CRM – attributes

Attributes are used to record distinctive information on (potential) business partners, contacts, opportunities, or activities and to segment data when specifying a batch selection for generating activities, mail merge (letters), or flexible reports.

You can link attributes to these business objects:

  • Business partners
  • Contacts
  • Opportunities
  • Activities

To specify attributes and attribute sets:

  1. Create attributes

    Create attributes in the Attributes (tdsmi0550m000) session.

    Notes

    • The fields on the Reference tab are optional.
    • Attributes are similar to the LN fields. For example, a calculator can be used on both the integer and fraction attributes, the same way as in standard numeric LN fields. The calendar can be used on date attributes.
    • If an attribute is of the Option type, specify the options in the Options by Attribute (tdsmi0151m000) session.
  2. Create attribute sets

    You can create multiple attributes to link to a business object. If you want to attach the same attributes together, use the Attribute Sets (tdsmi0152m000) session to create attribute sets.

  3. Link attributes to attribute sets

    Link the attributes to the attribute set in the Attributes by Attribute Set (tdsmi0153m000) session. An attribute be linked to more than one attribute set.

    Attribute sets can be added to these sessions:

    • Attributes by Business Partner (tdsmi1101m000)
    • Attributes by Opportunity (tdsmi1111m000)
    • Attributes by Contact (tdsmi1123m000)
    • Attributes by Activity (tdsmi2101m000)
  4. Link attributes to business objects

    Attributes can be linked to business objects as follows:

    • By using default attribute sets, which you can define in the Defaults by User (tdsmi0520m000) session or in the CRM Parameters (tdsmi0100m000) session.
    • By globally adding an attribute set to multiple business partners, opportunities etc. in the Global Addition of Attributes (tdsmi2210m000) session.
    • By globally adding activities to multiple business partners, opportunities etc. in the Global Addition of Activities (tdsmi2210m100) session. The addition of activities in this session must be based on an activity template to which an attribute set is linked in the Activity Templates (tdsmi0155m000) session.
    • By manually adding attributes to specific business objects.

      You can add attributes one by one or by attribute set in these sessions:

      • Business Partner (tccom4100s000)

        Add attributes to a business partner on the Additional Attributes tab, which refers to the Attributes by Business Partner (tdsmi1101m000) session.

      • Opportunity (tdsmi1610m000)

        Add attributes to an opportunity on the Additional Attributes tab, which refers to the Attributes by Opportunity (tdsmi1111m000) session.

      • Contact (tccom1640m000)

        Add attributes to a contact on the Additional Attributes tab, which refers to the Attributes by Contact (tdsmi1123m000) session.

      • Activities (tccom6100m000)

        Add attributes to an activity on the Additional Attributes tab of the Appointment (tccom6600m100), Call (tccom6600m200), Task (tccom6600m300), or Mailing (tccom6600m400) sessions, which refers to the Attributes by Activity (tdsmi2101m000) session.
  5. Specify values for attributes

    On the Additional Attributes tab of the Business Partner (tccom4100s000), Opportunity (tdsmi1610m000), Contact (tccom1640m000), and Activities (tccom6100m000) sessions, you can specify values for the attributes.

    Based on the type of attribute, the calculator or calendar can be available when you specify values. It is mandatory to specify a value if the attribute is set up that way.

Example

  • Attribute linked to a business partner

    A company decides to check if their suppliers are ISO 9000 certified. By creating an attribute called ISO 9000? and linking this attribute to each of their suppliers, the company can track this information. The company sets the default value for this expression to No.

  • Attribute linked to an activity

    A company created an activity used to track complaints from the warehouse to suppliers. Attached to this activity is an attribute set called COMP = Complaints, which lists the information that they wish to track each time an issue comes up. One of the attributes is a field in which the warehouse person rates the supplier's response. The available values are Great, Good, Poor, and Unacceptable.

  • Attribute set

    Each year a company conducts a customer satisfaction survey. Each of the survey questions is created as an attribute and all of the questions are grouped in an attribute set.
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