Opportunity / Contact history linking Bryan 5/31/2007 5:35:03 PM For an existing opportunity I just logged a phone call with a contact. I did this from the contact form-History. This doesn't show up in the Opportunity. Are these completely separate? If I'd put it in the opportunity would it show up in the contact history? What if I want to see everything I've done with a particular contact; opportunity and regular stuff? Bryan

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" <u8453[ at ]uwe> 5/31/2007 6:02:56 PM Bryan, I would recommend that you review the various linking relationship requirements for BCM in the tutorial/help information availiable. After that just experiment a bit with different data items and this will all become more apparent and intuitive for you to do. In order to have a BCM Opportunity record it must be first linked to either a Business Contact or Account Record. This establishes the linked Business Contact or Account record as the "Parent" in the linked relationship and everthing later that is subsequently linked to the linked Opportunity Record (Child to the parent) is automatically rolled up and viewable on the parent record's history as well. With your stated phone call log example, if you have intiated and linked the phone call to the opportunity, then it will also show up in the history of the linked parent Business and or Account record. This option is the most efficient workflow because it provides automatic duo linking with one step. However, If you have intiated the phone log link directly to the parent Business Contact record (because you obviously talk to people on the phone not opportunities) but you also want to have it be linked to the opportunity because the phone call relates to the opportunity, you can just open up the phone log and manually link the phone call record additionally to the opportunity by selecting it from the "Link to" field options. Best wishes, -THP Bryan wrote: [Quoted Text] >For an existing opportunity I just logged a phone call with a contact. I did >this from the contact form-History. This doesn't show up in the Opportunity. >Are these completely separate? If I'd put it in the opportunity would it show >up in the contact history? What if I want to see everything I've done with a >particular contact; opportunity and regular stuff? > >Bryan -- Message posted via OfficeKB.com http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200705/1

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking Bryan 5/31/2007 10:42:00 PM very helpful reply. thank you. So... If I initiate in the opportunity, prob the best way, and it (Opp) is linked to the main company record, but the phone call was with a particular contact, it will show up with the linked account record. I've seen that, but what if I want it to be linked to the contact I spoke with? I don't have access to play with it right now so I'm just trying to understand the logic. I'll get to have more hands on, read, etc. next week. "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" wrote: [Quoted Text] > Bryan, > > I would recommend that you review the various linking relationship > requirements for BCM in the tutorial/help information availiable. After that > just experiment a bit with different data items and this will all become more > apparent and intuitive for you to do. > > In order to have a BCM Opportunity record it must be first linked to either a > Business Contact or Account Record. This establishes the linked Business > Contact or Account record as the "Parent" in the linked relationship and > everthing later that is subsequently linked to the linked Opportunity Record > (Child to the parent) is automatically rolled up and viewable on the parent > record's history as well. > > With your stated phone call log example, if you have intiated and linked the > phone call to the opportunity, then it will also show up in the history of > the linked parent Business and or Account record. This option is the most > efficient workflow because it provides automatic duo linking with one step. > However, If you have intiated the phone log link directly to the parent > Business Contact record (because you obviously talk to people on the phone > not opportunities) but you also want to have it be linked to the opportunity > because the phone call relates to the opportunity, you can just open up the > phone log and manually link the phone call record additionally to the > opportunity by selecting it from the "Link to" field options. > > Best wishes, > > -THP > > > > Bryan wrote: > >For an existing opportunity I just logged a phone call with a contact. I did > >this from the contact form-History. This doesn't show up in the Opportunity. > >Are these completely separate? If I'd put it in the opportunity would it show > >up in the contact history? What if I want to see everything I've done with a > >particular contact; opportunity and regular stuff? > > > >Bryan > > -- > Message posted via OfficeKB.com > http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200705/1 > >

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" <u8453[ at ]uwe> 6/1/2007 8:16:47 AM Bryan, Per your described example you could link in the following way: Create your Account Record (Parent) and have the appropriate Business Contact Records (Children) linked to the Account Record. Create the Opportunity Record as needed and link the Opportunity Record to the most appropriate of the linked Business Contact Records for that Account. You now have a Grandparent>Parent>Child relationship between the Account>Business Contact>Opportunity records. Initiate the Phone Log from the Opportunity's "New History Item" button so this phone call record is then automatically linked to the Opportunity Record's history. Your 4 total linked data items now relate as Account (Great-grandparent) to Business Contact (Grandparent) to Opportunity (Parent) to Phone Log (Child). The beauty now is that all of this pre-established linkage allows viewing at the top (Great Grandparent) Account Level History because everything linked below "rolls-up" through each hierarchial record accordingly. Account Record > Business Contact Record > Opportunity Record > Phone Log Just click on the History tab to view each record's place in the hierarchy and you will see how your data base will become constructed. A lot of the ease of using BCM depends upon how well you understand and establish the intial relationships between the various data record items. I hope this helps rather than confuses. Again, just experiment and you will figure out easily enough how to best incorporate the most efficient workflow that meets your needs. -THP Bryan wrote: [Quoted Text] >very helpful reply. thank you. So... > >If I initiate in the opportunity, prob the best way, and it (Opp) is linked >to the main company record, but the phone call was with a particular contact, >it will show up with the linked account record. I've seen that, but what if I >want it to be linked to the contact I spoke with? > >I don't have access to play with it right now so I'm just trying to >understand the logic. I'll get to have more hands on, read, etc. next week. > >> Bryan, >> >[quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >> > >> >Bryan -- Message posted via OfficeKB.com http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200706/1

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking Bryan 6/1/2007 6:52:00 PM Thanks. That's exactly what I want and better than what I figured out <g>. However, when I change the opportunity I'm playing with to link to the contact rather than the account, it dissapears from the Sales dashboard. Why? "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" wrote: [Quoted Text] > Bryan, > > Per your described example you could link in the following way: > > Create your Account Record (Parent) and have the appropriate Business Contact > Records (Children) linked to the Account Record. Create the Opportunity > Record as needed and link the Opportunity Record to the most appropriate of > the linked Business Contact Records for that Account. You now have a > Grandparent>Parent>Child relationship between the Account>Business > Contact>Opportunity records. Initiate the Phone Log from the Opportunity's > "New History Item" button so this phone call record is then automatically > linked to the Opportunity Record's history. Your 4 total linked data items > now relate as Account (Great-grandparent) to Business Contact (Grandparent) > to Opportunity (Parent) to Phone Log (Child). The beauty now is that all of > this pre-established linkage allows viewing at the top (Great Grandparent) > Account Level History because everything linked below "rolls-up" through each > hierarchial record accordingly. > > Account Record > Business Contact Record > Opportunity Record > Phone Log > > Just click on the History tab to view each record's place in the hierarchy > and you will see how your data base will become constructed. A lot of the > ease of using BCM depends upon how well you understand and establish the > intial relationships between the various data record items. > > I hope this helps rather than confuses. Again, just experiment and you will > figure out easily enough how to best incorporate the most efficient workflow > that meets your needs. > > -THP > > > > Bryan wrote: > >very helpful reply. thank you. So... > > > >If I initiate in the opportunity, prob the best way, and it (Opp) is linked > >to the main company record, but the phone call was with a particular contact, > >it will show up with the linked account record. I've seen that, but what if I > >want it to be linked to the contact I spoke with? > > > >I don't have access to play with it right now so I'm just trying to > >understand the logic. I'll get to have more hands on, read, etc. next week. > > > >> Bryan, > >> > >[quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > >> > > >> >Bryan > > -- > Message posted via OfficeKB.com > http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200706/1 > >

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking Bryan 6/1/2007 8:33:01 PM So, back playing with it again. Here's another scenario that I can't figure out. I want to send an email to the business contact, for this particular opportunity. In the opportunity there isn't a History choice for email. In the contact there is but it doesn't link to the opportunity. How do I make this link so the opportunity shows all activity for it? Bryan "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" wrote: [Quoted Text] > Bryan, > > Per your described example you could link in the following way: > > Create your Account Record (Parent) and have the appropriate Business Contact > Records (Children) linked to the Account Record. Create the Opportunity > Record as needed and link the Opportunity Record to the most appropriate of > the linked Business Contact Records for that Account. You now have a > Grandparent>Parent>Child relationship between the Account>Business > Contact>Opportunity records. Initiate the Phone Log from the Opportunity's > "New History Item" button so this phone call record is then automatically > linked to the Opportunity Record's history. Your 4 total linked data items > now relate as Account (Great-grandparent) to Business Contact (Grandparent) > to Opportunity (Parent) to Phone Log (Child). The beauty now is that all of > this pre-established linkage allows viewing at the top (Great Grandparent) > Account Level History because everything linked below "rolls-up" through each > hierarchial record accordingly. > > Account Record > Business Contact Record > Opportunity Record > Phone Log > > Just click on the History tab to view each record's place in the hierarchy > and you will see how your data base will become constructed. A lot of the > ease of using BCM depends upon how well you understand and establish the > intial relationships between the various data record items. > > I hope this helps rather than confuses. Again, just experiment and you will > figure out easily enough how to best incorporate the most efficient workflow > that meets your needs. > > -THP > > > > Bryan wrote: > >very helpful reply. thank you. So... > > > >If I initiate in the opportunity, prob the best way, and it (Opp) is linked > >to the main company record, but the phone call was with a particular contact, > >it will show up with the linked account record. I've seen that, but what if I > >want it to be linked to the contact I spoke with? > > > >I don't have access to play with it right now so I'm just trying to > >understand the logic. I'll get to have more hands on, read, etc. next week. > > > >> Bryan, > >> > >[quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > >> > > >> >Bryan > > -- > Message posted via OfficeKB.com > http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200706/1 > >

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" <u8453[ at ]uwe> 6/2/2007 8:13:50 AM Bryan, You have sleuthed out yet another little foible of BCM. In the first version of BCM I seem to recall that you could initiate an email from an Opportunity record by just clicking the New Opportunity History button. I believe it may have been changed due to the thinking by the designers that you only send emails to people (a Business Contact Record) rather than an inanimate opportunity. Interestingly however, I have never completed a Sales Opportunity without dealing with "people" whom I have corresponded with via email. It's a catch 22 so just what is a stubborn BCM-er to do? Fortunately, You can still manually "reverse-link" an email to an opportunity record. Here's how: Open the email you want to link and go up to the far right corner of the ribbon and click on the "Link to Record" button. In the dialogue box go to the upper right to the Folder drop down and select Opportunities. Navigate to the existing Opportunity that you want to link the email to, highlight the opportunity and then click the "Link To" button under Linked Records to complete the operation. Not very graceful or elegant but it gets the job done with all the MS efficiency (not!) I have come to adore. Workflow for this is best adapted by remembering to do this little manual journey as you create each email before sending it. That's how I remember to do this anyway. Another thing to keep in mind in order to avoid needless "redundant" linking of email is that all opportunity records must and can only be linked to either 1 Business Contact or 1 Account Record. Most often you initiate the workflow of sending an email in BCM by clicking on the New History Button of an open Business Contact thus auto linking the email to the Business Contact from the start. This auto linked email will thus already display in the Business Contact's Communication History tab. When you then go and manually also link this email to an Opportunity that is already linked to the same Business Contact that you sent the email to, it will double display in the Business Contact History tab due to the now manually linked email "rolling up" though the Opportunity Link into the history of the linked Business Contact Record. Are you confused yet? If so, just play around with this some more and you will get what I am describing. This little BCM annoyance is what you have to live with in order to ultimately link emails directly to the Opportunity Record. I am one who prefers to be very "Opportunity-Centric" in my Sales record keeping whereby all other data objects revolve around the Opportunity orbit as my central repository to link to. BCM hinders this style a bit a times. Best wishes, -THP Bryan wrote: [Quoted Text] >So, back playing with it again. Here's another scenario that I can't figure >out. I want to send an email to the business contact, for this particular >opportunity. In the opportunity there isn't a History choice for email. In >the contact there is but it doesn't link to the opportunity. How do I make >this link so the opportunity shows all activity for it? > >Bryan > >> Bryan, >> >[quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >> >> > >> >> >Bryan -- Message posted via OfficeKB.com http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200706/1

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" <u8453[ at ]uwe> 6/2/2007 8:25:10 AM Additional comment: Navigation into, out of, and around the BCM Opportunity Record could be made so much better if they beefed up its linking funtionality. I still would like to see the Opportunity Record contain an additional section titled "Related Accounts and Business Contacts" identical to the Business Project Record. This would enable a Many-to-Many data relationship that would keep the user from having to navigate around so much and open up so many additional data items when working with one's Opportunities. -THP mrtimpeterson wrote: [Quoted Text] >Bryan, > >You have sleuthed out yet another little foible of BCM. In the first version >of BCM I seem to recall that you could initiate an email from an Opportunity >record by just clicking the New Opportunity History button. I believe it may >have been changed due to the thinking by the designers that you only send >emails to people (a Business Contact Record) rather than an inanimate >opportunity. Interestingly however, I have never completed a Sales >Opportunity without dealing with "people" whom I have corresponded with via >email. It's a catch 22 so just what is a stubborn BCM-er to do? > >Fortunately, You can still manually "reverse-link" an email to an opportunity >record. Here's how: Open the email you want to link and go up to the far >right corner of the ribbon and click on the "Link to Record" button. In the >dialogue box go to the upper right to the Folder drop down and select >Opportunities. Navigate to the existing Opportunity that you want to link >the email to, highlight the opportunity and then click the "Link To" button >under Linked Records to complete the operation. > >Not very graceful or elegant but it gets the job done with all the MS >efficiency (not!) I have come to adore. Workflow for this is best adapted by >remembering to do this little manual journey as you create each email before >sending it. That's how I remember to do this anyway. > >Another thing to keep in mind in order to avoid needless "redundant" linking >of email is that all opportunity records must and can only be linked to >either 1 Business Contact or 1 Account Record. Most often you initiate the >workflow of sending an email in BCM by clicking on the New History Button of >an open Business Contact thus auto linking the email to the Business Contact >from the start. This auto linked email will thus already display in the >Business Contact's Communication History tab. When you then go and manually >also link this email to an Opportunity that is already linked to the same >Business Contact that you sent the email to, it will double display in the >Business Contact History tab due to the now manually linked email "rolling >up" though the Opportunity Link into the history of the linked Business >Contact Record. > >Are you confused yet? If so, just play around with this some more and you >will get what I am describing. This little BCM annoyance is what you have to >live with in order to ultimately link emails directly to the Opportunity >Record. I am one who prefers to be very "Opportunity-Centric" in my Sales >record keeping whereby all other data objects revolve around the Opportunity >orbit as my central repository to link to. BCM hinders this style a bit a >times. > >Best wishes, > >-THP > >>So, back playing with it again. Here's another scenario that I can't figure >>out. I want to send an email to the business contact, for this particular >[quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >>> >> > >>> >> >Bryan -- Message posted via http://www.officekb.com

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking Bryan 6/2/2007 4:38:00 PM Thanks again. It's all starting to make sense. Did you see my other question about a weirdness? "when I change the opportunity I'm playing with to link to the contact rather than the account, it disappears from the Sales dashboard. Why?" "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" wrote: [Quoted Text] > Additional comment: > > Navigation into, out of, and around the BCM Opportunity Record could be made > so much better if they beefed up its linking funtionality. I still would > like to see the Opportunity Record contain an additional section titled > "Related Accounts and Business Contacts" identical to the Business Project > Record. This would enable a Many-to-Many data relationship that would keep > the user from having to navigate around so much and open up so many > additional data items when working with one's Opportunities. > > -THP > > mrtimpeterson wrote: > >Bryan, > > > >You have sleuthed out yet another little foible of BCM. In the first version > >of BCM I seem to recall that you could initiate an email from an Opportunity > >record by just clicking the New Opportunity History button. I believe it may > >have been changed due to the thinking by the designers that you only send > >emails to people (a Business Contact Record) rather than an inanimate > >opportunity. Interestingly however, I have never completed a Sales > >Opportunity without dealing with "people" whom I have corresponded with via > >email. It's a catch 22 so just what is a stubborn BCM-er to do? > > > >Fortunately, You can still manually "reverse-link" an email to an opportunity > >record. Here's how: Open the email you want to link and go up to the far > >right corner of the ribbon and click on the "Link to Record" button. In the > >dialogue box go to the upper right to the Folder drop down and select > >Opportunities. Navigate to the existing Opportunity that you want to link > >the email to, highlight the opportunity and then click the "Link To" button > >under Linked Records to complete the operation. > > > >Not very graceful or elegant but it gets the job done with all the MS > >efficiency (not!) I have come to adore. Workflow for this is best adapted by > >remembering to do this little manual journey as you create each email before > >sending it. That's how I remember to do this anyway. > > > >Another thing to keep in mind in order to avoid needless "redundant" linking > >of email is that all opportunity records must and can only be linked to > >either 1 Business Contact or 1 Account Record. Most often you initiate the > >workflow of sending an email in BCM by clicking on the New History Button of > >an open Business Contact thus auto linking the email to the Business Contact > >from the start. This auto linked email will thus already display in the > >Business Contact's Communication History tab. When you then go and manually > >also link this email to an Opportunity that is already linked to the same > >Business Contact that you sent the email to, it will double display in the > >Business Contact History tab due to the now manually linked email "rolling > >up" though the Opportunity Link into the history of the linked Business > >Contact Record. > > > >Are you confused yet? If so, just play around with this some more and you > >will get what I am describing. This little BCM annoyance is what you have to > >live with in order to ultimately link emails directly to the Opportunity > >Record. I am one who prefers to be very "Opportunity-Centric" in my Sales > >record keeping whereby all other data objects revolve around the Opportunity > >orbit as my central repository to link to. BCM hinders this style a bit a > >times. > > > >Best wishes, > > > >-THP > > > >>So, back playing with it again. Here's another scenario that I can't figure > >>out. I want to send an email to the business contact, for this particular > >[quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >>> >> > > >>> >> >Bryan > > -- > Message posted via http://www.officekb.com > >

Re: Opportunity / Contact history linking "mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com" <u8453[ at ]uwe> 6/2/2007 4:58:32 PM Maybe this dashboard needs to be refreshed to reflect the change? Try clicking away and then returning to the dashboard. -THP Bryan wrote: [Quoted Text] >Thanks again. It's all starting to make sense. Did you see my other question >about a weirdness? > >"when I change the opportunity I'm playing with to link to the >contact rather than the account, it disappears from the Sales dashboard. Why?" > >> Additional comment: >> >[quoted text clipped - 62 lines] >> >>> >> > >> >>> >> >Bryan -- Message posted via OfficeKB.com http://www.officekb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/outlook-bcm/200706/1