Working with Data

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Siebel applications allow you to add, change, delete, and copy records. You can also organize data to suit your preferences, attach files to records, and import or export data.

In addition, you can exchange data with other applications using the import and export functions in your Siebel application.

Tasks

Selecting Records

Adding Records

Editing Records

Saving Data

Deleting Records

Identifying New Records

Printing Records

Attaching Files to Records

Merging Duplicate Records

Organizing Columns in a List

Sorting Data in a List

Freezing Columns in a List

Importing Data

Exporting Data

See Also

Using Charts

Selecting Records

To select a record

• In a list, click a field in the row you want to select.
  The background color of the row changes to indicate that the record is selected.
  Note: If you click a field that is also a hyperlink the target of the hyperlink appears.

Adding Records

Whether you can add records in your Siebel application is defined by accounts and responsibilities given to you by your Siebel administrator. You can use the application-level File menu, the menu button on a form or a list, or the New button on a form or a list to add records.

To add a new record in a list

1. In the list, click New.
   - or -
   Click the menu button, and then click New Record.
   - or -
   From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then New Record.
   An empty row appears in the list.
2. In the row, fill in all the fields for the record.
3. Step off the record.
   - or -
   Click the menu button, and then click Save Record.
   - or -
   From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then Save Record.

To add a new record in a form

1. In the form, click New.
   - or -
   Click the menu button, and then click New Record.
   - or -
   From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then New Record.
   A blank form appears.
2. In the form, fill in all the fields for the record.
   Note: Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
3. Step off the record.
   - or -
   Click the menu button, and then click Save Record.
   - or -
   From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then Save Record.

Editing Records

In a list, you can change a record using inline editing. In a form, you can change fields directly in the form.

To edit a record inline in a list

1. In a list, select the record to edit.
2. Make your changes in the record.
   Tip: You can show more columns in the list.
   See Organizing Columns in a List for instructions.
3. Step off the record.
   - or -
   Click the menu button, and then click Save Record.
   - or -
   From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then Save Record.

To edit a record in a form

1. Make the record you want to edit the active record in a form.
2. In the form, make your changes.
3. Step off the record.
   - or -
   Click the menu button, and then click Save Record.
   - or -
   From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then Save Record.

Saving Data

When you create new records or make changes to existing records, you must save your changes.

Note: If you try to navigate to a different location in your Siebel application without saving your changes, a message box may appear asking you to save your changes.

To save data in a list or form

• When you are ready to save your entries, step off the record.
  - or -
  Click the menu button, and then click Save Record.
  - or -
  From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then Save Record.

Deleting Records

You can use the menu button to delete records in a list or a form.

To delete a record

1. In a list, select the record to delete.
   – or –
   Make the record you want to delete the active record in the form.
2. Click the menu button, and then click Delete Record.
   – or –
   From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then Delete Record.
3. If a dialog box appears asking you to confirm the deletion, click OK.

Associating Records

When you are working with records, you need access to all information that is related to those records.
You can associate a record with another record. For example, if you are working with an account, you are likely to track key contacts for that account. The Contacts screen allows you to add and manage key contacts. You can also find a Contacts view in many screens, such as in the Accounts screen. Through the Contacts view, you can associate a contact with a particular account record.
 

Note: You might not be able to associate records with other records in all screens if there is no association between the records.

To associate a record with an existing record in a single selection dialog box

1. Navigate to the appropriate screen.
2. Select the record you want to associate with another record.
3. Click the single select button in the appropriate field.
   A single selection dialog box appears.
4. In the dialog box, locate and select the record you want to associate with the existing record.
5. Click OK.

To associate a record with a new record in a single selection dialog box

1. Navigate to the appropriate screen.
2. Select the record you want to associate with a new record.
3. Click the single select button in the appropriate field.
   A single selection dialog box appears.
4. Click New.
   The form for the new record appears.
5. In the form, enter the information for the new record, and click Save.
   The new record appears in the single selection dialog box.
6. Click OK.

Undoing Changes

After you create a new record, or make changes to an existing record, but before you do anything else, you can undo your actions.

To undo changes

1. Follow the instructions in Adding Records or Editing Records.
2. Click the menu button, and then click Undo Record.
   - or -
   From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then Undo Record.

Identifying New Records

If you are a member of a team that shares information, then you can see any new records that are added to that shared information. You can see a record only if you have access rights to view that record.

If a record is newly added to the Siebel application, then a star icon appears in the New field in that record. After you drill down on a field in a new record, the star icon no longer appears in the New field.

Note: The star icon in the New field is specific to the primary employee. If you are not the primary employee for a position, then this star icon still appears after you drill down. For more information about positions, see “About Access and Responsibilities in the Siebel Application” on page 15.

To identify a new record

• In a list, look for a star icon in the New field for the record.

Printing Records

You can print records in the Siebel application in the following ways:

• Running a report. You can print records by running and then printing a report.
• Browser print. You can use the print feature for the browser to print an image of the current screen. If you want to print a screen that contains colors, then you can use the color printing feature for your browser. Color printing is important for screens in which colors signify meaning, such as calendar screens and notification screens.
  Note: The printed output might not be an exact replica of what you see on your screen. The print options for your browser determine the printed output.

See Also

Running Reports

Attaching Files to Records

When the Attachments view is available within a screen, you can attach a file to a record. You can attach files such as Microsoft Outlook email messages, Microsoft Word documents, and image files. The Attachments view allows others who work with the record to access the attachment so that they see with the latest information.

The Attachments view is not available in all screens. It appears only when it is beneficial to keep supporting material for individual records, for example, in the Contacts, Accounts, and Opportunities screens.

If you edit files attached to Siebel records, then your changes are saved when you step off the attachment record in the Siebel application.

To attach a file using the New File button

1. Drill down on a field in the record to which you want to add the file attachment.
2. Click the Attachments view tab.
   The Attachments list appears.
3. Click New File.
   A dialogue box appears.
4. Locate and select the file you want to attach to the record, and then click Open.
   Note: You can select multiple files by holding down the CTRL key and clicking each file.
   The dialog box closes, and the file appears in the Attachments list as a new attachment record with the appropriate fields populated.
5. Complete additional fields as necessary.

To attach a file to a record using the menu button

1. Drill down on a field in the record to which you want to add the file attachment.
2. Click the Attachments view tab.
   The Attachments list appears.
3. Click the menu button, and then click New Record.
   A new record appears.
4. In the Attachment Name field, click the select button.
   The Add Attachment dialog box appears.
5. Click Choose File.
   A dialog box appears.
6. Locate and select the file you want to attach to the record, and then click Open.
   Note: You can select multiple files by holding down the CTRL key and clicking each file.
   The dialog box and the Add Attachment dialog box close, and the file appears in the Attachments list as a new attachment record with the appropriate fields populated.

To attach a file to a record using drag-and-drop

1. Drill down on a field in the record to which you want to add the attachment.
2. Click the Attachments view tab.
   The Attachments list appears.
3. Locate the file you want to attach to the record.
4. Click the file to select it, and drag the file to the Attachments list.
   The file appears in the Attachments list as a new attachment record with the appropriate fields populated.

Merging Duplicate Records

You might find that two or more records contain the same information. To keep the database accurate, you can merge the records into one record. The Merge Records command allows you to merge multiple records into one record.

If other records are associated with the records you merge, then those records are associated with the surviving record. Any duplicate associated records are deleted.

You can merge only records for which you are the owner or for which you are the primary person. The merge functionality might not be available to you because of your access privileges and your configuration.

Note: When you merge two records, you must pick the surviving record and the source record. Field values for the source record do not exist after you merge records. Only field values in the surviving record remain after you merge records. For example, if you merge two contact records, and the source record contains a value in the Job Title field, but the surviving record does not, then the Job Title field in the surviving record has no value after the merge. The value in the Job Title field in the source record is overwritten by the value in the Job Title field in the surviving record, even when that value is null.

To merge two records

1. Click the record that is the source record.
2. Press and hold down the CTRL key, and click the record that is the surviving record.
   After the merge is complete, the source record is merged into the surviving record.
3. From the application-level menu, choose Edit, then Merge Records.
   Note: If the Merge Records command is unavailable, then the functionality is not supported for the record types you select.
   The Merge Records dialog box appears, displaying a field value for the surviving record.
4. Review the information in the dialog box to make sure the correct record survives, and click OK to complete the merge.
   The records are merged into a single record that has the name of the surviving record and that includes the data from the surviving record.

Organizing Columns in a List

You can add, remove, and rearrange columns in a list to suit your preferences.

To change columns displayed in a list

1. In the list, click the menu button, and then click Columns Displayed.
   - or -
   From the application-level menu, choose View, then Columns Displayed.
   The Columns Displayed dialog box appears.
   Note: The Available Columns box contains the names of the columns that are currently hidden in the list. The Selected Columns box contains the names of the columns that are currently shown in the list.
2. Select one or more column names in the Available Columns box or Selected Columns box and use the following buttons to show or hide the columns.
   

   Click	To
   	Show the selected columns.
   	Hide the selected columns.
   	Show all columns.
   	Hide all columns.

3. In the Selected Columns box, select a column name and use the following buttons to reorder the columns.
   

   Click	To
   	Move the selected column to the top of the list.
   	Move the selected column up one position in the list.
   	Move the selected column down one position in the list.
   	Move the selected column to the bottom of the list.

4. Click Save.
   Note: To change the settings back to the default, click Reset Defaults.

Tips:

• To resize columns in a list, place the cursor on the line between the column headings. When the cursor changes to a resize arrow, drag the border to a new location.
• To move a column to a different position in the list, click and drag the column header to a new position.

Sorting Data in a List

You can sort records in a list by the data contained in specific columns. You can perform an advanced sort to sort by up to three columns at once.

Not all columns in a list are sortable. If (Sortable) appears in the tooltip when you position your cursor in the header of a column, then that column is sortable.

The active sort order of a column is shown in the column header. A full triangle pointing up means the data is sorted in ascending order on the values in the column. A hollow triangle pointing down means the data is sorted in descending order on the values in the column.

To sort on a single column in ascending order

• In a list, click the column header of the column by which you want to sort.

To sort on a single column in descending order

1. Sort on the column in ascending order by clicking the column header of the column.
2. Click the column header again.

To perform an advanced sort

1. In a list, click the menu button, and then click Advanced Sort.
   The Sort Order dialog box appears.
2. From the Sort by drop-down list, select the first column sort by.
3. From the Then by drop-down list, select the second column to sort by.
4. From the second Then by drop-down list, select the third column to sort by.
5. Use the Ascending and Descending option buttons to define the sort order for each column you selected for the advanced sort.
6. Click OK.
   The list is sorted by the column in the Sort by drop-down list, and then by additional columns in sequence. The sort order arrow appears in the column header of the first column you selected for the advanced sort.

Freezing Columns in a List

Lists can contain many columns. You may find that you want to scroll to the right and view columns you cannot see without losing focus of the left-most columns. You can do this by freezing the desired left-most columns.

To freeze columns in a list

1. Select the list in which you want to freeze columns.
2. Double-click the column header of the right-most column you want to freeze.
   The frozen column headers now appear with a darker gray background. In addition, a dark gray vertical line appears separating the frozen columns from the unfrozen columns.
3. Scroll to the right to view columns without losing focus of the frozen columns on the left.

To unfreeze columns

• Double-click the header of the right-most frozen column.
  This is the same column you double-clicked to freeze the columns.

Importing Data

You can only import data into certain areas of your Siebel application. Ask your Siebel administrator for details.

To import data

1. Navigate to the screen where you want to start the import.
2. In the main list (upper part of the application window), click the menu button, and then click Import.
   The Import dialog box appears.
3. Click Browse.
   The Choose file dialog box appears.
4. Select the file that contains the records you want to import and click Open.
   The Input File field now contains the name of the file you selected with its full path.
5. Use the Input Format option buttons to select the format of the file you are importing.
6. Under Input Source, if you are importing a file from ACT! or ECCO, select Predefined and then select the correct version from the drop-down list.
7. Use the Conflict Resolution option buttons to define what should happen when a conflict occurs.
8. Click Next.
   A mapping dialog box appears. The dialog box shows all the fields from the first record in the import file (Import Field), all the fields defined for the type of data in the Siebel application (Siebel Field), and the current field mappings (Field Mappings).
9. To change the mapping of a field:
   1. In the Import Field list, select the field value for which you want to change the mapping.
   2. In the Siebel Field list, select the field to which you want to map the import field.
   3. Click Update Mapping.
      The new mapping appears in the Field Mappings list.
10. Click Next.
    The records from the import file are imported into the Siebel database. When the import is done, a status dialog box appears.
    Tip: To review information about the import, click View Log.
11. Click OK.

Exporting Data

The export feature is useful when you query for specific data and want to export that data to a separate file. The exported data in the file might be in Microsoft Excel, but you can import the data into other applications.

You export from a list. You can export a single record or a list of records.

To export data

1. Navigate to the screen from which you want to export data, and run a query to display the records.
2. (Optional) Use the Columns Displayed function to add columns to and remove columns from the list.
3. Click the menu button, and then click Export.
   The Export dialog box appears.
4. In the Export dialog box, do the following:

1. Use the Rows To Export option buttons and Columns To Export option buttons to define the rows and columns you want to export.
   Note: The order of exported columns is determined in Siebel Tools by the order of the Sequence property values of the columns as they are set in the List Column object. For more information about properties of the List Column object, see Siebel Object Types Reference.
2. Use the Output Format option buttons to define the format of the output document.
   To correctly export Siebel data to a Microsoft Excel document, select the Tab Delimited Text File option. Select the Text File With Delimiter option to add quotes around each field value to help differentiate between each column value.
   Note: For numeric fields, the number of digits to the right of the decimal point that are exported to the document is determined by the regional settings of your operating system. Modifying the operating system settings allows for more digits, up to a maximum value of nine digits to the right of the decimal point.
3. Click Next.
   Note: The export process can take several minutes if you export a large amount of data. A message showing the current status of the export appears (and is periodically updated) at the top of the Export dialog box. Performance might be adversely affected if you export more than 50,000 records.
   After all of the export data is retrieved, the Show all downloads link appears in the bottom right corner of the screen, and a field containing the external file appears in the bottom left corner of the screen. You can click the Show all downloads link to use your browser to access and manage all files that you export.

5. From the drop-down list for the field containing the external file, select Show in Folder to see the location of the external file.
   You can access this file and modify it.
6. Close the Export dialog box, and click the X next to the Show all downloads link to hide the link and the field containing the external file.

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