Ranked Field Forces in Align

Align operations users can group multiple field forces together and assign ranks to each field force in the group. This increases efficiency by preventing multiple field forces in the same group from receiving the same account assignment, since accounts assigned to one field force cannot be assigned to a field force of a lower rank in the same group.

Field forces can share account assignments with other field forces of equal priority in the same group, or with field forces of any rank in a different group.

Field force rankings are not enforced when data loading or importing account assignments, though the next assignment preview run by the admin enforces field force rankings.

Who can use this feature?

Configuring Field Force Groups and Rankings for

To configure this feature:

  1. Ensure Configuring Align is complete.
  2. Navigate to Admin > Configuration > Objects > aln_field_force__v > Layouts.

  3. Add the following fields to the appropriate layouts:

    • aln_field_force_group__v
    • assignment_priority__v

    Optionally, Administrators can also add these fields to the list views and related lists of these objects for additional visibility.

  4. Navigate to Admin > Configuration > Objects > aln_field_force_model__v > Layouts.

  5. Add the following fields to the appropriate layouts:

    • aln_field_force_group__v
    • assignment_priority__v

    Optionally, Administrators can also add these fields to the list views and related lists of these objects for additional visibility.

Creating Ranked Field Forces as

To create ranked field forces:

  1. Navigate to Business Admin > Objects > Field Force Groups.
  2. Select Create.
  3. Create a new aln_field_force_group__v record with an appropriate Name.
  4. Select Save.
  5. Edit the appropriate aln_field_force__v or aln_field_force_model__v record.
  6. Use the Field Force Group field to select the appropriate aln_field_force_group__v record.
  7. Enter the appropriate value in the assignment_priority__v field. The lower the number, the higher the priority, with 1 being the highest possible priority.
  8. Select Save.

Repeat this process for all appropriate field forces and field force groups. Field force group assignments and priorities automatically import when moving the field force from modeling into production.

Assignment Preview and Field Force Rankings

When an Assignment Preview is initiated, field force rankings are automatically considered and respected when assigning accounts to users.

Field force rankings are calculated after Targeting Exclusions and before Exclusive Assignment. This means that if a field force with a higher ranking would normally receive an account assignment, but has a targeting exclusion configured for that account, the higher ranking field force is not assigned the account and a lower priority field force can receive the assignment instead. Field force rankings determine which field force has priority for an account, and Exclusive Assignments can then determine which territory within that field force will receive the account.

If an account is assigned to two field forces in the same group with the same priority, the assignment remains for both.

All assignments to lower priority field forces are end dated during assignment previews when an account is aligned to a higher priority field force, including Exclusive and Explicit Assignments. This behavior can be overridden by creating an exclusion in the higher priority field force.

Assignments to different field forces in different groups can coexist, regardless of priority.

For example, Dr. Clinton Ackerman is an account assigned to five different field forces:

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E

When the administrator initiates an assignment preview, Clinton Ackerman’s account assignments are maintained or removed based on the priority of the field forces:

Field Force Group

Field Force Name

Field Force Priority

Result After Assignment Preview

Cardiology

A

1

Maintained

B

1

Maintained

C

2

Removed

Diabetes

D

1

Maintained

E

2

Removed

Related Topics

Managing Field Forces

Modeling in Align