Introduction

Veeva Align 17R2.1 arrives with several new and updated features. This document provides a brief explanation of each new feature and explains updates to existing features.

Importing CRM Products

Align can now import the CRM Product Catalog, reducing the risk of Align products being out of sync with CRM products.

All product records from the CRM Product Catalog are imported. As with other records originating from CRM, Align tracks where the product record was imported from and stores that information in the veeva_crm_org__aln field on the product record in Align.

The CRM record is the master copy. If a record is deleted from CRM, the associated Align record is inactivated and any product-to-Territory or product-to-Field-Force association is end dated.

If multiple CRM orgs are integrated with a single Align instance and conflicting external IDs exist between products, users must manage the external IDs either in CRM or in the chosen third-party software used to manage products.

Configuration

  1. Place the import_product_catalog__aln field on the veeva_crm_org__aln object’s page layout in the CRM Integration Options section.

  1. Set the import_product_catalog__aln field to Yes. This setting enables the Product Field and Product Group Fields sections on the Field Mapping page.

  1. Map a unique field from the CRM_Product_vod object to the external_id__aln field on the Align product__aln object. If this step is not done, the CRM import process cannot match product records between CRM and Align, and the following error message displays:

The View Field Mapping link displays only when the Align user has at least Read permission to the Align field_mapping__aln object.

  1. Grant Align integration users (AIU) edit permission to the Align product_type__aln object.

Any CRM product record without a value in the field mapped to the external_id__aln field on the product__aln object is not imported into Align. The record’s import fails, and the failure is logged in the import error logs.

For more information on mapping CRM products to Align, see the Field Mapping topic.

Use

When Products are imported from CRM, the following fields are used for source system tracking:

  • CRM Record Id
  • CRM is Deleted – If this field is set to Yes, the related object is deleted.
  • Veeva CRM Org

The CRM Product_Type_vod field on the Product _vod object is imported into a new field on the Align product__aln object, crm_product_type_2__aln. This is an object relationship to a new object, product_type__aln.

The CRM integration populates the crm_product_type_2__aln field instead of the crm_product_type__aln picklist field.

Imports also check for deleted CRM products. If a product has been deleted, the status__v field is set to inactive for both the Territory product and Field Force product in Align. The end_date__aln field for all Territory product and Territory product model assignments associated to that product is set to the date of the import.

If a product group is deleted, the group is set to inactive, the status__v field for products belonging to that group is set to inactive, and the end_date__aln field for all for all Territory product and Territory product model assignments is set to the date of the import.

Product assignments are not imported.

The crm_product_type__aln field is not populated by the CRM integration.

My Setup Products

Align can now sent product-to-Territory assignments to CRM’s My Setup Products through a CRM integration. Users no longer have to manually manage product assignments in both Align and CRM.

First, products are assigned to a Territory, either manually or through Field Force product inheritance. When products are added to, removed from, or modified in a Territory, all distinct products are sent to CRM’s My _Setup_Products_vod object.

Second, Roster members are assigned to a Territory with product assignments. Once members are added to, removed from, or edited in a Territory, all distinct products for the roster members are sent to CRM’s My_Setup_Products_vod object.

For example, the detail product Cholecap is assigned to the US Cardio Field Force with Send to CRM = Yes. With Field Force Product Inheritance feature enabled, Align also assigns Cholecap to all Territories within the US Cardio Field Force that also have Send to CRM = Yes. Upon the next Push to CRM, Cholecap is assigned to all active Roster Members within that Field Force in CRM’s My_Setup_Products_vod object.

Because My_Setup_Product_vod records are not mapped to a Territory and instead join products to CRM users, CRM users are represented by roster members in Align. Assigning a product to a Territory means the CRM user corresponding to that Territory’s roster members has a new My Setup Product record added in CRM for the product.

Configuration

Align Configuration
  1. Place the my_setup_products__aln field on the veeva_crm_org__aln page layout in the CRM Integrations Options section.

  1. Set the my_setup_products__aln field to Yes.

The CRM org Country Filter is supported in the Manage My Setup Products integration feature.

CRM Configuration
  1. Create a Master_Align_Key_vod field on the My_Setup_Products_vod object with the following parameters. This field keeps product assignments in sync between Align and CRM.
  • Field Label – Master Align Key
  • Field Name – Master_Align_Key_vod
  • Field Type – Text (100)
  • Unique – True
  • Required – False
  • Place on My Setup Products Page Layout – False

4. Grant integration users edit FLS permission to the Master_Key_Align_vod field on the My_Setup_Products_vod object.

Use

Favorites

The Favorite_vod field on the CRM My_Setup_Products_vod object drives product visibility and access on the CRM Call screen. This value can be set in Align or in CRM.

Inheritance

If the Field Force product-to-Territory product inheritance is enabled, territories automatically inherit products assigned to their Field Forces. These product assignments are pushed to CRM for the roster members assigned to these Territories. See the Product Assignment Inheritance section for more information.

User-Aligned Products

The User_Aligned_vod field on the CRM Product_vod object disables the auto-inherit functionality for BRC and promotional items when an entire Field Force is aligned to a parent detail product but not all Territories should have visibility to those items. This functionality is supported with Align’s Field Force product-to-Territory inheritance.

If the user_aligned__aln field on the product__aln object is set to True for a product, the assignment is not cascaded to each Territory in the Field Force. The Align customer must data load those assignments.

Exception Handling

Exception handling is supported. If the system attempts to upsert or delete a My_Setup_Product_vod record from Align that does not exist in CRM, an SFDC API error message is added to the integration log.

Mapping Enhancements

Align’s Territory Mapping feature now includes several enhancements: territories are now shaded in various colors, users can view map details in grayscale, and maps are now available in Territory Modeling.

Territory Colors

A Territory comprises a set of geographies. Geographies are outlined within each Territory.

To distinguish territories in a district, the territories are now shaded in different colors. This enables Admins to plot multiple territories so users can easily tell them apart.

For example, Sarah Jones selected a district containing eight Territories. The map displays each Territory in a different color so Sarah can easily distinguish them.

Light Map

Users can now choose between two types of maps: Light Map or Street Map.

Street Map is the default view. To view the Light Map, select the Light Map option. Changing the map type does not alter what Accounts, Territories, etc. are plotted on the map.

When territories display in color, the Light Map, or grayscale map, allows users to easily view map details.

Maps in Territory Modeling

Maps are now available via the Settings menu in Territory Modeling. Viewing territories on a map helps users ensure their assignment decisions are geographically feasible.

Importing Field Forces

Field Forces are now imported from a production object into a modeling object when a user creates a Territory Model using the Import from Production feature. A new row in the Import Wizard table indicates how many Field Forces are imported with a Territory hierarchy. The row does not display when a single Territory is imported.

Automatically End Dating Self Alignments

Veeva CRM users can self-align Accounts to their Territory to document interactions. Over time, these records can begin to clutter the system. To help clean up the records, admins can end-date the self-alignment records so they automatically revert after a certain number of days.

For example, Sarah Jones meets a doctor at a conference. She wants to record the interaction, but she is not aligned with the doctor. She creates a self-alignment in CRM. Sarah’s Admin set self-alignments to expire after seven days, so the alignment reverts at that time.

To set an automatic end date, enter a value between 1 and 180 in the crm_assignments_expire__aln field in the Account Settings section on the align_settings__aln object. For example, to automatically end date self-assignments after a week, enter “7” in the field.

The crm_assignments_expire__aln field on the account_Territory__aln object is a system-managed field. Users should not populate this field using the UI or the Data Loader.

Upcoming Data Model Changes

The 17R2.5 release in July will expand the length of the ma_shape__aln field on the geography_territory__aln and geography_territory_model__aln objects to accommodate larger geography shapes.