What is the best way to create and maintain workers to PeopleSoft CRM? The correct way to synchronize workers to PeopleSoft CRM is using the Workforce services. This works fine when using PeopleSoft HCM, but what about when your HCM application is non-PeopleSoft? In our case where are integrating PeopleSoft CRM HR Helpdesk with SAP HCM and P&I HCM.

As of version 8.1, Oracle BI Publisher (formerly known as XMLP Publisher) has replaced Actuate as report generating tool for Siebel. During a Siebel Case Management implementation, I got some insights which I’d like to share.

The first step was a rather smooth installation and configuration process. We had BI Publisher up and running within no-time, and only very minimal configuration was required to integrate it with Siebel. By pointing the web services to the right URL’s and adjusting some BI settings, we could start making the first reports.

Siebel ships with a large number of out-of-the-box reports, and it’s easy to create your own. The reports combine RTF-templates from the BI Server with XML data from Siebel into various document types, such as PDF. The templates are easy to maintain using BI Publisher Desktop, a simple plugin for MS Word. XML data is composed by Siebel Integration Objects.

Better late than never is a famous saying and was one of the first things that came up in my mind when I first saw the Oracle Siebel CRM Desktop (released in Fix Pack for Siebel CRM). My actual first thought was: Nice! This looks great! and was immediatly followed by: “this is something we have been waiting for for years!”. I am aware of the fact that this might sound a little bit to enthousiastic. Fact is that I really mean it. And yes; Siebel CRM Desktop still has to prove itself in production. The start, however, is promising.

The recent launch of Oracle Sales Prospector, an Oracle CRM on Demand solution that seamlessly integrates with Social Networks such as LinkedIn and other Web 2.0 tools, proves that Social Media and 2.0 technologies are slowly being adopted by companies around the world.
Recently Logica’s CRM / Siebel team was invited to organize a workshop on Business-to-Business marketing for the Student Marketing Organization of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Marc Verkuijl, Siebel Teamlead, and myself, took some time to talk to 30 Business Administration and Marketing students on CRM, Marketing and the concept of Marketing 2.0, from a business-to-business perspective.
The primary objective of this workshop was to create awareness on Logica’s Siebel CRM offerings and career opportunities for recent graduates or students that are about to graduate. We ended up debating B2B marketing 2.0 with approximately 30 students.

A short video (10 minutes) on the B2B marketing event (in Dutch)

The slides used to introduce the concept of B2B marketing 2.0 and start a debate on whether Social Media add value in the B2B market.