Table of Contents
What are Jobs?
Jobs are small projects initiated by the operator for customers, involving the delivery and billing of Services and Physical Goods, as well as Activities. Customer requests and orders, such as that for a Subscription, are initiated and registered through a Job.
Jobs Glossary
Terms | Description |
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Fulfilment Scope | Determines the purpose that a Job is created for. It can be created for delivering a general purpose task, for creating a new Subscription, or for managing existing ones. There are several Fulfilment Scopes one can choose from, each with different business rules, characteristics and items that can be added to a Job. Th Fulfilment Scope is defined when creating Job Types and is then carried over to the Job once the Job Type is selected. |
Fulfilment Method | When creating a Job, a number of items are requested, and as the Job progresses, the requested items are selected to be delivered to the customer. Sometimes different items than those initially requested are delivered, e.g., If customers change their mind, or a product runs out of stock. The Fulfilment Method determines whether a Job must only include items that have been requested by the customer - Based on Ordered Items or whether additional items can be added, or removed - Based on Delivered Items |
Billing Method AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R10.0.0 | Determines, whether a Job can be billed as soon as the Job is in Progress or after it, is completed. |
Requested Items | Items requested by the customer, or required to complete the Job, that are added by agents when creating a new Job. These include Physical Goods, Subscription Services, Activities and Expenses. |
Provided Items | Items (actually) provided to the customer and which can be based on the Requested Items (or not). i.e. If the Fulfilment Method is Based on Ordered Items, then the exact items requested will be provided. If the Fulfilment Method is Based on Delivered Items, then the Provided items may be completely different to the ones that were requested |
Distributors | Distributors are used to:
As Jobs are used to deliver new Subscriptions or to manage existing ones, distributors must be selected at the point of order of either Subscription Services or Subscription devices (i.e. Decoders, smartcards e.t.c). |
Billing Directive | Determines whether or not a Job is billable, which is an attribute inherited by the Type. |
Billing Term | Represents the agreement between a customer and the company. It provides information with regards to billing. Billing Terms are created every time a Billing Term Scheme is added or updated on the Job |
Billing Term Scheme | Controls the creation or modification of Billing Terms. They provide information on the allowed options for Jobs, such as the Price Plans that can be used for billing, and also control Billing Engine processes by providing billing rules and policies that should be applied during Billing Runs |
Bill | A Bill is a statement of the amount of money owed for goods supplied and Services rendered issued against a customer financial account. A Bill is comprised of the Financial Transactions which were created by the system, for the account over the period it covers. |
Concurrent usage-based pricing | A percentage of the normal price agreed between the Service Provider and Customer, which is used to apply Price Plan rates based on the concurrent use of a provided Service and the number of the installed items that will be billed. For example:
Total = 80% * 100 * 15 |
Services | An intangible commodity which is provided to customers, on a one-off or recurring basis, such as telephony, TV channels, repairs, installations, deliveries, etc. In most cases, the customer does not have exclusive ownership of the purchased service but rather benefits from its outcome. |
Physical Goods | A tangible commodity which is provided to customers, such as cameras, decoders, magazines, etc. In most cases, the customer has exclusive ownership of the purchased good. Physical Goods can be traceable or not traceable. |
Traceable Physical Goods | Physical Goods that can be traced through a unique identifier, usually a serial number. |
Non-Traceable Physical Goods | Physical Goods which are not traced to a single instance and are measured based on their quantity. |
Subscription Physical Goods | Traceable Physical Goods that have been added to a Subscription |
Installed Items | Instances of traceable Physical Goods. |
Sold Physical Goods AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R10.0.0 | Physical Goods can be sold to a customer through a Job. Once the Physical Good is sold it belongs to the customer and can be viewed through the account's assets. Any changes made on the Physical Good through a non-Completed Job or a Job of Fulfilment Scope "Swap Installed Items" result to returning or replacing the Physical Good. To do so, a Stock-in Warehouse, and a Credit Invoice Transaction (in case the Physical Good was already billed by the System), are created. Physical Goods that belong to the customer can also be returned from the Accounts Receivable Assets section by using the dedicated action 'RETURN PHYSICAL GOOD'. Visit Handling Physical Goods Sales and /wiki/spaces/WIP/pages/10008548 for more information |
Jobs Key Processes and Concepts
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Fulfilment Method | The method that should be followed to fulfil the Job. The supported methods are the following:
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Fulfilment Scope | Fulfilment Scope must be selected when creating a new Job. The Job Type chosen from the Job Data Entry page provides specific rules for the Job. See the available Fulfilment Scopes and their use below.
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Providing Physical Goods through Jobs | Physical Goods can be provided and optionally billed through all scopes of Jobs.
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Providing Subscription Physical Goods | Subscription Physical Goods can be provided to the customer in three different ways:
The Agent must choose the appropriate tab, depending on the Type of Subscription Physical Good:
AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R10.0.0 - The same tab can be used regardless of how the Subscription Physical Good is added. The system will decide whether the selected item is going to be billed and moved to the customer's account. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Communicating Job status automatically to customers | Customers can be automatically notified by the system every time a major change occurs on the Job, via email or SMS. The content of the Communications can be defined by the business while using Job specific information by using the respective Communication Tags. Automatic Communication is optional and can be scheduled to take place at the following Job stages:
For more information on configuring Automatic Communication for Jobs visit
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Creating Jobs | Depending on the Fulfilment Scope, different information (Items) can be specified on a Job. Check the table below to see what can be added/amended for each Type.
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Restrict Job Orders based on Credit Limit Status AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R11.0.0 | The Accounts Receivable Credit Limit is the financial amount that your Organisation is willing to allow its customers to be in credit based on your business and financial rules. The Credit Limit is set individually on each Accounts Receivable and it is compared to the account's balance. If the Credit Limit is exceeded, then customers are blocked from performing any of the following actions on Jobs of all Job Types.
The default Credit Limit Rule of CRM.COM, can be overridden by defining your own Credit Rating Rules in the active Billing Term Job Definition. |
Jobs Access & Viewing Controls
Business Network Characteristics define the level of access for each record, i.e. whether it will be available for selection, viewing or editing.
Entity | Network Characteristics | Description |
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Jobs |
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Jobs Types |
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Job Statuses |
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Jobs Related Modules
Entity | Interaction with Entity |
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Accounts Receivable | Jobs are owned by an Accounts Receivable |
Subscriptions | Subscriptions can be created and maintained as part of a Job's task |
Activities | Activities can be scheduled to be performed for Jobs as subtasks. Activity Services can be optionally added to the Job which can also be billed if required |
Bills | Bills are created to invoice billable Physical Goods, Activity Services and Expenses |
Products | Services and Physical Goods are delivered through Jobs to customers |
Users & Units | Jobs are assigned to Units & Users, for the Job to be processed and completed |
Communications | Communications can be created through the Jobs Data Entry page, or automatically whenever a major change occurs at the Job |
Jobs - Business Examples
The following section provides business examples on how the CRM.COM Jobs module is used.
Company ZX Satellite Installations
Business Requirement
Company ZX offers installation services that subscribers can request, at an extra cost. These include the installation of new hardware required for the PAY TV subscription, such as the installation and tuning of a decoder.
Once installation is completed the Subscription must be activated.
CRM.COM 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 configured Type and add the Subscription Physical Goods and Subscription Services requested by the customer along with the Installation Activity
- The Activity is be created once saved
- Back Office personnel is responsible to start the Job and assign the activity
- Once the Installation Activity is completed, the Job can proceed for closing
- Once the Job is completed, a Bill is issued, and the Subscription is automatically activated
More Information can be found at Managing Jobs
Company ZX Billing for Triple Play Installations
Business Requirement
Company ZX wants to charge its customers for necessary Services and Goods when a new Triple Play Installation is requested.
CRM.COM Solution
When a Triple Play Subscription is registered in the system, a Job should be created that will provide and bill the required Goods and Services, including installation.
- Configuration
A Job Type is set up in the system with the following configuration (Triple Play Installation):
The following products are available:
- Wires
- Modems
- Smartcard
- Antennas
- Remote controls
- Decoders
- User Process
The User creates a Job of Type Triple Play Installation:
Select any of the available products that the customer wants. eg. Smartcard and decoder.
Through the Job create an activity of Type Installation.
- Add 2 hours on the time that was spent on material delivery
- Add 1 hours on the time that was spent on installation service
- Set the activity status to 'In progress'
- Save the activity
Assign the Job to a Unit or a User.
Bill the Job
The User will Bill the Job for the Physical Goods and the Services provided.
The results of the bill will be:
- 1*smartcard rate
- 1*decoder rate
- 2 * the hourly rate of material delivery service
- 1 * the hourly rate of installation service
More Information on Billing Jobs can be found at Managing Jobs
Company ZX New Subscription Rules
Business Requirement
Company ZX allows Subscription ordering. Only Sales Personnel are allowed to initiate the order. Once the order is initiated the customer must receive an email that the process has been started and that they will be contacted for the installation appointment
CRM.COM Solution
- Configuration
The following configuration must be set up in the system
- Communication Templates
- Create a Template: Start Job Progress and use Communication Tags, to inform the contact that the order process has been initiated and they will be contacted for the installation appointment
- Job Type:
- Create a Job Type with Fulfilment Scope: New Subscription
- Job Definitions:
- Job Type:
- Add New Subscription
- Approval settings
- Add the Job type
- Define Sales Unit in the approval authorisation
- Communication Setting
- Check next to Start Progress and select Template: Start Job Progress
- Job Type:
Application
- Call Centre agents create a new order for Subscription
- Sales unit Users access Jobs of state 'To be approved'
- Sales unit Users 'Start Progress' of the Job
- The Sales unit Users can proceed with the Job, to add required Physical Goods
- A Communication will be sent to the customer to request an installation appointment
- Communication Templates
More Information can be found at Managing Jobs
Related Areas