Setting Up PeopleSoft Enterprise Phone Number Administration

This chapter provides overviews of number lifecycle management, number management process flow, and Configuration table setup in PeopleSoft Enterprise Phone Number Administration and discusses how to set up the Configuration table.

Understanding Number Lifecycle Management

Number lifecycle management enables you to create and maintain an inventory of numbers and services that can be assigned to users during the order-capture process. For example, customers in the communications industry may need to maintain different pools of numbers for wireline service offerings and wireless service offerings. When assigning a number from these pools, you must ensure that the number is local to the customer, with the correct area code and prefix.

Number Management functionality controls the lifecycle of assignable numbers. Although Number Management functionality can be used for any assignable number, it has been designed primarily with phone numbers in mind.

Number management components enable administrators to create and manage numbers. Each number is associated with a particular service product (wireless, wireline) and region. A single region is associated with one or more postal codes.

Understanding Number Management Business Process Flow

The following diagram illustrates the number management business process flow:

Number management business process flow

Number Lifecycle

The table provides details on the number lifecycle:

Process	Details
Create or import numbers.	Numbers are loaded into the number tables using either the Number Creation wizard or the prebuilt number loading functions. Numbers can be loaded from external applications through flat files. Numbers can be generated in blocks or individually. When numbers are first created, the status is Pending .
Make number ranges available.	When numbers are ready for assignment, an administrator uses the Number Management component to change the status of the number range to Available.
Assign numbers.	When a customer places an order, the customer service representative (CSR) enters the customer address. The system takes the sold to postal code from the region and searches the number inventory for numbers in that region with a status of Available. For example, the sold to postal code for the customer is 95054, and the number region is Southbay. When the CSR enters the postal code 95054 during the order process, the system displays numbers from the Southbay inventory. The product selection during the order process also determines number assignment. If the customer selects wireless, the system displays only those numbers designated as wireless. The CSR is presented with a block of numbers to offer to the customer. The NUMLISTVAL configuration variable determines how many numbers are presented in the group. The status of the group of numbers given to the CSR changes to Blocked. During the time that the numbers are in this status, no other CSR can use this group of numbers. Once the customer selects a number from the group, that number is assigned a status of ActPending (pending activation). Run the RPT_NMBLK_AE Application Engine process hourly to return all unused numbers from Blocked status to Available. The RBT_IPSTATUS_MSG changes the status of the number from ActPending to Assigned. The status is entered into the number history table.
Disconnect numbers.	When the number is disconnected, the status is changed to Aging and the status is entered into the number history table. Start and end dates for Aging status are entered based on configuration variables. The AGETIMEBUS variable establishes the number of days for aging business numbers. The AGETIMEIND variable establishes the number of days for aging individual customer numbers. Run the RPT_NMAGE_AE Application Engine process daily. If the end date is equal to the current date, the system changes the status to Active.

Valid Number Statuses

The table shows valid number statuses:

Number Status	Usage
Available	The number can be selected by a CSR or customer.
Assigned	The number is already in use and cannot be assigned.
Reserved	The number has been either specifically placed on hold or has been selected by a customer or CSR, and the order transaction is not complete.
Pending	The number is not yet available for assignment. Numbers are in Pending status after they are either created or imported and entered into the system.
Aging	The number is being aged and is not yet available for assignment. You establish the number of days for aging both business and individual customer numbers in the Communication Setup component.
Blocked	The number is not available for use.

Understanding Configuration Table Setup in PeopleSoft Enterprise Phone Number Administration

When setting up the Configuration table in PeopleSoft Enterprise Phone Number Administration, consider:

The Configuration table establishes configuration parameters for your system.
The Configuration table is delivered with default values and is maintained by PeopleSoft.
The Configuration table is based on setID.

Setting Up the Configuration Table

This section discusses how to set up the Configuration table.

Page Used to Set Up the Configuration Table

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Communications Setup	RBT_CONFIG_PG	Set Up CRM, Product Related, Communication, Communications Setup, Communications Setup	View the configuration parameters that are delivered. Configuration parameters that you add are not maintained by PeopleSoft.

Defining Configuration Parameters

Access the Communications Setup page.

Copy above Configuration Parameters to a New SetID

Click to copy all of the configuration parameters to a new setID that you have created.