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Understanding Products in PeopleSoft CRM

This section discusses:

PeopleSoft CRM uses a product definition to represent each product. The product definition, which is keyed by product ID, stores all of the product information that company representatives require to sell or support the product. PeopleSoft CRM also uses product definitions for:

  • Pricing product orders.

  • Generating product catalogs.

  • Storing product advisor scripts for use by sales and support personnel.

Product Definition Types

PeopleSoft CRM uses these types of product definitions:

  • Standard product

  • Package product

  • Engagement service

See Products.

Product Definition Process

Complete these steps to define products in PeopleSoft CRM:

  1. Analyze how the various parts of the CRM system use product definitions.

    For example, the catalog generation process and the ordering process can both use product definitions.

  2. Create definitional elements to associate with products.

    Definitional elements are attributes such as product brands, product categories, and competency codes. You associate definitional elements with product IDs to create unique product and product package definitions.

    See Understanding Product Definitional Elements.

  3. Select a product type and create a product definition.

    After you define a product, the product ID becomes available on product search lists so that you can access the product definition from other CRM pages.

    Important! In PeopleSoft CRM, you can define a product when you define an item or you can create a product and associate it with existing items. Typically, you begin by defining an item and having the system copy the product ID, description, and standard UOM of the item to the product definition table.

    See Items.

  4. Associate definitional elements and other product attributes with the product ID.

  5. Select package components (if the product definition is for a product package).

  6. Assign product UOMs.

  7. Establish product prices.

  8. Define relationships between products.

  9. Associate notes with products.

Product information is integrated with PeopleSoft SCM (and third-party SCM systems) and PeopleSoft Proposal Management, which is part of the PeopleSoft Enterprise Services Automation product suite, by using enterprise integration points (EIPs). The considerations for using EIPs are discussed in the following paragraphs.

SCM Integrations

SCM systems use product definitions to manage products and product components throughout the manufacturing process. PeopleSoft CRM delivers several EIPs that maintain data integrity between PeopleSoft CRM and SCM systems, including PeopleSoft SCM and third-party systems, by synchronizing product data.

You use the PeopleTools Integration Broker to integrate product data. This technology enables both synchronous and asynchronous messages to be transmitted using one technology.

Note: To synchronize product groups that have product group types of GEN between your SCM and CRM databases, initiate the PRODUCT_GROUP_FULLSYNC EIP before initiating the PRODUCT_FULLSYNC EIP, regardless of whether PeopleSoft CRM is the publishing or subscribing database.

These EIPs are used for both publishing and subscribing:

  • PRODUCT_SYNC

  • PRODUCT_FULLSYNC

  • PRODUCT_SYNC_EFF

Note: If the PRODUCT_SYNC message is active, an add, change, or delete action in the Product Definition component automatically executes the product sync publish logic.

PeopleSoft CRM publishes the PRODUCT_SYNC message whenever product data is added, changed, or deleted using the Product Definition - Definition page, the Package Components page, the Product Price page, the Package Component Pricing page, the Notes page, the Relationships component (PROD_RELATIONS_CMP), and the Product Unit of Measure page.

PeopleTools Integration Broker processes the message and applies a transformation to remove the PRODKIT_HEADER. Any package components that are themselves packages are also stripped from the message. Because PeopleSoft SCM does not permit packages within packages, package components that are themselves packages are also stripped from the message.

PeopleSoft CRM subscribes asynchronously to the PRODUCT_SYNC message that comes from the SCM system. This data is processed directly into the PeopleSoft CRM product tables using component interfaces. A product package header record is added for any kit components that are received from SCM. When a PRODUCT_SYNC or PRODUCT FULL_SYNC message is received, the system runs the subscription logic, which calls one of these component interfaces depending on the content of the message:

  • PRODKIT_CI

  • PRODKIT_COMPS_PRC_CI

  • PROD_DEFN_CI

  • PROD_NOTE_CI

  • PROD_PRICE_CI

  • PROD_RELATIONS_CI

  • PROD_UOM_CI

Note: Before publishing the Product full sync message, enter matching values in the product brand table (PROD_BRAND_TBL) using the Product Brand pages in CRM (select Products CRM, then select Product Brand) and SCM (select Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, then select Product Related, then select Order Management Foundation, then select Brand, then select Product Brand). If you don't enter values in the product brand table, the system may display an error message.

This table shows how an order represents packages to the PeopleSoft SCM system:

Type

Line Display

Line Data Model/EIP

0-Static Package (1-level static quantity)

PROD_ITEM.PROD_KIT=Y

PROD_KIT_HEADER.LT_CONFIG_FLAG=N

Display all components of the package as multiple lines.

Store and publish parent line.

1-Package (Kit) (multilevel dynamic quantity)

PROT_ITEM.PROD_KIT=Y

PROD_KIT_HEADER.LT_CONFIG_FLAG=Y

Display all components of the package as multiple lines.

Store all components as multiple lines, and publish as multiple lines.

2-Configured Package(Kit)

PROD_ITEM.PROD_KIT=Y

PROD_ITEM.CFG_KIT=Y

Display all components of the package as multiple lines.

Store all components as multiple lines, and publish as multiple lines.

3-Configured Product

MASTER_ITEM_TBL.DIST_CFG_FLG=Y

Display high-level parent line.

Store and publish parent line plus configuration.

Proposal Management Integrations

PeopleSoft CRM can send information to PeopleSoft Proposal Management. This action occurs when a quote that originates from a PeopleSoft Sales lead or opportunity or is entered using PeopleSoft Order Capture includes an engagement service product. PeopleSoft Proposal Management prices the engagement and sends pricing information back to PeopleSoft CRM.

This integration consists of these application messages:

  • OC_ESA_PROPOSAL

    This message is sent to PeopleSoft Proposal Management when a quote is submitted for an engagement-type service in PeopleSoft Order Capture.

  • OC_ESA_PROPOSAL_RESPONSE

    This message returns the capture ID, proposal ID, and version ID from PeopleSoft Proposal Management to PeopleSoft Order Capture.

  • ESA_PROPOSAL_PRICE

    When PeopleSoft Proposal Management completes pricing the engagement, pricing information is sent back to PeopleSoft Order Capture.

  • OC_ESA_PROPOSAL_STATUS

    This message sends the status of a proposal (for example, draft or negotiated) to PeopleSoft Proposal Management.

Important! Before you can integrate with PeopleSoft Proposal Management, you must define the Engagement Service product.

See PeopleSoft Order Capture Applications.