Setting Up Planning Templates

This chapter discusses how to:

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicUnderstanding Planning Templates

Strategic account managers need to be able to capture the goals for accounts and track the attainment towards those goals. You can use the Account Plan template to create one account plan and assign it to one or multiple accounts. It reduces the need to create the same account plan over and over for multiple accounts.

To ensure consistency between account plans, account managers define account planning templates containing a default set of objectives and goals. They can attach a list of template editors who have security access to make changes and activate a template. Once a template has been moved from draft to active, and its date range is active, account managers can begin creating account plans from a template. Tasks can be attached to an account plan. These tasks appear when you view the tasks for the associated company.

A planning template specifies a set of data used to create a plan. If you want to create the same plan for multiple accounts, you can use a planning template to decrease the amount of data entry. A planning template can be either used for account planning or segment and audience planning.

This component defines templates keyed by setID and can be used both by Strategic Account Management and SmartViews. Strategic Account Management defines goals to be measured against set targets, whereas SmartViews use templates to report metrics. The template type differentiates whether a template is applicable to the account plan, segment plan (both for Strategic Account Management), or to the segment group (for Dashboard). Only active templates can be associated to plans or to segment groups.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicWorking with Planning Templates

The planning template has three main sections:

The Template Details section captures the high level information like the template name, the plan type to which a template belongs, and whether the template is being created for segment planning, account planning, or for tracking Dashboard metrics. The plan type controls which free form text fields appear in the Details section. For example Value Statement and Critical Success Factors appear, because they are set up for the plan type of Sales. The period type specifies the length of the target's setup, while Valid Time Frames captures the specific time frames for which this template can be used. For example, if the plan is applicable for a specific year, the administrator can specify one time frame to prevent the user from using this template for a different year. The template has a currency code associated to it; all the goal targets that have a type of amount are entered in this currency.

To identify goals, the user enters the details of each goal such as the name of the goal, the target score expected, and how this is to be calculated (automatic or. manual). Target type specifies whether the target score being specified is an amount value, quantity, percentage, or some other type. The assessment name specifies which visual status breaks are to appear (green, red, yellow, and so forth), as well as which variance indicator is associated to the associated assessment.

Template owners is the list of people who own the template, and therefore, are allowed to view or modify it.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicSetting Up Planning Templates

This section discusses how to:

To set up planning templates, use the Planning Template (RSP_PLANNING) component.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Set Up Planning Templates

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Planning Template - Header Details

RSP_PLANNING

Set Up CRM, Product Related, Strategic Account Planning, Planning Templates

Define planning template details.

Planning Template - Tasks

RB_TSK_EDIT_GRID

Set Up CRM, Product Related, Strategic Account Planning, Planning Templates, Tasks

Define tasks for planning templates.

Planning Template - Notes

RSP_PLANNING_NOTE

Set Up CRM, Product Related, Strategic Account Planning, Planning Templates, Notes

Add notes and attachments for planning templates.

Personalize Toolbar

RB_USER_TB_PRSN

Set Up CRM, Product Related, Strategic Account Planning, Planning Templates, Personalize

Define personal toolbar settings.

Objectives

RSP_TP_OBJ_SEC

Set Up CRM, Product Related, Strategic Account Planning, Planning Templates, View All Objectives

View and edit objective descriptions.

Select Objectives

RSP_OBJ_SEL_SEC

Set Up CRM, Product Related, Strategic Account Planning, Planning Templates, Add New Objective

Select predefined objectives or create new objectives.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDefining Template Details

Access the Planning Template - Header Details page.

Name

Enter a name for the planning template.

Status

Select a status for the planning template. Values are:

Active: The template can be used to create a new plan or can be associated with a segment group. When a plan has this status, the system does not allow you to edit the goals. Only template owners who have write with override access can change the status back to Draft.

Cancelled: The planning template is canceled and cannot be used.

Completed: The validity of the template has expired so it is not available for use.

Draft: The default value when you create a planning template. You can edit the template when it has this status. You must change the status to Active before you can use the template.

Inactive: The planning template can no longer be used when it is inactive.

Description

Enter a description for the planning template.

Usage

Select the usage for the planning template. Values are Account Planning and Segment/Audience Planning.

Plan Type

Select a plan type for the planning template. A user can select a plan type, which is valid for the usage specified.

Frequency

Select a frequency for the planning template. Values are Annual, Bi-Weekly, Daily, Monthly, Quarterly, SemiAnnual, and Weekly.

Currency

Select a currency for the planning template.

Start Time Frame

Select the starting time period for the planning template.

End Time Frame

Select the ending time period for the planning template.

Start Date

Displays the date for the start time frame selected.

End Date

Displays the date for the end time frame selected.

Lock Down Changes to Plan Targets

If this check box is selected, the user cannot modify the target values in the plans created from this template.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDefining Objectives

Access the Planning Template - Header Details page.

Note. When you select a plan type for the template, the system adds the plan type's objectives to the template.

Add New Objective

Click this button to access the Select Objectives page. You can choose a predefined objective or create a new objective for the planning template.

View All Objectives

Click this link to access the Objectives page and view all the objectives for the planning template. You can delete an objective on this page.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicIdentifying Goals

Access the Planning Template - Header Details page.

Add New Goal

Click this button to add a new goal.

Goal Name

Select a predefined goal or enter a goal name for the custom goal.

Target Value

Enter the target value for the goal.

Type

Displays the type of value for the goal. Values are Amount, Percent Quantity and Other.

Prorate

When the value for the Prorate field is set to Yes, the attainment is compared with a prorated value of the target. The prorating is done based on number of days in the plan period.

Calc Method(calculation method)

Displays how the attainment for the goal is to be calculated. Possible values are Automatic or Manual.

Measured By

Displays the term name used to measure the goal.

Assessment

Select an assessment name for the goal. The assessment name determines the images that the system displays and the variance indicator.

Variance Indicator

Displays the variance indicator associated with the assessment.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDefining Template Editors

Access the Planning Template - Header Details page.

Add New Editor

Click this button to add a new template editor.

Owner

Specifies that one of the editors is the owner of the template. You do not have to specify anyone as the owner of the template. If you do not specify an owner, then anyone can change the status of the template. If you specify an owner, then only the owner or the owner's manager can change the status.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDefining Tasks

You can attach tasks to an account plan. The tasks added to the account plan for a company appear when you view the tasks for the associated company.

Access the Planning Template- Tasks page.

See Managing Sales Team Tasks.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDefining Notes and Attachments

Access the Planning Template - Notes page.

See Adding Notes.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicCloning Planning Templates

This section discusses how to clone a planning template.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Clone Planning Templates

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Clone Template

RB_CLONE_TXN_SEC

Set Up CRM, Product Related, Strategic Account Planning, Planning Templates

Select a template and click Clone.

Define parameters for cloning planning templates.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicCloning Planning Templates

If you want to create a template that is similar to an existing template, you can clone the existing template and make modifications to the new template.

Access the Clone Template page.

Number of Clones

Enter the number of templates that you want to create.

New Template

Enter a name for the cloned template.

Select

Select the Goals, Objectives, and Template Editors check boxes to copy information to the new template.