Business Flows in Oracle CRM Service

Business Flows in Oracle CRM Service are as follows:

1. Request to Resolution - Tele Service Module

a) Dispatch to Debrief (Request to Dispatch)- Field Service Module
b) Request to Repair (Request to Depot)- Depot Repair Module
2. Contract to Renewal - Service Contract Module
a) Author to Sign Service Contract Flow - Oracle Service Contracts Module
b) Quote to Warranty / Extended Warranty Flow - Oracle Quoting & Order Management Modules
c) Expiring Contract to Renewal - Oracle Service Contracts Module

Request to Resolution Flow:

1.Receive Customer Contact (iSupport, Call, Email)
2.Capture Service Request Information (like Product Serial No. , Problem Description)
3.Verify the entitlements (like Service Contract, SLA‟s)
4.Create Service Request
5.Identify the Solution (Knowledge Base, Depot Repair, and Field Service)
6.Resolve Service Request
7.Maintain Knowledge Base
8.Create Charge Order

Dispatch to Debrief Flow: (Request to Dispatch)

1.Receive Customer Contact (iSupport, Call, Email)
2.Capture Service Request Information (like Product Serial No. , Problem Description)
3.Verify the entitlements (like Service Contract, SLA‟s)
4.Create Service Request
5.Create Field Service Task
6.Schedule Field Service Task
7.Execute Field Service Task
8.Debrief Field Service Task
9.Close Task and Service Request

Request to Repair Flow: (Request to Depot)

1.Receive Customer Contact (iSupport, Call, Email)
2.Capture Service Request Information (like Product Serial No. , Problem Description)
3.Verify the entitlements (like Service Contract, SLA‟s)
4.Create Service Request
5.Create Repair Order
6.Issue RMA
7.Receive RMA
8.Manage Repair Jobs
9.Record WIP Charges
10.Create Sales Order
11.Ship the Sales Order
12.Invoice the Customer
13.Close the Repair Order
14.Close the Service Request

Contract to Renewal Business Flow

Author to Sign Service Contract Flow (Oracle Service Contracts)

1.Enter Service Contract
2.Define Contract Renewal Triggers
3.Apply Customer Payment Information
4.Review Contract for QA compliance
5.Approve Contract
6.Sign Contract

Quote to Warranty / Extended Warranty Flow (Oracle Quoting & Order Management)
1.Determine Service Interest
2.Negotiate Price, Discounts and Terms
3.Convert Opportunity to Quote
4.Determine Order Details
5.Convert Quote to Order
6.Create Extended Warranty
7.Maintain Customer Install Base
8.Verify Entitlement

Expiring Contract to Renewal (Oracle Service Contracts)

1.Identify Contracts for Renewal
2.Automatic Renewal
3.Renew Contract Automatically
(Or)
1.Identify Contracts for Renewal
2.Manage Contract Changes
3.Review Contract for QA Compliance
4.Approve Contract Renewal
5.Notify Parties of Customer Change
6.Sign Contract

In addition to the above mentioned modules, iSupport, Oracle Common Application Components like
Task Manager, Territory Manager, Assignment Manager, Resource Manager, Calender, Notes, Knowledge
Management will also be taking part in the execution of business flows.

Oracle Install Base and Service Contracts Overview - Presentation Transcript

1. Oracle Install Base & Service Contracts Overview

o Abbreviations:
 IB = Install Base
 SC = Service Contracts
 CRM = Customer Relationship Management
 TCA = Trading Community Architecture
2. Oracle E-Business Suite Integration
3. Simplified Standard Oracle Out-of-Box Application Flow Order Management Installed Base
Service Contracts Accounts Receivable
4.
o The Oracle Service contracts (SCs) module and the Oracle Install Base (IB) module are
very tightly integrated
o IB instances represent the products that are owned by customers
o The IB is populated from Order Management (OM) when new software license orders
are fulfilled
o Service contracts must cover IB instances to represent precise customer entitlement
o SCs are also populated from OM when new orders are fulfilled

Integration Between IB and SC

 5.
o Tracks products owned by customers
o „ Cradle to grave‟ tracking of products
 Tracking starts from the time the product is rcvd in inventory
 Auto updates IB at shipment and other inventory transactions
 Tracks Updates/Replacements “sold” from OM
o Configuration management (bundles)
o Managed primarily from Order Management – most users generally only have read-only
access to IB
o Integration
 Service Contracts
 Order Management

Overview of Oracle Installed Base (IB)

6.
o Tracks warranties, extended warranties and service agreements
o Most software companies only track Service Agreements
o Coverage determines entitlements (what is the customer entitled to – support and/or
free upgrades)
o For some process flows, 95% of SCs will be created from Order Management (OM)
o Actions: Renew and terminate service contracts
o Authoring SCs as required (for some clients, not often used)
o Integration
 Installed Base, TeleService
 Order Management, Accounts Receivable

Overview of Oracle Service Contracts (SC)

7.
o Different options available:
o Right to Use (RTU)
o Maintenance / Right to Support (RTS)
o Updates Only (no Support, only updates)
o Often Separate items for separate coverage levels (Silver, Gold, etc.)

Types of Services (Service Inventory Items)

8.
o Contract Management - once a SC is created, various management activities can be
performed on the SC
 Update : Oracle version control tracks changes made to contracts.
 Cancel : Contracts may be cancelled for various reasons. (canceling only
applies to contracts not yet signed – customer declines renewal)
 Terminate : Contract is ended prior to expiration date. (option to credit
customer) (terminating only applies to contracts that have been signed and
usually invoicing for renewal has gone to AR)
 Renew : Contract can be renewed at any time for a future period.
 Delete : Contract is removed. Only contracts not signed can be deleted.
 This not a maintenance activity per say, but a status change occurs
automatically after the end date of a contract passes:
 Expire: Contract ends. Expired contracts are stored and can be
retrieved for future reference
 Contracts Maintenance

9.
o The status of a contract is a label identifying where the contract stands in its life
cycle. Examples of status types include:
o Entered : The contract is currently being edited and has never been approved.
o Signed : The contract is approved, but not yet effective. This status is used when we
have not reached the SC start date, but has the same protection from changes as an
approved contract.
o Active : The contract is approved, signed, and effective. Protections in place to
prevent changes.
o Hold : The contract was set on hold from signed, active, or another hold type. For
example, use the Hold status when a customer is moving or the contract is in dispute.
o Expired : The contract was active, but is not effective anymore.
o Terminated : The contract was active, but was terminated by either party before the
contract expired.
o Canceled : the contract never was active and is not planned to become active
o Custom statuses can be added

Contract Statuses

10.
o When an IB instance is “replaced” by another IB instance (e.g., product upgrade to a
new inventory item):
 Any active SC coverages on the old IB instance will “transfer” to the new IB
instance
 The active SC coverages on the old IB instance will be terminated
o When an IB instance is manually terminated:
 Any active SC coverages on the IB instance will be terminated.
o (Note: these impacts vary depending on system configuration)

IB Transactions Which Impact SC

11.
o Users have the option of Selling Maintenance in Oracle via two different modules:
 OM - generally used to sell Maintenance on new product sales
 Also possible to sell maintenance on existing products via OM
 SC - generally used to renew contracts
 Also possible to sell maintenance on existing products via SCs
 In SCs it is also possible to author new SCs from scratch

Methods of Selling (Billing) Maintenance

Oracle 11i Install Base Interview Questions

Explain about Oracle Install Base

Oracle Install Base is an item instance life cycle tracking application. It tracks an item from the time it
is received in the inventory (INV), in work in process (WIP), in projects, in customer sites, and
throughout the return and repair process.
It is a centralized repository for an item instance and it‟s tracking details including location, status,
ownership, party relationships, account relationship, etc. Also, it provides detailed information from
contracts, service requests, and repair orders initiated for an item instance and counters associated
with the item instance.
Oracle Install Base is capable of tracking serialized and non-serialized item instances including tangible
(manufactured, purchased, shipped) and intangible (Software, license, agreement, service) items.

What is a System?
A System is a construct that item owners can define to group their items.
Eg: PCs in a particular department can be grouped under a system.

What is the background process that updates the transaction from CRM, OM and Inventory
modules?
Oracle Install Base uses SFM (Service Fulfillment Manager) event queue for communicating
transactional updates from Oracle Service, Inventory and Order Management.

When does oracle install base instance gets created?

Once the item is received into the inventory (thru PO Receipt, Miscellaneous Receipt, WIP assembly
completion, etc)

What happens to the instance during Inventory transfer?

For serialized item, the location of the item instance is updated to reflect the new location.
For Non-Serialized item, the quantity of the From Location is subtracted and quantity of To Location is
increased.
If the item is issued to WIP job, location of the item reflects the WIP job number.

What are the APIs in Oracle Install Base?

CSI_ITEM_INSTANCE_PUB
Create_Item_instance
Update_Item_Instance
Expire_Item_Instance
Get_Item_Instance
Get_Item_Instance_Details
Copy_Item_Instance
CSI_INSTANCE_RELATIONSHIP_PUB
Create_Relationship
Update_Relationship
Expire_Relationship
Get_Relationships
CSI_SYSTEMS_PUB
Create_System
Update_System
Expire_System
Get_Systems

What happens to the item instance during sales order shipment?

For a serialized item already in inventory, shipping causes a change of location and ownership for
already existing instance.
For an item serialized at order issue, the first time shipment transaction causes the creation of new
instance with the serial number.
For Non-serialized item, the quantity is subtracted from the instance at the inventory location and a
new instance is created with the customer ownership and location.

What are the three mandatory inventory setups for an item that needs to be tracked in install
base?
Synchronize on-hand quantity with Oracle Inventory
Setup Inventory serial control at Master Level
Setup Oracle Install Base Items in the Item Master i.e. Track in install base to be checked in Service tab

When the tracking starts for the intangible items in Oracle Install base?
As intangible items has no direct interaction with inventory, the tracking commences with sales order
fulfillment. Workflow and Order Transaction Types need to be modified for the intangible (non-
shippable) items.

How many seeded item instance statuses are there in Oracle Install Base?
There are 16 seeded statuses. They are
Created, Expired, Latest, Loaner, Repaired, Replaced, Replaced – No Return, Replacement, Return for
Replacement, Returned for Credit, Returned for Repair, Returned for Upgrade, Returned Loaner, Spare
Part, Updated, Upgraded.

What is the purpose of Install Base Source Transaction Types and Subtypes?
Transaction types and subtypes are used to specify the kinds of transactions that the interface program
can use.
The main purpose of the Source Transactions Subtypes window is to specify what kind of update can be
done to an Oracle Install Base instance when transactions come from other applications.
Can you create Item Instance manually?
Yes

Is it possible to change the serial number after creating and saving an item instance?
No

What is the concurrent program you run to correct and reprocess the failed transaction to update
item instance?
Install Base Error Correction and Synchronization Program

Installed Base and its integration with Inventory - In Depth

The fact that this product tracks “life cycle” of an instance, we need to understand how an instance
takes birth in the first place. An instance gets life in IB, when we receive a product into inventory from
supplier (buying), customer (returning), making (WIP) or simply migrating from legacy applications to
Oracle. Also an instance can be created in Installed Base directly (if the instance has a serial number,
it gets created in Inventory into mtl_serial_numbers table immediately). As you might have guessed by
now, you cannot create an instance that is in inventory manually in IB as what is in Inventory always
comes from Inventory to IB and not from IB to Inventory. So what is created in IB manually is always
out of Inventory.

An instance is always owned by an owner. If it is in inventory or deployed for internal use it is always
owned by internal party and if it is deployed outside then the owner is the outside customer who owns
it. When we say internally owned, an instance can be not only in Inventory but also can be deployed in
Project or is sitting in WIP or even In-transit. If the instance is in any of these locations, owner of the
instance is internal party (as you see in this screen shot highlighting Party Name).

Not all products are required to be tracked in Installed base. Companies usually track products that
require service or need tracking because of financial value. Spare Parts and Supplies usually do not
need any tracking. This process of tracking is controlled at the item creation process level using an
item attribute called Installed Base Trackable. Only transactions of IB trackable items are published for
processing. Every transaction performed in Inventory for these items, either creates or updates the IB
depending on the nature of transaction.

These items can be serial and or lot controlled. IB captures all these attributes as well. An inventory
transaction can have multiple quantities and hence can have multiple serial numbers. If a serialized
item is received into inventory with a quantity of 10, against one inventory transaction, there will be
10 separated instances created for each of these serial numbers.

Once the item is received into Inventory, this can be sold to a customer or issued for a specific purpose
within the organization. Transactions are performed in Inventory to move material. These transactions
are used to synchronize the inventory with IB. In essence every transaction in inventory has to be
synchronized with IB for IB trackable items.

Likewise as shown in integration diagram, lot of products send messages to IB to either create or
update. If the message cannot be processed successfully, error is created in the csi_txn_errors table
for that message. And all subsequent transactions are not processed until the first error is cleared.

Technical Details
Here are some useful SQLs you can use to understand the relationship between inventory and IB.

SELECT transaction_id
FROM mtl_material_transactions
WHERE transaction_id = &your_transaction_id;

SELECT serial_number
FROM mtl_unit_transactions a, mtl_material_transactions b
WHERE a.transaction_id = b.transaction_id AND b.transaction_id = &trx_id_from_above
UNION
SELECT serial_number
FROM mtl_unit_transactions a, mtl_transaction_lot_numbers b, mtl_material_transactions c
WHERE a.transaction_id = b.serial_transaction_id AND b.transaction_id = c.transaction_id
AND c.transaction_id = &trx_id_from_above;

SELECT transaction_id
FROM csi_transactions
WHERE inv_material_transaction_id = &trx_id_from_above;

SELECT instance_id
FROM csi_item_instances_h
WHERE transaction_id = &csi_trx_id_from_above;–this is from csi_transactions

SELECT serial_number
FROM csi_item_instances
WHERE instance_id IN (SELECT instance_id
FROM csi_item_instances_h
WHERE transaction_id = &csi_trx_id_from_above);

SELECT instance_party_id
FROM csi_i_parties
WHERE isntance_id = &instance_id_from_above;

SELECT ip_account_id
FROM csi_ip_accounts
WHERE instance_party_id = &instance_party_id_from_above;

Here is the process flow and technical details of transaction. I am taking a simple case of
miscellaneous transaction from inventory.
Changes / Enhancements in Oracle Depot Repair R12 from 11i

Few changes/enhancements in Oracle R12 Depot Repair are explained below:

Support for unexpected flows:

Flexible Repair Order Repair Type supports the change in transition from originally intended workflow
to new unexpected workflow.
Example: Repair and Return Type can be changed to Exchange Type in course of repair.

Bulk Receiving:
This functionality reduces the time and number of clicks for the receiving process. It just scans the
serial Number and that creates repair order and receives the item.

High Volume Repair:

This functionality reduces the number of clicks needed for a technician to create a repair job. It allows
the Repair Technician to just select the diagnostic code for the repair work and from there - the
system recommends the service code and creates the repair job with needed operations, materials and
labor.

Charges:
Charges can be created and submitted for any operating units across the organization without switching
the responsibility. This is due to the enhanced feature of Multi-Org Access Control (MOAC).

Repair Types:
In addition to the 8 Seeded Repair Types available in 11i, 2 more repair types are added in R12. So,
totally 10 Seeded Repair types are available in Oracle R12.
1.Repair & Return
2.Loaner, Repair and Return
3.Loaner
4.Exchange
5.Advance Exchange
6.Replacement
7.Standard
8.Refurbishment
9.Third Party Repair
For Third Party Repair execution, Outside Processing (OSP) is created in the Repair Technician portal.
Completion of OSP triggers the creation of Purchase Order (PO) with a request to procure service from
Third Party.
10.Return only Repair
The item is returned only for accountability of credit. Only RMA is created and No ship line is created
for this Repair Type.

API's in Oracle CRM Service

Few important API‟s in Oracle CRM Service are as follows

Depot Repair:
CSD_REPAIRS_PUB
Create_Repair_Order
Update_Repair_Order

Field Service:
CSF_DEBRIEF_PUB
CREATE_DEBRIEF
CREATE_DEBRIEF_LINES
UPDATE_DEBRIEF_LINE
UPDATE_DEBRIEF

Install Base:
CSI_DATASTRUCTURES_PUB
CSI_ITEM_INSTANCE_PUB
Create_Item_instance
Update_Item_Instance
Expire_Item_Instance
Get_Item_Instance
Get_Item_Instance_Details
Copy_Item_Instance
CSI_INSTANCE_RELATIONSHIP_PUB
Create_Relationship
Update_Relationship
Expire_Relationship
Get_Relationships
CSI_SYSTEMS_PUB
Create_System
Update_System
Expire_System
Get_Systems

CRM Foundation:
Notes:
JTF_NOTES_PUB
Create_Notes
Update_Notes
Resource Manager:
JTF_RS_RESOURCE_PUB
Create_Resource
Update_Resource
JTF_RS_GROUPS_PUB
Create_Resource_Group
Update_Resource_Group
JTF_RS_SALESREPS_PUB
Create_SalesRep
Update_SalesRep

Task Manager:
JTF_TASKS_PUB
Create_Task
Update_Task
Delete_Task
JTF_TASK_ASSIGNMENTS_PUB
Create_Task_Assignment
Update_Task_Assignment
Delete_Task_Assignment
JTF_TASK_REFERENCES_PUB
Create_References
Update_References
Delete_References

Tele Service:
CS_SERVICEREQUEST_PUB
Create_ServiceRequest
Update_ServiceRequest
Update_Status
Update_Serverity
Update_Urgency
Update_Owner
Update_Problem Code
Link_KB_Statement
Link_KB_Solution
CS_INCIDENTLINKS_PUB
Create_Incident_Link
Delete_Incident_Link
Update_Incident_Link

Charges:
CS_Charge_Details_PUB
Create_Charge_Details
Update_Charge_Details
Delete_Charge_Details
CS_CHARGE_CREATE_ORDER_PUB
SUBMIT_ORDER
CS_MULTIORG_PUB
GET_ORGID

Oracle Apps CRM Service Questions

What are the components of CRM Foundation or Oracle Common Application Components?
Components include Task Manager, Resource Manager, Notes, Escalation Manager, Territory Manager,
One to One Fulfillment, Business Rule Monitor, Interaction History, Calendar and Assignment Manager.

What is a knowledge base and what purpose does it serve for a service organization and its
customers?
The knowledge base is a repository of seeded data used by a service organization‟s employees and
customers to diagnose and solve problems.

Describe how Resource Manager is used by a service organization

The CRM Resource Manager can be used as a stand-alone module by a service organization to set up
resource roles for each of its service employees and nonemployees. The CRM Resource Manager also
permits a user to import resources from other applications, such as the Oracle HRMS module.

What purpose does the installed base serve to a service provider, and how are installed base
records updated?
It is the main repository of all of the service organization‟s customers, installed products, and service
contracts. Installed Base records are created for each product that is sold, shipped, and maintained by
the service provider. It provides a snapshot of the product‟s configuration each time that it has
undergone a maintenance or overhaul procedure. Contract information is also stored in the installed
base.

What are the three most important things recorded in the installed base?
The three most important things are: customers, installed products, and service contracts.

What are service counters and how are they used by a service provider?
Service counters are provided in the CRM Foundation, and they can be set up to trigger a service
contract or warranty expiration date, automatically schedule a preventive maintenance service call, or
automatically schedule a billing cycle, just to name a few examples.

What are profile options and how are they used in the setup?
Profile options are default values that are setup during installation and used to customize software‟s
integration points and behavior characteristics.
Profile options can be set at Site, Application, Responsibility and User Levels.

What are concurrent programs and how are they used?

A concurrent program is an executable file that runs simultaneously with other concurrent programs
and with online operations, fully utilizing the hardware‟s capacity. Typically, a concurrent program
performs a long-running, data-intensive task, such as posting a journal, processing a batch, or
generating a report.
What are Shared Entities in Oracle 11i Apps?
Shared entities enable one-time definition of object and are accessed by several products/Modules.
Few shared entities and the owned applications are
Set of Books – General Ledger
Items – Inventory
Unit of Measure – Inventory
Suppliers – Purchasing
Customers – Receivables
Locations – Human Resource
Employee – Human Resource
Organization – Human Resource

How data are secured (partitioned) in Oracle 11i Applications?

General Ledger and Fixed Assets – Set of Books
Human Resource – Business Group
Order Management, Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payables, Purchasing, Cash Management,
Projects, Service, Sales Compensation, Sales and Marketing – Operating Unit
Inventory, Manufacturing – Inventory Unit

Oracle Service Contract Questions

What are the elements of Oracle Service Contract?

Header
Lines
Sub Lines

What are the three Line Types available?

Service Lines – Eg: For Depot repair, Field Service, Technical Support, etc
Usage Lines – Eg: For usage of Photo copier within a period, etc
Subscription Lines – Eg: For Magazines, etc (May be Tangible or Intangible)

When the Warranty Contract is created?

Warranties are created automatically once the item is shipped to the customer.

When does the date of warranty become effective?

Warranties go into effect on the shipment date. But administrator can automatically delay the
warranty start date when there is delay in installation of the product.

What is the concurrent program you run to create contract automatically from Sales Order?
Service Contract Order Capture Integration

What is the difference between warranties and extended warranties?

Warranties Extended Warranties
Free Service Chargeable Service
Associated with serviceable item in BOM Not included in BOM
Automatically added after an Order is shipped Can be created automatically from order or
manually in Oracle Service Contract

What are the APIs in Service Contract?

OKS_ENTITLEMENTS_PUB – Coverage time, reaction time, resolve by time, contract details, contacts,
preferred engineers, coverage type, Txn Billing type, validate contract line, expiration date.
OKS_CON_COVERAGE_PUB – Apply contract coverage, Get Business Process Price list
OKS_OMINT_PUB – Check for availability of service for particular customer and a product.

How the Agreements and Lines are supported in Service Contract?

Service agreement can have Service and Usage Lines.
Subscription agreement can have Service, Usage and Subscription Lines.
Warranties can have only Warranty lines
Extended Warranties can have only Extended Warranty Lines