4Proposals
Proposals
This chapter includes information about administering and using Siebel Proposals. It includes the following topics:
About Siebel Proposals
Siebel Proposals enables sales representatives to create proposals using templates that you create in Microsoft Word.
Traditionally, sales representatives create proposals by starting with a past proposal and then modifying it for the current prospect. Sales representatives must not only change such basic information as the customer name, but also possibly restructure the proposal so that it fits the new prospect’s unique needs. For example, the original proposal might focus on price, but the new proposal might focus other decision criteria, such as speed or extra functionality.
After the administrator creates the correct templates, the sales representative can click one button to build the correct proposal for a specific account or opportunity. Siebel Proposals uses information that sales representatives enter in the early stages of an opportunity to create the proposal.
Sales representatives can add deal-specific information to the proposal without worrying about formatting or presentation. Using the Proposal Library, sales representatives can find any additional information and automatically insert it into the proposal.
System Requirements for Siebel Proposals
Certain system requirements must be met to use Siebel Proposals. For information about the Documentation Server and other software that is required for Siebel Proposals, see Document Server.
System Requirements for the Siebel Web Client
Before you can use Siebel Proposals, you must meet the system requirements for the Siebel Web Client.
To meet the system requirements for the Siebel Web Client:
Install on the server, such as a Siebel Server and a Web Server, all of the components that are required to use the Siebel application.
Install the Document Server on one or more Windows computers.
Install Microsoft Office on the Document Server computer.
Siebel Proposals uses the Document Server. The Document Server is a component of the Siebel Server that lets users on the Web work with Microsoft Word documents that are on the server. For more information about installing the components required to use the Siebel application, see Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using.
Before employees or partners can use Siebel Proposals, they must have the following:
A Web browser to use the Siebel application. For information about the Web browsers that Siebel applications support, see Siebel System Requirements and Supported Platforms on Oracle Technology Network.
Note: For Siebel CRM product releases 8.1.1.9 and later and for 8.2.2.2 and later, the system requirements and supported platform certifications are available from the Certifications tab on My Oracle Support. For information about Certifications, see article 1492194.1 (Article ID) on My Oracle Support.(Optional) Microsoft Office to edit proposals.
System Requirements for the Siebel Remote Web Client
Siebel Proposals is available for the Siebel Remote Web Client and the Siebel Web Client. The user interface for Proposals is identical in the Siebel Remote Web Client and the Siebel Web Client.
Siebel Remote Web Client processes requests to generate proposals locally so that field sales representatives can generate proposals while traveling. To run Siebel Proposals on the Siebel Remote Web Client, Microsoft Office must be installed on the same computer as the Siebel Remote Web Client.
Process of Creating Proposal Templates
To create proposal templates, perform the following tasks:
Creating Proposal Template Documents in Microsoft Word. Create Microsoft Word documents. To create the documents for the template, you must write the text and insert bookmarks for such variables as company, contact name, and address.
Creating Records for Proposal Templates. Use the Siebel application to create a single record for the template.
Defining Proposal Template Sections. Create the proposal structure. Specify the sections the proposal contains.
Adding Components to Proposal Template Sections. Specify the components each section contains.
Using Conditions in Proposal Templates. Use conditions in sections or components. You can add conditions to specify that sections or components are included in the proposal only under certain circumstances.
Defining Proposal Field Mappings. Specify the Siebel objects that correspond to each bookmark in the Microsoft Word component documents. You also specify the name of this mapping in the template record.
Associating Field Mappings with Proposal Templates. Associate the mapping with a template to make it apply to all the components in that template.
Creating the Proposal Library. Create a separate library of documents that sales representatives can draw upon to customize their proposals. You can perform this optional step at any time.
Enabling Users to Display Proposals in HTML Format. Update settings on the Document Server to enable end users to view proposals in HTML format.
Creating Proposal Template Documents in Microsoft Word
The first step for creating proposal templates is to create documents in Microsoft Word. The following image shows these documents consist of one styles document and multiple component documents (such as Cover Letter, Executive Summary, Product Descriptions, and Quotes).
The component documents in the image are examples. You can use other component documents, such as a table of contents or a set of collateral, and you can exclude some of these component documents, such as product descriptions. However, a template must have a styles document and one or more component documents. For information about the versions of Microsoft Word that are supported, see Siebel System Requirements and Supported Platforms on Oracle Technology Network.
Proposals can use the fields from only one business object. If you want to include additional fields, you must use Siebel Tools to add the business components that include these fields to the business object that is the basis of the proposal.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
Planning Proposal Templates
Before you create the documents in Microsoft Word, you must determine the format of the proposal and the information to include in the proposal.
Begin by reviewing previous successful proposals to see the sections they contain. For example, do they all contain a cover letter, an executive summary, and a quote? Also, review the current documents you have on hand, and note the customer questions these documents answer. Then determine how to organize the information. What topics are standard across all proposals? What topics are specific to certain proposals? What is the best order for the parts the proposal? Finally, determine the fields to insert to customize the proposal (for example, contact name, account name, and industry). You use this information to create bookmarks in the Microsoft Word documents.
As part of planning, you can review the sample templates that come with Siebel Proposals. For more information, see Samples of Proposal Templates.
Creating a Styles Document
After you plan a template, you can create the styles document for the template. This Microsoft Word document defines the layout and formatting of the entire proposal. The layout options you specify are automatically applied to all the component documents for the proposal. This styles document can include headers, footers, logos, and special margins.
To create a styles document
Create a new document in Microsoft Word.
Set up margins, headers, footers, fonts, and other layout options for the template.
For more information about completing these tasks, see the online help for Microsoft Word.
Save and close the file.
Choose a name that uses only alphanumeric characters, and use the DOC file extension for Microsoft Word.
Creating Component Documents for Proposal Templates
After you create the styles document for the template, you can create the component documents. A component document is a Microsoft Word document that includes standard text and personalized data. For example, a cover letter component document includes standard cover-letter text and personalized data such as the name and address of the contact to whom the letter is addressed.
To create a component document, you enter the standard text in a Microsoft Word document and then create bookmarks, or Microsoft Word placeholders for custom data. When a sales representative generates a proposal, these bookmarks are replaced with data from the Siebel application.
To create a component document with bookmarks in Microsoft Word
Create a new document in Microsoft Word.
Enter the standard text for the component document.
Use the bookmark feature in Microsoft Word to add bookmarks to the locations in the component document to which you want to insert Siebel field data.
For example, you can create a Company bookmark for the Siebel Account field. For more information about using the bookmark feature, see the online help for Microsoft Word.
Note: If the text inserted into a bookmark contains double quotes ("), the inserted text is automatically preceded by a backslash (\). If you do not want the backslash to appear in the inserted text, change the double quotes to single quotes in the Siebel application.Note the names of the bookmarks because you need these names when you map the bookmarks to Siebel field names.
For more information, see Defining Proposal Field Mappings.
Save the component document as a DOC file.
Creating Records for Proposal Templates
After you create template documents in Microsoft Word, you can use Siebel Proposals create a record for the proposal template.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
To create a record for a proposal template
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Templates view.
In the Templates list, create a new record, and complete the necessary fields.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Type a name for the template.
Default
Select the check box to indicate this template is the default proposal template. When a user clicks Auto Proposal, Siebel Proposals uses the default template if there are no decision issues that match the theme of a proposal. You can select only one Opportunity Proposal default and one Account Proposal default.
Category
Select one of the following types of templates:
Opportunity Proposal. These templates are available only when you are working with Opportunities.
Account Proposal. These templates are available only when you are working with Accounts.
Agreement. These templates are available when you are working with Oracle Professional Services Agreements.
Quote. These templates are available only when you are working with Quotes.
Order. These templates are available only when you are working with Orders.
Mapping Name
Leave this field blank until you create a mapping. Then, select the mapping name that indicates the group of bookmark fields to use with the template.
Template File Name
Select the Microsoft Word template document to attach the document to the template. (This document is the styles document.)
Theme
Select a theme if you want to associate the template with a decision issue. When you assign a proposal template a theme, you associate it with a decision issue that is important for an opportunity. When a proposal theme matches the number one decision issue for the current opportunity, Siebel Proposals automatically selects the correct template when the user clicks Auto Proposal. Users can also select a theme template.
Because accounts and agreements do not relate to decision issues, the Theme field is not applicable for Account Proposal, Agreement, Quote, or Order templates. It applies only to Opportunity Proposal templates.
Description
Type a description of the template.
Language
Select the language in which the template is written.
Locale
Select the locale. Only the templates specific to this locale appear.
Defining Proposal Template Sections
After you create the Microsoft Word documents and a record for the template, define the structure of the proposal template. A proposal is made up of sections that divide and subdivide the proposal. A single section might contain multiple components or a single component.
The type of a section depends on the nature of the data it contains. For example, file sections contain documents, chart sections reference Siebel charts, and so on.
You define the structure of the proposal template by creating sections in the Proposal Templates view of the Administration - Document screen. Sections are associated with the template record you create for the template. You must create high-level sections. Optionally, you can add subsections to these sections. The proposal structure can include multiple levels of sections because a subsection can contain other subsections.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
Creating High-Level Sections for Proposal Templates
You must create high-level sections to insert into proposal templates.
To create a high-level section
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Templates view.
Navigate to the Sections list by completing the following steps:
In the Templates explorer, click the arrow icon next to the template name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the template name folder.
In the Sections list, create a new record, complete the fields described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Type the name of the section.
Sequence
Type a number to indicate the order in which the section appears in the proposal.
In the Section Type field, select the type of section.
The available section types are described in the following table.
Type Comments Chart
Inserts a Siebel chart. You can insert the chart in the side margins or in the center of the proposal, and you can change the x, y, and z axes in the chart.
File
Inserts the content of files in DOC or TXT format.
Locator
Inserts documents from the Siebel Encyclopedia. The Add Sales Tools dialog box displays the content in the Siebel Encyclopedia. For more information, see Adding Components to Proposal Template Sections.
For example, Siebel Proposals can dynamically insert documents from the Siebel Encyclopedia that relate to the products of interest for an opportunity. If you want to dynamically insert text related to the products for the opportunity, use a locator section type. The file types must be DOC, TXT, or RTF. If more than one document meets the locator criteria you specify, Siebel Proposals inserts each document.
Organization Chart
Inserts organization charts for the account or opportunity associated with the template. Charts are automatically centered in the proposal.
Report
Dynamically inserts a Siebel report, such as Siebel Quote.
Table
Inserts Siebel application data into a table format. You select the fields to include, the sequence of the fields, and the column lengths. Tables are automatically centered in the proposal. For a table section type, you can also create a related table section. For more information, see Adding Related Table Subsections to Proposal Templates.
Complete the fields applicable to the section type.
For the Chart section type, complete the fields described in the following table.
Field Comments Condition
Type the condition, if any, to apply to the section. For information about conditions, see Using Conditions in Proposal Templates.
Business Object
Select the Siebel business object from which the chart information is taken. The Business Objects dialog box shows all available Siebel business objects. For example, select Opportunity.
Chart or Table Name
Select the name of the chart applet. For example, select Opportunity Chart Applet - Current Opportunity Analysis.
To display records from a multi-value group (MVG), select a list applet, not an MVG applet. If the list applet that you want is not available, use Siebel Tools to create the list applet for the child business component in the MVG. You do not need to associate this new list applet with a view.
Search Spec
Type the search criteria to use to restrict data for the chart. For example, if you want to include revenue greater than $500,000, type Revenue > 500000.
Width
Type the width the chart in the proposal document. The default width is 400 pixels.
Height
Type the height of the chart in the proposal document. The default height is 300 pixels.
Category
Type the option to use for the X-axis in charts that provide multiple X-axis options. For example, in the Lead Analysis by Rep chart, type Sales Representative or Quality.
Function
Type the option to use for the Y-axis in charts that provide multiple Y-axis options. For example, in the Lead Analysis by Rep chart, type Number of Opportunities, Opportunity Revenue, or Average Opportunity Revenue.
Series
Type the option to use for the Z-axis in charts that provide multiple Z-axis options.
Chart Location
Select the location of the chart on the proposal page. For example, select one of the following as required:
Left to insert the chart next to the inside margin of the page.
Center to insert the chart in the middle of the page.
Right to insert the chart next to the outside margin of the page.
Any text components you include in the chart section wrap around the chart. For example, if you insert the chart next tothe inside margin of the page, then the text component is inserted beside the chart.
For the File section type, complete the field described in the following table.
Field Comments Condition
Type the condition, if any, to apply to the section. For information about conditions, see Using Conditions in Proposal Templates.
For the Locator section type, complete the fields described in the following table.
Field Comments Condition
Type the condition, if any, to apply to the section. For information about conditions, see Using Conditions in Proposal Templates.
Information Retrieval Method
Select the relationship to use to find literature. For example, select Oppty Competitor Literature for the literature about competitors associated with an opportunity.
Retrieved Literature Category
Select the type of literature (for example, brochures or specification sheets) to filter the documents from the Siebel Encyclopedia that you want to include in the proposal.
For the Organization Chart section type, complete the fields described in the following table.
Field Comments Condition
Type the condition, if any, to apply to the section. For information about conditions, see Using Conditions in Proposal Templates.
Business Object
Select the Siebel business object from which the organization chart information is taken. The Business Objects dialog box shows all available Siebel business objects.
Chart or Table Name
Select the name of the applet that contains the organization chart data. For example, select Opportunity Organization Analysis Applet.
For the Report section type, complete the fields described in the following table.
Field Comments Condition
Type the condition, if any, to apply to the section. For information about conditions, see Using Conditions in Proposal Templates.
Business Object
Select the Siebel business object from which the report information is taken. The Business Objects dialog box shows all available Siebel business objects. For example, select Quote.
Report Name
Select the name of the report. The Reports dialog box shows all available reports. For example, select Proposal Quote.
Link Spec
Type the data to insert in the report. The syntax of this field follows:
<Parent Business Component Name><Comma><Parent-ID Field Name><Slash><Child Business Component Name><Comma><Child-ID Field Name>
You can find Link Spec information in the Siebel repository. For descriptions of these fields, see Siebel Tools Online Help.
For a proposal quote, the Link Spec is Opportunity, Id/Quote, Opportunity Id. The Child-ID-Field-Name depends on if the relationship between the parent business component and child business component is one-to-many or many-to-many.
Search Spec
Type the search criteria to use to restrict data for the report. For example, if you want to insert only the active quotes for an opportunity, type Active = ‘Y’.
For the Table section type, complete the fields described in the following table.
Field Comments Condition
Type the condition, if any, to apply to the section. For information about conditions, see Using Conditions in Proposal Templates.
Business Object
Select the Siebel object from which the table information is taken. The Business Objects dialog box shows all available Siebel business objects. For example, select Opportunity.
Chart or Table Name
Select the name of the applet that contains the table data. For example, if you want to include the products in an opportunity, select Opportunity Product Applet.
Width
Type the width that represents the percentage of the space available between the template margins. A value of 100 equates to 100% of the space between the template margins. If this field is blank, the width of the columns in the table is based on pixels.
Table Fields
Click the select button to open the Table Fields dialog box. For each table field, add a new record, and complete the following fields for the record:
Field Name. Type the field name of the field. For example, type Product.
Sequence. Type the sequence in which you want the field to appear in the table.
Width. Type the width of the field column in the table. Column width is measured in pixels. The default (and minimum) column width is 100 pixels. You can also define column width by a percentage of the table width. When you enter a value for table width, column width equates to a percentage of total table width. For example, if there are three fields in a table, and the table width is 100, field widths of 25, 65, and 35 equate to 25%, 65%, and 35% of the total table width. If the table width is blank, the field widths equate to 25, 65, and 35 pixels.
Alignment. Select the alignment of the data in the field. For example, select Left, Center, or Right.
Adding Subsections to Proposal Templates
After adding high-level sections, you can add subsections to them.
To add subsections to an existing section
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Templates view.
Navigate to the Sections list for subsections by completing the following steps:
In the Templates explorer, click the arrow icon next to the template name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the template name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the section name folder.
In the Sections list, add subsections in the same way you add high-level sections.
For more information, see Creating High-Level Sections for Proposal Templates.
Note: When a proposal is generated, a section is generated before any of its subsections and appears before subsections in the finished document.
Adding Related Table Subsections to Proposal Templates
After adding a Table Name section, you can add related tables that provide detailed information for the table. For example, if the tables subsection contains a quote record, the related table can contain the quote line items. The relationship between the information is essentially a parent-child-grandchild relationship; the opportunity is the parent, the quote table is the child, and the related table containing the quote line items is the grandchild.
To add a related table subsection
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Templates view.
Navigate to the Sections list by completing the following steps:
In the Templates explorer, click the arrow icon next to the template name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the template name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
In the Sections list, make sure that the Section Type field for the selected section has a value of Table and that the Chart or Table Name field for the selected section has a table name.
In the Templates explorer, click the arrow icon next to the Related Table folder under the section name folder.
Note: The Related Table folder in the Templates explorer applies to only the Table section type. You can add related tables only for the Table section type.In the Related Table form, create a new record, and complete the fields described in the following table.
Field Comments Business Object
Select the Siebel object to which this table is related.
Table Name
Select the name of the related table applet.
Field Name
Select the fields to appear in the table. If you select no fields, all fields appear. The width is interpreted the same way as the parent table section. If the width of the table section is set, the width of the fields is used as percentages instead of pixels.
Adding Components to Proposal Template Sections
After you define the structure of the proposal, you must specify the location of the component documents that make up the bulk of the proposal.
For sections that extract data from a Siebel database (such as a Chart section), you specified all the information necessary to generate the appropriate contents. However, the component documents that you create earlier in Microsoft Word are not part of the proposal until you add them to the appropriate sections.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
To add a component to a proposal template section
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Templates view.
Navigate to the Components list by completing the following steps:
In the Templates explorer, click the arrow icon next to the template name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the template name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Components folder under the section name folder.
In the Components list, create a new record.
In the Add Sales Tools dialog box, select the component you want to add, and click Add.
If the component does not appear in the Add Sales Tools dialog box, create a new record in the dialog box, and complete the fields described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Type a name for the component.
Sequence
Type a number to indicate the order in which the component appears in the section.
Filename
Select the file for the component.
Condition
Type a condition. The component appears only when the condition is TRUE.
Using Conditions in Proposal Templates
You can add query conditions to a section or a component to specify the conditions under which the section or component is used in the proposal. For example, if you have an executive summary for deals of over $100,000 and another executive summary for smaller deals, you can use the Condition field in each Executive Summary section to enable Siebel Proposals to insert the appropriate executive summary when the appropriate conditions are TRUE.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
Entering Criteria
You can enter query criteria (such as [Revenue] > 100000) in the Condition field of a section or component record. If the condition is TRUE, the section or component is included in the proposal. If the condition is FALSE, the section or component is not included. If you do not specify a condition, the section or component is always included.
You can create conditions for any field that relates to the business object of the proposal; use Opportunity fields for opportunity proposals, and Account fields for account proposals. If the definition of a condition must be based on fields from another business object, you must add those fields to the Opportunity, Account, Order, or Quote business object through either a link or a join.
The syntax for conditions is similar to the syntax for Siebel queries. For more information about the syntax for Siebel queries, see Siebel Fundamentals and Siebel Developer's Reference.
Examples of Criteria
The following examples illustrate the syntax for conditions:
If an opportunity applies to a Pentium computer, you want to insert a component about the advantages of the new Pentium II chip. In the Condition field for the component, enter the following condition:
EXISTS ([Product] LIKE "Pentium*")
This condition reviews the products for the opportunity. If the product name begins with Pentium, Siebel Proposals inserts the component. Otherwise, Siebel Proposals leaves out the component.
Note: To use a product in a condition, the product must be entered in the Products view of the Opportunities screen. The condition does not apply to products that are entered as quote line items.If the account is located in Georgia, enter a section with terms and conditions limited to that state. In the Condition field of the section, enter the following:
EXISTS ([State] = "GA")
or
[State] = "GA"
You use the first line if the account is located only in Georgia, and use the second line if the account is located in Georgia and another location.
This condition reviews the state for the account. If the state is Georgia, then Siebel Proposals includes the section in the proposal. Otherwise, Siebel Proposals skips this section and moves on to the next section.
If the opportunity has a revenue amount greater than $1,000,000 and it is expected to close in 2003, insert a component on a special program for this type of customer. Enter the following condition in the Condition field for the component:
[Revenue] > 1000000 AND [Close Date] <= ("12/31/2003") AND [Close Date] >= ("1/1/2003")After you enter a condition, test it as a query in the view to use it in. For example, you can test this condition as a query in the My Opportunities view. If the query returns the data you expect, the query is probably in the correct format for the Condition field.
Defining Proposal Field Mappings
When you create the component documents of the proposal, you probably include bookmarks for personalized fields. You must map the bookmarks in the component documents to Siebel fields.
This mapping designates the Siebel field to use for substituting data for a bookmark in the component document. For example, by mapping the Company bookmark to the Account field, each Company bookmark is replaced with the value of the Account field.
You cannot map fields to a bookmark in the header or footer of the template unless that bookmark is also somewhere else in the content of the template, other than in the footer or header.
Because you might work with multiple proposal templates, you can have multiple sets of bookmarks. Therefore, you might use one mapping for one proposal template and another mapping for another proposal template, or you might use a single mapping for several proposal templates. In either case, you must specify a mapping name in the template record to associate the template with a specific mapping.
If you map a bookmark to a multi-value field, the primary record of the group is retrieved. If you want to retrieve multiple values from a multi-value field, you can add a Table section type to the proposal template. This section type retrieves multiple values from the multi-value field in table format.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
Creating Field Mappings for Proposals
To create a field mapping, create a record for the mapping, and then map the fields.
To create a field mapping for proposals
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Field Mappings view.
In the Business Objects list, create a new record, and complete the necessary fields.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Mapping Name
Type a name for the mapping.
Business Object
Select the business object that contains fields in the proposal. For example, to create an opportunity proposal, select the Opportunity business object.
Description
Type a description of the mapping.
Navigate to the Business Components list by completing the following steps:
In the Business Objects explorer, click the arrow icon next to the business object name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to this Business Components folder under the business object name folder.
In the Business Components list, create a new record, and complete the necessary fields.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Business Component
Select the business component. The business component must be related to the business object.
Search Specification
Type the search specification. The search specification limits the records returned for the business component. If you do not designate a search specification, all records for the business component are returned.
Note: You can associate more than one business component mapping with an object. For example, to create an opportunity proposal, you select the Opportunity business component. You can also select the TAS Account business component to create mappings for views under the Opportunity TAS view.
Mapping the Fields for Proposals
After you create a record for the mapping, you can map the fields. For information about samples, see Samples of Proposal Templates.
To map the fields for proposals
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Field Mappings view.
Navigate to the Business Component Fields list by completing the following steps:
In the Business Objects explorer, click the arrow icon next to the business object name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to this Business Components folder under the business object name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the business component name folder under the Business Components folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Business Component Fields folder under the business component name folder.
In the Business Component Fields list, create a new record for each field to map, and complete the necessary fields.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Bookmark
Type the bookmark you added to the Microsoft Word component document.
Business Component Field
Select the field in the business component.
Associating Field Mappings with Proposal Templates
After you create a mapping, you must associate it with a template so that it applies to all the components in that template. You can associate a mapping with one or more templates.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
To associate a field mapping with a proposal template
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Templates view.
In the Templates list, select the record for the template with which you want to associate the mapping.
In the Mapping Name field, select the mapping.
Creating the Proposal Library
Administrators can create and maintain a Proposal Library that consists of text blocks that sales representatives can add to the proposals. In the Siebel File System, these text blocks are components with the File section type.
Documents in the Proposal Library are different from the other component documents you create. Component documents are part of the proposal template, and are automatically included in proposals generated from that template. Documents in the Proposal Library are available to sales representatives as needed. Administrators can also recommend Proposal Library documents to include in the templates.
After sales representatives create a default proposal automatically, they can add more documents from the Proposal Library or use the Edit Layout button to customize the proposal. The Proposal Library enables multiple proposals created from the same template to have different content, and it can help sales representatives find answers to specific Request for Proposal (RFP) questions.
Administrators add the various components to the Proposal Library and maintain the information. When the sales representatives need additional text to add to a proposal, they review the component in the Proposal Library, select the component they want to insert, and automatically insert it into the proposal.
The sales force cannot update the information in the Proposal Library. The only sections and components available to sales representatives are those you provide for them.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
Creating Document Files for the Proposal Library
You create document files for the Proposal Library in the same way that you create the proposal templates. Use Microsoft Word to enter text and bookmarks, and then map these bookmarks to fields in your Siebel database.
Adding Sections to the Proposal Library
Sections organize documents in the Proposal Library. For example, if some of the documents in the Proposal Library are white papers and others are specifications, you can create a section for each of these document types. Users can browse through the white papers and the specifications separately. You must add at least one section to the Proposal Library. For more information about adding sections, see Defining Proposal Template Sections.
To add sections to the Proposal Library
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Library view.
Navigate to the Sections list of the Proposal Library by completing the following steps:
In the Library explorer, click the arrow icon next to the Library folder if that folder is not already open.
Click the arrow icon next to the Proposal Library folder under the Library folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the Proposal Library folder.
In the Sections list, add sections in the same way that you add sections to a proposal.
Adding Components to the Proposal Library
After adding sections to the Proposal Library, you add components to the sections. For more information about adding components, see Adding Components to Proposal Template Sections.
To add components to the Proposal Library
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Library view.
Navigate to the Components list of the Proposal Library by completing the following steps:
In the Library explorer, click the arrow icon next to the Library folder if that folder is not already open.
Click the arrow icon next to the Proposal Library folder under the Library folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the Proposal Library folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Components folder under the section name folder.
In the Components list, add the components in the same way that you add components to a proposal.
Recommending Content for Proposals
An administrator can simplify the process of creating a proposal by associating recommended content with the proposal template.
To recommend content for a proposal
Navigate to the Administration - Document screen, then the Proposal Library view.
Navigate to the Components list of the Proposal Library by completing the following steps:
In the Library explorer, click the arrow icon next to the Library folder if that folder is not already open.
Click the arrow icon next to the Proposal Library folder under the Library folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the Proposal Library folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Components folder under the section name folder.
In the Components list, select the component, click the select button in the Recommended Templates field.
In the Proposal Templates dialog box, select the template for which to recommend the component.
You can recommend a component for multiple templates. For example, you might recommend a legal clause for all templates. Recommended content appears when a user edits a proposal using the Edit Layout button, and the Show Recommended Only check box is selected.
Enabling Users to Display Proposals in HTML Format
By default, proposals are saved only in a document format, not in HTML format. The View HTML button is unavailable, and the user cannot view the proposals in HTML format. To enable users to display proposals in HTML format, you must edit the DocumentServerViewHTML parameter to a value TRUE instead of FALSE.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Proposal Templates.
To enable users to display proposals in HTML format
Start the Server Manager.
Enter the following command:
srvrmgr> change param DocumentServerViewHTML=True for comp DocServer
Note: You can also change parameters in the Administration - Server Configuration screen. For more information, see Siebel System Administration Guide.
About Generating Proposals
A proposal is an offer to sell products or services with specific terms and conditions. Even a simple proposal consists of several sections such as a cover letter, an executive summary, and a price quotation.
Using proposal templates that the administrator creates, sales representatives can create, modify, and print proposals for an opportunity by using the Proposals view of the Opportunities screen.
A proposal uses the details you record about an account or opportunity and combines the details with a predefined template to create a document tailored to the customer needs. The template defines the initial formatting and structure of the proposal, and can include predefined components, such as text, tables, and diagrams that address specific issues. You can also set up a template to include files from the Proposal Library, such as files that contain product descriptions and standard terms and conditions.
After generating a proposal, you can modify it to meet the customer needs by changing the order of the documents and adding documents from the Proposal Library. When the proposal is complete, you can print it.
Scenario for Generating Proposals
This topic gives one example of how a sales representative might generate proposals for accounts. You might generate proposals differently, depending on your business model.
A software company receives a Request for Proposal (RFP) from a prospect interested in outsourcing part of the information technology department. The sales representative assigned to the RFP selects the opportunity in Siebel Sales, and then creates a new proposal record using the company’s standard template for proposals.
The sales representative composes a draft of a proposal that meets the requirements of the RFP, adding sections, such as a cover letter, executive summary, the proposal body, and sections that outline the company’s experience and references. After conferring with sales team members, the sales representative modifies the proposal, changing the order of some of the sections, and adding other sections from the Proposal Library.
Process of Generating Proposals (End User)
To generate proposals, perform the following tasks:
Creating Proposals (End User)
Before end users can generate a draft of the proposal, they must create a proposal and associate the proposal with an opportunity or account. The following procedure explains how to create a proposal using the Opportunities screen. You can also use the Accounts screen.
This task is a step in Process of Generating Proposals (End User).
To create a proposal
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record.
Navigate to the Proposals view, and click Auto Proposal.
A proposal is automatically generated using a default template or the template for the decision issue associated with the opportunity.
Note: To generate a proposal using a different template, select a different template in the Template field of the proposal record.
Generating a Proposal Draft (End User)
After creating a proposal, end users can generate a proposal draft. The draft is a document that end users can edit if Microsoft Word is installed on their computers.
End users creating a proposal in a Siebel Web Client environment (network connection) can follow all of the steps in the procedure in this topic. End users creating a proposal in a Siebel Mobile Web Client environment (remote), and who have the Siebel Mobile Web Client installed locally, can omit the final step in this procedure.
This task is a step in Process of Generating Proposals (End User).
To generate a proposal draft
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, select the proposal in the Proposals list, and click Generate Draft.
The Status field changes to a value of In Queue, and a draft of the proposal is created if you are working in a Siebel Mobile Web Client environment (remote).
Click Update to generate a proposal draft from the server if you are working in a Siebel Web Client environment.
The status of the proposal refreshes. Status field values include In Progress, Generating, Completed, and Failed.
Modifying and Adding Proposal Content (End User)
After creating and reviewing a draft of a proposal, end users can change the content in the proposal.
This task is a step in Process of Generating Proposals (End User).
Viewing the Structure of Proposals
End users can view the structure of a proposal in the Proposal Table of Contents explorer. In this explorer, they can view the hierarchy of sections and components included in a proposal.
Sections are the headings that appear in the proposal. Sections can contain subsections and components. Components consist of the actual information that appears in the proposal. A component can contain multiple files.
To view the structure of a proposal
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, select the proposal in the Proposals list, and drill down on the Name field.
In the Proposal Table of Contents explorer, click the arrow icon next to the proposal name folder to show its contents.
Click the arrow icon next to each folder in the proposal to show more content.
Adding Sections for Proposal Library Components
If an administrator creates optional components in the Proposal Library, end users can customize the proposal by adding these components. The Edit Layout button enables end users to add components in the Proposal Library to a proposal. Complete the procedure in this topic to add new sections to a proposal. These new sections contain components in the Proposal Library.
To add sections for Proposal Library components
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, select the proposal in the Proposals list, and click Edit Layout.
To display more components in the Content Library list of the Template Layout dialog box, clear the Show Recommended Only check box.
Note: If the Show Recommended Only check box is selected, only those components that the administrator recommends appear in the Content Library list. If this check box is cleared, all available components appear in the Content Library list. For more information about recommended content, see Creating the Proposal Library.In the Template Layout dialog box, move components from the Content Library list to the Table of Contents list, and click Save.
If you make a mistake, click Reset Layout to undo all changes to the Table of Contents list.
To see the new content in the proposal, complete the following steps:
In the Proposals list, drill down on the Name field of the proposal.
In the Proposal Table of Contents explorer, click the arrow icon next to the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the proposal name folder.
The new sections appear under the Sections folder.
Changing the Order of Sections in Proposals
When end users add a section to a proposal, the section sequence numbers are not automatically regenerated. If you insert a section in a proposal, you must modify each sequence number for the proposal. The sequence numbers in the Proposals list determine the order in which sections appear in the proposal.
You can use the Edit Layout button and the Proposal Table of Contents explorer to re-sequence proposal sections.
Changing the Order of Proposal Sections Using Edit Layout Button
Complete the following procedure to use the Edit Layout button to re-sequence proposal sections.
To change the order of proposal sections using Edit Layout button
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, select the proposal in the Proposals list, and click Edit Layout.
In the Template Layout dialog box, change the order of the sections or remove sections, and click Save.
Note: The Show Recommended Only check box is automatically selected in the Template Layout dialog box only if the Content Library list contains recommended components. Otherwise, the check box is cleared.
Changing the Order of Proposal Sections Using Proposal Table of Contents Explorer
Complete the following procedure to use the Proposal Table of Contents explorer to re-sequence proposal sections.
To change the order of proposal sections using Proposal Table of Contents explorer
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, and drill down on the Name field of the proposal in the Proposals list.
Navigate to the Sections list by completing the following steps:
In the Proposal Table of Contents explorer, click the arrow icon next to the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the proposal name folder.
In the Sections list, change the number in the Sequence field for each section.
If you want to remove a section from a proposal, select the section, and delete it.
Adding Components to Proposals
Components are the boilerplate text that you can add to a proposal. End users can add components to sections from the Proposal Library, from the Siebel Encyclopedia, and from another location, such as a local hard drive. You can add more than one component to a section.
The Proposal Library includes a hierarchical structure that administrators can use when designing literature components to associate with a proposal. Using the Proposal Library, end users can navigate to a section or subsection, and then select the component file associated with the section.
Adding Components from the Proposal Library
Complete the following procedure to add a component from the Proposal Library.
To add a component from the Proposal Library
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, and drill down on the Name field of the proposal in the Proposals list.
Navigate to the Sections list by completing the following steps:
In the Proposals Table of Contents explorer, click the arrow icon next to the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
In the Sections list, click Library.
Navigate to the Components list of the Proposal Library by completing the following steps:
In the Library explorer, click the arrow icon next to the Proposal Library folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the Proposal Library folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Components folder under the section name folder.
In the Components list, select the component to add, and click Add Components.
The component file is added to the Components folder for the section you selected in Step 4 of this procedure.
Adding Components from the Siebel Encyclopedia
Complete the following procedure to add a component from the Siebel Encyclopedia.
To add a component from the Siebel Encyclopedia
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, and drill down on the Name field of the proposal in the Proposals list.
Navigate to the Components list by completing the following steps:
In the Proposal Table of Contents explorer, click the arrow icon next to the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Components folder under the section name folder.
In the Components list, create a new record.
In the Add Sales Tools dialog box, select the component you want to add, and click Add.
Adding Components from the Another Location
Complete the following procedure to add a component from another location.
To add a component from another location
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, and drill down on the Name field of the proposal in the Proposals list.
Navigate to the Components list by completing the following steps:
In the Proposal Table of Contents explorer, click the arrow icon next to the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Components folder under the section name folder.
In the Components list, create a new record, and complete the following steps:
In the Add Sales Tools dialog box, create a new record to display the Components list again.
In the Components list, enter a name and sequence for the file, and then click the select button in the File Name field to display the Add Attachment dialog box.
In the Add Attachment dialog box, attach the file.
Modifying Proposal Component Files
End users can modify a component file if Microsoft Word is installed locally on their computers. End users must have the same application that is used to create the component file.
To modify a proposal component file
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, and drill down on the Name field of the proposal in the Proposals list.
Navigate to the Components list by completing the following steps:
In the Proposal Table of Contents explorer, click the arrow icon next to the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Sections folder under the proposal name folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the section name folder under the Sections folder.
Click the arrow icon next to the Components folder under the section name folder.
In the Components list, select the component, and drill down on the File Name field.
To edit the file, complete the following steps:
Save the file to your local hard drive.
Edit the saved file.
In the Components list, delete the value in the File Name field.
Click the select button in the File Name field, and attach the modified file.
The old file is replaced with the modified file.
Printing Proposals (End User)
After generating a proposal, and the Status field s is Completed, end users can print the proposal.
This task is a step in Process of Generating Proposals (End User).
To print a proposal
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, and drill down on the Draft Name field of the proposal in the Proposals list.
The proposal appears in Microsoft Word.
Print the proposal using Microsoft Word.
Locking Proposals (End User)
Use the lock feature to secure the completed proposal and make the proposal read-only. Only the proposal author, the author’s manager, that manager’s manager, and so on, can modify or unlock the proposal.
This task is a step in Process of Generating Proposals (End User).
To lock a proposal
Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field for the opportunity record associated with the proposal.
Navigate to the Proposals view, and select the proposal in the Proposals list.
In the proposal record, select the check box in the Locked field.
Note: If the Locked field does not appear, click Menu (the cogwheel icon) in the Proposals list, and then select Columns Displayed to display the field.
Samples of Proposal Templates
Siebel Business Applications come with a sample database. The Proposals view of the Opportunities screen and the Proposals view of the Accounts screen include some sample proposal templates for Microsoft Word.
You can use these sample proposals as a reference when you define a proposal template. The following sample proposals are included in the sample database:
Standard
Standard Account
Strategic
Quality Strategic Account
The sample templates are included in the following categories:
Standard: Oppty Ppsl
Standard Account: Acct Ppsl
Strategic: Oppty Ppsl
Opportunity Account Plan: Oppty Ppsl
Quality Strategic Account: Acct Ppsl
Seed Templates
Customers using the Target Account Selling Module (TAS) can run an Opportunity Plan report in Microsoft Word using the TAS Opportunity Plan template. This proposal template is available in the seed database. For more information about setting up the TAS Opportunity Plan template, see Siebel Database Upgrade Guide.
Samples of Proposal Field Mappings
The Proposal Field Mappings view of the Administration - Document screen includes opportunity and account mappings. These mappings list common fields you can use to create a proposal. The following table shows these mappings for the Opportunity business object and business component.
| Bookmark | Business Component Field |
|---|---|
Company |
Account |
Address |
Street Address |
City |
City |
State |
State |
ZipCode |
Postal Code |
Country |
Country |
Industry |
Industry |
The following table shows these mappings for the Account business object and business component.
| Bookmark | Business Component Field |
|---|---|
Company |
Account |
Address |
Street Address |
City |
City |
State |
State |
ZipCode |
Postal Code |
Country |
Country |
Industry |
Industry |
Account Type |
Type |
To create a mapping, use the bookmark name in the Microsoft Word document (for example, REF Company). Associate the bookmark with a business component field (for example, Account). Select the mapping for the proposal templates you create.