Using the Needs Analysis Dashboard

To better understand the needs of your accounts, you can perform a needs analysis, which identifies possible sales opportunities with your utility customers. Needs analysis interviews, and the rules and questions associated with them, are defined using the Oracle Intelligent Advisor system. You use the Needs Analysis Dashboard to launch new interviews, or to access interviews that are in progress. Needs analysis interviews are performed at the billing account level.

This image shows an example of the Needs Analysis Dashboard:

Figure 5-6 Needs Analysis Dashboard

The Energy Efficiency Programs interview is delivered with CX for Utilities Sales. This interview includes questions that you can ask your contacts to help you gather information about their account. After answering the questions, the system displays a list of recommendations. You can discuss these options with your contact to determine which plan is the best fit, and then select one of these options:

• Ready to move forward? (Create Opportunity)
• Need more time to decide? (Create Lead)
• Other follow up options

If you specify that the customer is ready to move forward when you save and submit the interview, the system automatically creates an opportunity that includes the products listed in the selected plan option. If you specify that the customer needs more time to decide, the system creates a lead that includes the selected plan details. And if you select the other follow up options when you save and submit the interview, the system gives you the choice of creating an appointment or a task that you can use to follow up with the customer at a later date.

You can also create leads, opportunities, notes, appointments, and tasks, or send an email, directly from the interview before completing the interview. You can then view or edit these records as needed. These options might be needed in the following scenarios:

• Your contact asks you to call back at another time to complete the interview. In this case, you can create an appointment or a task to remind you to call them back.
• Your contact tells you about another company that has similar needs to theirs. In this case, you can create a lead to follow up with the other company.

For additional information about creating or editing these records, see:

• Managing Activities for information about notes, appointments, and tasks.
• Using the Leads and Opportunities tab for information about leads and opportunities.

Be aware that once you launch an interview from the dashboard, the system immediately creates a record for that interview. If you do not complete the interview, you can exit the interview and then it will then be available in the In Progress section of the dashboard, where you can complete it at a later date. These in-progress interviews show the name of the original interview and are listed in order of the date they were last updated.

For additional information about items related to this topic, see:

• Oracle Intelligent Advisor Implementation TasksOracle Intelligent Advisor Implementation Tasks for details about how your implementation might vary.
• Managing Activities for information about notes, appointments, and tasks.
• Using the Leads and Opportunities tab for information about leads and opportunities.

Topics in this section include:

• Performing a Needs Analysis