Designing Related Object Criteria

The following describes guidelines for designing related object criteria. These guidelines apply when using the base-supplied business objects and additional business objects that the implementation defines.

An initiative defines the related object(s) to associate with leads via the Object Nomination algorithm on the initiative business object. The lead generation process executes this object nomination algorithm after executing initiative eligibility criteria. The base supplied parent Initiative business object (C1–Initiative) is configured with an object nomination algorithm that retrieves the premises that are associated with the account’s active and pending start service agreement’s service points. This algorithm applies the related object criteria, which is configured on the initiative, to each premise. If the premise is determined to be eligible, it is returned as a related object for the lead. To override the base object nomination algorithm, add another instance of the Object Nomination System Event and specify your own algorithm.

The base product supplies related object criteria business objects that look for one or more premise to associate with a lead.

There are two general types of related object criteria business objects provided in base - specific and freeform. Your implementation decides whether to use only one of these types or a mixture of both.

Note: Initiative criteria has three categories: eligibility criteria, related object criteria, and participation criteria. (The participation criteria type is currently not used.) During criteria maintenance and lead generation, the system identifies the category to use through a business object option called Initiative Criteria Type. Related object criteria business objects are defined with an Initiative Criteria Type of C1EO (Related Object Criteria).

Specific Criteria Business Objects

The base product supplies two business objects that perform comparisons to a specific premise-related field. The algorithm type for retrieving or determining the comparison value is preset in the business object, such that the Algorithm values that the user sees on the user interface are restricted to the instances of that algorithm type.

Refer to the following base business objects for more details:

  • Premise SP Type Criteria

  • Geographic Value Criteria

To add similar business objects:

  • Identify the specific comparison value. It could be a reference to an object or entity in the system (such as, SP Type), or any other attribute that can be used to find the related object.

  • Develop the algorithm program to retrieve or determine the comparison value.

  • Configure your algorithm type using the Initiative Criteria - Derive Field Value algorithm entity and reference the program you created.

  • Configure your business object schema so that the Algorithm field retrieves all algorithm instances of the algorithm type you created.

  • Define algorithm instances of your algorithm type.

Freeform Premise Criteria Business Object

The Freeform Premise Criteria business object, on the other hand, is designed to perform comparisons to different types of values. The comparison value is determined by a Derive Value Algorithm Type that is defined as an option on this business object. Derive Value Algorithm Types are supplied with this business object and your implementation can add to these, as necessary.
Note: The supplied Derive Value Algorithm Types perform similar comparisons as those in the base-supplied specific criteria business objects (listed above). The Freeform Premise Criteria business object should only be used if the available specific criteria business objects are not sufficient to perform the needed field value comparisons.
To add Derive Value Algorithm Types:

  • Identify the specific comparison value.

  • Develop the algorithm program to retrieve or determine the comparison value.

  • Configure your algorithm type using the Initiative Criteria - Derive Field Value algorithm entity and reference the program you created.

  • Define an algorithm instance for your algorithm type.

  • Update the Freeform Premise Criteria business object to add a Derive Value Algorithm Type business object option referencing your algorithm.

Repeat the above steps for each specific field to compare.