Activity Processing in CRM

Purpose
You use this business process to create and maintain activities. You can also transfer activity data
between CRM and your groupware system, that is, Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes, enabling you to
display and maintain the activity in both systems. You can document the activity by filling out the
standard fields, and by filling out activity journals or questionnaires.

Process Flow

The following business process runs in SAP CRM:

1. Schedule activity
You schedule an activity by checking your calendar for a free time slot. If you want to schedule
a business activity with a colleague or business partner, you also check their calendar.
2. Create activity
Once you have found an appropriate time slot, you create an activity in the CRM system. You
also enter other data, such as location and time of activity. For business activities, you enter the
names of the business partners involved, and their partner functions, for example, activity
partner, contact person or owner. In order that the business activity appears in the relevant
business partners groupware calendar, they must exist in the CRM system and the
corresponding groupware system. In addition, you can enter the purpose and priority of the
activity.
3. Replicate activity with groupware
The data is exchanged with groupware: the activity data is transferred to your groupware
server, either Microsoft Exchange Server or Lotus Domino Server. As a result, the activity

appears in all attendees calendars. Alternatively, if you create or modify an activity in

groupware, the data is transferred back to the CRM system and the activity appears in your
CRM calendar. This is, however, not the focus of this business process.
In order that the business activity appears in the relevant business partners groupware
calendar, they must exist in the CRM system and the corresponding groupware system.
In order to integrate groupware with CRM Activity Management, you first need to
download all business partners from the CRM system into groupware systems, for
example, in a public folder such as the groupware address book. For further information
on how to download business partners, see the SAP Library documentation
under Customer Relationship Management Data Exchange and Mobile
Technology CRM Middleware Groupware Integration Set-Up and Load
Guide Groupware Integration Configuration Activities Loading Business Partners
to Groupware.
4. Document activity
You document the activity in the CRM system. You can do so by filling out the standard fields
during activity processing. You can also insert a longer text related to the activity, such as a
letter, note, or, in the case of business activities, business partner information.
You can also use activity journals and questionnaires to document your business activities. For
example, if you work in the Pharmaceuticals industry, you can use activity journals to record
information regarding products, for example, which products have been sent out as samples to
which customers, and how many, how products are placed in a supermarket, what was
discussed with the customer at the last meeting, and so on.
You can also use questionnaires, for example, to guide your sales employees through a
telephone call with a customer, or to gather customer feedback on whether your customers are
satisfied with your level of service or with a particular product.