

In the Partner Portal, click Quotes.
In the Quotes screen, click My Quotes or My Customer Quotes to retrieve the appropriate quote.
In the My Quotes or My Customer Quotes list, select the quote.
In the Quote view, verify that the quote contains all the needed items and that customizable items are configured correctly.
Click Order.
If the quote contains items to be shipped, then the Shipping Information view appears for you to select the shipping address. If you did not set up a payment method, then the Payment Method view appears.

Processing an Order Checkout (Standard Partner Commerce)

When the user converts the shopping cart to an order, the Siebel application does the following:

Verifies that the user is logged in. If the user is not logged in, then the user must register and log in.
Verifies that a complete shipping address is available. If no shipping address is available, then the user must enter or select a shipping address.
Verifies that a payment method is selected. If no payment method is selected, then the user must select a payment method.
Computes taxes and shipping costs.
Presents an order summary. The user can edit the shipping and payment details in the order summary before submitting the order. For example, the user can assign service IDs to items.

This procedure uses the workflows described in Workflows That Process an Order Checkout.

You convert the shopping cart to an order when you check out the order.

To check out an order

Navigate to the shopping cart.
Verify that the shopping cart contains all the items that you want to purchase. Also verify that customizable items are configured correctly.
Click Check Out.
If the shopping cart contains items to be shipped, then the Shipping Information view appears for you to select the shipping address. If you did not set up a payment method, then the Payment Method view appears.
In the Payment Method form, either enter a credit card and click Continue, or click Bill Me.
If you select the Bill Me option, then enter a billing address.

Adding Quote Template Items to the Shopping Cart (Standard Partner Commerce)

The user can add items in a quote template to the shopping cart. The user can add quote items to an empty shopping cart to a shopping cart that contains items.

To add quote template items to the shopping cart

Log in to Partner Portal and click Quotes.
In the Quotes list, click My Templates.
In the Template list, locate the quote template and click the Name field.
In Template Items, if necessary, delete items from the quote template and change item quantities.
In Template, click Order Template.
The shopping cart appears containing the items from the quote template. The Siebel application corrects prices for these items.
Click Check Out.
If the shopping cart contains items to be shipped, then the Shipping Information view appears for you to select the shipping address. If you did not set up a payment method, then the Payment Method view appears.

Entering Shipping Information (Standard Partner Commerce)

If an order contains items to be shipped, then the Siebel application verifies that a complete shipping address is available. If no shipping address is available, then the user must enter shipping information.

To enter shipping information

In Shipping Information, click Edit Shipping Details.
Select the recipient and shipping method, and then click Save.
Click the edit button for a record to edit the address.
In the Select Shipping Address form, edit the address and click Save.
To create a new shipping address, click Add, fill out the address form, and click Save.
In the Select Shipping Address form, click Save.
The Payment Method view appears.

Using the Credit Card Payment Method (Standard Partner Commerce)

Users who elect to pay with a credit card use the Credit Card payment method.

To use the Credit Card payment method

In the Payment Method form, enter credit card information.
Enter the billing address.
To erase the form and start again, click Reset.
After entering all the information, click Continue.
The Order Summary appears.

Using the Bill Me Payment Method (Standard Partner Commerce)

Users who elect to be billed later use the Bill Me payment method.

To use the Bill Me payment method

In the Payment Method tab, click Bill Me.
The Billing Information view appears.
In Select Billing Address, locate the billing address.
In the address Select field, click Select.
The Order Summary appears showing the billing address.

Using the Billing Account Payment Method (Standard Partner Commerce)

Users who elect to have their account billed use the Billing Account payment method.

To use the Billing Account payment method

In the Payment Method form, click the Billing Account select button.
The Pick Billing Account dialog box appears.
Select the billing account and click OK.
The Order Summary appears showing the billing address.

Using the Purchase Order Method (Standard Partner Commerce)

For information about this task, see Siebel eSales Administration Guide and Siebel eSales Administration Guide Addendum for Industry Applications.

Reviewing and Submitting an Order (Standard Partner Commerce)

The user can review and submit an order.

To review and submit an order

Log in to Partner Portal and click My Account.
In the My Information list, click My Orders.
In the My Orders list, select an order with a Pending status.
Review the shipping information, payment information, requested items, and total cost to verify that the information is correct.
Select or confirm the Shipping address.
Click Submit.

Revising an Order (Standard Partner Commerce)

The user can change an existing order. In this task, the user creates a supplemental order by changing an order that is not yet provisioned.

This procedure uses the workflows described in Workflows That Revise an Order.

To revise an order

Log in to Partner Portal and click My Account.
In the My Information list, click My Orders.
The My Orders list appears showing your existing orders.
Select the appropriate order and click Revise.
The status of the order must be Open.
In the Line Items list, select the item to revise.
Click Customize.
Change the item and click Checkout.

Selecting Billing and Service Accounts (Standard Partner Commerce)

The user can select and view an existing Billing and Service Account.

To select billing and service accounts

In the My Account screen, in the Products & Services list, click Billing Items or Service Items.
When the Billing Item or Service Item screen appears, select the account.

Modifying an Order (Standard Partner Commerce)

The user can change a service item that is already provisioned. The user can change product attributes, features, and components of the service item.

This procedure uses the workflows described in Workflows That Modify Products and Installed Assets.

To modify an existing service item

In the My Account screen, in the Products & Services list, click Service Items.
The Service Items screen appears.
In the Select Account list, if necessary, select the account with service items to change.
You might have to select an account for this service if you have multiple accounts.
In the Service Items list, select the item to change.
Click Modify.
When the selection pages appear, change the product attributes, features, and components, as needed.
Click Done.
When the shopping cart appears, you can see the changed action codes.

Disconnecting an Order (Standard Partner Commerce)

The user can disconnect a complete service item and all of its components. This task disconnects the parent product and all child products on lower levels of the hierarchy. You cannot disconnect a child product without disconnecting the parent product.

Note: In Standard Partner Commerce, orders and services are the same. When you select Service Items under the Products & Services tab, you access screens to work with existing orders.

This procedure uses the workflows described in Workflows That Disconnect Products and Services.

To disconnect an order

In the My Account screen, in the Products & Services list, click Service Items.
The Service Items screen appears.
In the Select Account list, if necessary, select the account with service items to disconnect.
You might have to select an account for this service if you have multiple accounts.
In the Service Items list, select the item to disconnect.
Click Disconnect.
When the shopping cart appears, you can see the product and all of its components with delete action codes.
If a violation is generated, then a message notifies the user of any penalty and asks whether the user wants to accept or reject the penalty. If the user clicks Reject, then the disconnection is canceled. If the user clicks Accept, then the penalty charges are applied. For more information on configuring penalty charges, see Configuring the Workflow for Promotion Penalties.
Click Check Out.

Order Management with Power Partner Commerce

This topic provides information about how Power Commerce users create quotes and orders. The Power Commerce user works with an interface similar to the quote and order screens of employee applications, such as those in Oracle’s Siebel Communications and Oracle’s Siebel Media. This order-entry interface gives the user full access to the Quotes and Orders modules that employees use.

Note: The topic about asset-based ordering in Siebel Order Management Guide covers the processes and procedures that use the Quotes and Orders modules.

The Power User can help customers who need more assistance. For example, to upgrade the existing service for a customer, a Power Commerce user might need access to the customer account to compare the customer’s existing entertainment service package to a new service offering.

After identifying the customer and accessing the customer account, the Power Commerce user can then create a quote and fax, email, or mail the quote to the customer.

Later, the customer might call again to add or delete items from the order or to get additional comparative information. The Power Commerce user can access the appropriate screens based on the status of the order. Whether the order is pending or complete, the Power Commerce user can generate a quote and order based on the customer’s new requirements.

A Power Commerce user typically manages customer quotes and orders in the same way that an employee manages them. For more information about managing customer quotes and orders, see the topic about asset-based ordering in Siebel Order Management Guide.