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 Mandatory   Configurable

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Main Information
Estimated Completion Time: How long an activity is expected to take before it is completed (measured in minutes, hours, days, weeks and months).
Allowed Attributes
Services

One-time services (such as the installation of a modem) are added to an activity and are billed based on their duration (the time the installation took).

  • Product: Classified as a one-time service.
  • Classification: Define whether it is 'mandatory' or 'optional' to define the service on the activity in order to be allowed to close it.
  • Minimum Time Spent: Define foreach service (in hours, days, weeks or months). When the activity is completed, the system validates the time spent on the services against the specified minimum.
  • Time Spent Logging Method: Whether the time spent on each activity service should be:
    • Fixed: Automatically set on each activity service and not modified by the user, or 
    • Flexible: Set by the user.
  • Automatically Applied: Enable to automatically add the service to the activity as soon as it is created.

Statuses

 

 Allowed Statuses (for activities of each type)

Default Status on Create (such as 'Open' or 'Pending'; activity must be in a 'Pending' life cycle state)

Default Status on Start Progress (such as 'Approved' or 'In Progress'; activity must be in an 'In Progress' life cycle state)

Default Status on Complete (activity must be in a 'Completed' life cycle state)

Default Status on Cancel (activity must be in a 'Cancelled' life cycle state) 

CategoriesThe categories that can be used in activities of this type.

Status Transitions

Defines the possible progression of each activity status. The next possible status depends on the current status of the activity, the type of the activity and the authorization of the user or unit.

Status: A single initial status which must be included in allowed statuses

Status Transitions: A list of statuses to which the user can transition from the current status and the units or users allowed to make the transition. 

 

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Business definitions

Activity definitions are business rules that define allowed activity types and cancellation reasons.  There can only be one active definition at a time.

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Main Information
The details of the customer that reported the issue. 
Contacts cannot be changed once the request is saved but their details can be updated.
Activity Information

Type: Determines the attributes available for activities (and their default values) and the automation of agent-customer communications.

Performed For: The unique ID of the entity (subscription, job, service request or lead) for which the activity takes place.

Category: A label that describes the purpose of the activity (e.g., 'Technical Issue' or 'Installation'). 

Key Dates

The dates and time frames that are relevant to the request:

Start Date: Date/time on which the activity was first saved.

Estimated Completion Time: The difference between the start date and expected completion date. How long until the activity is completed.

Time to Completion: Time left up to the expected completion date, calculated dynamically and updated based on the current and expected completion date.

Expected Completion Date:  Date/time calculated as the difference between the start and expected completion date (editable).

Time Overdue: The time past the expected completion date, calculated dynamically based on the expected completion and current date.

Actual Completion Date: Date/time on which the life cycle state of the activity is set to 'Completed'.

Services To Be Provided

Product: One-time services provided as part of the activity (should be included in the list of 'allowed' services of the activity type).

Time spent on each service (measured in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years).

  • Services can be defined as 'Optional' or 'Mandatory' through activity types.
  • All services have a 'billing directive'.   The directive for activities performed for a job type defined as 'Billable' is always set to 'To Be Billed'.
  • Services can be added automatically, subject to the configuration of the activity type.
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Status & Notes

Status: Determines the life cycle state of the activity and allows the user to progress the activity.

Life Cycle State: A read-only field that reflects the progression of steps of an activity from the time it is created until it is completed. The state is updated by the system when the status changes. The available values are:

    • Pending
    • In Progress
    • Completed
    • Cancelled

Shared Notes: Use this section to record information regarding the activity. Every time the notes are updated the time and the name of the agent is registered.

Owned by Group:  Refers to the group that is responsible for executing the activity. The group defaults to that of the currently signed in user or is automatically set based on the geographical area of the contact. Refer to Groups for more information.

Assignments

The unit and/or user responsible for dealing with the activity.

The user field may be left empty and users from the defined unit will be able to accept the activity. Refer to the Accepting an activity action.

Activity Actions

Actions: Used when further handling is required to complete an activity without having to leave the activity page. E.g., an agent can check for the coverage of a malfunctioning Roku box and plan a job for its replacement through the same page.

  • Start Progress
  • Cancel Activity
  • Complete Activity
  • Communicate Activity
  • Set Privacy Level

View History: A link that provides additional information related to the activity.

  • Communications: A list of the communications with the specific activity defined in the 'Referring To' field.
  • Approval Requests: A list of requests associated with the activity.

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Chargeable activities 

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titleCreating chargeable Activities

Scenario 1

  • Company ZX accepts subscription orders from its call center.
  • Customers can request to have the equipment delivered and installed at their location for an extra charge (€10 for delivery and €25/hour for the installation) and book the appointment when placing the order.
  • Customers are charged and billed for the delivery and installation on the day it is completed.
  • Customers start getting charged for their subscription at the beginning of the month following the installation.


Solution

Configuration
The basic configuration specific to the above business requirement should be as follows (additional required configurations such as for job statuses and types are omitted):

 

Activities

Activity Statuses (Life Cycle State)Activity TypeActivity Definitions
  • To be approved (Pending)
  • In progress (In Progress)
  • Closed (Completed)
  • Cancelled (Cancelled)
  • Installations
    • Estimated completion time: 1 hour
    • Allowed Statuses: All statuses with 'To Be Approved' as default
    • Allowed Categories: All under Installations
    • Allowed Services:
      • Installation (mandatory and automatically applied)
      • Delivery (optional)
    • Allowed Organisational Units:
      • Installation Team 1
      • Installation Team 2
  • Create and activate an activity definition, adding the created activity types.

 

 

Products

Product Type: One-time ServicesProducts
  • Classification: Service
  • Service Type: One-time
  • Composition Method: Flat
  • Used for Provisioning: No
  • Product Type: One-time services
  • Installation service
  • Delivery service

 

Jobs

Job Type

New Subscription - Installation

    • Allowed Activity Types: 
      • Installation Service
        • Classification: Mandatory
        • Billing Directive: Billable
    • Allowed Expenses
      • Delivery Service

 

Price Plans

One-Time Services
  • Installation Service
    • Price Plan Rate: Flat Rate, Duration Based €25/hour
  • Delivery Service
    • Price Plan Rate: Flat Rate, Quantity Based: €10

 

Network Management

Units
  • Call center agents
  • Installers


Resource Scheduling

Resource Scheduling DefinitionResource Plans
  • Automation Settings:
    • Conditions forcing resource requests on activity services:
      • Activity Type: Installation
      • Product: Installation service
      • Activity Life Cycle Status: In Progress
  • Create a Resource Plan
    • Unit: Installers
    • Service: Installation service
    • Slots: Hourly slots from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 18:00
      (Resource plans should be created on a weekly basis)

 

Communications

Communication Templates
  • Activity Completion
  • Job Completion
  • Bill



User Process

New Job

  1. Create a new job
    1. Type: New subscription - installation
    2. Expenses: Delivery service
    3. Allowed Activity Types / Services: Installation activity with installation service.
       

Schedule the activity

  1. Schedule an activity through the job or create a new activity through the activity page and relate to the job through 'Performed For'.
    1. Type: Installation
    2. Assign to Unit: Installers
    3. Service: Installation service.
       

Assign resources to the activity

  1. Request a resource while scheduling the activity through the installation service.
     

Accept the activity

  1. Installers should visit the activities page.
  2. Search using:
    1. Assigned to Unit: Installers
    2. Life Cycle State: Pending
    3. Type: Installation
  3. Accept the Activity.
     

Start progress and complete the activity

The installer should:

  1.  'Start Progress of the Activity' at the beginning of the day.
  2.  Update 'Installation Service Time Spent'.
  3.  'Complete the Activity'.
     

Complete and bill the job

  1. Provided the installation was successful, the related job should be completed.
  2. Once 'Completed', the job should be billed.
  3. The bill will include:
    1. Delivery Service: Fixed amount €10 Job Expenses
    2. Installation Service: €25 * 2 hours spent = €50 Activity Installation Service.
       

Keep the customer updated  

  1. Email the customer regarding the activity and time spent on the installation.
  2. Email the customer regarding the job, installed hardware and the new subscription.
  3. Email the customer providing information on the installation billing.
Note

Set up event-based communications to automatically notify the customer upon activity and job completion.

Note
titleNotes
  • If you are using a previous release, view CRM.COM Release Changes.
  • Use the WEB API to create and manage activities from an external system, such as a customer portal. View the Activities WEB API for a comprehensive list of available actions.

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Glossary  

CRM.COM TermDefinition
JobA small project initiated by the operator for customers, involving the delivery and billing of services, products and activities. Customer requests and orders, such as that for a new subscription, can be initiated and registered through a job.
Service RequestRequest used to register problems that customers experience with their products and subscriptions and to check whether products are under warranty.
SubscriptionA selection of customer services billed on a recurring, usage or one-time basis.
LeadA potential opportunity for additional business. 
Resource SchedulingActions and methodology used by an organization to efficiently allocate resources, plan their availability, request them for specific tasks and control their consumption through business rules.
One-time ServiceA service (usually requested by the customer), which is provided and billed once, based on duration.
Price PlanThe set of rates at which a company offers its products.  The plans are used by the billing engine to charge customer accounts receivables for purchases. Every billable product that is added to a subscription, job or activity must belong to at least one price plan. 

 

 

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