Veeva Align 17R1 arrives with several new and updated features. This document provides a brief explanation of each new feature and explains updates to existing features. Complete documentation and configuration instructions for these features is available in the Veeva Align Online Documentation.

Filtering Inactive Records on Detail Pages

Inactive records are now filtered out by default on detail pages. This feature makes it easier for user to find the records they need rather than overloading the list views with unnecessary records.

By default, only records that are live and active display in related lists. Further, users can select the new Show Inactive Records option from the gear menu to display all records regardless of status. If a user selects the Show End-dated Records option and then navigates away from the page, the default behavior resumes.

When a user selects the Show End-dated Records option, inactive accounts are highlighted in gray.

This feature is available on all pages accessed from the Entities tab, but it does not apply to customer-created related lists.

Validating Rules and Assignments for Send to CRM

Align triggers were added to enforce the Send to CRM values on rules and Territories.

Territory Scenario	Rule CRM Field UI	Default Rule Value	Rule Trigger	Territory Trigger
Terr CRM = True	Edit	null	n/a because both True & False are supported	n/a because both True & False are supported
Terr CRM=False	Read Only	FALSE	Insert/Update, RuleCRM cannot be True if TerrCRM=False	Insert/Update, TerrCRM cannot be False if any RuleCRM=True

Several error messages were added to assignments:

• If a user sets an assignment’s end date to a value less than the start date, an error message displays
• If an assignment has previously been sent to CRM and a user changes the Send to CRM value to No, an error message displays
• If a user attempt to extend the end date of an assignments with CRM is Deleted set to Yes, an error message displays
• If a user attempts to align an assignment that has an Account exclusion, a validation error message displays
• If a user attempts to change an assignment’s start date to be greater than the sysdate, an error message displays

Show Gain/Loss

To give users better insight into the number of Accounts added and removed during a preview, Gain and Loss columns were added to the HCO, HCP, and Total sections of the Account Alignment Results table. These columns indicate the exact number of Accounts that will be gained or lost if the user applies the preview.

Use

By default, the Gain and Loss columns do not display. To display those columns, select the Show Gain/Loss link. Conversely, select the Hide Gain/Loss link to hide the columns.

This feature is available by default and cannot be turned off.

Inactive SFDC Users

To avoid validation errors, when a CRM user is set to “inactive,” current roster member Territory and roster member Territory Model assignments are end dated when, on the roster_member_territory__aln object, the start_date__aln field value is less than the current date and the end_date__aln field value is greater than the import process start time.

Future assignments are not end dated by CRM imports.

This feature is enabled by default.

Canceling Previews

Users can now cancel previews when the Task Status is Running. This feature allows users to cancel a preview mid-process when errors are noticed rather than waiting for the preview to finish generating and then discarding it.

Use

To cancel a preview, select the Cancel link. Select Continue on the Cancel Account Assignment Preview screen.

Once canceled, the preview displays in the system tray as Discarded.

Territory Feedback in CRM

Align's Territory Modeling provides the ability to make future-dated territory and assignment scenario planning in a safe non-production area. The Territory Feedback feature enables a Territory Model to be made visible to Veeva CRM Users who have made the proper CRM configurations). Territory Feedback in CRM enables CRM Users to review a Territory Model and provide feedback on the Account and Geography Assignments without having to sign in to Veeva Align.

Configuration

Territory Models are visible in CRM after configuration in both Align and CRM. CRM configuration instructions are in the Territory Modeling topic.

To enable this feature in Veeva Align:

1. Ensure at least one active Territory Modeling project exists. Otherwise, create one.
2. Populate the feedback_account_assignment_columns__aln field on the align_settings__aln object with a comma-delimited list containing the columns to display in CRM when reviewing the list of Accounts.

The following syntax is supported for the account__aln and address__aln objects in Align: <object name>.<field name>

Fields from the following Align objects can be displayed as columns: 

• account__aln
• address__aln

For example, enter the following to display Account Name, Specialty, Address Line 1, City, and Postal Code:

account__aln.name__v,

account__aln.specialty_1_alnr.name__v,

address__aln.name__aln,

address_aln.city__aln,

address__aln.postal_code__aln

The address displayed with an Account is the Primary Address.

At this time, Territory Feedback does not support multi-select picklist custom fields.

3. Verify the Territory Model's Lifecycle State is set to Feedback Review. While custom Vault lifecycles are supported in Territory Modeling, only models set to Feedback review are visible in CRM.

4. Ensure the check box for Enable multilingual labels in the Language settings is selected if you are using a language other than English. Also, that the relevant translated labels are added to this instance. The application recognizes the device user's selected language and retrieves the appropriate labels for the Align fields selected in the Align Setting.

See Align Territory Feedback for more information.

Use

When the Territory Feedback feature is enabled, the Future Territory Alignments option displays on the Veeva CRM home page.

When a user selects the Future Territory Alignments menu item, CRM verifies the user is aligned to at least one future-dated Territory Model in Veeva Align where the model’s Project Lifecycle State = Feedback Review.

Challenges

CRM Users can challenge an Account or geography setting by selecting the flag in the Challenge column associated with the alignment. Conversely, users can remove a challenge by deselecting the flag.

Selecting the Save link saves challenges without submitting them. Users must select the Submit link to finalize the challenges.

Users can review all feedback changes by selecting the challenge flag and reviewing the information on the popup screen. A check mark displays beside the challenge reason.

Once a user logs challenges against a future account or geography assignment, they can select Save from the More Actions button to save the challenges to Align. The user is redirected to the list of territories in their project.

See Align Territory Feedback for more information.

Licensing

The Territory Feedback feature in Veeva CRM is powered by Veeva Align. While an Align license is required for the feature function, each CRM User does not need a Vault Login because data transfer from the Align Territory Model is handled by the Align Integration User.

User feedback is reflected in Align without manual intervention. When CRM users provide feedback on their future Account and geography assignments, the relevant records in Align are updated automatically.

Users can provide feedback on assignments received but cannot suggest new assignments. Because users can have a large number of assignments to review, feedback can be submitted all at once or in batches.

After a user saves challenges to Align records, the Territory remains unlocked for further editing by the rep or the manager. Only approved assignments are published.

This feature offers the following functionality:

• Users are notified when Territories are ready for feedback
• Users can save feedback without finalizing it
• Reviewed Territories are in read-only mode for all CRM users after the final submission
• Users can review Territories after submission, depending on the user’s rights

Submitting Feedback

Users can save the feedback they provide in CRM directly onto the relevant vault records. When device users log a challenge against an assignment, the following steps occur:

The assignment’s challenged__aln field is set to Yes

The assignment’s challenge_status__aln field is set to challenged__aln

The challenge_notes__aln and challenge_reason__aln fields are populated with the device user’s rationale for the challenge

User-provided feedback is not final until the user takes the Submit action for this territory on their device. Once a user Submits their final feedback, the reviewed territory model’s lifecycle state will be set to feedback_complete__aln. This territory model, and all of its assignments, will be in read-only mode for device users beyond this point.

Once a territory model is in the feedback_complete__aln lifecycle state, Align admins should review the provided feedback and take action on it as necessary. Align admins can make these changes manually, and set the challenge_status__aln field to either rejected__aln or approved__aln.

Challenged assignments must have their challenge_status__aln set to approved__aln before they can be published to production. Setting the territory model or project’s lifecycle state to approved__aln will automatically set the challenge_status__aln of all challenged child assignments to approved__aln, as long as the field was not set to rejected__aln first.

Territory Mapping Enhancements

Several enhancements were made to Align’s Territory Mapping feature.

Users can now select the << link to display a breadcrumb to the previous Territory. Selecting this link to moves back to the most recent Territory, regardless of whether the user changed Territories on the map.

Also, the Territories tab now contains a Search field. Users can search by name__v, external_id__aln, and Vault record IDs. Entering a search parameter displays all Territories that match the search term but does not affect map contents. Any Territories previously plotted on the map that are also in the search results are auto selected.

Once search results are returned, a “Clear” link displays next to the search box. Selecting Clear removes the search filter and clears the Search field.

This feature is enabled by default.

User Experience

Several UX changes were made in 17R1.

• Users can now resize related list columns
• When in rule edit mode, the list of options for the Field drop box is in alphabetical order
• The Rolodex was removed from list views and related lists, meaning the alphabetical selector at the top of the views no longer displays
• The Field Force list page now displays list view columns
• A preview and exclusion list box was added
• The Preview Account Assignment Rules screen now offers rule type options

The Import from sandbox screen now displays CRM connection information

• Users can now change the modeling lifecycle state on the Set Lifecycle State screen.