Understanding Installed Assets

Installed assets may be manually entered directly into the system using the Installed Assets page. For customers using PeopleSoft FMS, installed asset entries may be initially created by a full synchronization to the FMS asset repository data. All FMS entries of Asset_Type 010 (IT-Hardware) are added to the data on the CRM-installed asset table. Subsequent additions and updates to the FMS asset repository data for Asset_Type 010 entries are sent to CRM for incremental synchronization.

Before running the full Asset synchronization, you need to run these full synchronizations from FMS to CRM:

• Asset Subtype

• Manufacturer

• Location

• Department

• Employee

Performing these synchronizations ensures that the values used in the asset entries for the tables listed previously will exist in the system. This action helps prevent Invalid Entry problems when viewing the installed asset data.

This preparation also ensures that the relevant data referred to on FMS assets (customer, department, manufacturer, and so on) has corresponding entries on the CRM side. Without the corresponding data on the CRM side, the full synchronization may attempt to create a CRM-installed asset for an employee who does not exist in CRM. If you attempt to create an installed asset this way, the system displays an error message.

When asset data is sent from FMS to CRM, the CRM-installed asset table is updated like this:

Positive Matches

• If a match exists on the business unit and asset ID between the FMS data and the CRM data, the CRM data for that row is updated with all the values from FMS.

  This action may occur when data for an asset has previously been received from FMS by CRM and a change is subsequently saved and published by FMS.

• If a match exists on the installed product ID between the FMS data and the CRM data, the CRM data for that row is updated with all the values from FMS.

  This action may occur when data for an asset was created by CRM and sent to FMS, and a change is subsequently saved and published by FMS. In this case, the corresponding CRM entry would have the same installed product ID (INST_PROD_ID) but would still have no values for the business unit and asset ID.

• If a match exists on the serial ID but not the business unit or asset ID, the CRM data for that row is updated with all the values from FMS.

  This action may occur if data for the same asset has been entered independently in both FMS and CRM.

  Note: If data for the same asset has been entered in FMS and CRM in a previous release, the FMS entry will not initially have the key fields for the corresponding CRM entry, and the CRM entry will not initially have the key fields for the corresponding FMS entry. However, if both entries refer to the same serial ID, it can be assumed that they refer to the same actual asset.

Assumed Positive Matches

• Asset Tag

  If a match exists between FMS and CRM based on identical non-null values for asset tag and product and if a blank value exists for business unit, asset ID, and serial ID on the CRM side, then the CRM data for that row will be updated with all the values from FMS. This action applies in situations where data for the same actual assets already exists in FMS and CRM but the only value on the CRM side is an asset tag rather than a serial ID. In this case, an update from FMS needs to be matched against the corresponding CRM entry.

• Employee and Product

  If a single matching row exists between FMS and CRM based on identical non-null values for employee ID and product ID and if a blank value exists for business unit, asset ID, and serial ID on the CRM side, then the CRM data for that row is updated with all the values from FMS. This action applies in situations where data for the same actual assets already exists in FMS and CRM and the only value on the CRM side is an asset tag rather than a serial ID. In this case an update from FMS needs to be matched against the corresponding CRM entry

  If a single entry in CRM matches the assigned employee and product, the system assumes it refers to the same actual asset and the CRM entry is updated.

• Department and Product

  If a single matching row exists between FMS and CRM based on identical non-null values for department ID and product ID and if a blank value exists for seriaI ID on the CRM side, the CRM data for that row is updated with all the values from FMS. This action applies in situations where data for the same actual assets already exists in FMS and CRM and the only value on the CRM side is an asset tag rather than a serial ID. In this case, an update from FMS needs to be matched to the corresponding CRM entry.

  If a single entry in CRM matches the assigned department and product, the system assumes it refers to the same actual asset and the CRM entry is updated.

Ambiguous Matches

In all other cases for which the system cannot unequivocally determine that the asset is definitely the same or definitely different on both systems, the data for that row is sent to a reconciliation table that a user may access online.

This case should apply in situations for which data for the same actual assets may exist in FMS and CRM, when the only value on the CRM side is an asset tag rather than a serial ID; but for which the lack of matching unique identifiers or the presence of multiple potential matches prevents a positive match.

In this case, the user needs to determine if an update or an add is required on the CRM side to reconcile the data from FMS.

The online page lists all the rows of data that require reconciliation with CRM entries. You can open each entry to see the possible matches with existing CRM installed assets based on the matches on the product ID and one or more of these fields: Employee ID, Department ID, and Location. Drilling in on the first entry on the screen presents the user with all possible matches.

This detail page shows all possible matching CRM entries and provide an action button to process any of these rows. The Merge Selected Installed Asset link allows you to:

• Confirm that the row for that CRM entry refers to the same actual asset as the data from FMS.

• Update the CRM data with all the values from the FMS system.

After identifying the desired row and clicking the Merge Selected Installed Asset link, the data from the FMS asset is used to update the selected CRM asset. The system then returns to the first screen, which shows all unreconciled FMS asset records.

The Create New Installed Asset button allows the user to specify that the FMS data does not refer to any asset on the CRM side. It also creates a new CRM installed asset row based on the values from the FMS row.