Appointment
The management of appointments has as its objective the scheduling of appointments and meetings to be carried out and to save a summary of those carried out.
Specific case of the Outlook synchronization:
The appointments resulting from Outlook are classified into two categories:
- The first category contains the appointments where the participants list is not entered. These appointments are simply saved as new events in the Outlook calendar.
- The second category concerns the appointments of which Outlooks spreads the synchronization with the different participants (for example: meeting request with pending acceptance and response).
From an Outlook point of view, the first category concerns the appointments (appointment) and the second category, the meetings (meeting).
From an X3 point of view, the processus carried out are the following:
- The circulation of an Outlook appointment belonging to the first category (appointment) to the representatives specified in the list of contacts,
- The circulation of an appointment created in Sage X3, to the person setting up the appointment and the co-workers (in their Outlook schedules).
- The update in Sage X3 of the recordings (appointments) for which the operator/representative connected is the main organizer.
In general, when a synchronization of Outlook appointments is started, the table of the X3 appointments is updated in parallel (creation or modification of the concerned recordings) and stores the information resulting from these Outlook appointments. Similarly, when a synchronization of X3 appointments is started, the Outlook appointments are then created or modified.
Only the "private" ticked Outlook contacts will not be generated as X3 contacts once the synchronization will be launched.
Notes:
The data concerning an Outlook contact are synchronized with an Outlook contact under certain conditions:
- The user must be a sales representative. As a reminder, the AUSCRMA setup (user level, CRM chapter, COL group) is used to combine with it a so-called commercial function, while the AUSCRMF setup (user level, CRM chapter, COL group) is used to assign a sales representative to it.
- The user must be authorized to start the synchronizations of Outlook and X3 appointments. In addition to the CRMSYNC and CRMSYNCCOR setups defined at folder level (CRM chapter, SYN group), the individual synchronization setups are to be defined for each user in the GESSYP function.
- The Outlook appointment concerned must be assigned to the user in charge of launching the synchronization.
List of the main standard fields impacted in one direction or the other during a synchronization of Sage X3 with Outlook:
X3 Appointment header | Detail of an Outlook appointment |
Chrono | AdxID |
BP | Company |
Carried out Yes/No | Status |
Appointment tab | Detail of an Outlook appointment (continued) |
Start | Start |
End | End time |
Persons to be visited | Contacts |
Appointment/meeting objective | Object |
Co-Workers tab | Detail of an Outlook appointment (continued) |
Intervening parties/Representatives | All participants |
Tab Report | Detail of an Outlook appointment (continued) |
Report | Report |
Prerequisite
Refer to documentation Implementation
Screen management
The additional functions accompanying the database information in order to ensure that these actions are organised in the best conditions,
Header
Presentation
An appointment can be generated in two different ways in Sage X3:
- Manually, directly from the GESBAP function (menu File/New)
- Automatically, during the synchronization of an Outlook appointment if the latter is active in the file (see the help on the CRMSYNC and CRMSYNCBAPparameters) and provided that the synchronization parameters of the current user allow it
The header screen is then used to identify a X3 appointment:
- by assigning it a chrono number. It is a unique key, that can be incremented automatically from the ACT sequence number counter or manually entered if the manual assignment of the ACT sequence counter number is authorized.
- By specifying a sales site by default. In general, the value of this zone depends on the profile function of the current operator but can in fine depend on automatic assignment rules of the representatives and sites (CRMDEFREP, CRMREPSIT and CRMREPBAPparameters, CRM chapter, REP group). In all cases, a site must necessarily be entered.
- By associating a BP code (Referenced BP in the BPARTNERledger).
- By associating it to a project. Various selection tools of a project are available from this field: The first contextual menu is used to display the list of projects managed either for the business partners or if no business partner is assigned, the contact. The second contextual menu "Project" allows the direct access to the object Project from which a choice can be made. The third contextual menu is used to select a project from a complete list of all the projects entered in the application.
- By assigning it a status. A task considered as closed can manually be ticked as "done". The task status default depends on the value of the general parameter DONDEFBAP (CRM chapter, DEF group), but remains modifiable.
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Fields
The following fields are present on this tab :
Block number 2
Block number 1
| This field indicates the site which is principally responsible for the management of the appointment/meeting in question. Several setups intervene in the default site preloading. It can be the site linked with the profile function of the current user or the site linked with the Sales rep in charge of the commercial action (CRMREPSIT setup, CRM chapter, REP group). |
| This field is used to store the unique key for the record. This key is calculated by the ACT sequence number counter. By default, this counter is made up of a sequence number made up of 15 characters. This sequence number counter is shipped by default with an automatic functioning, but its assignment can be manual. To ensure the correct functioning of the Task object, it is strongly advised to conserve these standard characteristics. The ACT sequence number counter is shared by the Tasks, Appointments, Calls and Actions objects. Indeed, this is used to exploit the functionality and the Crystal Report reports working with the notion of commercial activity in its broadest sense. |
| It is possible to indentify a meeting/appointment for all the different type of business partners. A field displayed with regard to the BP is used to know the BP type selected. |
| This field is used to identify the project for which the meeting/appointment is related. Various selection tools of a project are available from this field. The second contextual menu "Project" allows the direct access the Projects object and to carry out a specific selection. The second contextual menu is used to select a project among the list of all the project linked with the BP entered in the appointment header. The third contextual menu is used to select a project among the list of all the project linked with the contact entered in the appointment header. |
| This field changes the status of the meeting from "To do" to "Done". This modification mainly leads to the removal of the meeting from the workbench of the representative. |
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Tab Appointment
Presentation
The appointment tab is used to enter more detailed information concerning the current appointment as well as information concerning its progress (triggering event of the appointment, contacts list, objectives, etc.). Temporary information can notably be added (starting date, ending date, flexible date, time slot).
In the same way, the origin of an appointment is expected to change in time. To do so, it is possible to unlock by right-clicking on the Link field (triggering event), then by selecting an event type and a specific record.
Notes on the origin of an appointment:
The field Link of the Origin block displays the action at the origin of the appointment creation. The origin of the appointment can be a marketing campaign, a marketing operation in particular (mass mailing, call campaign, trade show or media campaign), a synchronization of Outlook appointments. The origin of an appointment can also be manual (direct creation from the Appointment object).
Whatever the origin of the appointment, it is still possible to unlock a posteriori the zone from the contextual menu available by right-click. Once the field entered is available, the user can modify the origin (selection of values from a checked list). For example, the fact of assigning an appointment to a marketing campaign is used to load returns statistics of this campaign.
Every appointment created in Outlook, then generated in Sage X3 following the launch of the synchronization processing, implies that the origin will take the value "synchronization". This provided that the synchronization parameters allow it (CRMSYNC and CRMSYNCBAP parameters, GESSYP function).
Main notes on the Outlook synchronization:
During an Outlook synchronization, the X3 fields impacted are the following (and vice versa) :
- Start
- End
- Persons to be visited/Contacts
- Creation of an Outlook appointment with a contact list. During the synchronization, several mechanisms should be noted, especially when the current operator is the person who sets the X3 appointment (Employee tab).
In X3, a list of people to be visited/contacts is managed in the "Appointment" tab (except for the tasks or calls). Then, the synchronization of an Outlook appointment with multiple contacts loads the people to be visited in the X3 appointment mirror field. If the Outlook contact added in the Outlook appointment is not yet known as Outlook contact in X3, during the synchronization, its corresponding record is created in parallel in Sage X3 and the mirror X3 appointment is generated only with its corresponding number (as no Outlook contact is generated, there is no contact code). It should also be noted that when the Outlook contact is already assigned to a BP of the X3 ledger, after the synchronization its syntax is the following in the Outlook task (Contacts field): DOMENECH, René (AIRFRANCE CARGO #AIRFRANCE#).
- Creation of a X3 appointment with a list of people to visit whereas the sales representative of the current user is a main organizer involved in the appointment.
During the synchronization, an Outlook appointment is created in the calendar of the sales representative/organizer. The list of the Outlook contacts is therefore updated depending on the list of the people to visit on the source X3 appointment.
- Creation of a X3 appointment with a list of people to visit whereas the sales representative of the current user is a main organizer involved in the appointment.
During the synchronization, an Outlook appointment is created in the calendar of the sales representative/organizer. The list of the Outlook contacts is however not updated: this list is empty.
- Objective
Objective of the appointment during the synchronization with Outlook:
A contact with an object is created in Outlook and then synchronized with Sage X3. A recording is then created in the Outlook contact table in X3. The Outlook comment has been duly stored in X3 as Clob. Using this current recording, the user can modify the text or add successive comments (modification of the field Objective of the X3 task appointment) that will be transferred to Outlook with each synchronization. This also applies on the Outlook side: any modification of the comments will be transferred at the time of a synchronization. This provided that the synchronization parameters allow it (CRMSYNC and CRMSYNCBAP parameters, GESSYP function).
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Fields
The following fields are present on this tab :
Technical
Planning
| This field holds the specified start date of the meeting. The duration of the meeting (expressed in hours) is automatically calculated according to the start and end of the meeting. |
| This field holds the specified start time of the meeting. The duration of the meeting (expressed in hours) is automatically calculated according to the start and end of the meeting. |
| This field contains an aid to help with the entry of start and end dates. If the user ticks this field, the date and time fields are automatically set to represent a meeting for an entire day taking place from the start date. The length of the meeting is also recalculated based on this modification. |
| This field holds the specified end date of the meeting. The duration of the meeting (expressed in hours) is automatically calculated according to the start and end of the meeting. |
| This field holds the specific end time of the meeting. The duration of the meeting (expressed in hours) is automatically calculated according to the start and end of the meeting. |
| A meeting can be planned with a flexible date. When the user modifies this field, the Date and Time fields are purged. It is possible to enter an estimated duration for the meeting. |
| If the meeting is planned for a specific date, this field will automatically show the duration of the meeting. The field is then not accessible in modification mode. If the meeting is planned without a fixed date, the user is invited to enter a planned duration for the meeting. |
| The duration of the meeting (expressed in hours) is automatically calculated as a function of the start and end of the meeting. |
| The category is used to group or to distinguish the appointments for the purposes of statistics or identification. In addition, it is the support for the management of absences. In fact, some appointment categories can be associated to the concept of absence. (Sickness, Holiday...) |
Table Contacts to Visit
| This field is used to identify up to 10 contacts for a meeting. These contact can be selected either among the contacts associated to a BP or among all the contacts described in the application. On each line in the contact table, the contact field has the following tools available: The first contextual menu named "Selection" makes it possible to select a contact among those having a link to the BP mentioned. If no BP is entered, this function returns nothing. The second contextual menu named "Contacts" is used to access directly to the Contact object from which a choice can be made. The third contextual menu named "Contact selection"makes it possible to select a contact from the complete list of all the contacts entered in the application. |
| Recalls the complete identity of the contact entered in the grid of people to be visited during the appointment. |
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| An appointment/meeting can be attached to a corresponding sequence number. This sequence number can be selected manually directly from the field or pre-loaded according to the contact sequence number entered in the grid mentioning the people to meet during the appointment. As a reminder, the contact management function is used within the framework of the synchronization function of Sage X3 Enterprise with Outlook. Contacts can be defined in Outlook independently from Sage X3. This means that they are not included in the contact reference base. When an Outlook synchronization is launched, the Outlook contact table is used to store temporarily the information coming from these Outlook contacts since they do not exist as contacts in the database yet. Further on, a contact generation function, available from the toolbar of the GESCOR function, is used to combine an Outlook contact with a contact. The sine qua non conditions, used to automatically create and update Outlook contacts further to an Outlook synchronization, are the activation of the general synchronization setups (CRMSYNC, CRMSYNCBAP and CRMSYNCCOR, CRM module, SYN group) and the implementation of the personal setups, dedicated to a specific user (GESSYP function). |
Goal of the Appointment
| This text file field is used to enter the objective of the appointment. Within the framework of an appointment coming from the Outlook appointments synchronization, the objective is loaded from the original Outlook appointment object. |
Source
| Date on which the commercial action was created. This field is not modifiable. |
| Time at which the commercial action was created. This field is not modifiable. |
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| This is the code of the operator at the origin of the creation of the commercial action. This field is not modifiable. |
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| When the origin of an appointment is a marketing campaign or a marketing operation, this field displays the linked record number. |
| When the origin of an appointment is a marketing campaign or a marketing operation, the number of the original document is not only displayed, but a line number in the record can also be associated. |
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Tab Employees
Presentation
It is possible to declare up to 10 employees taking part in a meeting. These people can be selected from amongst the sales representatives defined in the application.
On the confirmation of the appointment/meeting creation, a check for time conflicts with respect to appointments/meetings already scheduled is carried out for each sales representative involved in the meeting.
If the principal sales representative for the appointment (the first in the list of employees involved) has a conflict with another meeting, the following message is displayed and the creation is refused:
"The main employee is not available for the chosen date "
If at least one of the additional sales representatives are found to be in conflict with another meeting, the following message is displayed and the creation is also refused:
"Certain employees are not available for the required date"
All sales representatives in conflicts are then displayed in red.
At this stage of the creation, the user must resolve the conflicts.
In the case where a single sales representative has a conflict, the user can either:
- Select another sales representative
- Modify the appointment date
- Or abandon the creation of the meeting and attempt to reschedule the meeting involved.
In the case where certain additional sales representative have conflicts, the user can attempt to resolve the conflicts without abandoning the appointment entry. He can use one of the sales representatives in the Conflict detail contextual menu. A window then displays the list of the sales representatives and the appointments with whom they are in conflict. To resolve each conflict, the user can use the contextual menu called Un-schedule the sales representative involved in the appointment. This function is used to automatically remove the sales representative from the list of employees involved in the meeting/appointment with conflicts.
However, this function does contain a restriction. To be able to automatically un-schedule, the sales representative must not be the principal employee for the meeting/appointment in conflict. In this case, the user receives the message: "Impossible to un-schedule this employee. He is the principal employee involved in this appointment/meeting" and the conflict must be resolved in the same way as for the appointment principal employee.
Time conflict control
During a modification, the time conflict control is carried out in exactly the same way as for the creation.
Notes on the synchronization with Outlook:
Finally, an appointment in X3 can be associated with one or several intervening parties (sales representatives referenced in the database) that still has/have no associated "Outlook contact" record(s). If the sales representative associated with the connected user is the main organizer of the X3 appointment, upon synchronization of the appointment, the Outlook contact records of the other intervening parties will be generated with type "Sales Rep". This means that, in parallel, the X3 intervening parties will share the appointment and the Outlook calendar will be loaded accordingly with a new event (if they are authorized to use the Outlook synchronization).
If the sales representative associated with the connected user is only an intervening party of the X3 appointment, upon synchronization of the appointment, the Outlook contact records of the other intervening parties will not be generated.
Fields
The following fields are present on this tab :
Block number 1
| Code for the representative who is considered to be the organizer for the appointment and thus the principal participant. |
Table Consultants
| It is possible to declare up to 10 employees taking part in the meeting. These people can be selected among the sales representatives defined in the application. |
| Commercial function of the representative (AUSCRMA parameter). |
Functions accessed by right-clicking the grid
Appt Conflict Detail
This menu is used to assign an appointment/meeting to a secondary sales representative.
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Tab Location
Presentation
The Appointment/meeting object contains a tab "Location" that is used to save the exact location of the meeting.
Three types of addresses are possible from the local menu 955 values:
- At the customer location.
- At our locations.
- Other
By default the system assigns this tab with the address type At the customer. If a BP is assigned for the appointment, the address displayed is the BP's default one. If no BP is mentioned, the address displayed is that of the first contact mentioned on the appointment record.
The user is free to define the appointment as being At our locations. In this case, the system displays the default address of the first sales representative involved in the appointment.
If none of these addresses corresponds to the location, the user can select Other. The screen is then cleared to allow the user to enter the actual address of the appointment.
In the first line of the address, the menu Other addresses is used to view other BP addresses or even to enlarge the selection.
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Fields
The following fields are present on this tab :
Block number 1
| Three address types are possible: At the customer location. At our premises. Other. By default, the system assigns this tab with "At Customer Location" . If a BP is assigned for the appointment, the address displayed is the BP's default one. If no BP is mentioned, the address displayed is that of the first contact mentioned on the appointment record. The user is free to declare the appointment "At our location". In this case, the system displays the default address of the first sales representative involved in the appointment. If none of these addresses corresponds to reality, the user can select "Other". The screen is then cleared to allow the user to enter the actual address of the appointment. |
| This free field is used to give a short additional description for the appointment address. |
Appointment Address
| This is the country code attached to the address either for the business address, or the primary contact, or the first representative from the list in the case of an automatic assignment of the address. This field is controlled as a function of the Country table. |
| The location of the appointment automatically checked generally comes from a default address. If this address does not correspond to the real location of the meeting, a contextual menu "Other addresses" is used to select another address. |
| This is the postal code linked to the address of either the BP, the first contact, or the first sales representative of the list, in the case of an address automatic assignment. The postal code, whose entry format is defined in the Country table, is used to define the town/city and the geographical subdivision if it is defined for the country. The control of this information and its mandatory nature depend on the setup performed in the country management. In order for the control to be applied, the POSCOD - Nonexistent postal code alert parameter (SUP chapter, INT group) must also be set to "Yes". Specific cases: - For ANDORRA, enter 99130 |
| The city automatically proposed is the one associated with the postal code previously indicated. It is also possible to manually enter the name of a town/city: Notes:
This is the code of the town/city linked to the address of either the BP, the first contact, or the first sales representative of the list, in the case of an address automatic assignment. |
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| This is the code of the subdivision linked to the address of either the BP, the first contact, or the first sales representative of the list, in the case of an address automatic assignment. |
| This is the default telephone number either for the business address, or the primary contact, or the first representative from the list in the case of an automatic assignment of the address. The format of this field is controlled as a function of the Country table. |
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Tab Resource
Presentation
It is possible to set aside several resources for the same meeting.
A reservation must be carried out by using the contextual menu Resources reservationfor the Reservation field.
The user is taken directly to the resource reservations object. It is possible to consult using the left list, the most recent reservations carried out.
To create a new reservation, it is sufficient to click on the button . A reservation record is then automatically assigned with the following information:
- The reservation dates are identical to the start and end dates of the meeting.
- The name of the person that has carried out the reservation is assigned.
- The reservation date is assigned.
The user is invited to select a resource via the contextual menu Selection of the "Resources" field. The resource category is assigned automatically to the reservation record.
The user can also directly save a new resource reservation from the contextual menu New reservation, accessible from the Reservation field.
A click on the button is used to return to the Appointment/meeting object. To confirm the reservation, the user must tab to the Reservation field or validate the line in the reservations grid.
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Fields
The following fields are present on this tab :
Table
| It is possible to set aside several resources for the same meeting. A reservation must be carried out using the "Resources reservations" contextual menu of the "Reservation" field (or directly from the "New reservation" menu). The user is taken directly to the resource reservations object. It is possible to inquire using the left list, the most recent reservations carried out. To create a new reservation, it is necessary to click on the "New" button. A reservation record is then automatically assigned with the following information: The reservation dates are identical to the start and end dates of the meeting. The name of the person that has carried out the reservation is assigned. The reservation date is assigned. The user is invited to select a resource via the contextual menu "Selection" of the "Resources" field. The resource category is assigned automatically to the reservation record. A click on the "End" button is used to return to the meeting object. To validate a reservation, the user must either tab to the "Reservation" field, or validate the line in the reservation grid. |
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| Date de début de la réservation de la ressource. On the creation of the reservation, the start date is initialized as a function of the appointment start date. |
| Start time for the reservation of the resource. |
| End time for the reservation of the resource. On the creation of the reservation, the end date is initialized as a function of the appointment end date. |
| Start time for the reservation of the resource. |
| Name of the representative that reserved the resource. |
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Tab Report
Presentation
The Report tab is used to enter closing comments on meetings and is also used to evaluate the satisfaction level.
Main notes on the Outlook synchronization:
During a synchronization with Outlook, the field X3 Report impacts the detail of the Outlook mirror appointment. Andvice versa.
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Fields
The following fields are present on this tab :
Block number 1
| This text file field is used to enter a complete report of the appointment considered accomplished. In the case of an Outlook task synchronization with Sage X3, the detail entered on an Outlook appointment is directly impacted on the time report of the mirror X3 appointment. The opposite is also valid. |
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Block number 2
| When a commercial action is completed, it is recommended to record if the objective has been reached. This information can the be used later to establish the statistics to help with the progressive improvement of the different teams efficiency |
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Reports
By default, the following reports are associated with the function :
BUSINESS1 : Sales activities/date
BUSINESS2 : Sales Activity/Sales Rep
This can be changed by a different setup.
Menu Bar
Plan / Actions / Call
It is possible toplan a call from the appointment/meeting function.
Plan / Actions / Task
It is possible to plan a Task from the appointment/meeting function.
Save / Actions / Call
It is possible to save a call from the appointment/meeting function.
Save / Actions / Task
It is possible to save a Task from the appointment/meeting function.
Save / Actions / Project
It is possible to save a Project from the appointment/meeting function.
Save / Actions / Service Request
It is possible to save a Service request from the appointment/meeting function.
Itinerary / Appointment
Itinerary / Entire Day
Itinerary / Week
Itinerary / Month
Option / Journal traceability
Error messages
In addition to the generic error messages, the following messages can appear during the entry :
No sales representative has been assigned. Creation is refused.
This message is displayed if no sales representative has been assigned to the appointment/meeting and that the automatic assignment at the time of the creation has failed.
No Sales representative has been mentioned.
This message is displayed when the confirmation of the modification of an appointment/meeting happens as follows: no sales representative has been entered for the appointment/meeting and the automatic assignment has failed.
The week number is incorrect.
This message is displayed if a week number less than 1 or greater than 52 has been entered in the Week field.
This contact has already been entered.
This message is displayed if the user has attempted to enter the same contact twice in the list of people involved in the appointment/meeting.
This employee has already been entered.
This message is displayed if the user has attempted to enter the same sales representative twice in the list of employees involved in the meeting/appointment.