Creating Installed Bases
Purpose
You use installed bases to structure and represent installed objects.
An installed base (IBase) consists of general data, a structure, and components.
You can incorporate as many components as you like in each installed base and can include subordinate components for each of these components. Create an installed base structure with as many nodes as required.
You can create installed bases in CRM WebClient user interface (UI), in mobile service, and in Internet Customer Self Service (ICSS).
Prerequisites
Planning Installed Bases
The installed base structure should be organized and transparent. Therefore, only create installed bases that contain service-relevant information and structure them as little as possible, but as much as necessary.
For example, if you offer services for installed PCs, check whether it is sufficient merely to enter the PC in the installed base and to assign a room or person to it, or whether the PC must be further structured, so that, for example, the PC’s individual parts are entered for possible service part deliveries.
In addition, duplicate data for parties involved, organizations, and addresses should not be stored redundantly in the installed bases. If, for example, the same address is valid for all subordinate objects of an installed base component, it can be inherited if this is set in Customizing.
One option would be to structure the installed bases in such a way that address data can be assigned to the installed base and, therefore, is also valid for all subordinate components. You can, for example, create buildings as installed bases and assign all service-relevant devices in this building as installed base components.
In the Interaction Center (IC), this has the added advantage that when you search for an IBase using data from the involved parties and organizations or addresses, an installed base with all assigned components is displayed, rather than just an installed base component.
The following questions should, for example, be included in the planning and preparation phase:
● Which installed base category and which object families do I require for the installed objects?
● Which object families may be assigned as subordinate objects to one another?
● How many structuring levels are needed?
● What additional information do the service employees require?
● At what level should I assign involved parties and organizations?
● How do I achieve address management with as little redundancy as possible?
Consider the fact that too many levels in the structure can mean a larger processing effort for your service team, and that additional work is necessary to keep redundant objects and address data up-to-date, as in the case of address changes.
Customizing
The creation of installed bases is only possible within the context of the settings that are made in Customizing, for example:
● Which installed base categories there are
● Which object families can be assigned to the installed base categories and which object families may be assigned to one another at lower levels
● Which component categories there are
For more information, see Customizing for Customer Relationship Management and choose Master Data → Installed Base → Objects/Object Family.
You can also perform checks using Business Add-Ins (BAdIs) with individual check criteria when saving, deleting, modifying, inserting, and archiving installed bases and components.
For more information about these BAdIs, see Customizing for Customer Relationship Management and choose Master Data → Installed Base → Enhancements.
Process Flow
1. Choose Installed Bases → New.
2. On the Create Installed Base screen that appears, select a category for the installed base that is to be created.
3. Choose OK.
4. The system assigns an installed base number and creates the Installed Base Hierarchy.
5. You assign a Description.
6. To assign installed base components, you select the installed base and insert components, according to your needs: Product Components, Text Components, Object Components, or Installed Base Components.
7. Enter the corresponding component data.
8. The system updates the Installed Base Hierarchy.
If you want to assign additional objects to a component, you must first select the relevant components in the structure overview.
Result
A multilevel installed base structure is available. You can now use the Functions for Displaying and Maintaining Installed Bases and Installed Bases in Service Processes.
See also
Installed Base
Management in E-Service