Marketing Campaigns

Step 1 / 8:Welcome message

Step 2 / 8:Enter the mailing characteristics

This step opens a new window, used to enter the different information required for the mass mailing operation description.

The wizard automatically checks the Site and Currency fields.

Upon validation of the entered information, the wizard controls the presence of a currency code and a description.

If these conditions are respected, the is activated.

General points on selections :

The marketing wizards are used to define two selection types :

• The BP selections
• The contact selections

A BP selection is used to obtain a BP sample. The selection criteria used are either the fields that makeup the BP file or the fields that makeup the Prospects/Customers file.

A Contact selection functions in two different fashions.

If a Contacts selection accompanies a BP selection, the Contact sample obtained contains all the contacts that correspond to the selection criteria and that have at least one link with the BP sample records.

If a Contact selection is carried out in an independent fashion, the sample contains all the contacts that correspond to the selection criteria entered.

In all cases, the selection criteria used are the fields that make up the Contacts file.

The mass mailing wizard offers three different selection possibilities :

• Entry of a BP selection along with a Contacts selection
• Entry of a BP selection only
• Entry of a contact selection only

These possibilities put together samples of different natures. Certain sample groups contain BPs, others the contacts.

The sample obtained on using method 1 contains contacts.
The sample obtained on using method 2 contains business partners.
The sample obtained on using method 3 contains contacts.

Step 3 / 8:Master record selection entry

This step opens a new window that is used to enter the criteria relative to obtaining a business partner sample.

The top part of the window contains a Criteria entry file field. This field is used to determine the file containing the fields that will be used as selection criteria.

  It is not possible to combine the criteria coming from the BP file and the Prospects/customer file at the same time.To achieve this, it is necessary to have first described the two selections and then carry out either a union or an intersection.

This window is used to carryout different choices :

• Enter selection criteria to obtain a sample of BPs sharing certain characteristics.
• Recover an old selection filter.
• Do not carry out any BP selection.
• Select all the BPs or all the prospects/customers.

A button is available for each of these choices :

 This button is used to access an entry window for the criteria.

This window is used to enter up to five criteria for a file.

A complete criterion is made up of a file name, a field name, the operator and the condition. For example, if a user want to select all the banks and all the manufacturers in a specific industry in the database, he/she can enter the following criteria :

Each of these five possible criteria can be associated with an AND or an OR.

When a field is associated with an object, a local menu or even a miscellaneous table, the condition must correspond to the code stored in the field and not to its meaning.

Nevertheless, it is often almost impossible to remember the code corresponding to a certain title in a local menu for example.

The Condition field brings a solution to this problem. A "Selection" contextual menu displays the list of all the titles in a local menu or in a miscellaneous table associated with the field used as a criterion.

In the case of an object, a list of the records is proposed.

If the user selects one of the titles, the corresponding code (or the key) is automatically assigned in the condition field.

 This button is used to recover a complete selection filter previously defined.

  This function is used to recover the description of a selection filter and not the contents of the corresponding sample.

The new window displays the list of all the BP selections described in the application. If the user selects one of them from this list, certain useful items of information are available :

• The date to which this selection was defined
• The file used. This can either be a BP file or a Prospect/client file.
• The number of records that make up the sample.
• The complete description of the criteria selection.

The grid displayed in the lower half of the screen contains the selected sample. This list can be used to verify the coherence of the sample contents.

A click on the button applies the selected filter for the BP selection currently being defined.

The complete description of the filter is displayed in the Criteria field.

The user must then click on the button to trigger the effective construction of the requested sample.

 This button must be used when the user doesn't wish to carryout the BP selection. No BP sample will then be generated in this case.

The button of the wizard is activated in order to move on immediately to the entry of a Contacts selection.

 This button is used via a simple click to construct a BP sample.

If the Criteria entry file field contains the BP identifier, the generated sample will contain the list of all the BPs defined in the application.

If the Criteria entry file field contains the identifier Prospects/Customers, the generated sample will contain the list of all the prospects or customers defined in the application.

 This button is used to exit the BP selection definition window by confirming the validity of the operations carried out.

This button is only active if the wizard detects the presence of a correctly defined selection filtered.

A click on this button closes the window and activates the button in order to pass to a Contacts selection, if required.

 The criteria entry confirmation loads the BP type selections history defined in the application (conditional on the wizard being totally executed).This criteria description will then be re-used for a later operation.

Step 4 / 8:Addressee selection entry

This step opens a new window used to define the characteristics for the Contacts selection.

Three possible scenarios can exist for this step:

1/ A BP selection has been defined in the previous step and the user wishes to define a Contacts selection

As for the BP selection, the user has three different methods available to define a selection filter.

• Enter one or more selection criteria: button
• Recover an existing selection filter: button
• Select all contacts: button

It is also possible to decide which address to use for mass mailing.

The user has a choice between the three following options :

• Always use by default the BP address or the address of the BPs associated with a contact.
• Always use the contact address
• Always use the BP address only if the contact address is empty

These different choices are expressed via the address assignment fields :

If the user ticks the By Business Partner box, choice 1 will be executed. In this case, the BP address on empty Contact address is grayed out because it is of no logical use.

If the user ticks the By contact box and does not tick the BP address on empty Contact address box, then choice 2 will be executed.

If the user ticks the By contact box and the BP address on empty Contact address box, then choice 3 will be executed.

2/ A BP selection has been defined at the previous step and the user does not want to carryout any Contact selection.

The window contains a Generic title field. If the user enters text such as "Mr. Sales Manager", the button is activated. The address assignment fields are deactivated.

If the user clicks on thebutton, no Contact selection will take place. This signifies that each BP addressee for the mail shot will contain an address with the standard contact name "Mr. Sales Manager".

The address used will always be the default address for the BP.

A click on the button button closes this step and activates the button.

3/ No BP selection has been defined, the user must therefore define a Contacts selection.

In this scenario, all the following fields are inactive :

Generic title 

This field is grayed out and inaccessible because it is used to over-ride the description of a Contact selection. The button button will never be used.

Address assignment fields 

These fields are deactivated because there is no possible choice here. The address used in the sample will always be the contact's address. In fact, the absence of a BP selection, it is impossible to determine one BP address over another. The address assignment field By contact is as a result always ticked by default.

The user can carryout one of the following three choices :

• Enter one or more selection criteria. ("Criteria entry" Button)
• Recover an existing selection filter. ("Recover" Button)
• Select all contacts. ("All" button)

Functioning of the different buttons :

 This button is used to access the criteria entry window for the Contacts file.

This window is used to enter up to five criteria for this file.

A complete criterion is made up of a file name, a field name, the operator and the condition. For example, if a user wants to select all the contacts that speak French and that are born before 1st January 1970, they can use the following criteria:

Each of these five possible criteria can be associated with an AND or an OR.

When a field is associated with an object, a local menu or even a miscellaneous table, the condition must correspond to the code stored in the field and not to its meaning.

A "Selection" contextual menu displays the list of all the titles in a local menu or in a miscellaneous table associated with the field used as a criterion.

In the case of an object, a list of the records is proposed.

If the user selects one of the titles, the corresponding code (or the key) is automatically assigned in the Condition field.

 This button is used to recover a complete selection criteria of type "Contact selection" that has previously been defined.

  This function is used to recover the description of a selection filter and not the contents of the corresponding sample.

The new window displays the list of all the Contact selections described in the application. If the user selects one of them from this list, certain useful items of information are available :

• The date when this selection was defined,
• The number of records that make up the sample,
• The complete description of the selection criteria.

The grid displayed in the lower half of the screen contains the selected sample. This list can be used to verify the coherence of the sample contents.

A click on the button applies the selected filter to the Contact selection in process.

The complete description of the filter is displayed in the Criteria field.

The user must then click on the button to trigger the effective construction of the requested sample.

The button  is used when no Contact selection should be carried out. Therefore a BP selection must have previously been defined. It is then mandatory to enter a generic title.

The button  in the wizard is activated in order to move on to the view of the contents of the sample obtained.

The button  makes it possible to construct a sample of contacts via a simple click.

If a BP selection has been defined at the previous step, the sample obtained will contain all the contacts that have a link with at least one of the selected BPs.

If no BP selection has been defined, the sample will contain all the contacts in the database.

The button  is used to exit the Contact selection definition window if a Contact selection has been defined. This leads to the verification of the validity of the operations that have been carried out.

This button is only active if the wizard detects the presence of a correctly defined selection filter.

A click on this button closes the window and activates the  button in order to access the Selection result inquiry.

 The criteria entry confirmation loads the Contact type selections history defined in the application (conditional on the wizard being totally executed).This criteria description will then be re-used for a later operation.

Step 5 / 8:Result of the selections

This step is used to verify the content of the selections that have been carried out. The total number of addressees can finally be identified.

This screen contains three very interesting fields:

Number of contacts without a postal address: This field indicates the number of addressees that do not have a full postal address (post code missing for example). A contextual menu "Remove from list" is used to delete in a single operation, all such addressees.

Number of contacts without E-Mail: This field indicates the number of addressees that do not have an E-mail address. A contextual menu "Remove from list" is used to delete in a single operation, all such addressees.

Number of contacts without a fax number: This field indicates the number of addressees that do not have a fax number. A contextual menu "Remove from list" is used to delete in a single operation, all such addressees.

A contextual menu "Empty the selection" is available on each line in the results grid. It makes it possible in a single operation to delete all the addressees for a mass mailing. In this way a new totally empty sample is obtained.

This functionality represents a very practical method to recover the contents of an existing BP or Contact sample. Once a sample is completely empty, it is sufficient to carryout a union with a previous selection to obtain a new identical sample (the case for mailings where the user wants to reuse the addressees of a previous mailing).

The buttons at the bottom of the screen are also used to manipulate the contents of the sample obtained :

 This button is used to add a BP or a contact to the displayed sample. The characteristics of the BP or the contact may not correspond to the selection filters used to construct the sample.

If the sample obtained is of the type BP, a click on this button displays the BP search window.

If the sample obtained is of the type Contact, a click on this button displays the Contact search window.

 A click on this button deleted the sample record corresponding to the line currently selected in the results grid.

From the Manipulations menu in the tool bar, it is also possible to carry out a sample intersection, that is to say an intersection calculation between the current sample records and the records in another selected sample.

An intersection calculation eliminates all the records that are only present in one of the two samples.

An intersection can only be carried out between two samples of the same nature. This signifies that if the results window presents a sample of the BP type, an intersection will be used to select another sample from the list of all the BP selections defined in the application.

If the results window presents a sample of the Contacts type, an intersection will be used to select another sample from the list of all the Contact selections defined in the application.

The selection definition window contains the following elements :

The left-hand section displays the list of all the selections defined in the application.

In the right-hand section, the field File used makes it possible to identify the selected sample type (BP or Contacts).
The Selection date indicates the age of the sample.
The Records field indicates the number of records contained in the sample.

The two selection filters can also be viewed in their totality.

A click on the button triggers the execution of the intersection calculation. On the conclusion of this process, the results window is refreshed for consideration of the importance of the modifications obtained.

Several intersection calculation or union operations can be carried out successively until the required sample is obtained.

A click on the button is used to abandon an intersection attempt.

From the Manipulations menu in the tool bar, it is also possible to carryout a sample union, that is to say a union calculation between the current sample records and the records in another selected sample.

A union calculation groups all the records in the two samples to avoid the duplication of records present in both samples.

As with the intersection calculation, a union can only be carried out for two samples of the same nature. This signifies that if the results window presents a sample of the BP type, a union will be used to select another sample from the list of all the BP selections defined in the application.

If the results window presents a sample of the Contacts type, a union will be used to select another sample from the list of all the Contact selections defined in the application.

The selection definition window contains the following elements :

The left-hand section displays the list of all the selections defined in the application.

In the right-hand section, the field File used makes it possible to identify the selected sample type (BP or Contacts).
The Selection date indicates the age of the sample.
The Records field indicates the number of records contained in the sample.

The two selection filters can also be viewed in their totality.

A click on the button triggers the execution of a union calculation. On the conclusion of this process, the results window is refreshed for consideration of the importance of the modifications obtained.

Several union or intersection calculation operations can be carried out successively until the required sample is obtained.

A click on the button is used to abandon the union attempt.

A click on the button  triggers the loading of a work table required for the mailing fusion and its sending.

In the case of very large mail shots, this process can last for a significant length of time.

On completion of this loading, this window is closed and the  button is activated to proceed with the selection of the mailing sending mode.

Step 6 / 8:Sending mode selection

This step proposes four different sending modes for mass mailings.

• Sending by post
• Sending by E-mail
• Sending by fax
• Sending via XML extraction

1/ Procedure to be followed for postal sending.

The user has the choice between using Crystal Report or Microsoft Word.

Use of Crystal Report

With Crystal Report, it is necessary to have previously built a report that will be used as a support to the mass mailing. This report is useful since the message must be the object of a fusion with the information generated in X3. It can be the address to be printed on the envelope, a letter that mentions the addressee identity or even a personalized publicity brochure.
The creation of this report is performed using the Mailing reports function.

- Only the reports or templates defined in the same language than the connexion language are displayed.
- Only the reports present on the server can be used.

Use of Microsoft Word

It is not possible to choose a template at this level. A click on [Confirm] will lead to the next step, in which an Office link is used to create the Word document or the template to be used.

2 / Procedure to be followed when using sending by E-Mail

As far as the report creation is concerned, the procedure is identical to that used for a postal sending, using Crystal Report.
An additional task must however be carried out before accessing the next step in the wizard.

The user must enter a subject and an accompanying text for the template that will appear in the body of the electronic message.
The button  is provided for this. The button opens a window that is used to enter :

• The message subject. This is the first text readable by the recipient in all e-mail clients.
• The body of the message. Generally this message provides the recipient with an indication of the contents of the template, which comes through as an attachment.

If these two fields are entered, the is activated. A click is used to return to the template choice menu.

A click on the button  validates all the operations carried out and allowing the continuation of the procedure with the wizard.

It is not possible to use Word for this type of distribution.To carry out a mailing with Word, it is necessary to choose a postal distribution.The whole procedure is then carried out in Word. 

3 / Procedure to be followed for sending by fax.

The procedure closely corresponds to the definition of the postal sending with the exception of a few points of detail.

Certain preliminary operations are necessary to the definition of a new template in Crystal Reports :
- The software package ActiveFax must be installed on the user's machine.
- ActiveFax must be specified as the default printer.

If these two conditions are complied with, it is then necessary to verify that the ActiveFax font characters are available in the list of fonts available to Crystal Reports.

The templates used for fax delivery must comply with the following characteristics.

The FAX_0 field must be inserted in the template with the ActiveFax font.
The F501_0 field must be inserted in the template with the ActiveFax font.
The F599_0 field must be inserted in the template with the ActiveFax font.

All these fields are technically indispensable for insuring the correct functioning of automatic sending by fax.

It is not possible to use Word for this type of distribution.To carry out a mailing via fax with Word, it is necessary to choose a postal distribution.The whole procedure is then carried out in Word (with a Fax printer).

4 / Procedure to be followed for XML shipment

It is possible to install an XML shipment mode for XML extraction.
The user must select the template then specify if the generation must be carried out on the server or on the client workstation (for this latter case, the generation is still carried out first on the server).

Step 7 / 8:Sending execution

This stage is used to proceed with the actual sending of the mass mailing.

Before the start of delivery, the new window displays the delivery method and the template being used.

The Create record field is used to decide whether a line indicating the mail-shot should be inserted in the history belonging to each recipient.

Two buttons are available at the bottom of the screen :

The button  triggers the immediate execution of the mass mail generation.

• Distribution by post of a Crystal Report document

If this is selected, the wizard triggers the generation of a unique Crystal Report document containing all the messages to be delivered.

Once this document is generated, a Crystal Reports window is displayed to confirm the execution of the process and the template presentation quality. Each letter can then be verified one by one.

If the result is satisfactory, the user can start the printing of all the messages/documents on the printer of their choice.

• Sending by post of a Word document

A 'Word document' link can be accessed and used to select the creation mode of the document:

• from an existing template, stored in MongoDB,
• from an empty document,
• from a Word template available on the client workstation.

The wizard then triggers the display of the document.

• Sending by E-mail

If this is the selected method of distribution, the wizard composes and sends a complete message for each mailing recipient.

Each message has the following characteristics :

The message recipient is unique and contains the e-mail address of the recipient.
No recipient is mentioned in Cc or Bcc,
The subject of the message is loaded with the text entered in the Object field at step 6.
The body of the message is loaded with the text entered in the Text field at step 6.
The mailing template is attached to the message in the form of an attachment in Crystal Report format.

Note: There are as many messages generated as recipients in the sample. In this way, each recipient does not know the identity of the other recipients of the mail-shot.

• Sending by fax

If a distribution by fax is selected, the ActiveFax fax server must be correctly installed and set up. This server must also be accessible by the machine from which the mailing distribution is triggered.

For more information on the ActiveFax software (prices, availability, functionality etc.) connect to the following address: www.actfax.com

When clicking on this button, the wizard triggers the generation of a document for each mailing recipient. Once all the documents are generated, they are transferred to the ActiveFax server.

ActiveFax then takes control of the sending of each document.

Each fax number is automatically entered. For each transmission failure, a new attempt is automatically rescheduled for later until the complete transmission of all the messages.

• Extraction in XML format

It is necessary to specify the volume or location where the file will be stored on the server.
The name of the file is automatically generated in the following fashion:
name of template used_user name_date and hour of creation.xml

The button   is used to delay the transmission of a mailing. In this way, the wizard can successfully complete the immediate distribution of the mailing.

This button closes the distribution window and activates the  button to access the last step of the wizard.

To carry out a mailing distribution at a later date, the user must access the mass mailing operation record. This operation will have the status "Waiting distribution".

The shipment can be launched using the "Functions - Distribution" menu . A distribution window identical to the current window is then displayed.

A click on the button  triggers the distribution conforming to the different methods explained above.

Step 8 / 8:Validation

The last step is used either to validate the defined operation, or to abandon all the work carried out.

A click on the button  confirms the validity of all the information and all the processes carried out. The operation will then be visible from a marketing campaign record and from the marketing planning.

A click on the button  triggers the deletion of all the information created whilst using the mass mailing wizard. Nevertheless, if a mailing template has been saved permanently, it will not be deleted. 

Step 1 / 8:Welcome message

Step 2 / 8:Enter the phone campaign characteristics

This step opens a new window for the entry of the different information necessary for the description of the phone campaign operation.

The wizard automatically checks the Site and Currency fields.

The Start and End fields are particularly important. They have a direct influence on the call allocation array during step 6. They represent the period during which the marketing manager wants calls to be programmed in the telemarketers' schedule.

Upon validation of the entered information, the wizard controls the presence of a currency code and a description.

If these conditions are respected, the is activated.

Step 3 / 8:Enter the BP selection

This step functions identically to the step 3 of the mass-mailing wizard.

Step 4 / 8:Enter the contact selection

This step functions identically to the step 4 of the mass-mailing wizard.

Step 5 / 8:Result of the selections

This step is used to verify the content of the selections that have been carried out. The total number of calls to be carried out can finally be known.

It is always possible to use the record deletion functions associated with the following three fields. But they are of less importance in this case :

Number of contacts without a postal address: This field indicates the number of addressees that do not have a full postal address (post code missing for example). A contextual menu "Remove from list" is used to delete all these records in a single operation.

Number of contact without E-Mail : This field specifies the number of recipients that do not have an E-mail address available. A contextual menu "Remove from list" is used to delete all these records in a single operation.

Number of contacts without a fax number: This field indicates the number of addressees that do not have a fax number. A contextual menu "Remove from list" is used to delete all these records in a single operation.

A contextual menu "Empty the selection" is available on each line in the results grid. It makes it possible to carryout in a single operation the deletion of all the records in the current selection. In this way a new totally empty sample is obtained.

This functionality represents a method to recover the contents of a previously used BP or contact sample. Once a sample is empty, it is simply a case of carrying out a union with a previous selection to obtain a new sample (the case in phone campaigns for a mail-shot reminder).

The buttons at the bottom of the screen are also used to manipulate the contents of the sample obtained :

 This button is used to add a BP or a contact to the displayed sample. The characteristics of the BP or the contact may not correspond to the selection filters used to construct the sample.

If the sample obtained is of the type BP, a click on this button displays the BP search window.

If the sample obtained is of the type Contact, a click on this button displays the Contact search window.

 A click on this button deleted the sample record corresponding to the line currently selected in the results grid.

From the Manipulations menu in the tool bar, it is also possible to carryout a sample intersection, that is to say an intersection calculation between the current sample records and the records in another selected sample.

An intersection calculation eliminates all the records that are only present in one of the two samples.

An intersection can only be carried out between two samples of the same nature. This signifies that if the results window presents a sample of the BP type, an intersection will be used to select another sample from the list of all the BP selections defined in the application.

If the results window presents a sample of the Contacts type, an intersection will be used to select another sample from the list of all the Contact selections defined in the application.

The selection definition window contains the following elements :

The left-hand section displays the list of all the selections defined in the application.

In the right-hand section, the field File used makes it possible to identify the selected sample type (BP or Contacts).
The Selection date indicates the age of the sample.
The Records field indicates the number of records contained in the sample.

The two selection filters can also be viewed in their totality.

A click on the button triggers the execution of the intersection calculation. On the conclusion of this process, the results window is refreshed for consideration of the importance of the modifications obtained.

Several intersection calculation or union operations can be carried out successively until the required sample is obtained.

A click on the button is used to abandon an intersection attempt.

From the Manipulations menu in the tool bar, it is also possible to carryout a sample union, that is to say a union calculation between the current sample records and the records in another selected sample.

A union calculation groups all the records in the two samples to avoid the duplication of records present in both samples.

As with the intersection calculation, a union can only be carried out for two samples of the same nature. This signifies that if the results window presents a sample of the BP type, a union will be used to select another sample from the list of all the BP selections defined in the application.

If the results window presents a sample of the Contacts type, a union will be used to select another sample from the list of all the Contact selections defined in the application.

The selection definition window contains the following elements :

The left-hand section displays the list of all the selections defined in the application.

In the right-hand section, the field File used makes it possible to identify the selected sample type (BP or Contacts).
The Selection date indicates the age of the sample.
The Records field indicates the number of records contained in the sample.

The two selection filters can also be viewed in their totality.

A click on the button triggers the execution of a union calculation. On the conclusion of this process, the results window is refreshed for consideration of the importance of the modifications obtained.

Several union or intersection calculation operations can be carried out successively until the required sample is obtained.

A click on the button is used to abandon the union attempt.

 A click on this button is used to confirm the contents of the sample.

The window is closed and the button is activated in order to proceed to the allocation of the phone campaign.

Step 6 / 8:Allocation of the operation

The allocation of the phone campaign has as its object the distribution according to the different available methods of a large volume of calls for a group of identified tele-marketers.

The allocation determines both the number of calls to be assigned to each tele-marketer and the date on which each call must be scheduled.

• The call allocation is made up of three steps :
• The selection of the telemarketers to be allocated to the campaign
• The carrying out of call allocation simulations
• The creation of the calls following the confirmation of a simulation.
• Tele-marketer selection

This window is used to define the list of employees that will participate in carrying out the phone campaign.

Several employee selection tools are available from the Tele-marketers field:

• The first contextual menu named "Selection" is used to select an employee from the list of all the sales representatives.
• The second contextual menu named "Sales reps" allows the direct access to the object Sales rep from which a choice can be made.
• The third contextual menu named "Tele-marketers" is used to select an employee from the list of the tele-marketers.

Two buttons at the bottom of the screen provide additional facilities :

 This button is used to assign with a single click all the tele-marketers to a phone campaign.

 This button is used to assign with a single click all the sales representatives of all types to the phone campaign.

A click on the button triggers the display of the campaign allocation window. This window is loaded with all the selected employees.

• Allocation simulations

From its opening, the allocation window presents a lot of information.

The header recalls certain campaign characteristics and the choices made.

• Phone campaign name
  This name will be used in the workbench to display and identify the calls to be carried out.
• Total number of calls to be allocated
• Call object
  This field is used to define an object for the calls, which can be personalized. It is possible to enter one of the values from the miscellaneous table 456 : Call object. If this field is empty, the value of the CRM chapter general setup CLLCMGOMP is then recovered (phone campaign object).
• The number of telemarketers on whom the calls must be allocated
• The associated marketing campaign start and end dates.

The header has a field that can be modified by the user : the Call objective other than telemarketers. This field is used to deliver a daily calls to be carried out objective for employees that do not carryout a telemarketer function. In fact, it is possible to assign all employee type to a phone campaign (Sales engineer, Sales manager etc.). It is not possible to enter a daily calls objective for this population. This does not correspond to the activity areas assigned to them. In this way, this field is used to make up for this missing information. This objective is loaded by default with the contents of the ROBJCLL setup (Non-telemarketer call objective). It is fixed as standard to 25.

The user is free to modify the value proposed. But, in general, the objective entered here must be noticeably less than the average objective assigned to the telemarketer population. A sales engineer or manager have other tasks to carryout outside of the phone campaigns.

The allocation matrix contains numerous columns :

• Telemarketer
  This field is used to identify the telemarketer for whom the calculations have been carried out.
• Daily objective
  This field indicates daily objective for a telemarketer. If the employee does not carryout the function of a telemarketer, this field is equal to zero. In this case the system uses the non-telemarketer call objective.
• Late calls
  This field displays the total number of calls that should have been processed by the employee.
• Allocatable calls by day
  This field is very important. It displays the daily average number of calls that it is possible to assign to an employee throughout the duration of the campaign whilst being certain to not exceed the call objective.
  For example, a campaign starts with a total of ten working days. The employee works for a total of 10 working days. His/her objective is 50 call per day to be carried out.
  The employee workbench reveals a total of 30 calls already scheduled during the ten days of the campaign. The number of calls that can be allocated to this employee within this program is thus 47 calls per day.
• Manual allocation
  This column is used to work on the functioning of the different simulations. If the sum of all the lines in this column arrives at a total of 100, the call distribution will no longer be calculated automatically, but will be based on the different percentages entered.
  If the total of the percentages entered is less than 100, the wizard will not take into account the values entered and will carry out an automatic simulation. It also re-zeros the total of the Manual allocation column.
  If the total for all the percentages entered is greater than 100, the last value entered is assigned automatically. This value represents the difference between the total of all previously entered percentages and 100. This method is especially useful to ensure that the total is really equal to 100.

All the following fields are entered after the execution of an allocation simulation.

• Assigned calls
  This field contains the total number of calls assigned to an employee.
• Term of the operation
  This field specifies the date at which the last call has been scheduled for this employee.
• Average daily allocation
  This field displays the average number of calls scheduled for each of the employee's working days.
• Number of days worked
  This field shows the number of days worked by an employee during a phone campaign.
• Number of recipients assigned
  This field is entered only at the end of a simulation by allocation method according to the allocation of accounts. It specifies the number of recipients managed by the employee.
• If the sample is of the business partner type, this field displays the number of records that mention the employee code in one of the two sales representative fields in the Prospect / Customer record.
  
  if the sample is of the contacts type, this field displays the number of contacts that have a link with at least one business partner that carries the the employee code in one of the two sales representative fields in the Prospect / Customer record.

The allocation of a campaign can be carried out via three different allocation methods. Each of these can be carried out with either an automatically calculated distribution or one where the distribution is defined manually.

1/  This method allocates the phone campaign starting from a process that is made up of two steps :

• The first step determines the number of calls to assign to each telemarketer.
• The second step determines the date on which each call will be programmed.

 The prorata manual allocation only influences the first step of the process.

Automatic allocation of calls

To calculate a number of calls to be allocated to each employee, the system determines a weighting coefficient for each employee involved in the campaign.

This weighting coefficient is obtained by the product of the daily average of the absolute value of calls to be allocated to the employee with the number of days actually worked by the employee during the campaign.
A total weight for the campaign is then calculated in order to define a weighting coefficient as a percentage for each employee.
The total number of calls to be carried out for the campaign is then split on the basis of these percentages.

Each telemarketer obtains a number of calls to be carried out at the end of this phase.

Call allocation on a manual distribution basis

If the percentages have been entered manually, they will be used directly to calculate the weight coefficient for each telemarketer.

These percentages will be used instead of the number of calls that can be allocated. Thus, the distribution obtained is not strictly true to the percentages entered. In fact, they are weighted by the actual number of days worked.

The rest of the process is identical to the automatic functioning.

Call scheduling

The scheduling of the calls according to the given availabilities with respect to the objectives assigned to the telemarketers and the other employees With this method, each employee does not receive more calls to be carried out than their daily objective.
This method has as its main outcome the possibility to schedule calls after the normal term of the phone campaign.
The scheduling of calls obeys two different logical rules according to which is effective during the campaign period or even outside this period

As long as the calls are programmed during a campaign, this method takes care to leave periods of availability either to the benefit of the daily activity of the employee or for use by any future phone campaigns.

When the term of the phone campaign is exceeded, this method loads the employee diary until all his/her calls are scheduled. This latter behaviour ensures both a respect for the telemarketers objectives and minimises the length of time the term of the campaign is exceeded.

On exiting the simulation, the following columns are entered :

• Assigned calls
  This column displays the total number of calls assigned to each telemarketer. This is used to verify if the assigned loads corresponds to the phone campaign manager's requirements.
• Term of the operation
  This column specifies the date which has been scheduled for the last call to be carried out by a telemarketer.
• Average daily allocation
  This column displays the average daily calls assigned for a telemarketer during all the period where calls have been have been scheduled for him/her.
• Number of days worked
  This column specifies the number of days actually worked by the employee during the phone campaign period.

2/  As with the availability method, the phone campaign is distributed on the basis of a process that breaks down into two successive steps :

• The first step determines the number of calls to assign to each telemarketer.
• The second step determines the date on which each call will be programmed.

Allocation of the calls

This first step in the process is identical to the availability method.

Call scheduling

The call scheduling according to the calendar respects the duration of the phone campaign. This method ensures that all the calls are scheduled during the period of the phone campaign.
The main outcome of this method is the possibility to exceed the call objectives assigned to the telemarketers and other employees.

The number of calls assigned daily to each employee results in the following calculation :

Q = T / D

Q: Number of calls assigned daily to a telemarketer.
T: Total number of calls carried out by a telemarketer.
D: Number of days worked during the phone campaign.

On exiting the simulation, the following columns are entered :

• Assigned calls
  This column displays the total number of calls assigned to each telemarketer. This is used to verify if the assigned loads corresponds to the phone campaign manager's requirements.
• Term of the operation
  This column specifies the date which has been scheduled for the last call to be carried out by a telemarketer.
• Average daily allocation
  This column specifies the number of calls assigned daily for a telemarketer. This information depends directly on the number of days worked by a telemarketer.
• Number of days worked
  This column specifies the number of days actually worked by the employee during the phone campaign period.

3/  This method breaks down the campaign distribution into three successive steps :

• Assignment of the calls by account allocation
• Assignment of non-allocated calls
• Call scheduling

This method brings a greater qualitative level in call allocation. In fact, it favors the call allocation to the employees that manage the prospect/customer accounts to be called.

This signifies that each employee will be scheduled to call all those recipients in the sample for whom they are responsible.

Assignment of the calls by account allocation

This section of the process examines the sample contents for each telemarketer. If a prospect/customer appears to be tracked by the telemarketer concerned, the corresponding call is immediately assigned to the telemarketer.

A call is considered as being available for assignment according to the account when the call concerns a business partner of the type prospect/customer that carries the telemarketer code in its one of its Sales representative fields.

Assignment of non-allocated calls

Certain recipients in the sample are not tracked by any employee assigned to the campaign.
All these calls are then the object in the second step of an automatic allocation procedure. The process used in this case is identical to that used in the allocation method by calendar or availability.
For each telemarketer, the new calculated allocation is added to the previous allocation.

Call scheduling

The scheduling of the calls obeys the method used for the allocation by calendar.
On exiting the simulation, the following columns are entered :

• Assigned calls
  This column displays the total number of calls assigned to each telemarketer. This is used to verify if the assigned loads corresponds to the phone campaign manager's requirements.
  But this column cannot be used to distinguish the assigned calls according to the allocation of calls assigned mathematically. The Number of recipients that can be assigned column is used to make this distinction.
• Term of the operation
  This column specifies the date which has been scheduled for the last call to be carried out by a telemarketer.
• Average daily allocation
  This column specifies the number of calls assigned daily for a telemarketer. This information depends directly on the number of days worked by a telemarketer.
• Number of days worked
  This column specifies the number of days actually worked by the employee during the phone campaign period.
• Number of recipients assigned
  This column indicates for each telemarketer the section of the calls that result from an allocation by account assignment.
• Allocation confirmation
  The phone campaign manager can execute as many simulations as required until the required result is obtained.

When a simulation gives a satisfactory result, the user can click on the button .

 This button is activated only if at least one allocation simulation has been carried out.

This button triggers the physical scheduling of the calls in the workbenches for each employee assigned to the phone campaign.

This scheduling is carried out on the basis of the last simulation carried out.

 This process can last for a significantly longer period of time than the simulations.In fact, this time the physical creation of the calls in the database leads to an addition to the execution time.

Step 7 / 8:Call script definition

The entry of a call script is optional. A small window is displayed on clicking on the button. This window allows the user to express what they desire in terms of the call scripts :

• Not to define any script for the phone campaign;
• Recover and use a script already defined in previous campaigns;
• Define a new script

Each of these choices corresponds to a button at the bottom of the screen.

 This button is used to express the wish to not use any script in the phone campaign.

The button is then activated to make it possible to access the next stage of the wizard.

 This button is used to recover a script already defined during previous campaigns.

A click on the button opens a window containing the list of all the scripts defined in the application. For each script, a column specifies the number of questions that are contained in it.

The button button is used to recover the script from the selection. Its title is then displayed in the field indicating the script associated phone campaign.

A click on the button is used to validate this script as a component of the phone campaign.

 If the user wishes to define a script for the phone campaign, they are invited to enter the name.

The entry of a name activates the following button. A click on this button opens the call script definition window.

The following sections explain the different functionalities that are used to construct a call script.

Creation of a new question

• Method 1: A click on the button is used to define a new question. The Question no. field is automatically loaded with the first available question code. If no question has previously been defined for the script, the box First question is ticked. All the other fields are emptied.
• Method 2: The entry of a question number that does not exist leads to the creation of a new question. This results in the display of all the fields (empty) constituting a question. If no question has previously been defined for the script, the box First question is ticked.

Modification of a new question

The simple entry of an existing question number loads the characteristics of the question. All its characteristics can be modified with the exception of the question number.

In this case, the button is active to record all the modifications carried out.

Entry of routing conditions

The X3 call scripts offer a large number of different routing conditions. The grid below gives the list of possible routing conditions for each type of response.

This grid shows that three types of routing conditions exist that are valid for all responses.

1/ Next: This routing condition means that irrespective of the contents of the response, the next question to be executed will always be the question mentioned in this routing condition.

2/ Quit: This routing condition indicates that it is the last question in the script. All that is required here is the entry of this routing condition. It is not necessary to enter a question code here.

3/ Other: This routing condition is used to route the execution to a default script. If none of the routing conditions described in the questions are satisfactory, the a search is made for an Other type routing. If such a routing condition is found, the specified question is executed.

These three routing conditions are made up of only one or sometimes two types of information:

• The nature of the routing condition,
• The question to be executed.

But other routing conditions can be made up of a greater number of elements:

Alphanumeric routing conditions

- Starts with : This routing condition comprises both the code of the question to be executed and a list of possible conditions for the execution of the specified question.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens a window for condition entry. Up to ten conditions can be entered for each routing condition.
If no storage for the response is defined for the question, the conditions can be entered directly in the field planned for this.
If response storage is defined in the database and the alphanumeric field mentioned is associated with a local menu or a miscellaneous table, the conditions must be entered using the contextual menu Selection.
This Start with routing condition is executed if the text entered in the script response start with the words entered as conditions.

- Contains : The entry procedure for this routing condition is identical to that described above.
The Contains routing condition is executed if the text entered in the script response contains at least those words entered as conditions.

- Ends with: The entry procedure for this routing condition is identical to that in the "Start with" routing.
The Ends with routing condition is executed if the text entered in the script response ends with one of the words entered as conditions.

Numeric routing conditions 

- Greater than: This routing condition is made up of the question code to be executed plus a numeric value to be entered.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens an entry window for the numeric value that influences the execution of the routing condition.
The greater than routing condition is executed if the value entered in the script response is greater than the value entered as a condition.

- Greater than or equal to : This routing condition is made up of the question code to be executed plus a numeric value to be entered.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens an entry window for the numeric value that influences the execution of the routing condition.
This Greater than or equal to routing condition is executed if the value entered in the script response is greater than or equal to the value entered as the condition.

- Less than : This routing condition is made up of the question code to be executed plus a numeric value to be entered.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens an entry window for the numeric value that influences the execution of the routing condition.
The Less than routing condition is executed if the value entered in the script response is strictly less than the value entered as a condition.

- Less than or equal to : This routing condition is made up of the question code to be executed plus a numeric value to be entered.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens an entry window for the numeric value that influences the execution of the routing condition.
The Less than or equal to routing condition is executed if the value entered in the script response is less than or equal to the value entered as a condition.

- Contained between : This routing condition is made up of a code for the question to be executed plus a range of numeric values to be entered.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens an entry window for the range of numeric values that influence the execution of the routing condition.
The Contained between routing condition is executed if the value entered in the script response is greater than the lower range and less than the upper range entered as conditions.

Date type routing conditions

- Contained between : This routing condition is made up of a code for the question to be executed plus a range of dates to be entered.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens an entry window for the range of dates that influence the execution of the routing condition.
The Contained between routing condition is executed if the date entered in the script response is greater than the lower range and less than the upper range entered as conditions.

- Before the : This routing condition is made up of a code for the question to be executed plus a date to be entered.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens an entry window for the date that influences the execution of the routing condition.
The Before the routing condition is executed if the date entered in the script response is strictly less than the date entered as a condition.

- After the : This routing condition is made up of a code for the question to be executed plus a date to be entered.
A contextual menu "Conditions" is available on the routing condition line. A click on this menu opens an entry window for the date that influences the execution of the routing condition.
The After the routing condition is executed if the date entered in the script response is strictly greater than the date entered as a condition.

Boolean type routing conditions

- True: This routing condition signifies that if the user enters a positive response, the question executed will always be the question mentioned on this routing condition.

False: This routing condition means that if the user enters a positive response, the question executed will always be the question mentioned on this routing condition.

Storage of the responses in the database
All the responses for a script are stored in a questionnaire table. This table contains all the responses entered for all the executed scripts.

But a response can also be saved in a field contained in one of the three tables shown below :

• BP
• Prospects/Customers
• Contacts

To allow the double recording of a response, it is sufficient to specify the table and the field in which the response should be stored.

• The entry in the table is carried out via the associated list.
• The field entry must imperatively be carried out using the contextual menu "List of fields". In this way, a coherence check is automatically carried out on the type.
  In fact, it is important that the storage field type is coherent with the response type.
  For example, if the response to a question is of the type Date, the fields displayed using the contextual menu "List of fields" will all be of the type Date.
   
  The use of the contextual menu also controls the saving of the local menu code or the miscellaneous table used in the case of an alphanumeric response type.

The Key field must however be used in very specific cases.

• If the storage table is Business partner or Prospect/Customer, this field indicates the field name of the call record that contains the BP code.
• If the storage table is Contacts, this field indicates the field name of the call record that contains the Contact code.
• If the call record structure has not been modified, the field name proposed by default will always be correct.
  On the other hand, if the Call object has been set up or modified relative to one of these two fields, the user must then check the contents of this field. In this case, the user must enter the new name of the field here that contains either the BP code or the Contact code in a Call record.

Reminder: During the definition of a question it is strongly advised to respect the following entry order:

• Enter the name of the question
• Define the response type
• Define the storage characteristics for the response outside of the questionnaire.
• Define the different routing conditions possible

 Only save a question after the entry of the different routing conditions.

Access to the next question
A contextual menu "Next question" is available for each routing condition resulting in a new question.
A click on this menu loads all the characteristics for the question associated with the selected routing condition.

Access to the previous question
The Question no. field contains a contextual menu "Previous question". A click on this menu is used to view the characteristics of one of the questions that is used to access the current question.

Script simulation
Once a script is defined, the button is used to test the functioning of the different routing conditions entered.
The script is executed in the same way as with actual conditions. However, no response is stored in simulation mode. In this way, the user can advance, return, enter the numerous different possibilities in order to test the correct functioning of all the branches of the script.

The user can quit the script definition by a simple click on the button.

 This button is activated in the following two cases :

• A script has been recovered and its description is displayed.
• A new description has been entered and a new script has been defined.

This button is used to confirm the use of the specified script in the phone campaign currently being defined.
A click on this button closes the script entry window for the phone campaign. The button  is activated in order to move to the next stage of the phone campaign wizard procedure.

Step 8 / 8:Validation

The last step is used either to validate the defined operation, or to abandon all the work carried out.

A click on the button confirms the validity of all the information and all the processes carried out. The operation will then be visible from a marketing campaign record and from the marketing planning.

A click on the button triggers a deletion process for all the information created by the phone campaign wizard. All the scheduled calls in the workbench for the different employs are also deleted.

This wizard is made up of a single significant step for the entry of the different show characteristics.

Step 1 / 3:Welcome message

Step 2 / 3:Enter the show characteristics

This step opens a window that groups all the information that makes up an operation of the type Professional trade show.

The wizard automatically checks the Site and Currency fields.

Upon validation of the entered information, the wizard controls the presence of a currency code and a description.

If these conditions are respected, the is activated.

Step 3 / 3:Validation

This wizard is made up of a single significant step for the entry of the different media campaign characteristics.

Step 1 / 3:Welcome message

Step 2 / 3:Media campaign characteristics entry

This step opens a window that groups together all the information that make up an operation of the type Media campaign.

The wizard automatically checks the Currency field.

Upon validation of the entered information, the wizard controls the presence of a currency code and a description.

If these conditions are respected, the is activated.

Step 3 / 3:Validation