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Module Overview
Welcome to Tools, Methods, and Resources for Configuration
The purpose of this module is to introduce participants to Siebel including: Product Suites, Core Modules, Extended Modules, and Vertical Suites.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
Explain the purpose of each of Siebel’s product suites
Identify different ways that Siebel can be configured to meet client needs
Identify Siebel training curriculum
I know you probably know what BIM or the Business Integration Methodology is and have probably already used BIM.
Accenture has created a BIM Extension that deals with Siebel and the CRM marketplace. The BIM Extension introduces delivering and managing phases that are specific to Siebel and other CRM implementations. It is an important tool and valuable resource.
The customized methodology is considered an “extension” of BIM. This means that the Business Integration Methodology was used as the framework for this customized methodology, so it has the same look and feel as the BI Methodology Guide. It uses an Internet Explorer based methodology browser that provides links for simplified navigation. It also consists of an excel estimating tool as well as paper-based references containing additional Siebel or CRM knowledge.
This methodology was created to:
IMPROVE consistency and efficiency of solution delivery for CRM packaged solutions
IMPROVE accuracy and consistency of job estimates
LEVERAGE the knowledge of successful projects and make it readily available to the practice.
BIM consists of four phases:
Planning identifies an organization’s most valuable opportunities and formulates plans for realizing those opportunities (purple boxes)
Delivering puts the plans into action by building and deploying new capabilities based on the opportunities and plans defined during the Planning Phase (red boxes)
Operating achieves and sustains the desired business targets. (green boxes)
Managing provides the continuous guidance needed to keep an initiative on track and to ensure that it delivers value. (blue boxes)
This methodology, just like BIM, consists of the following:
Stages are used to organize the processes within a Phase around critical decisions and checkpoints for organizational commitment. For example, within the delivering phases we have the analysis stage, design stage, build & test stage and deploy stage.
Task Packages are the key components of the methodology. They organize material around required deliverables. The Task Packages form the basis for project planning and estimating. For example, within the Build & Test stage, a Task Package would be Build & Test Interface Components.
Tasks provide further detail on the work performed within a Task Package. Tasks provide the lowest level of detail for estimating work and defining the deliverables in the methodology. Within the Task Package Build & Test Interface Components, a Task would be Generate Interface Modules.
Deliverables store and share the information generated from the Task Packages and Tasks.
Job Aids contain the detailed information to support stages, Task Packages or Tasks. The information within Job Aids cover techniques, guidelines, entry/exit criteria and other information related to performing work.
Estimating Guide allows projects to estimate the work effort to implement a business capability involving the Siebel software package. The Siebel Solution Delivery Estimator develops Workday and Hour Estimates using a high-level approach.
We have not customized all of these phases, rather we have just focused on two, the Managing & Delivering Phases since the tasks in these phases are the ones we actually do on a CRM Package Software Implementation project.
The methodology extension consists of:
Customized BIM Managing and Delivering phases
A design that supports CRM Packaged Software solution delivery (e.g. Siebel, Vantive , Aurum), but is specific to Siebel at the lowest level in this release
And contains a number of job aids
BIM terminology for consistency (e.g. we deliver capabilities via releases, NOT just a system or application).
New concepts that are key to BI, but they may not have done on projects before (e.g. BI Blueprint, Business Performance Model).
Content specific to Siebel and use CRM terminology when applicable.
Extension is stand-alone—Some content that comes from BIM without any changes is included because the authors felt it was important for users to have access to this information (e.g. many BIM job aids). Other BIM content (e.g. Program and Journey Management) can only be reached through links to BIM
In this example, the release strategy is to first have a Pilot in which 35 or so users receive the application, test it, and provide feedback for the general release.
You will notice that as the Pilot goes live, the development for the next release begins.
Each release offers expanded functionality, users, and interfaces.
A release often takes between 4 – 6 months to implement and a release strategy usually has no more than 6 months between releases. Call centers are the exception as they often require more technology, more training and more functionality.
Planning Phase — Typically lasts between 2-8 weeks. Factors that will lengthen the time of the planning phase are whether software hasn’t been selected, conducting a Selling Effectiveness diagnostic, and Conducting a Call Center health check.
Process Design — Typically lasts between 2-8 weeks. If you are just documenting the processes, 2-4 weeks is the usual amount of time. If you are creating new processes, 8 weeks is more likely.
Detailed Design — Typically lasts between 2-8 weeks. Always should overlap with Process Design and Build phases. It is usually an iterative process with participation from key stakeholders, SMEs, and user groups. Effort will vary based on how much detail is required in the design specifications documents, adjust for experience of configuration team (i.e., More experienced configurators require less detail, less experienced configurators require more detail). If configuration is complex due to difficult requirements that are not a clear fit with the application, designing will take longer.
Build — Typically lasts between 4-12 weeks. If there are not many changes/differences from vanilla, the effort is often 4 weeks, especially if the solution center is being used. Consider how many iterations will be produced for review sessions. It is recommended that you should throw in a little more time to do the "last" iteration, since often when the build ends here, you’ll inevitably have some last minute changes.
Plan — Typically lasts 2-4 weeks. The Design Lead will usually create the System test scripts, expected results, and business scenarios that will test all functions in a real business environment.
This diagram shows a typical project team structure. Let’s briefly discuss the high-level roles of project management, Functional, Human Performance and Technical Roles.
If you were a Project Manager you would be responsible for overseeing all teams. Some of your specific tasks include maintaining the budget as well as creating and monitoring the project timeline.
If you were a in a functional role, some of the high level roles may include:
gathering requirements as well as analyzing those requirements to Siebel functionality. Another role may include creating test conditions as well as executing test scripts. You could be designing and building the Siebel application based on the functional requirements or responsible for delivering a unit tested application to system test. You may perform one or all of these roles on a typical projects as a member of the functional team.
The human performance team is responsible for developing the application training as well as delivering the sponsorship and communication plan. They also produce the implementation or user rollout plan.
Members of the technical team’s roles may include:
reviewing the client’s existing infrastructure and producing a conceptual Siebel architecture that fits within the existing infrastructure or Designing the development, execution and operations architectures. They may also build the development and execution environments and perform hardware capacity planning reviews. They may also Execute performance tests or build software installs and organize the application rollout.
As you can see each area has its own project responsibilities and combining all these areas should produce a successful Siebel Integration. Since you will most likely begin on the Functional Team, let’s look at each role within this team.
A functional/application lead is usually an experienced consultant. Their responsibilities include completing the high-level detailed design, monitoring that configuration coordinates with the technical requirements as well as functional requirement, monitoring system and integration test cycles, and ensuring the necessary supporting documentation gets created.
A configuration lead is normally a consultant – their roles include managing the configuration development and component test, they are also managing the configurators and should be available to answer any questions or help with any configuration issues. They also ensure standards are maintained and work with the Functional Lead to develop the detailed design.
The configurator is usually an analyst or somebody new to a Siebel project. A configurator is responsible for configuring the application using Siebel Tools and conducting the necessary unit testing of all configured components. They also may configure reports and execute system test, as well as write visual basic or escript within the Siebel Application. Keep in mind, on one role a configurator may spend all of their time configuring the application, where on another project a configurator may be responsible for creating reports or writing scripts. As a configurator it is good to become proficient in all of these skill sets.
Some configuration guidelines for business components are as follows:
Modify, rather than copy, business components and business objects, except in the following instances:
You should Create a new business component or business object and if it is a completely new construct that serves a role unlike any existing object definition. For example, you may need to create a new business component or business object when you add a new custom extension table to the database.
You should Copy a business component if you need that business component to appear twice in a business object—for example, Accounts and Sub Accounts in the same view.
You should Copy a business component if each copy of the business component must contain different search specifications and field-level PreDefaultValues. A copy may be needed even though the business components may not appear in the same business object. However, depending on your specific requirements, you may be able to set up search specifications on a link or an applet.
When you create new business components, avoid copying specialized business components, unless you want to create an identical copy of the original business component and plan to make only very minimal changes. The underlying behavior of the new business component remains the same as the original business component.
Exercise caution when copying business components. Some special functionality will only work on the standard business component object, and a copy with a different name may lose one or more unique features provided by the specialized C++ class, which searches for the standard object name.
For similar reasons, do not copy a specialized business component if you only need to reproduce an isolated feature associated with that business component. For example, the Create Opportunity button on the Campaign Contact applet cannot be copied onto another contact applet to reproduce the behavior associated with it. The behavior of the button is defined by the CSSFrameCampaignContactList applet class and the CSSBCCampaignContact business component class, and it will work only in a view based on the Campaign business object and when the parent applet is based on the Campaign business component.
The Upgrade Ancestor property works in the following way.
You can create a copy of an existing object (applets, business components, integration objects, and reports) and specify an Upgrade Ancestor. When application developers copy an existing object they can specify its upgrade ancestor. During an upgrade the copied object will be upgraded the same way as the original. This reduces the time and cost of adjusting an application after an upgrade, and also supports parallel development by allowing some objects that are in frequent contention to be copied.
Modify, rather than copy, an applet, unless you are making extensive modifications to the applet. This avoids having to change all references of that applet to the new copy.
The following are examples of situations in which you might need to copy an applet:
When you must extensively modify an existing applet.
When you need a Read Only copy of an existing applet.
Design and configuration projects should produce a consistent and intuitive user interface. Applets that display the same business component should be consistent across different screens and views where possible. For example, the contact list displayed for an opportunity should be consistent with the contact list displayed for an account. Reuse applet definitions between different views and screens where possible. Obvious exceptions include redundant fields and fields that are relevant only to the current master business component. For example, you would display the contact’s account information when displaying opportunity contacts, but not when displaying account contacts. This recommendation does not necessarily apply when comparing list and form applets. When space is limited, it may be practical to include list columns at the end of a list applet that are not displayed on the associated form applet.
Do not modify or delete applets that are not used in your implementation. Also, you do not need to set the Inactive property for the definition to TRUE. Simply leave the applet as defined, and do not include it in any views. You incur minimal overhead from the unused applets during compilation.
The following are general naming recommendations for applets:
Name all new applets with a prefix that identifies your company. For example, ABC Incorporated could name a new applet ABC Opportunity List Applet.
Avoid using special characters in applet names. Use only alphanumeric characters.
Applet names should be meaningful. Avoid adding a number suffix (for example, ABC Opportunity List Applet 2) to an applet name. For example, if the applet differs because it does not allow drill down, then indicate this in your applet name (ABC Opportunity List Applet - Without Drill Down).
Initial-capitalize applet names, for example, Account List Applet rather than account list applet.
If your implementation does not use a view definition provided by Siebel, use the Responsibility List Administration view to disassociate the redundant view from any responsibilities used by your organization. Inactivation or deletion of the view definition is not required. This approach helps to reduce the amount of configuration that you need to maintain and upgrade. It also provides for an easy upgrade path should you decide to expose the view in a later phase. At that time no configuration or software upgrade would be required; you would merely reassign the view to the relevant responsibility.
The following are general recommendations for view naming:
Name a new view using a prefix that identifies your company. For example, a new view created for ABC Incorporated could be named ABC Opportunity Detail - Tasks View.
View names should be meaningful. Avoid naming new views by adding a number suffix to an existing name (for example, Opportunity List View 2). If the view differs because it is read only, then indicate this in your view name (for example, ABC Opportunity List View - Read Only).
Initial-capitalize view names, for example, Opportunity List View rather than opportunity list view.
There are three different titles displayed for a view, as follows:
Title bar of the Siebel application window. The title appears in the title bar, prefixed by the application name and a hyphen, as in Siebel Sales - Account List View. This is specified in the Title property of the view.
View bar tab. In the View bar in the appropriate screen, the tab that navigates to this view. This is specified in the Viewbar Text property of the corresponding screen view object definition.
Screens menu sub-option. In the Screens menu, as a sub-option of the appropriate screen, the menu option that navigates to this view. This is specified in the Menu Text property of the corresponding screen view object definition.
Keep these three title definitions consistent for one view. If at all possible, the text should be identical in all
three.
Siebel Vanilla Application and Tools - Find the answers to “how to” types of questions for desired functionality. For example, if you are trying to configure a complex relationship between objects but are unsure how, look for a similar relationship in the vanilla application and investigate how the objects are built within Tools. When troubleshooting errors you should try to reproduce them in the vanilla application. This will help determine if the error is related to customization or an actual product defect.
Siebel Bookshelf - With Siebel 7 each project team is also provided with Siebel Bookshelf which provides several manuals in the form of .pdf files. These guides include Installation and Upgrade Guides, Application Guides, Administration Guides and Reference Manuals. It uses key word searches to ease navigation through these files.
www.siebel.com - Siebel’s homepage (www.siebel.com) provides access to its Worldwide Services links, its technical support links are especially interesting.
Siebel Technical Account Manager (TAM) - Most projects are assigned a Siebel TAM who is responsible for maintaining the Siebel/client relationship and helping their clients resolve issues.
Siebel Training Courses - A list of Siebel’s education courses, including descriptions, is provided on its web site by accessing www.Siebel.com and clicking on Siebel Education. Most web based courses are free of charge to accenture personnel.
BIM Siebel Extension - The CRM Practice has modified the Accenture Business Integration Methodology (BIM) to reflect tasks and deliverables specific to Siebel implementations. In addition to Accenture methodology the BIM Siebel Extension provides many job aids that address best practices, standards and guidelines written by subject matter experts (SME) from the CRM Practice.
Team Members - Be sure to work with your team members, including those from different competencies. Often, an issue or task you are faced with can easily be addressed by someone on your team. For example, if you are on the technical team and have a question regarding the data model or visibility, chances are someone on the process team knows the answer as designing and building the application requires knowledge about the data model and visibility rules.
CRM Practice Aid - Within the CRM Practice Aid you will find both SMEs and people with similar project experiences who can help you resolve issues or explore creative solutions to satisfy client requirements.
Siebel Training Materials – Be sure to reference your course materials, such as this training, to resolve future questions or concerns.
Now that you have completed this module, you should be able to:
Explain the purpose of each of Siebel’s product suites
Identify different ways that Siebel can be configured to meet client needs
Identify the Siebel training curriculum