Retrieving data from an integrated and linked CRM system

Using the Data Connector applet, if enabled for your account, you can retrieve data from an account in a customer relationship management (CRM) system. You can also create new and update existing records in the CRM system. For information about the Data Connector applet, see Data Connector applet. 

Vonage Contact Center (VCC) stores data retrieved by Data Connector; VCC stores one data source for each specified field of each record retrieved from the CRM system. VCC prepares these data sources when you save the Data Connector applet, using a consistent naming convention. You can configure subsequent applets (such as a Data Announcer, a Data Router, another Data Connector applet, or an Automatic Call Distributor applet) in your interaction plan to use the data sources created.

Using the standard CRM interface, the Data Connector applet compares a value in a previously found data source to the value of a specified field of a specified object in the CRM system. If a match or matches are found, the applet retrieves the values of selected fields from the records and makes them available as data sources in the form CRM name | Object Name | Field Name n.

For example, you can configure the applet to use an account number stored in a data source. Use the account number to find one or more records by comparing it to Account Number fields in Account objects in the CRM system. If there is a match or matches, you can specify that the applet must retrieve data from the Customer Type field on the found records in the CRM system.

To use the standard interface to retrieve data from a CRM system, perform the following steps:

1. Create a Data Connector applet. For information about creating an applet, see Creating an applet. A new Data Connector applet appears.

2. In Interface in the Interface section, click the CRM system you want to retrieve data from.

3. Optionally select the applet that VCC routes the call to if the interface fails in the Interface failure list.

   Interface failure

   An interface failure occurs when the request does not receive a response or receives an error from the CRM system. A timeout, DNS lookup failure, incorrect or expired password or HTTP error status code, for example, might cause an interface failure.

4. In the Action section:

   • if you have only one action enabled for your account, Action is pre-selected with the applicable Get CRM Data action. The Match and Matched records sections also appear. Go to step 5.

   • if you have more than one action enabled for your account, in the Action list, click the Get CRM Data. The Match and Matched records sections appear.

5. In the Match section, provide the following information:

   Field	Description
   Object	Contains the available objects in the CRM system. Click the object you want to search.
   Match data source	Contains available data sources. Click the data source that contains the data you want to use to search for a record or records in the CRM system.
   against field	Contains fields available for searching on the selected object in the CRM system. Click the field to which you want to match selected data source.

6. In the Matched records section, provide the following information:

   Field	Description
   Pop matched records	If enabled for your account, select Pop matched records to open matching records in the insights panel in Agent Workspace. Clear Pop matched records to turn the feature off. For more information, see Configuring record popping in the insights panel.
   Retrieve multiple records	Select the Retrieve multiple records check box if you want the Data Connector to retrieve multiple matches. If you select Retrieve multiple records, the Maximum number to retrieve field appears.
   Maximum number to retrieve	If you want the Data Connector to retrieve multiple records, you must specify the maximum number of records to retrieve. VCC uses this value to prepare the correct number of data sources to hold the returned values
   Field to retrieve	Contains fields available on the retrieved records. Click the field or fields you want to retrieve.

   Click Remove to remove any fields you no longer want.

7. In the Routing section, provide the following information:

   Field	Description
   Successful action	Contains available applets. Click the applet that VCC routes the interaction to after a successful action. A successful action indicates that the Data Connector finds a match for the chosen object in the CRM system.
   Multiple matches	Contains available applets. Click the applet that VCC routes the interaction to if the Data Connector finds multiple matches for the chosen object in the CRM system. This field is only available if you do not want to return multiple matches and clear the Retrieve multiple records check box.
   No match	Contains available applets. Click the applet that VCC routes the interaction to next if the Data Connector finds no matches for the chosen object in the CRM system.

8. Click Update. VCC creates data sources based on the values that will be retrieved at run time. For information about the data sources VCC creates, see the Data source names section later in this page.

When VCC routes an interaction through the Data Connector applet, the created data source or sources are populated with retrieved values.

Data source names

VCC creates data sources using the following naming convention:

Single matches

Each data source is named ObjectName|FieldName where:

• ObjectName is the object you select in the Object list
• FieldName is a field you select in the Field to retrieve list

VCC creates a data source in this format for each field you select in the Field to retrieve list.

For example, if you specify that you want to retrieve Account ID and Account Name fields from a single account record, VCC creates data sources called account|Account ID and account|Account Name.

Multiple matches

Each data source is named ObjectName|FieldName n where:

• ObjectName is the object you select in the Object list
• n is the index of the record found in the CRM system in two digits, between 1 and the value you specify in Maximum number to retrieve
• FieldName is a field you select in the Field to retrieve list

VCC creates a data source in this format for each field you select in the Field to retrieve list for each record retrieved.

For example, if you specify that you want to retrieve Account ID and Account Name fields from multiple (two) records, VCC creates the following data sources

• account|Account ID 01
• account|Account Name 01
• account|Account ID 02
• account|Account Name 02

VCC will also create a data source called account| Record Count and this data source will be populated with the actual number of records found. For example, if the Maximum number to retrieve is three but only two records are found then this data source will be populated with the value of two.