Phases

Phases determine when and how quotes, line items, and orders are processed. Phases control the activity allowed during each administrative step in the business process flow.

With a quote category, a phase indicates where in the process the quote currently stands, and who can modify the quote. A typical implementation has one quote category with two to three phases.

For example, where a phase requires that the operator who submitted the quote verify his or her satisfaction, you can set up an operator approval phase. You restrict the close or approval control of the quote to a request coordinator who must contact the originating operator to verify that the operator approves of the quote.

Not all operators have access to quotes and orders at all stages of the process. Typically, an implementation sets up one phase per order category, providing specific instructions for that category. Each line item category has only one phase, which defines the system behavior when that line is selected and processed.

Typically, Request Management is configured for three phases: User entry, coordinator, and ordering.

User entry

During this phase, the average user can access the quote and change information on it. The following is an example of information that the average user can change.

• Create the quote.
• Request items.
• Request a delivery date.

Coordinator

During this phase, the coordinator can replace the user’s request for generic items with specific items and add detailed information to both the line item and the quote. The coordinator is responsible for gathering enough information to bill for the items and deliver them properly.

Ordering

During this phase, the quote becomes an order and the actual order is generated. Some considerations for phase definitions include the following.

• Are these phase names acceptable?
• What requirements are there before closing a phase and opening the next?
• Should users who do not have update capability in a phase have browse capability at that phase?
• What is the administrative lead time at the Coordinator phase?
• How long does it take for the coordinator(s) to review a user’s request and process it into an order?

Add a quote phase

1. Click Request Management > Quotes > Quote Phases. A blank phase definition form opens.
2. Click Search to generate a record list.
3. Click the name of a phase definition on which you want to base your new quote phase. The phase definition form opens, containing the definition data of the selected quote phase.
4. Clear the name from the Name field, and then type a unique name for the new quote phase.
5. Modify the new phase record by providing your information in each of the following tabs. The information should be relevant to the system behavior and level of control you want an operator to have on a quote in this phase.
   • Definition
   • Controls - When updating or adding a new phase definition record, you can provide both the button label and the balloon help text in the Close Description field. The format is Button label;Balloon help.
   • Alerts
   • Approvals
   • Model/Line Items
   • Scripts/Views

6. Click Add to add the new phase to the system.

   A list of events opens.

   Caution: Make sure that you do not click Save because doing so will replace the existing phase with the new phase you are attempting to add.

7. To restrict the new quote phase to certain events, select only those events.
   1. Double-click an event and review the event form to make sure you want to add the phase to this event.
   2. To go back to the list of events and continue to browse through the events, click Back.
   3. To add the phase to this event, click OK.
   4. Continue steps a. through c. to select the applicable events for this new quote phase.
   5. When you are done, click Back.
   6. Click OK.
8. To add the new quote phase to all events, do the following:
   1. Click Add to All.
   2. Click OK.

Add a line item phase

1. Click Request Management > Line Items > Line Item Phases. A blank line item phase definition form opens.
2. Click Search to generate a record list.
3. Click the name of a phase definition on which you want to base your new line item phase. The phase definition form opens, containing the definition data of the selected line item phase.
4. Clear the name from the Name field, and then type a unique name for the new line item phase.
5. In the Parent Area field, select Quotes or Orders as a valid parent area for a line item under this phase. When this field is left blank, all line items under this phase use this phase definition.
6. The Modify Dates field in the Model/Line Items tab enables you to change the ordering dates of a line item. To have the ability to change the dates, type true. If you leave this field blank or if it is set to false, you cannot modify the dates.
7. Modify the rest of this new phase record with your information in the following tabs:
   • Definition
   • Alerts
   • Approvals
   • Model/Line Items
   • Scripts/Views
   • Reports

8. Click Add to add the new phase to the system.

   A list of reports opens.

   Caution Make sure that you do not click Save because doing so will replace the existing phase with the new phase you are attempting to add.

9. Double-click the report name to add the phase to the report.

   A list of events opens.

10. To restrict the new line item phase to certain events, select only those events.
    1. Double-click an event and review the event form to make sure you want to add the phase to this event.
    2. To go back to the list of events and continue to browse through the events, click Back.
    3. To add the phase to this event, click OK.
    4. Continue steps a. through c. to select the applicable events for this new line item phase.
    5. When you are done, click Back.
    6. Click OK.
11. To add the new line item phase to all events, do the following:
    1. Click Add to All.
    2. Click OK.

Add an order phase

To add an order phase:

1. Click Request Management > Orders > Order Phases. A blank order phase definition form opens.
2. Click Search to generate a record list.
3. Click the name of a phase definition on which you want to base your new order phase. The phase definition form opens, containing the definition data of the selected order phase.
4. Clear the name from the Name field, and then type a unique name for the new order phase.
5. Modify the new phase record with your information and be sure to update the fields in the following tabs:
   • Definition
   • Alerts
   • Approvals
   • Model/Line Items
   • Scripts/Views
   • Reports

6. Click Add to add the new phase to the system.

   A list of events opens.

   Caution: Make sure that you do not click Save because doing so will replace the existing phase with the new phase you are attempting to add.

7. To restrict the new order phase to certain events, select only those events.
   1. Double-click an event and review the event form to make sure you want to add the phase to this event.
   2. To go back to the list of events and continue to browse through the events, click Back.
   3. To add the phase to this event, click OK.
   4. Continue steps a. through c. to select the applicable events for this new order phase.
   5. When you are done, click Back.
   6. Click OK.
8. To add the new order phase to all events, do the following:
   1. Click Add to All.
   2. Click OK.