Use this function to manage projects, which may also be referred to as "opportunities" or other various terms ...

These translate to the same basic concept. Their objective is to manage the characteristics and stages in a sales cycle.

Prerequisites

See also Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

A project is also a special location for the creation and tracking of quotes.

Block number 2

Tab Project

This tab gives the principal characteristics of the project.

The lower part contains marketing information.

When the project arises from a marketing operation, it is pertinent to indicate in this screen both the marketing campaign and the operation at the origin of this knowledge.

This information will feed the Crystal Report documents on the analysis of the marketing campaign returns rate. As far as the project is concerned, this is particularly important in order to calculate the profitability of the marketing campaigns.

Block number 5

Tab Competitors

Use this tab to enter the list of all the competitors present on the project.

For each competitor, you can enter:

  • the price applied by the competitor for an equal service,
  • strengths and weaknesses.

Grid

Competitor (field CPP)

 This field is used to enter the list of all the competitors present on the project.
Competitor amount (field CPPAMT)

 This field is used to enter the price granted by the competitor for equal quality and services.
Strengths (field ASE)

This field is used to describe all the assets of the competitors towards the project.
Weaknesses (field SHC)

This field is used to describe all the weaknesses of the competitors towards the project.

Tab Stages before-sale

Use this tab to detail the history of the sales cycle evolution for a given project. Each step is shown with a start date, a stage description and an end of stage reason.

Grid

Date (field ENDDAT)

This free entry field is used to enter a stage start or end end date.

Step (field STE)

Use this field to specify the successive steps reached by the project.
A new step can be automatically created. The creation of a pre-sales step is defined as automatic in the setup of miscellaneous table 400 - Project step, via the following information: Step type (local menu 2973).

Setup example for Table 400 - Project step:

 Code

Title

Short title

Closing
(1)

Step type

 APD

Project detected

Detected

No

First stage of a sales cycle

 BPR

Quote quoted

Quoted

No

 Sending of a quote

 CNE

Negotiation

Negotiation

No

Negotiation

DGA

Project won

Won

Yes

Project gained

EAB

Project aborted

Aborted

Yes

Project abandoned

FPE

Project lost

Lost

Yes

Project lost

Depending on the setup of this table, some step types can be automatically created:

  • First stage of a sales cycle
    When creating a project: if there is, in the table, a step associated with step type 'First stage of a sales cycle', the first step is automatically created.
    If this step type is associated with various steps, the first step in increasing order of code is taken into account.
    If this step type is not associated with any step, the step must be entered manually, since the first step is mandatory.
    In the current example, step 'Project detected' is automatically created.

     
  • Sending of a quote
    When creating a quote associated with the project: if there is, in the table, a step associated with step type 'Sending of a quote', the step is automatically created and the number of quotes is updated.
    If this step type is associated with various steps, the first step in increasing order of code is taken into account.
    If this step type is not associated with any step, no automatic creation is triggered.
    In the current example, step 'Quoted' is automatically created.
    Note In the case where an automatic creation is implemented for quotes, a quote can be created in relation to a project, even though this project has been closed. In this case, it is automatically opened again.
     
  • Negotiation
    When creating a call, task or appointment: if there is, in the table, a step associated with step type 'Negotiation', the step is automatically created.
    If this step type is associated with various steps, the first step in increasing order of code is taken into account.
    If this step type is not associated with any step, no automatic creation is triggered.
    In the current example, step 'Negotiation' is automatically created.
     
  • Project gained
    When creating the first order: if there is, in the table, a step associated with step type 'Project gained', the step is automatically created and the project status switches to 'Won'.
    From then on, no more pre-sales steps are automatically created. The new steps are after-sales steps for which there is no automatic creation.
    If this step type is associated with various steps, the first step in increasing order of code is taken into account.
    If this step type is not associated with any step, no automatic creation is triggered.
    In the current example, step 'Project won' is automatically created and the project status switches to 'Won'.
    Note In the case where an automatic creation is implemented for orders, an order can be created in relation to a project, even though this project has been closed. In this case, it is automatically opened again.
     
  • No step
  • Project lost
  • Project abandoned

    These step types are not automatically created. The steps must be created manually.

Additional details about the setup of miscellaneous table 400 - Project step

  • (1) Closing:
    Use this field to specify whether the project must be closed or not at this step.
Phase end (field DON)

When this check box is selected, it is used to indicate that a stage is over. You can then enter a stage end reason.
Reason (field REN)

The Reason of the end of stage can be entered only if the stage is 'Completed'.
You can either enter a free text or select it from the list of end of stage reasons. A list of actual reasons is available for each step. This list both comes from the setup of miscellaneous table 400 and miscellaneous table 419, based on the following principle:

  • Miscellaneous table 400 contains the list of after-sales stages, each identified by a code.
  • Miscellaneous table 419 contains the list of before-sales reasons. In the setup of this table, you can specify the before-sales stage one specific reason applies to. The stage code is specified at the Short description level of the reason.

Example:

  • Table 400 - Project stages:

 Code

Title

Short title

Closing

Step type

 APD

Project detected

Detected

No

No associated action

 BPR

Quote quoted

Quoted

No

 No associated action

 CNE

Negotiation

Negotiation

No

No associated action
  • Table 419 - Before-sales reasons:

Code 

Title

Short title

 A1

Budget accepted

BPR

 B1

Internal agreement reached

BPR

C1

No offer adapted

APD

D1

Management validation

BPR

On entering reasons with a 'Complete' stage:

  • For the BPR - quoted stage, the list of suggested reasons is as follows:
     
    - 'Budget accepted'
    - 'Internal agreement reached'
    - 'Management validation'
     
  • For the ADP - Detected project stage, only the reason 'No adapted offer' is set up so as to apply to this stage. It is thus selected automatically.
     
  • For the CNE - Negotiation stage, no reason is set up so as to apply to this stage. No list is therefore suggested upon entry.
Document no. (field STEORIVCR)
Step line (field STELIN)
Standard rerouting action

Tab Post-sales Steps

Use this to detail the history of the implementation steps required for a given project. It is strictly for information purposes only.

Grid

Date (field ENDDATX)

This field is used to enter a stage start date. It is the date to which the project has entered the new stage.
Step (field STEX)

Use this field to specify the successive steps reached by the project.
The after-sales steps are defined in miscellaneous table: 421 - After-sales steps.

Setup example for Table 421 - After-sales steps

Code

Title

Short title

In before-sales
(1)

A1

Specifications drafted

A1

Yes

B1

Development of the solution

B1

No

C1

Solution received

C1

No

D1

Post-receipt modifications

D1

No

E1

Signed Receipt

E1

No

Additional details about the miscellaneous table setup:

(1) In pre-sales field

After-sales steps should be created at a date at least equal to the highest step in pre-sales. The In pre-sales field with the value 'No' is used to comply to this rule.

In some cases, it may be necessary to begin the after-sales steps at the same time as the before-sales steps. For example, the drafting of specifications can begin before signing the order, to allow negotiations to progress.

When the In before-sales field is set to 'Yes', the rule can be contradicted. The dates of these after-sales steps are not controlled in compliance with before-sales steps. The only constraint is that the date must be greater than the opening date.

This control is performed upon saving.


Example:

If miscellaneous table 421 is set up as described above.

If the greatest date of the after-sales step is:

Date

Step

Title

14/01/2015

ADP

Project detected


If you enter the following after-sales steps with the dates:

Date

Step

Title

15/01/2015

B1

Development of the solution

10/01/2015

A1

Specifications drafted

14/01/2015

C1

Solution received

13/01/2015

D1

Post-receipt modifications


Since the field In before-sales for the D1 Post-receipt modifications step is set to 'No', this step cannot be at a date (13/01/2015) prior to the highest date if the after-sales steps (14/01/2015).

Since the field In before-sales for the A1 Drafting specifications step is set to 'Yes', this step cannot be at a date (10/01/2015) prior to the highest date if the after-sales steps (14/01/2015).
Phase end (field DONX)

When this check box is selected, it is used to indicate that a stage is over. You can then enter an after-sales stage end reason.
Reason (field RENX)

The Reason of the end of stage can be entered only if the stage is 'Completed'.
You can either enter the requested text or select it from the list of end of stage reasons. A list of reasons is available for each step. This list both comes from the setup of miscellaneous table 421 and miscellaneous table 420, based on the following principle:

  • Miscellaneous table 421 contains the list of after-sales stages, each identified by a code.
  • Miscellaneous table 420 contains the list of after-sales reasons. In the setup of this table, you can specify the after-sales stage one specific reason applies to. The stage code is specified at the Short description level of the reason.

Example:

  • Table 421 -After-sales stages:

Code

Title

Short title

In before-sales

A1

Specifications drafted

Specifications

No

B1

Development

Dev.

No

C1

Modifications

Modifications

No

D1

Project end

Stop

No
  • Table 420 - After-sales reasons:

Code

Title

Short title

M1

Specifications validated

A1

M2

Development completed

B1

M3

Corrections carried out

C1

M4

Customer presentation

C1

On entering reasons with a 'Complete' stage:

  • For the C1 - Modifications stage, the list of suggested reasons is as follows:

    - 'Corrections carried out'
    - 'Customer presentation'
  • For the A1 - Drafting specifications stage, only the reason 'Specifications validated' is set up so as to apply to this stage. It is thus selected automatically.
  • For the D1 - Project end stage, no reason is set up so as to apply to this stage. No list is therefore suggested upon entry.

Tab Associated Projects

Grid

Code (field SBBPJT)

The user has available two different methods when identifying linked projects or the implementation of an initial project:

  • Method 1: Modify the initial project and add new information to it.
  • Method 2: Create a new project with its own characteristics, then associate this new project with the initial project.
    This field is used to apply this method. The code for the new project can be entered here.
    This method is recommended: it makes it possible to keep the history of the successive extensions to the initial project.

Reports

By default, the following reports are associated with this function :

Bullet point  OPPOR1 : Portfolio/phase

Bullet point  OPPOR2 : Portfolio/representative

Bullet point  OPPOR3 : Closed projects/phase

Bullet point  OPPOR4 : Closed projects/rep.

This can be changed using a different setup.

Quote Creation

See the help in the Quote creation menu.

Project management

Click this action to open the Quotes function and manage the quotes related to the project. After opening the function, the selection panel only displays the list of quotes which have already been created for the project.

When the list is empty, you will be creating the first quote of the Project:

  • Click New from the Actions panel.
    Most fields on the quote are loaded automatically. The project code is automatically recovered for instance. Only the Shipping site, Tax rule and possibly the Payment condition fields need to be entered to make sure the quote is correctly entered.
  • You can then enter the lines.

If quotes have already been created for this project, your next step can either by a creation, duplication or simple inquiry action.

To duplicate a quote, select a quote and enter a new distinct key code. The correct recalculation of a key in conformity with the sequence number counter associated with the quote will be carried out on the creation of the quote.

Click this action to plan an Appointment.

Click this action to plan a Call.

Click this action to plan a Task.

Click this action to record an Appointment.

Click this action to record a Call.

Click this action to record a Task.

Click this action to record a Service request.

Limitations

The import of projects is not supported by Sage X3.

Error messages

In addition to the generic error messages, the following messages can appear during the entry :

This project has already been entered.

This message is displayed when you attempt to associate the same project more than once with an initial project.

You cannot associate a project with itself

This message is displayed when you enter the current project code in the associated project table.

Tables used

See also Refer to documentation Implementation