External List Management in CRM 

Purpose

You can create and maintain external lists in CRM using this process. You acquire specific data from external providers and use this data to gain new business partners. The data from external providers could include information on:

·        Business partner addresses

·        Marketing attributes of business partners

·        Business transactions-related information, such as activities and leads

·        Survey details

External List Management involves procuring external data, defining mapping formats, checking and preparing this data, updating existing data, creating business partners, using these business partners in marketing campaigns, and analyzing (reporting) the methods used.

Prerequisites

Before creating and maintaining lists, make the following customizing settings for External List Management:

...

·        Define List Type

·        Define List Origin

·        Implement Workflow Customizing

Process Flow

       1.      Maintain mapping format

You create and maintain your own mapping formats to map the data in the existing external lists to a target mapping structure.

The data obtained from the external providers may differ from one provider to the other. The mapping tool enables you to create and maintain your own mapping format. You can map fields, for example, from the existing data to a target structure provided by the mapping tool and select the fields that you want to import from the external list. You can also define the mapping rules for conversion.

       2.      Maintain basic data for the list

You enter the file name and path and maintain basic details of the external list such as the list ID, list description, origin of the data, type of external list, the gross number of data records, the costs and permitted or recommended number of usages or duration of usages and trigger further process steps. A new list is created.

       3.      Upload file into CRM

After upload, the list data must be mapped to the system’s structure.

The data provider delivers the external data, for example, by e-mail, on a CD in ASCII format, or as a CSV file. CRM provides a user interface where you can enter the file path, the origin of the data, the gross number of data records, the costs and permitted or recommended number of usages and duration of usages and where you can trigger further process steps. Before uploading, the data records must be mapped using the mapping tool.

       4.      Check for postal correctness

You check the address data for postal correctness. The system scans through the address data and if the postal data is found to be incorrect or incomplete, the data is marked as erroneous and not used to create business partners.

       5.      Check for duplicates

You check for duplicate business partners. The system scans through the data and if duplicates are found, the data is marked as erroneous and not used to create business partners.

       6.      System checks for duplicates

The third-party system executes the duplicate check and sends back the data to the CRM system.

       7.      Create or maintain business partners

You create business partners and assign acquired marketing attributes to them. You can set an appropriate flag (for example, Rented) if the business partners are rented. The flag is used later when you delete the list.

You can also update information on existing business partners, such as changing address-related information or adding marketing attributes.

       8.      Create business transactions

You can create leads or activities when uploading campaign response data.

       9.      Create or maintain target group

You create target group from the address list directly from the interface provided for list administration. By assigning marketing attributes to newly-created or updated business partners, you can model more effective target groups.

   10.      Analyze list

You analyze your lists regarding list quality and list success.

   11.      Delete list

The definition of a successful contact is usually set down in the contractual agreement. After the usage duration agreed in the contract lapses,  you delete the business partners who are marked as rented and were not successfully contacted.

   12.      System deletes business partners not won

The system automatically deletes business partners belonging to the list type Rented that were not won.