Basic Territory Feedback Configuration

To configure Territory Feedback in Align:

  1. Navigate to Align Settings.

  2. Populate the following Align Settings with a comma-separated list of Align API field names from the appropriate objects:

    • account_feedback_columns__aln – List of fields on the following objects that display in the Accounts tab on the Territory Feedback page

    • account__aln
    • address__aln

    • product_metric__aln – Only available in Enhanced Territory Feedback

      For example: account__aln.last_name__aln, account__aln.specialty_1__aln, account__aln.country__aln

    • account_card_fields__aln – List of account__aln, address__aln, and product_metric__aln fields to display in the Account Information section of the Account Card view.

      For example: account__aln.name__v, product_metric__aln.trx__aln, account__aln.specialty_1__aln,address__aln.name__v

  3. Navigate to the appropriate project__aln record.

  4. Populate the feedback_instructions__aln field with instructions for users. This field displays in the Instructions section in the Territory Feedback tab in Veeva CRM.

    This field supports Markdown formatting. When entering a value in this field, a preview of the formatted text displays below the field entry area.

  5. Navigate to the Configuration tab of the Vault Administration page.

  6. Edit the challenge_reason__aln picklist on the following objects:

    • mc_cycle_plan_target__aln – Defines the list of reasons for challenging a target
    • account_territory_model__aln – Defines the list of reasons for challenging an account assignment
  7. Select Save.
  8. Configure the Approval Process.

Territory Feedback uses lifecycle states on the territory_model__aln object to control what actions are available to various user roles. See Managing Object Lifecycles for more information on managing lifecycle states.

Defining the Default Feedback State

Admins can define a feedback state that all territory models in a project. Whenever the project is placed in the Feedback Review state, all territory models in the project are automatically placed in the defined default state. This saves the user from having to manually set the correct lifecycle state for each territory hierarchy.

To configure the default lifecycle state, populate the default_feedback_state__aln field on the project. To use the out-of-the-box pre-configured approval workflow, select Feedback as the default feedback state.

Customers still must create the approval mapping for each field force model and specify lifefcycle states there, since this assigns lifecycle states to different users, who may require the assignment to participate in the feedback process.

If a Model Territory’s lifecycle state is manually changed, it does not automatically move into the default feedback state when the project is moved into the Feedback Review State.

Addresses in Territory Feedback

Align administrators can configure Territory Feedback to display the addresses of the accounts on the Account Card. This enables end-users to verify that the address information of the account is correct during the feedback process.

For example, Sarah Jones is in Territory Feedback reviewing changes to her territory. She selects Dr. Clinton Ackerman in the Accounts tab and is able to view all active addresses associated with Dr. Ackerman in on the displayed Account Card.

Configuring Addresses in Territory Feedback

To enable this feature:

  1. Navigate to the Align Settings.

  2. Add the appropriate fields on the address_aln object to the account_card_fields__aln setting.

    For example: address__aln.name__v,address__aln.address_line_2__aln,address__aln.city__aln

Use

A table with all associated addresses displays on the Account Card after the Product Metrics table. Each row of this table represents a different address__aln record associated with the account and each column represents a field defined in the account_card_fields__aln Align Setting.

Automated Feedback Handling

Administrators can configure Align to automatically handle approved challenges. This streamlines the Territory Feedback process by automatically applying approved challenges to the modeling project.

To enable Automated Feedback Handling:

  1. Navigate to Align Settings.
  2. Enable the automated_feedback_handling__aln setting.

When a modeling project is moved to a state of Territory Feedback Complete, approved challenges automatically apply to the modeling project with the following behaviors:

  • Remove Account – All associated account_territory_model__aln records between the account and territory are end-dated to the planned publish date. An account_exclusion_model__aln record is created with the following values:

    Field Value
    account__aln Account__aln field on the account_territory_model__aln record
    territory_model__aln Territory_model__aln field on the account_territory_model__aln record
    project__aln Project__aln field on the account_territory_model__aln record
    start_date__aln Planned_publish_date__aln on the project__aln record
    end_date__aln End_date__aln field on the territory_model__aln record
    assignment_type__aln account__aln
    exclusion_reason__aln feedback__aln
    send_to_crm__aln YES
  • Add Account – The account is added to the territory
  • Keep Account – The account remains in the terriory

  • Remove Target – the associated mc_cycle_plan_target__aln record and all child records are deleted. An account_exclusion_model__aln record is created with the following values:

    Field Value
    account__aln Account__aln field on the mc_cycle_plan_target__aln record
    territory_model__aln Territory_model__aln field on the mc_cycle_plan_target__aln record
    project__aln The current project
    start_date__aln Planned_publish_date__aln on the mc_cycle_plan__aln record
    end_date__aln End_date__aln field on the mc_cycle_plan__aln record
    assignment_type__aln target__aln
    exclusion_reason__aln feedback__aln
    send_to_crm__aln YES
  • Add Target – The target remains in the project
  • Edit Goals – If one of the target's cycle plan channel or cycle plan product records has a populated feedback_activity_goal__aln field, the value stamps on the record's activity_goal_edit__aln field or product_activity_goal_edit__aln field, respectively.

Once Territory Feedback is complete, Pending challenges are ignored.

Editing the Challenge Reasons Picklist

Administrators can add, edit, and disable values of the Challenge Reasons picklist that displays to users when they submit a challenge using Territory Feedback. This enables more flexibility when configuring Territory Feedback, since the administrator can tailor this picklist based on the needs of the users submitting the feedback.

Administrators can also use this feature to disable the other__c free-text value in the picklist, ensuring compliance for field forces that do not support free-text notes.

For example, the Align administrator edits the challenge_reason__aln picklist based on the needs of her users. She has received feedback that many users challenge target removals to their territories due to having a good rapport with the account, so she adds a new challenge reason, rapport__c, to the picklist. Her company also requires that users are not able to enter free-text, so she sets the status of the other__c value to Inactive.

To edit the values of the challenge_reason__aln picklist:

  1. Navigate to the Configuration tab of the Vault Administration page.
  2. Navigate to the account_territory_model__aln object.
  3. Edit the challenge_reason__aln picklist.
  4. Select Fields Using this Picklist.
  5. Select Edit.

From this page, administrators can perform the following tasks:

  • Add new picklist values by entering them in the text field after all existing values
  • Edit the status of individual picklist values