Solution Database and Knowledge Search Configuration

Solution Database

The Solution Database is a repository of information which is stored as problems and solutions, and is indexed for immediate retrieval. It also provides a multiple language support.

The Solution Database offers a basic interface for knowledge administrators (also agents, field engineers, and other users) to search for problems and solutions.

Knowledge Search

The knowledge search is the entry point for searches in a knowledge base. For example, in the interaction center (IC), agents use the knowledge search to find solutions to problems or other issues that are reported by customers through channels such as telephone, e-mail, and chat.

It provides an index-based search allowing free text and attribute search, exact phrase search and exclude phrase search. It further refines the search results through keyword clustering.

It also provides a feature which provides an Automatic suggestion of solution.

Solution Database & Knowledge Search

Knowledge administrators use the Solution Database to define problems and solutions using, for example, free-text descriptions in several languages and customized attributes. They can structure multiple relationships between problems and solutions, and navigate easily between them.

The Solution Database is used as a knowledge base in the following applications:

1.      Knowledge search of Interaction Center (IC) WebClient and IC WinClient

2.      Standalone knowledge search (transaction CRMM_SEARCH)

3.      Solution search and frequently asked questions (FAQs) of Internet Customer Self-Service

This document will guide a step by step approach to configure Solution Database & Knowledge Search.

Configuration Steps

1. Configure Enterprise Intelligence
   • Configuring Search Engine    

Define the basic settings for the search engine used in the Software Agent Framework (SAF). This is necessary for the compilation, clustering, and search functionality to work.

1. Access the activity using the following navigation options:   
   

   Transaction code	SPRO
   SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management  -> Enterprise Intelligence -> Software Agent Framework -> Name and Configure Search Engine

2. Choose Continue until you get to the step Search Engine Type.
3. If field Process Class is empty, add the following entry:
   

   Field name	Value
   Process Class	CL_CRM_SAF_SE_TREX_ABAP

4. Deselect Use Default Queue Management for Background Jobs.
5. Skip the following steps choosing Continue choose Complete to exit the wizard.
6. Choose Save if necessary.

• Configuring Knowledge Base    

Wizard to configure a knowledge base in the Software Agent Framework (SAF). Each knowledge base is a collection of knowledge entities whose information is stored in an SAP system.

Procedure

1.      Access the activity using the following navigation options:

Transaction code	SPRO
SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management -> Enterprise Intelligence ->  Software Agent Framework -> Name and Configure Knowledge Base

2.      Choose Continue.

3.      In step Name and Language select the respective knowledge bases (SDB) choose Continue.

4.      On step Basic Settings enter a Description “Solution Database” for the selected language and choose Continue to skip all other steps.

5.      Choose Complete to exit the wizard.

6.      Choose Save if necessary.

7.      Perform steps 3-6 for other knowledge bases.

8.      Additionally for the following knowledge bases you might need to make sure that in step Compilation Dependencies a knowledge base has been assigned as Master Knowledge Base:

Knowledge Base	Master Knowledge Base
SDB_SOLUTIONS_DOC	SDB_SOLUTIONS
SDBATTACHMENTS	SDB

• Configuring Application

                    Procedure

1. Access the activity using the following navigation options:
   

   Transaction code	SPRO
   SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management  -> Enterprise Intelligence ->  Software Agent Framework -> Configure Application

2. Choose Continue.
3. In step Application Name select the application ALL and enter all necessary language-specific descriptions for this application.
4. Choose Continue.
5. Select the knowledge bases SDB, SDB_PROBLEMS, SDB_SOLUTIONS, and SDB_SOLUTIONS_DOC and choose continue until the step Search Dependency.
6. In step Search Dependency enter SDB as Master Knowledge Base and SDBATTACHMENT as Dependent Knowledge Base.
7. Choose Continue.
8. In the section Search Query Parameters enter the required Maximum Number of returned Hits, and values for Delimiters and Fuzziness, if not already prefilled. To check this,  see also the explanation text provided in the wizard.
9. Choose Complete to exit the wizard.
10. Choose Save if necessary.
11. Open the wizard again in order to select application ICWEBCLIENT.
12. Choose Continue and in step Knowledge Bases check if all relevant knowledge bases have been assigned (here: SDB, SDB_PROBLEMS, SDB_SOLUTIONS, and SDB_SOLUTIONS_DOC).
13. If not choose button Insert Row and select the relevant knowledge bases.
14. Skip the following steps choosing Continue, and then choose Complete to save the data and exit the wizard

• Configuring Compilation

                    Wizard to define the basic settings for the compilation in the Software Agent Framework (SAF). This is necessary for the compilation.

                    Procedure

1. Access the activity using the following navigation options:
   

   Transaction code	SPRO
   SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management  -> Enterprise Intelligence ->  Software Agent Framework -> Configure Compilation

2. Choose Continue.
3. In step Index Name select knowledge base SDB in field Knowledge Base Name and highlight all relevant languages for the compilation.
4. Chose Continue.
5. In step Index Settings maintain the following entries:
6. Choose Continue without changing any data and Complete to exit the wizard.
7. Choose Save if necessary.
8. Repeat the steps 2-5 with all other necessary knowledge bases, like: SDB Problems; SDB Solutions etc., if you are using additional knowledge bases

2. Configure Solution Database         

• Defining Priority Types

                    Define a new priority type with a suitable description like described below.

                    Alternatively, existing standard priority type SM (Service Priorities) can also be used.

           Procedure

1. To carry out the activity, choose the following navigation options:
   

   Transaction code	SPRO
   SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management -> Enterprise Intelligence -> Solution Database -> Basic Data -> Priorities -> Define Priority Types

2. Create New Entries.
3. Save

                   

• Defining Priorities

                              In the IMG activity area Priorities, assign a priority to the priority type defined in last step.

                      Procedure

1. To carry out the activity, choose the following navigation options:   
   

   Transaction code	SPRO
   SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management -> Enterprise Intelligence -> Solution Database -> Basic Data à Priorities -> Define Priorities for Each Priority Type

2. Create New Entries
3. Save

• Defining Problem Types

  In this IMG activity, possible problem types in the Solution Database (SDB) are defined.

  For each problem type, following can be specified:

•          Default values for the Problem Subtype, Subject Profile, and Priority fields in the SDB.

•          Catalog to be used when users specify a problem code, location, damage, and/or cause when maintaining problems of this problem type in the SDB

               Procedure

1. To carry out the activity, choose the following navigation options:
   

   Transaction code	SPRO
   SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management -> Enterprise Intelligence -> Solution Database -> Problems -> Define Problem Types

2. Create New Entries
3. Save.

• Defining Problem Subtypes

                              For each problem type, multiple problem subtypes can be defined.

                      Procedure

1. Access the activity using the following navigation options:   
   

   Transaction code	SPRO
   SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management -> Enterprise Intelligence -> Solution Database  -> Problems -> Define Problem Subtypes for Each Problem Type

2. Create New Entries.
3. Save.

•    Defining Solution Types

                    The standard solution type SL (Solution Description) can also be used.    

               Procedure

Transaction code	SPRO
SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management -> Enterprise Intelligence -> Solution Database -> Solutions -> Define Solution Types

              

• Defining Solution Subtypes

                              Solution subtypes are the next level of categorization for solutions after solution types. Multiple solution subtypes can exist per solution type.    

                       Procedure                

        

Transaction code	SPRO
SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management à Enterprise Intelligence à Solution Database à Solutions àDefine Solution Subtypes for Each Solution Type

              

3. Configure Knowledge Search Profiles

          In this IMG activity, define a knowledge search profile to:

1. Determine which knowledge bases are offered to interaction center (IC) agents in the Database dropdown in the IC knowledge search
2. (SAP CRM only) Restrict agents’ access to the knowledge base SDB (Solution Database) in the IC knowledge search
3. Service Engineers ( Service Pro role ) can also access knowledge base SDB ( Solution Database) in Service Pro role Knowledge search        

Transaction code	SPRO
SAP CRM IMG menu	Customer Relationship Management -> Interaction Center Web Client  -> Basic Functions -> Define Knowledge search profiles

         

    

         Knowledge Base Name can be configured in the IMG activity Name and Configure Knowledge Base as explained in the above sections.

      The above steps will configure the KNOWLEDGE SEARCH & Solution Database for IC Agent.

      

4. Problem & Solution Maintenance

      Problems and Solutions can be maintained in transaction IS01.

     The following details can be maintained

•    Problem Details
• Short Description and Long Texts in Multiple Languages
•    Validation Categories
• Locations, Damages and Causes
• Linked Solutions / Linked Problems
•    Solution Documents