Assignment Mapping Set Components
Assignment mapping sets and their underlying mappings drive territory-based assignment. This topic explains how these components work together in assignment processing.
This figure shows an example of the sales application work objects that have associated default mapping sets and mappings. Mapping sets and mappings drive territory-based assignment, and the work object attributes map to the territory candidate object dimensions and attributes.
Mappings
The mappings identify the dimensions, attributes, and territory filtering used in the assignment process. Default mapping sets and their related mappings are predefined for account, lead, partner account, deal, and opportunity revenue assignment. The predefined mapping example assumes that opportunities, leads, sales, partners, accounts, and deals use the same territory hierarchy.
Each predefined mapping set has between 9 and 16 mappings that determine the information about the object, such as the account industry or the sales lead product, and how each is mapped to a dimension or attribute on the territory.
You can create additional mappings using the work objects, candidate objects, and attributes that you already established.
Mapping Sets
Mapping sets enable the grouping of mappings so that you can create more than one mapping for each combination of work object and candidate object. The mapping set concept is used only with territory-based assignment and territory-based assignment with rule filtering. Mappings sets are predefined for accounts, leads, opportunities, partner accounts, and deals. When managing assignment objects, the user can define additional mapping sets, each of which contains multiple mappings, for each combination or work object and candidate object.
Mapping Types
There are three types of assignment mapping:
Dimension Mapping: Dimension mappings must be used when the work object and candidate object attributes in the comparison are dimension attributes, such as Product. When creating the mapping, use the Function Code field to specify a unique identifier for the dimension. Generally attribute mappings are used when the work object and candidate object attributes in the comparison are non-dimensional attributes.
When creating the mapping, the Function Service and Function Code are only needed if a translations function is used. The function code field is used to specify a unique identifier for the attribute, and this identifier is passed to the translation function.
An example is assigning territories to opportunity revenue lines based on the product associated with the revenue line. In this case, dimension is selected as the mapping type. The candidate object low attribute and high attribute correspond to the names of the low sequence and high sequence attributes for product on the territory. The work object low attribute and high attribute correspond to the names of the low sequence and high sequence attributes for product on the revenue line.
Attribute Mapping: This mapping enables you to compare and match attribute values between a work object attribute and a candidate object attribute. When the value of the candidate object attribute matches the work object attribute, the candidate is selected. Attribute mappings are typically used when the work object and candidate object attributes in the comparison are non-dimensional attributes. This type of mapping is also used to capture the mapping between hierarchical dimensions account and geography.
For example, consider a lead work object with a Partner
Identifier attribute and the territory object with Partner ID attribute.
The selection criterion is: select Sales Lead
Territories where Sales Lead Territory.Partner Identifier equals Sales
Lead.Lead Partner Identifier. The assignment manager uses
this mapping data to construct a query on the candidate object that's
equivalent to the selection criteria.
Literal Mapping: Literal Mapping is used almost exclusively to filter the candidate objects. This form of mapping enables the comparison of candidate attributes against a specific value chosen by the user. The assignment manager compares the mapped candidate object attribute against the specified literal value. For example, select the Territory Candidate object that has the attribute Coverage Model that equals the value PARTNER_CENTRIC.
Assignment Processing Using Mapping Sets and Mappings
When designing your mappings, carefully consider the dimensions and attributes you use in your territory structure and how you want to match these territory candidates to work objects. Also consider the shape of the information used in the territory structure; this may affect the sequence of each mapping. A sequence can be entered for each mapping set which is used to determine the order in which these mapping sets will be used in the territory-based assignment processing. The sequence of the dimension mappings used in territory matching can affect performance. The most selective mapping should be given the lowest sequence number. By using the lowest sequence number, it's performed earliest in the matching process, which results in the smallest number of territory matches. Mappings that don't have a sequence are used together at the end of the matching process.
Sometimes the mapping set sequence doesn't matter. For example, there are two predefined opportunity revenue assignment mapping sets. When the first mapping set is used, it finds matching territories based on the information about the opportunity/opportunity account, and the territory information. Then the second mapping set is used which matches territories based on the opportunity/opportunity partner information and the territory information. The order of the mapping sets is interchangeable; regardless of which mapping set is used first, the resulting territories that match will be the same.
In the case of leads, the mapping set sequence is important as the territories matched using the first mapping set may result in a primary partner being added to the lead. This information is significant to the territory matching performed using the second mapping set.
Mapping sets can be made conditional to control whether the mapping set is used or not used during assignment processing. For example, the partner channel manager territory assignment mapping set conditional attribute is set to the value RevenuePartnerId. During the assignment processing of a revenue line, if the RevenuePartnerId attribute for that revenue line contains a value, then this mapping set will be used in territory matching processing.
An indicator in the Related Candidates region controls whether to merge the matching assignment candidates identified from processing each set of mappings. This indicator is used to drive the merging of matching candidates when multiple mapping sets are used in assignment processing. If the box is checked, then the candidates are merged. Candidates aren't merged by default.
In most implementations, the predefined mapping sets are sufficient. But mapping sets can offer some flexibility if user-defined assignment processing is needed.