Understanding Activities

Owned by Persia Xenopoulou (Deactivated)
Last updated: Jul 14, 2017 by Former user (Deleted)

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What are Activities?

Activities are small Tasks or Actions that are either stand-alone or must be completed as part of a larger project. Activities are assigned to an 'owner', are designated a time by which they must be completed and can be part of other CRM.COM processes such as Subscriptions, Jobs, Service Requests and Leads.

Activities Glossary

TermDescription
Task or AppointmentAn Activity which takes place to support a specific business process such as a Job, Service Request or Order.

One-Time Service

A Service that is provided to customers only once and is charged based on the hours spent to complete it. 
One-Time Services are added on Activities and are completed by the Resource Requests.

Resource RequestA request made from agents to allocate available company Resources for specific Tasks. For example, if a new customer requires an on-location hardware installation, the agent can request an installer to perform it; the installer is considered as the 'Resource' and the installation is the 'Task'.

Activities Key Processes and Concepts

Processes / ConceptDescription

Booking Resources for Activities

Activities consist of Tasks that need to be completed by a designated User that will need to take action. Through CRM.COM Resource Scheduling the necessary resource(s) to complete the Task can be booked by inputting the responsible department/Unit, the Service that must be completed, and the date / time on which the Task is expected to be completed.

Billing Activities (Services)

While Activities are not considered billable entities (i.e., they cannot be selected and billed individually) they can be billed as part of a larger project or Job. The Activity is billed based on its added Services. In order to bill an Activity, make sure:

  • The Activity is scheduled for a billable Job.
  • A Service is added to the Activity (i.e. a Product of Type One-Time Service).
  • The Service is added to a Price Plan with the following rate model:
    • Flat Rate Duration Based
    • Tiered Rate Duration Based
Accepting Activities

When an Activity is created, it can be assigned either to a Unit or to a specific User. If the specific should not be assigned to a specific person, the Activity can be assigned to a Department/Unit. Any of the employees of that Department/Unit can then access the Activity and accept it, and assign it to themselves. It is imperative that an Activity is accepted by a User as no further processing is otherwise possible.

Automatically scheduling Activities

Activities can be planned as part of bigger Tasks, such an Installation Activity required for a new Subscription Order, or a Replacement Activity in a Service Request.  The creation of Activities required to complete Tasks can be automated by using Workflow Rules, facilitating business flow processes.

Activities Access & Controls

Business Network Characteristics define the level of access for each record, i.e. whether it will be available for selection, viewing or editing.

EntityNetwork CharacteristicsDescription

Activities

 

  • Activities cannot be created unless a Contact Information is selected.
  • Activities must be assigned to a User that will be responsible for their processing and completion.
  • Activity records can be accessed viewed and modified by Users defined as members of the Activity's Owned By Group, by Users that belong to a Group that collaborates with the Owned By Group, or by Super Users.
Activity Types
  • An Activity Type can be selected when creating an Activity provided that either: 
    • the User creating the Activity belongs to one of the Allowed Organisational Units (AOUs) defined in the Activity Type, or
    • a collaboration exists between the User's Unit and the AOU of the Activity Type, or
    • the User is a Super User.

 

Activities Related Modules

EntityInteraction of Activities with Entity
JobsAn Activity can be scheduled as part of a Job.
Service RequestsAn Activity can be scheduled as part of a Service Request.
LeadsAn Activity can be scheduled as part of a Lead.
SubscriptionAn Activity can be scheduled as part of a Subscription.
Resource SchedulingAvailable resources can be booked to complete the Task via an Activity.
WorkflowsWorkflowscanbeconfigured to trigger the automatic scheduling of Activities for Jobs, Service Requests and Subscriptions.
ProductsOne-Time Services are added on Activities.

 

Activities - Business Examples 

The following section provides business examples of how the CRM.COM Activities module is used.

Creating Chargeable Activities 

Creating chargeable Activities

Business Requirement

  • Company ZX accepts Subscription orders from customers calling in the Call Centre.
  • Customers can have the equipment delivered and installed at their location for an extra charge (€10 for delivery and €25/hour for the installation), in which case the booking takes place when the order is placed.
  • Installers will visit the customers at a prearranged time, deliver and install the equipment.
  • Customers are charged and billed for the delivery and installation on the same day it is completed.
  • Customers start getting charged for their Subscription at the beginning of the coming month.

CRM.COM Solution

Configuration
The configuration is specific to the requirements of the above business example. Additional required configurations which are not related to the solution are omitted (e.g., Job Statuses or the full configuration of a Job Type).

Activities

Activity Statuses (Life Cycle State)
  • Activity Categories
Activity TypeActivity Definitions
  • To be approved (Pending)
  • In progress (In Progress)
  • Closed (Completed)
  • Cancelled (Cancelled)
  • Installations
    • DTT
    • DTH
  • 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 Activities 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
  • Of 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 Centre 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 weekly.

 

Communications

Communication Templates
  • Activity Completion
  • Job Completion
  • Bill



User Process

  • New Job
  1. Create a new Job (For more information on Jobs visit the Jobs manual)
    1. Type: New Subscription - Installation
    2. Expenses: Delivery Service
    3. Allowed Activity Types / Services: Installation Activity with Installation Service.
       
  • Schedule 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 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 Activities
  1. Installer should Start Progress of the Activity at the beginning of the day.
  2. Once done, the Installer should update Installation Service Time Spent.
  3. Installer should then 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 from the Job Expenses
    2. Installation Service: €25 * hours spent, i.e., €25 * 2 = €50 from the Activity Installation Service
       
  • Communicate Bill
  1. Send an Email to the customer regarding the Activity and the time spent on the Installation.
  2. Send an Email to the customer regarding the Job, the installed hardware and the new Subscription that was created.
  3. Send an Email to the customer providing information on the Installation billing.

 

 

More Information on modules referred to in this example can be found here:

Related Areas