Jobs
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On this page
Overview
Jobs are small projects intended to fulfill an order or satisfy a customer requirement. CRM.COM enables the user to plan and execute tasks, provide goods and services, quote and bill customers from one central page. Jobs are open-ended and can be used in various business models, such as subscription TV or online mail order services.
Jobs functionality
- Order and supply physical goods
- Bill activity services and subscription provisioning hardware
- Register new or amend existing subscriptions
- Replace goods under warranty and transfer warranties
- Conduct credit-based evaluations on whether customers can afford to complete a job
Create and send quotations so that customers can check their order before proceeding
Generate bill previews and make necessary corrections before the bill is created
Provide discounts
- Create purpose-specific job types.
Setting Up Jobs
Before you start using jobs, the system must be configured to reflect the job and billing rules of your business.
Jobs can be used to order new subscriptions and other general purposes. Jobs can be billable or not billable.
Products
Products that can be ordered or charged through jobs fall into three categories:
- Expenses - such as start-up fees (added through a job).
- One-time services - billed once based on duration (added through activities).
- Hardware items - used for subscriptions or general purposes, such as decoders, modems and antennas.
Configured products are added to the job type. View Products for more information.
Price plans
Price plans are the set of rates at which a company offers goods and services. Once products and rates are included in a plan, the plan is added to the appropriate billing term scheme. View Price Plans for more information.
Activity types
Tasks which are necessary for the completion of a job can be scheduled by using activities.
Types are used to define the behavior and nature of each activity. Once activity types are configured, they must be added to the job type.
Through the types it is possible to define:
- Statuses
- Categories
- One-time services - billed once based on duration (e.g., installations).
View Activities for more information.
Billing definition
The billing definition includes normal billing run settings and other rules regarding the billing of jobs. New job types and billing term schemes created in the system are automatically added to the billing definition.
Billing term scheme
The normal billing term scheme defines rules for billing jobs. For example, it determines the price plans for physical goods, expenses, and one-time services, whether discounts are allowed or a prepayment is required.
A job billing term scheme is used for 'General purpose' and 'Amending subscription' jobs.
The billing term scheme of the subscription is also defined for 'New subscription' jobs, which is used for providing information on the billing of the termed subscription services.
Configuration > Billing Application > Billing > Set Up Billing Term Schemes
Normal billing term scheme fields
The table describes the sections of the Normal Billing Term Scheme Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory
Configurable
| Main Information | |
|---|---|
| |
| Allowed Attributes | |
| Define the price plans available when creating jobs using the specific billing term scheme, which supply the set of rates for physical goods, expenses and one-time services provided through activities scheduled for the job. | |
Displays the job types which use the selected billing term scheme (the types and schemes are associated through the job type Data Entry page). | |
| Billing Rules | |
| Generic | Discount Option:
Prepayment Option: If prepayment is required, a job can only be completed if the account owner has enough funds to cover the billed job. |
| Price Changes | Determines whether changes in current price plans will only be applied on new jobs, or also on existing jobs that have not yet been billed. |
Setting up jobs
Job Types
Types are used to determine the operational characteristics of jobs.
Configure the following entities before creating job types and then add the entities to the job type to make them available for selection:
- Job Status is used to label job life cycle states in a way that is meaningful to your organization. Multiple statuses can be created for each state. Applicable validations, restrictions and the progression of a job are determined by its life cycle state (not its status).
- Job Categories are used to label jobs according to common business characteristics. Categories indicate how the job should be handled and can be used by the business to analyze orders.
- Job Cancellation Reasons are predefined and justify why a job was canceled before being completed.
Job types define the behavior and the nature of each job by providing sets of attributes.
The fulfillment scope serves as an indication of what the job (type) is trying to achieve, for example, create a new subscription, modify an existing one, or accomplish a general purpose task.
Each scope has its own set of business rules, characteristics, and items, all of which can be added to a job.
When creating a new job type, determine its purpose and select the appropriate fulfillment scope.
The following table shows the attributes that can be defined on a type according to its fulfillment scope.
| Fulfillment Scope | Subscription Services | Subscription Physical Goods | Physical Goods | Expenses | Activities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generic Purpose | | ||||
| New Subscription | |||||
| Activate Subscription | | ||||
| Deactivate Subscription | | ||||
| Cancel Subscription | | ||||
| Add Subscription Service | |||||
| Cancel Subscription Service | |||||
| Change Subscription Location | |||||
Swap Subscription Services | |||||
Swap Subscription Installed Items | |||||
Replace Physical Goods |
Type fields
The table describes the sections of Job Type Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory
Configurable
| Main Information | |
|---|---|
If the billing directive is set to 'Billable', all delivered items will be billed, regardless of the fulfillment method.
The following scopes are available.
Billing Method: Determines when a job is billed, depending on its life cycle state ('In Progress' or 'Completed').
The Billing Method field is available when the fulfillment method is 'Based on Ordered Items', the fulfillment scope is 'Generic Purpose' and the billing directive is 'Billable'. Expiration Setting: Determines whether (and when) jobs of the selected type expire. A job that expires before being completed can only be canceled. | |
| Allowed Attributes | |
| |
Define categories which can be used to group jobs of the selected type (by common business characteristics) and which can be used by the business to analyze orders. | |
Add the preconfigured reasons which can be used when a job of the selected type is canceled before being completed and select a default. | |
Define the products and product types that can be sold or rented through jobs of the selected type. Use the Classification field to define whether each item is mandatory or optional. | |
Define the products and product types that can be sold or rented through jobs of the selected type. Use the Classification field to define whether each item is mandatory or optional. | |
Define types of activity that can be scheduled to handle a task for jobs of the selected type, e.g., to perform an installation. Use the Classification field to define whether each activity is mandatory or optional. For billable type jobs set the Billing Directive to determine whether the services are subject to billing. | |
| Define the schemes that can be used by jobs of the selected type, which in turn determine billing rules for price plans, discounts and prepayment requirements. You can make all or specific billing term schemes available. Where specific ones are selected also define a default for new jobs. The section will not be available if the fulfillment scope is 'New Subscription'. The billing term schemes for jobs and subscriptions are set separately in subscription settings. |
Define the type of subscription that can be managed by jobs of the selected type. You can make all or specific subscription types available. If specific ones are selected, then also define a default to be set when a new job is created. The section will not be available if the fulfillment scope is 'New Subscription'. The subscription type is selected in subscription settings. | |
Subscription Settings The available information depends on the selected fulfillment scope | |
Subscription Settings for New Subscription Fulfillment Scope |
E.g., if a new subscription job is completed successfully, then the system will use the 'Become Subscriber' and 'Activate' subscription actions. If the job is created and canceled before it is completed, the system will use the 'Cancel' subscription action. Actions must be configured to be available. |
Subscription Settings for all Fulfillment Scopes other than New Subscription and Generic Purpose |
Select the types to be used by the system on the associated subscription, once when the job is successfully completed. Available types depend on the selected fulfillment scope and must be related to managing a subscription. E.g., if you are creating a job type with an 'Activate Subscription' fulfillment scope, subscription actions of type 'Activate Subscription' will be available. Actions must be configured to be available. |
Status Transitions Allowed transitions enforce a logical progression of status and depend on initial and destination status values, entity type and user/unit authorization. | |
Define the allowed status transitions for jobs of this type.
| |
Using Jobs
CRM > Jobs > Manage Jobs
Once the system is configured you can start creating jobs.
- Navigate to the Manage Jobs page and click on NEW from the Top menu, selecting the most appropriate fulfillment scope (important as it affects the relevancy of the fields in the item section).
- Supply information on the customer.
- Select a job type (this will supply the items section with services and goods which can be associated with the task).
- Select items to add to the order.
- Submit the job.
Depending on the fulfillment method defined on the selected job type, the customers may or may not have the option to add or remove items from the initial order once the job has progressed.
Once processed, jobs can be completed and billed by using job Data Entry page actions.
Jobs fields
The table describes the sections of Jobs Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.
Mandatory
Configurable
| Contact and Account | ||
|---|---|---|
| Contact Information | Contact Email Address: Used for electronic communications. New email addresses can be added by the agent or selected from a list of available contact addresses. Contact Phone: Used for all telephone communications. New phone numbers can be added by the agent or selected from a list of available phone numbers. Contacts cannot be changed once the job is saved but details can be updated. | |
| The account details of the customer that made an order. | ||
| Addresses | ||
| Billing Address | The billing address is selected from the contact's registered addresses. Create a new one if one is not available. If the contact has more than one address, use the one selected by the customer. Addresses in contact information are updated when a billing address is modified. | |
| Delivery Address | The customer's physical address (selected from their registered addresses), where the hardware is located and the services are delivered. Create a new one if one is not available. If the contact has more than one address, use the one selected by the customer. Addresses in contact information are updated when a delivery address is modified. | |
| Terms | ||
| Job Information |
| |
Billing Terms |
| |
Subscription Terms (Displayed if fulfillment scope is 'New Subscription') | Subscription Type: Determines the subscription offerings including services, rates, physical goods and billing information (read-only, set by selecting the job type). Billing Term Scheme: Defines the subscription billing rules, whether to pre-bill or post-bill services, the billing frequencies, binding periods and price plans (read-only, set by selecting the job type). Depending on subscription type and billing terms, a number of fields required for registering a new subscription will also be present. Refer to Subscription for more information. | |
| Key Dates | Start Date: The date/time on which the job was first saved. Estimated Completion Time: How long until the job is finished, defined on the job type, expressed in a specific unit of time (e.g., hours or days). Expected Completion Date: Date/time calculated as the difference between the start and expected completion date. Expires On (read-only, date/time): Expired jobs that were not completed can only be canceled. The expiration date depends on the job type. Time to Expiration (read-only) Time to Completion (read-only): The time left up to the expected completion date, calculated dynamically and updated based on the current and expected completion date. Time Overdue (read-only): The time past the expected completion date, calculated dynamically based on the expected completion date and date of execution. Actual Completion Date (read-only, set automatically when the life cycle state of the job is set to 'Completed') | |
Items The available sections depend on the selected fulfillment scope (Refer to the Fulfillment Scope Attributes Table) | ||
Each job item type has two sections, representing what was requested ('Requested', 'To be Included in Order') and what was provided ('Provided', 'To be Delivered'). If the fulfillment method is 'Based on Ordered Item', then only items defined in the requested section will be available in the provided section. If the fulfillment method is 'Based on Delivered Item', then items can be added or removed to those defined in the requested section. | ||
Requested Subscription: That was created or modified as part of the job (displayed only if fulfillment scope is other than 'New Subscription' or 'Generic Purpose'). Distributors: Available when a subscription physical good or service must be defined. Subscription products are filtered according to their distributor so distributors must be selected before physical goods or services. The distributor must be selected in the 'Requested' and 'Provided' sections. If a specific distributor was selected in the 'Requested' section, then the same distributor must be selected in the 'Provided' section, otherwise, the requested goods or services will not be displayed. | ||
Subscription Physical Goods | ||
| Requested | Provided | |
Traceable physical goods that are added to the subscription, such as a decoder. The goods are filtered on subscription type. Check 'Include in Order?' to order the item.
| The installed items that are added to the customer's subscription. Click on Add Installed Items on Subscription or Swap Installed Item to open the respective subscription action modal and complete the action. | |
| Subscription Services | ||
| Requested | Provided | |
Services that the customer requested to add or swap on the subscription. If the fulfillment scope is 'New Subscription' or 'Add Subscription Services', then the services are filtered based on the subscription type. Check 'Include in Order?' to order the item. If the fulfillment scope is 'Swap Subscription Services', then the swap action must be selected so that the respective services are displayed. Available swap actions are Downgrade, Upgrade, and Switch.
| The services that are added to the customer's subscription. Click Add Services on the subscription to open the respective modal and complete the action. If the fulfillment method is 'Swap Subscription Services' no further action is necessary. The services selected under 'Requested Subscription Services' are automatically swapped when the job is completed. | |
Additional Physical Goods | ||
| Requested To Be Replaced | To Be Replaced | |
| Traceable physical goods bought by the customer which must be replaced, due to a hardware issue or an upgrade. | The physical goods that will be replaced. If the good to be replaced is covered by a warranty policy, then select the coverage reason to find out whether the replacement is free of charge (Covered: 'Yes'). View /wiki/spaces/WIP/pages/10008216/wiki/spaces/WIP/pages/10008216 for more information. | |
| To Be Included In Order | To be Delivered | |
Physical goods requested by the customer as part of the job. The goods are not associated with a subscription and are billed through the job. Provide a quantity and check 'Include in Order?' to order the item. If physical good types are defined in the job type, search for a product of the type to add to the list (using '+'). | The physical goods that are provided to the customer. By default, requested goods are automatically added and the quantity can be edited.
| |
| Expenses | ||
| Expenses To be Charged | Additional Expenses to be Billed | Provided Expenses |
The expenses for charging the job which are selected by the agents. Mandatory expenses are added automatically. If expense types are defined in the job type, search for expenses of the type and add to the list by checking 'Include in Order?'. To add more products of the same type click on '+'.
| Manage the expenses selected initially to be charged. Already selected expenses can be removed and new ones added. | The charged expenses. |
| Activity Services | ||
Activity Services to be Provided | Scheduled Activities | |
The one-time services that can be requested by the customer and provided by scheduling and performing an activity. Check 'Include in Order?' to order the item. If an activity type is defined as mandatory in the job type and the type's activity services are defined as auto-applied, then the service will be selected automatically and the selection checkbox will be 'read-only'. If an activity type is defined as mandatory in the job type but the type doesn't have any auto-applied activity services defined, then no activity services will be selected automatically. | The activities which are planned for the job. Click on the activity number to open the modal and process the activity (refer to the Activities manual). | |
| Job Quotation | ||
| Items included in Quotation | An itemized list of one time-services, expenses, and physical goods to be charged for the job. The quotation includes all items ordered initially before the Start Progress action was applied and is updated when items are replaced, as long as the job is in a 'Pending' life cycle state. | |
The following fields are available in the Action Panel located on the right-hand side of the Data Entry page
| Action Panel | |
|---|---|
| Status & Notes |
Life Cycle State: The progression of steps of a job from the time it is created until it is completed. E.g., in order to be able to proceed with a delivery, the status of the job must be updated to one with an 'In Progress' life cycle state. The state of the job depends on the selected status set in the 'status configuration' (not manually set by the user). The allowed states are the following:
Shared Notes: Use this section to record information regarding the job. 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 job, which 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. |
| The unit or user responsible for dealing with the job. The user field may be left empty, in which case users from the defined unit will be able to accept the job. Refer to the Accepting a job. | |
| Job Actions | Actions: Used when further handling is required to complete a customer job without having to leave the jobs page. E.g., an agent can check for the coverage of a malfunctioning Roku box and plan a job for a replacement through the same page.
View History: A link that provides additional information related to the job.
|
Creating and processing jobs
Validations take place before an action is initiated (prerequisite) or after it is submitted (postcondition).
Selecting and creating jobs
Specify the criteria that match the jobs you are interested in or use NEW followed by the job type's fulfillment scope from the Actions menu to create a new job. Provide the mandatory information before you SAVE the job.
Modifying a job
Use EDIT from the Actions menu to enter edit mode and update ordered items before the job starts to progress.
Jobs that are already assigned to a unit and are pending user acceptance can be modified, whereas 'Assigned to User' can only be set through the Accept action. Refer to Accepting a job.
| Prerequisites | Life cycle state must be 'Pending' or 'In Progress'. |
|---|---|
Postconditions | If the job is billable, then the specified job billing term scheme and price plan must be defined. If the job is in a 'Pending' life cycle state, then:
If the life cycle state is 'In Progress', then:
|
Deleting a job
Use DELETE from the Actions menu to delete 'Pending' jobs.
| Prerequisites | Life cycle state must be 'Pending' or 'In Progress'. |
|---|---|
| Postconditions | Related entities such as activities and resource requests must be canceled or deleted. |
Accepting a job
New jobs are assigned to a unit or a user. Jobs assigned to a unit can be accepted by a unit member, by usingAccept from the Actions menu in the Data Entry page. For example, a job regarding an installation is assigned to the installers department and then accepted by a specific agent.
| Prerequisite | Users must be authorized to accept a job ('Accept Job' action enabled in security profile) and be a member of a unit to which the job is assigned or a member of a unit in the same group. |
|---|
Starting the progress of a job
A job must be progressed to enable the delivery of goods and services or the creation of a subscription. Use Start Progress available from the Action panel.
Select any of the available statuses which represent an 'In Progress' life cycle state, updating the life cycle state of the job from 'Pending' to 'In Progress'.
Use EDIT to start working on the job (e.g., to add products).
Requested activity services are listed in the Start Progress modal from where they can be handled. For more information on activities and resource request planning, refer to /wiki/spaces/WIP/pages/10008222 and /wiki/spaces/WIP/pages/10008355.
| Prerequisites | Life cycle state must be 'Pending'. |
|---|---|
Postconditions | All mandatory information must be specified. If the job type requires approval based on a workflow rule, then all approval requests must be 'Accepted', 'Rejected' or 'Cancelled' (i.e., cannot be in a 'Pending' state). |
Completing a job
Change the life cycle state of a job to 'Completed' by using Complete Job from the Actions panel, indicating that the job is finished.
| Prerequisites | Life cycle state must be 'In Progress'. |
|---|---|
Postconditions | All submitted activities must be 'Completed' or 'Cancelled'. All mandatory activities, physical goods, and expenses have been supplied. If the job fulfillment method is set to 'Based on Ordered Items', then:
|
Canceling a job
Use Cancel Job available from the Actions panel to disable further modifications and exclude the job from billing. A cancellation reason must be supplied for business analysis purposes.
Prerequisites | Life cycle state must not be 'Completed'. |
|---|---|
| Postconditions | No physical goods (traceable or non-traceable) were delivered. No 'Requested' or 'Provided' physical goods were sold. The state of subscriptions created as part of the job must be 'Cancelled'. The state of activities related to the job should be 'Completed' or 'Cancelled'. The state of resource requests for services of related activities should be 'Rejected' or 'Cancelled'. |
Amending the billing term of a job
Job billing terms provide information required for billing purposes. A billing term must be selected when creating a billable job. Use Amend Terms from the Action panel to amend job billing terms or price plans (which provide rates for chargeable items).
Prerequisites | The job must be 'Billable'. Life cycle state must be 'In Progress'. |
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Send a job quotation
Through job quotations, customers can be informed of the total cost of ordered items before the order is progressed. The quoted amount is an indication of the bill the customer will receive, as long as all ordered items are delivered. Customers are given a quotation, accept the charges and initiate processing through automated communications. Refer to Event Based Communications for more information.
A quotation is available from the Data Entry page as soon as a job is saved. The quotation is updated automatically when users change the ordered items, provided the job is still 'Pending'.
Previewing rates
Use Preview Rates available from the Actions panel to view the rates that will be applied if the requested items are delivered before the life cycle state of the job order is set to 'In progressed'.
If the fulfillment scope of the job involves subscription services, then Preview Rates displays how the upcoming bill is affected by the completion of the task.
Prerequisites | The job must be 'Billable'. Life Cycle State must be 'Draft' or 'Pending'. |
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Previewing bills
The Preview Bill action can be used before a job is completed to view the items that will be included in the bill. Unlike Preview Rates and Job Quotation, the action can only be used once the items to be delivered have been finalized.
Prerequisites | The job must be 'Billable'. Life Cycle State must be 'In Progress' and 'Completed'. |
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Billing a job
Once a job is completed, use the Bill Job action to produce a bill and debit the customer's account. The following items are billed:
- 'Provided' subscription physical goods, e.g., a Roku box.
- 'Additional' physical goods, e.g., an antenna.
- 'Provided' expenses, e.g., a startup fee.
- 'Provided' activity services which were classified as 'Billable', e.g., an installation service.
Prerequisites | Life cycle state must 'Completed.' The job must be 'Billable'. All applicable rates are specified in the price plan selected in the job billing terms. The price plan rates for activity services are configured using 'Flat' and 'Tiered', duration based rates. |
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Using Quick Pay
The Quick Pay action available through the Bill Job modal supplements the method of creating payments through financial transactions and is used to quickly settle outstanding bill amounts.
Prepayment for jobs
Jobs support the model of prepayment, where a billable job can only be completed if account owners have enough funds to cover the total amount and pay for the job in advance. Prepayment is not handled by normal billing.
To set up your system to require prepayment, check the respective box in the billing term schemes.
Discounting jobs
There are two ways to offer discounts on jobs:
- Through price plans, based on purchased quantity or account conditions (e.g., VIP customers).
- Through additive discounts, which are applied based on job or account conditions, or selected by the agents creating the job by using the Provide Ad Hoc Discount action.
Use Provide Ad Hoc Discount available from the Actions panel and select a job discount that could be applied to the job.
Prerequisites | Life cycle state must be 'Draft', 'Pending' or 'In Progress'. The job is 'Billable' and not yet been billed. |
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Scheduling an activity for a job
Activities are small tasks or actions that are either stand-alone or must be completed as part of a larger project, for example, scheduling an appointment for an installation for a new subscription.
Use Schedule an Activity from the Actions panel to directly schedule an activity for a job.
Refer to the Activities manual for more information.
Prerequisites | Life cycle state must be 'In Progress'. The activity types which can be used for job activities are filtered on the allowed types specified in the job type. |
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Applying business flows on jobs
Selling physical goods
Goods are sold through jobs whose billing directive is set to "Billable".
Goods located in a 'Direct' or 'Indirect' sales warehouse are considered as sold and are billed.
Once the good is 'Provided' through a job, its ownership is transferred to the customer's account and can be viewed through the accounts receivable Assets section.Applicable Warranty Policies come into effect as soon as the item is added to the customer's account.
Accepting returned goods
Goods which were sold by the business are considered as returned by the customer when they are:
Provided and removed from the job before it was 'Completed' or 'Cancelled'.
- Returned using the Return Physical Good action, through the accounts receivable Assets screen.
Sold goods can be returned as long as they are not used by a subscription.
Once the good is returned, a credit note is created of the same value as was invoiced for the item. The item is removed from the account's list of assets but information on it is still accessible through the View Assets History action.
Replacing sold physical goods
Goods sold through a subscription and provided by using a 'Swap Subscription Installed Items' or 'Replace Physical Goods' fulfillment scope job type can be replaced.
When a good is replaced, the old good is removed from the contact's account assets and the new good is added.
Applicable policies are transferred to the replacement product.
Communicating jobs
Customers and agents remain in contact throughout the processing of a job. Preconfigured communication templates can be used to trigger messages when the life cycle state of a job is changed or to provide a revised job quote when ordered items are modified.
A job can also be communicated by using Communicate Job available through the Actions menu. You can use tags (text that is automatically replaced by values specific to selected records) related to jobs when creating communications. Tags are available for selection by typing '#'. Refer to the Communications manual for a comprehensive list of job tags.
Approving jobs
Jobs can be configured to require approval from a specific user before they are processed further, by setting up approval definitions and triggering workflow rules. Refer to Managing Approval Requests for more information.
Automation on jobs
Job processes can be automated by using Workflows. For example, you can use alerts to contact users or schedule activities when a job of a specific type is created. Refer to Workflows for more information.
Jobs Analytics
Segmenting jobs
Jobs with common business characteristics can be grouped together. Use the resulting lists in system business processes for the identification of customers or for simple statistical calculations.
For more information on segmentation and creating lists refer to Segmentation.
Dashboards
Dashboards make information regarding the key performance indicators of the progress of jobs available from a single integrated view. Dashboards are made up of components such as charts and summary tables. Refer to Dashboards for information on their use and set-up.
Dashboard components
New Jobs per Type And Month
The component displays jobs which were started in the last 12 months, in a vertical stacked bar chart, grouped by job type and month. The results can be filtered by job type.
Pending Jobs per Type
The component displays jobs that are not in a 'Completed' state, in a pie chart, grouped by job type. The results can be filtered by job type.
Completed Jobs per Type and Month
The component displays the jobs which were completed in the last 12 months, in a vertical stacked bar chart, grouped by job type and month. The results can be filtered by job type.
Overdue Jobs per Type
The component displays jobs whose processing completion is overdue (jobs that are not in a 'Completed' state and are past their expected completion date). The results are displayed in a stacked bar chart, grouped by job type and predefined period buckets (the difference between the current and expected completion date), and can be filtered by job type.
Non-Completed Jobs of Logged In User
The component displays a summary table with pending jobs, i.e., the jobs that are not in a 'Completed' state and are assigned to the logged in user. The results are sorted on expected completion date, starting from the date closest to the current date, and can be filtered by job type.
Reports
Jobs information can be extracted in a structured format for analysis by using reports. Users can select the fields displayed in the report and define the criteria for selecting and grouping the included jobs.
Refer to Reports for more information.
Jobs report
The report displays a list of jobs, their status, and additional information.
Job Business Examples
Company ZX satellite installations
Scenario 1.
Company ZX offers installation services to their subscribers at an extra cost. The services include installing new hardware and the tuning of decoders required for the PAY TV subscription.
Once an installation is completed the subscription must be activated.
Solution
Configuration
Configure a job type of scope 'New Subscription' that will include one mandatory activity type:
- Installation activity with installation service set to 'Mandatory' and 'Billable'.
User Process
- Create a job using the type configured above and add the requested subscription physical goods and services and the installation activity.
- Create the activity by saving it.
- Back office personnel is responsible to start the job and assign the activity.
- Once the installation activity is completed, the job can also be completed.
- Once the job is completed, a bill is issued and the subscription automatically activated.
Company ZX billing triple play installations
Scenario 2.
Company ZX wants to charge its customers for the services and goods required for a triple play installation.
Solution
When a triple play subscription is registered in the system, a job should be created that will provide and bill the required goods, services and installation.
Configuration
A job type (triple play installation) is set up in the system with the following configuration:
Available products:
- Wires
- Modems
- Smartcards
- Antennas
- Remote controls
- Decoders
User Process
Create a job of type triple play installation:
Select the products that the customer wants from those available. E.g., a smartcard and decoder.
From the job Activity Type page, create an activity of type 'Installation'.
- Add 2 hours for material delivery.
- Add 1 hour for the installation service.
- Set the activity status to 'In progress'.
- Save the activity.
Assign the job to a unit or user.
Bill the Job
The user will bill the job including provided physical goods and services.
The bill amount total will be the sum of:
- 1 * smartcard price.
- 1 * decoder price.
- 2 * the hourly rate for material delivery service.
- 1 * the hourly rate for installation service.
Company ZX New Subscription Rules
Scenario 3.
Company ZX allows subscription ordering. Orders can only be initiated by sales personnel. Once the order is underway the customer should be notified by email that the process has started and that they will be contacted for an installation appointment.
Solution
Configuration
- Communication Templates: Create a 'Start job progress' template and use /wiki/spaces/WIP/pages/10008341 to inform the contact that the order is underway and to expect to be contacted for the installation appointment.
- Job Type: Create a job type with a 'New Subscription' fulfillment scope.
- Event Based Communication: Jobs / Enable communication on start Progress and select Template 'Start Job Progress'.
Application
- Call center agents create a new order for the subscription.
- Sales unit users access jobs of state 'To be approved'.
- Sales unit users 'Start Progress'.
- The sales unit users can proceed with the job and add required physical goods.
- A communication is sent to the customer requesting an installation appointment.
Notes
- If you are using a previous release, view CRM.COM Release Changes.
- Use the WEB API to create and manage jobs from an external system, such as a customer portal. Refer to the Jobs WEB API for a comprehensive list of available actions.
Glossary
| CRM.COM Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Activity | Small task or action that is either stand-alone or must be completed as part of a larger project. |
| Communications | Log the interaction between customers and agents. Communications can support multiple communication media such as email, SMS, telephony, post and others. |
| Subscription | A selection of customer services billed on a recurring, usage or one-time basis. |
| Accounts Receivable | A ledger of the financial transactions carried out between a company and its customers, such as invoices and payments. The accounts receivable keeps a running balance of debits and credits and displays the amount a company is owed in exchange for goods supplied and services rendered. |
| Additive Discount | A discount generated when predefined conditions related to an accounts receivable, subscription or job are met and are applied automatically during billing or ad hoc by agents. |
| Warranty Policy | A set of rules that determine the application of warranties for physical goods (such as a free replacement for a specific period following the purchase). |
| Service Request | Request used to register problems that customers experience with their products and subscriptions and to check whether products are under warranty. |
| Physical Good | A tangible item that is provided to the customer, such as a camera, decoder or magazine (generally with exclusive ownership); can be traceable or non-traceable. |
| Traceable Physical Good / Installed Item | A physical good that can be traced through a unique identifier, usually a serial number. |
| Warehouse | A location where physical goods are stored before they are distributed or returned. |