Siebel Systems, Inc. Siebel 7 Integration With Primus eserver Version 5.1 Technical Integration Brief
Integration Overview... 1 Business Case... 1 Integration Architecture... 2 Validation Summary... 3 Installation and Deployment... 4 System Requirements... 4 Installation Process... 5 Further Customization and Configuration... 6 Ongoing Administration... 11 Availability... 12 Integrated Product Versions... 12 How to Obtain Integration Software and Services... 12 Technical Support... 13
Integration Overview This document describes the integration between Primus eserver version 5.1 and Siebel Call Center 7. The reader is assumed to be familiar with both products. The integration provides enhanced searching capabilities of Primus eserver to assist call center agents in the problem solving process. For more information on Siebel 7 architecture and functionality, refer to the following documents: Siebel Bookshelf CD containing Siebel 7 product documentation Siebel Object Interfaces Reference Siebel Release Notes Siebel Tools Reference Guide Siebel VB Language Reference Guide Siebel ebusiness Application Integration Guide For more information on eserver refer to the following documentation available from Primus: Primus eserver Architecture and Installation Guide Primus eserver Incident Management System Integration Guide Primus eserver Configuration and Customization Guide Business Case Contact Centers are faced with an almost universal problem: the need to accomplish more with fewer resources. In order to drive customer satisfaction through knowledge-enabled response while increasing business efficiency, Primus has integrated Siebel 7 with Primus eserver version 5.1. Primus eserver enables call center agents to quickly and effectively resolve customer issues. Agents using Siebel 7 can launch a Primus eserver search by clicking a custom Primus button within their Siebel client. Information about the customer s question is passed into the Primus eserver workspace, automatically narrowing the initial search to the relevant area of the knowledgebase. A list of solutions is returned Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 1
Integration Overview to the agent for confirmation. The agent then links the solution back to the service request, adds new information, or creates a new solution from the data gathered. New solutions can be immediately available for use by other agents or by customers performing self-service. Primus software dynamically captures customer information as problems are solved and immediately makes the data available for reuse by other agents or groups throughout the enterprise. Customers are empowered to engage support on their own terms. Service organizations can dramatically lower their call times, reduce escalation rates, and cut training costs while responding to each customer more effectively and improving customer satisfaction levels. Integration Architecture Figure 1. Primus and Siebel 7 Integration Architecture. The Primus integration to Siebel Call Center 7 is based on a client-side integration using an ActiveX control and browser scripting to pass the SR Number and selected fields from the Service Request Detail Applet to Primus eserver. These fields act to 'seed' the search with relevant information about the question or problem and the product and version in question. The script will then launch the Primus eserver Web client in a separate browser window. Once a resolution is found, the solution or Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 2
Integration Overview Validation Summary solutions are linked to the service request. The resolution can be retrieved into the Siebel Solution business object through the Siebel Solution List Applet. The Primus eserver enables users to capture, share, and reuse solutions both in a client server environment through the desktop client, and over the Internet or intranet via the Web client. Validation Testing Environment The validation environment used consisted of Siebel Enterprise Server version 7.0.3 running on Windows 2000 using Oracle 8.1.7 DBMS. The Primus eserver version 5.1 was running on Windows NT 4 with Microsoft SQL Server DBMS. The client systems were Windows 2000 Professional and Windows NT 4 Workstation using Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5. Integrated Solution Support The following features have been tested: Feature Validated Supported (not tested) Service Request Detail applet to eserver integration eserver to Siebel 7 Solution applet Yes Yes N/A N/A Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 3
Installation and deployment of Siebel 7 and Primus client software is simple. If the customer chooses to use the browser-based eserver Web software, then only a suitable Web-browser and a small executable program which provides the ActiveX control and associated files is required. The Siebel Call Center 7 application and server software must also be installed on the appropriate computer. The Primus eserver software must be installed and running. The Web-based client requires that the appropriate Web server must be running with the Primus eserver Web software installed and configured appropriately. For development purposes, Siebel Tools must be used to import the customized code and to make any additional changes to the Siebel applets. System Requirements Hardware Requirements The Primus eserver hardware platform is sized based on the number of total solutions in the knowledgebase(s) and the number of concurrent users. Please refer to the eserver Configuration Guidelines or consult Primus Sales or Professional Services for assistance in sizing hardware. Please refer to the Siebel 7 Supported Platforms for details on Siebel client and server hardware requirements. Software Requirements The Primus eserver Web client requires the following browsers: Netscape Navigator on Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, or 2000 Microsoft Internet Explorer on Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, or 2000 Siebel Application This integration was developed for Siebel Call Center 7. Partner Application This integration was developed using Primus eserver version 5.1. Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 4
Networking Requirements TCP/IP connectivity is required between the client and the Web server hosting the Primus eserver application. Skill Requirements Installation Process Installation of the eserver software on Windows NT or 2000 Server is similar to other server applications. The software will require a user with administrator equivalent permissions run the setup since certain system files such as the registry and services will be updated. This task will typically be performed with assistance from Primus. Client software installation is similar to other desktop applications and no special skills are required. The installation requires that a Siebel developer create a new repository file with the Primus integration code. Since the integration also uses browser scripting, the browser script files must be generated using the utility: GENBSCRIPT.EXE. The new repository and the browser script directory are then distributed to the appropriate clients. A small executable file must be downloaded from the Primus eserver Web server. This executable will install the Primus ActiveX integration control that is used to pass data to the Primus eserver application. Installation Process After the tools and appropriate client software are installed, import the Primus archive file into Siebel Tools as follows: 1. Open Siebel Tools 2. Create a new Project called: Primus and lock it. 3. Lock the following Projects: Employee, Solution, Service, Service (SSV), Siebel Universal Agent, and User Preferences. 4. Copy the archive file: primussiebel7.sif to the appropriate directory (c:\sea703\tools\objects) and then import it. 5. Compile the locked projects. 6. Make the new.srf file available to the Siebel client. 7. Run the GENBSCRIPT utility to generate the new browser script directory. Refer to Siebel ebusiness Application Alert 0365 for the details on generating and distributing browser scripts. 8. Distribute the.srf and browser directory to the appropriate Siebel client. Note that the browser script directory name is based on a specific.srf version. Each Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 5
new compile of the.srf will require a new browser directory be generated using GENBSCRIPT utility. Configuration and Operation To define the type of information being passed between Siebel 7 and Primus, the Primus administrator must define a Client enabled call manager resource using the Primus eserver Admin tool. 1. Log into the Primus eserver Admin tool. 2. Click on the Resources link in the left panel window. 3. Click on the Add Resources button. 4. Enter a name for the resource in the Resource Name field. 5. Select the option Client Enabled Call Manager from the drop down list and click the OK button. 6. Click the Add Import button. 7. In the Field Name field, enter: goal. Select the Role goal from the drop down list and click the OK button. 8. Click the Add Import button. 9. In the Field Name field, enter: fact. Select the Role fact from the drop down list and click the OK button. 10. Click the Add Import button. 11. In the Field Name field, enter: symptom. Select the Role symptom from the drop down list and click the OK button. 12. Click OK to save the settings. Further Customization and Configuration A basic integration between the Primus and the Siebel client is provided as a Siebel archive files (.sif files). This file is imported into the Siebel Tools environment and provides the basic functionality. The file updates following existing applets: Service Request Detail Applet SR Solution List Applet The new applet created is: Primus Profile Applet Based on their unique business requirements, some customers may chose not to implement all applets. The Primus Profile applet permits individual users to Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 6
customize their Primus configuration; however, some customers may chose to restrict this capability. Customization of the integration requires skills in the use of Siebel Tools and Siebel Visual Basic (VB) and JavaScript. Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 7
Modifying the options.inc file The Primus system administrator will need to define an anonymous userid and password and domain in the eserver Web options.inc file. This userid is used to pass data to and from the integration control and the eserver Web page: sintegrator.asp. If the ID is not configured correctly, data will not be passed from Siebel 7 to Primus eserver Web client. Adding the ActiveX control The client and Siebel server must have the Primus ActiveX integration control installed for the integration to work correctly. This control is available on the Primus eserver Web server. The program is located in the language-specific directory below the Primus Integrator URL (i.e. en_us, for English US). To install the control, the file must first be copied to a local drive. Run the program by double-clicking on it or running it from a command line interface. The program will unpack itself and prompt the user for a directory to install (default is: c:\primus). The program will update the registry during installation so be sure that the user has the appropriate system rights. After adding the ActiveX control to the client, the browser security settings need to be adjusted to allow the script to create the ActiveX object. To do this using Microsoft Internet Explorer use the following directions: 1. From the browser menu, select the Tools Internet Options; 2. Select the Security tab; 3. Assuming that the Primus eserver is hosted on a local intranet site, select the icon for Local intranet, then click the custom level button; 4. Scroll to the option labeled: Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe, click the enable radio button; 5. Click the OK button to save the settings. Configuring Primus for Siebel 7 The basic operation between the Primus and Siebel clients is controlled by a set of user specific values that have been added to the Employee Business Component. These values are set in the Primus Profile Applet, which has been added to the User Preferences Screen. The values are loaded when the applet is first loaded. The values are as follows: Primus Domain: the Primus knowledgebase that the user will access in the form: db@dbserver; Primus Resource: the name of the Primus client enabled call manager resource defined in the eserver Admin tool; Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 8
Primus Integrator URL: the URL of the Primus eserver integrator page. This must be the complete URL pointing to sintegrator.asp. For example: http://servername/primus/eserverweb/default/sintegrator.asp; Primus Server: the name of the Primus application server. To configure these values do the following: 1. In the Siebel Call Center application, go to View User Preferences menu. The Primus Profile Applet will be at the bottom of the screen. 2. Fill out the fields with the appropriate information. 3. Click on File Save Record menu item to save the data. Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 9
Using Primus eserver with Siebel Call Center 7 The basic integration between the products is implemented in the applet: Service Request Detail Applet. A button has been added to the applet that will invoke the Primus eserver Web client application and pass four fields: abstract, customer extended description and product and version. These fields serve as the basis for the initial search of the Primus knowledgebase. When the Primus button is clicked, selected contents from the service request screen will be sent to the Primus eserver application. The Primus eserver Web client will then automatically start in a new browser window. Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 10
When a solution(s) is found and linked in eserver, the title and the fix statements from that solution(s) can be added to the Siebel Solution database by clicking the Primus Retrieve button in the Solution applet as seen below. Ongoing Administration There is no maintenance required after the integration has been completed. However, if changes are made to the Service Request Detail Applet, the Service Request 1-1 extension table, or the Employee 1-1 extension table, they should be evaluated for their impact on the integration. Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 11
Availability The Primus eserver desktop client runs on Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 2000, NT, and the Sun Solaris operating systems. The Primus eserver Web client software runs on Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer Web browsers. Integrated Product Versions Integrated product versions include: Siebel 7 Primus eserver 5.1 How to Obtain Integration Software and Services Siebel 7 License Siebel ebusiness Applications from your Siebel Systems sales representative. Primus eserver 5.1 This integrated solution of Siebel 7 with Primus eserver software is available from your Primus Account Executive. To locate the office nearest you, contact Primus at: 1601 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1900 Seattle, Washington 98101 Voice 206-292-1000 Fax: 206-292-1825 www.primus.com Integration Software This integration software is only available from Primus Professional Services. Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 12
Availability Technical Support Technical support for Primus integrations is covered in the 90-day warranty for the professional services engagement as documented in the Services Agreement. Primus Professional Services will be responsible for any fixes required in that window. After 90 days, any support services required for resolution of issues related to the integration would be provided on a fee basis. For assistance with Support, contact support@primus.com or 866-834-8150. Siebel 7 and Primus eserver Version 5.1 13