Function documentationCommunication Management Software

 

You can integrate a communication management software (CMS) into SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM). You can then integrate CMS functions into SAP CRM business roles. This allows you to establish communication-enabled business processes (CEBPs). This in turn allows your company to achieve the following:

  • Simplified interactions with your customers

  • Faster response times

  • Improved ability to locate people with the right skills

  • Better enabled end-to-end processes involving employees, customers, suppliers, and partners

CEBPs yield the most value in contact-intensive situations where service requests are complex. CEBPs can bring the greatest benefits when business requirements call for a high volume of interpersonal interactions, when customers demand service through multiple contact channels, and where there are globally distributed resources.

For messaging between the CRM server and the browser, by default the communication integration for SAP CRM uses a polling mechanism that alerts the browser about communication events in real time. However, as an alternative, you can enable the use of an active browser component for communicating real-time events from the server to a user’s browser session. The client is notified in real-time when there is an update available, and only then does it retrieve information from the server, instead of continually polling. This option is available in the Interaction Center and for all CEBPs. It can be used for all channels integrated through the Integrated Communication Interface (ICI), such as telephone, e-mail, or chat, and for all features that currently use polling, such as alerts, broadcast messaging, and third-party integration.

Prerequisites

  • To integrate CMS functions into SAP CRM business roles, you have made the settings in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management under Start of the navigation path Basic Functions Next navigation step Communication Management Software Integration End of the navigation path.

  • If you want to enable an active browser component for messaging between the CRM server and the browser, you have done the following:

    • Defined a new polling profile and assigned it to a new context area profile in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management under Start of the navigation path Interaction Center WebClient Next navigation step Basic Functions Next navigation step Define Context Area Profile End of the navigation path

    • Assigned the new context area profile to your business role in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management under Start of the navigation path UI Framework Next navigation step Business Roles Next navigation step Define Business Role End of the navigation path

    • Assigned the notification server to your new polling profile on the SAP Easy Access screen under Start of the navigation path Interaction Center Next navigation step Interaction Center WebClient Next navigation step Administration Next navigation step Communication Management Software Next navigation step Assign Notification Server to Polling Profile End of the navigation path

    • Performed the additional installation steps described in SAP Note 1456757Information published on SAP site

To enable the use of an active browser component, you must activate the business function IC and Communication-Enabled Business Processes (CRM_IC_CEBP).

Features

If CMS functions are integrated into SAP CRM business roles, users who are assigned to these business roles can use the following features:

  • Manual logon to and logoff of the CMS

    You can specify that users can manually log on, rather than being logged on automatically, to the CMS when they log on to the CRM WebClient UI. The Log On pushbutton will be available in the toolbar. Once the user is logged on to the CMS, the Log Off pushbutton becomes available in the toolbar.

  • Assignment of users to queues

    The assignment of users to queues is maintained in the CMS based on user names. Each user in SAP CRM must be mapped to a user in the CMS and have the same user name. If users do not have fixed work centers, the user configuration can be based on the work center instead. For more information, see Free Seating.

    Users can choose queues for transferring, forwarding, consulting, or conferencing contacts instead of dialing other users' phone numbers. If queues are maintained in SAP CRM, users have to select which queue they want to contact. The CMS determines which users are available and working in that queue.

    If queues are not maintained, users have to manually enter the phone number that they want to contact.

    If more than one connection ID is maintained, you can decide which connection users use by assigning the connection in the CMS profile, which is then assigned to the business role.

  • Toolbar

    The toolbar contains different sets of pushbuttons and icons for communication functions depending on the connection of the user to the CMS and the status of the user's interaction with a contact. For more information, see Toolbar.

  • Inbound and outbound phone calls

    If a user is logged on to the CMS and is not in a call, he or she can receive phone calls from the CMS. When a phone call is sent to the user by the CMS, the Accept and Reject pushbuttons start flashing. In addition, if a user is logged on to the CMS and is not in a call, he or she can trigger phone calls by choosing the Dial Pad pushbutton. The dial pad opens and the user can dial a number and make a phone call.

  • Communication hyperlinks

    You can specify that the telephone numbers of business partners are displayed as communication hyperlinks in assignment blocks related to business partners. If a user who is logged on to the CMS clicks a hyperlink, the dial pad opens, the number is prefilled, and the user can call it directly.

  • Presence status of users

    The presence status of users can be displayed in the dial pad and in some assignment blocks on the CRM WebClient UI related to business partners. If a user is available, you have different options for collaboration with this user. For more information, see Presence Status.

  • Contact attached data

    When phone calls are transferred between users who are logged on to the CMS, contact attached data can be transferred together with the communication event. Contact attached data can be used to transfer the business partner information of the caller. It can also be used to transfer the content of the current business process. The communication event and contact attached data can be integrated into a business process by the automatic creation of a business transaction, for example, an interaction log. For more information, see Integration of Communication Events into Business Processes.

  • Soft phone of the CMS

    A link to the soft phone of the CMS is available in the Communication Center in the navigation bar on the CRM WebClient UI. The user can access the soft phone by clicking Soft Phone Link. The soft phone offers the same functions as a regular telephone and also allows the user to access various soft-phone-specific functions, such as audio and microphone volume controls.

For information about the CMS functions that are available in the interaction center, see Specifics for Interaction Center: Communication Management Software.