Service Appointments

Self-service options are available to the customer customers to schedule and manage appointments easily and effectively.

Configuring Service Appointments

The Service Appointments feature allows customers to schedule and manage appointments easily and effectively through the self-service portal.

Note: This documentation provides steps to complete these configuration tasks using Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing. However, many of these tasks can be completed with other applicable products such as Oracle Utilities Customer to Meter or Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service. Refer to your applicable product documentation for steps to complete the configuration using your Oracle Utilities product. Additionally, this documentation assumes that you know how to create the various objects listed below as well as modify or create master configurations. For additional details on these tasks, refer to the applicable Oracle Utilities Documentation.

To configure a self-service task type

Complete the following steps to define the self-service task for service appointments.

  1. Log in to Customer Care and Billing.
  2. From Menu, select Self-Service, select Self-Service Task Type, and select Add. The Select Business Object page is displayed.
  3. From the Service Task Type Business Object drop-down list, select Manage Appointment Service Task Type, and then select OK. The Manage Appointment Service Task Type Maintenance page is displayed.
  4. Define the following required information for the self-service task type:
    • Service Task Type: Provide a name for the object such as ServiceAppointment
    • Related Transaction Object: Manage Appointment Service Task
    • Description: Provide a descriptive name for the object such as Service Appointment
    • Service Task Type Status: Active
    • Self Service Task Type: Self-Service
  5. Select Save to create the self-service task type.

To configure a Field Task Types for applicable service types

The service types that are included in the list of Service Appointment options for customers must have applicable Field Task Types defined for them. Additionally, those Field Task Types must be defined to require appointments.

  1. Log in to Customer Care and Billing.
  2. From the Admin menu, select General, and select Extendable Lookup. The Extendable Lookup Query page is displayed.
  3. In the Business Object field, type D1-FieldTaskTypeLookup and then select the Search. Select the Field Task Type link in the search results, and the Extendable Lookup page is displayed.
  4. For every Field Task Type that is to be available as an option for customers in Service Appointments:
    1. Select the Edit option for the Field Task Type. The configuration for the field task type is displayed.
    2. From the Appointment Option drop-down list, select Required.
    3. Select Save.

To configure self-service integration

  1. Log in to Customer Care and Billing.
  2. Access the applicable appointment scheduling options:
    • For implementations with a single CIS Division:
      1. From the Admin menu, select General, and select Master Configuration. From the Master Configuration zone, select the Edit option for the CC&B Self-Service Integration master configuration. The master configuration is displayed.
    • For implementation with multiple CIS Divisions:
      • From the Admin menu, select General, and select Extendable Lookup. The Extendable Lookup Query page is displayed.
      • In the Business Object field, type C1-SelfServiceIntegration and then select the Search. Select the applicable link in the search results, and the Extendable Lookup page is displayed.
      • Select the Edit option for the CIS Division being updated.
  3. In the Appointment Scheduling section, define the following information:
    • Default Service Task Type: Select the self-service task type created in To configure a self-service task type.
    • Add an entry for every Service Point Type and their applicable Field Task Types that are eligible for scheduling through Service Appointments. For example, a Trim a tree Field Task Type can be an applicable service for electricity Service Points.
  4. Select Save.

To define alerts for need to schedule service appointments

Alerts can be displayed in Digital Self Service - Transactions to notify customers when there is a Field Activity that requires an appointment to be scheduled.

Note: For additional information on a Digital Self Service - Transactions alerts and notifications configuration, see Alerts and Notifications.

  1. Log in to Customer Care and Billing.
  2. From the Admin menu, select General, and select Master Configuration. From the Master Configuration zone, select the Edit option for the CC&B Self-Service Integration master configuration. The master configuration is displayed.
  3. From the Digital Self Service Alerts zone, add the following new alert:
    • Alert Category: FA Appointment Alerts
    • Alert Type: FA Appointment Required
    • Priority: Define an applicable priority
    • Alert Severity: Define an applicable severity
    • Script: X1AppntAlert
  4. Click Save to save the master configuration changes.

To configure the Date Format

  1. Log in to Customer Care and Billing.
  2. From the Admin menu, select General, select Display Profile, and select Search. The Display Profile page is displayed.
  3. From the Display Profile, enter applicable information to search for the system user used for the Digital Self Service - Transactions to Customer Care and Billing integration. Select Search to display user results.
  4. Select the Display Profile for the applicable user to display the configuration.
  5. Verify or update the following information:
    • Date Format: MM-dd-yyyy
    • Time Format: hh:mma
  6. Select Save to apply any changes.

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Configuring Service Appointments Messaging and Behavior

Note: This documentation provides steps to complete configuration tasks using the Opower Configuration Tool. For more information on using the Opower Configuration Tool, refer to the Oracle Utilities Opower Configuration Tool User Guide.

To configure Service Appointments messaging and behavior:

  1. From the Opower Configuration Tool, select Widgets, and then select Field Activity Appointments. The configurations for Service Appointments are displayed.
  2. To configure text and messages of the Service Appointments feature:
    1. Select Text (locale), where locale is the language locale you are configuring.
    2. Text and messages are included for the text used throughout the various experiences of the Service Appoinment features. For example, the New Appointment Message SubText Primary Content configuration allows for the definition of the message provided along with the option to schedule a new service appointment. This can be used to provide important information on the types of service appointments that can be made, and how other events such as an emergency gas leak should be handled.
    3. Select Save Changes to save any changes to the default text and messages. Text and messages that are directly available are updated in the preview, while text and messages in secondary locations such as error messages may not be directly highlighted in the preview.
  3. To configure the behavior of the Service Appointments feature:
    1. Select Functionality.
    2. Make any required configuration changes. For example, the Look Ahead Days option allows you to define the default number of days ahead of the current date to initially display available appointment times. The help text provided with configurations can provide additional explanation of each available option.
    3. Select Save Changes to save any changes to the default configurations. Certain configurations that are directly available are updated in the preview, while some configurations may not be directly highlighted in the preview.
  4. Refer to the Oracle Utilities Opower Configuration Tool User Guide for steps to publish configuration changes.

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