Aligning Accounts to Territories

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Align accounts automatically to a territory program.
  • Align accounts manually to a territory.
  • Transfer account alignments.

Aligning Accounts to Territories

An account can be aligned with one or more territories within a territory program. When an account is aligned with a territory, the account is eligible for quota setting so that quotas can be tracked at a granular level. Productivity for the account is also measured through AI optimization, which can help you balance your territories. Also, account alignments can be used in the Mapping App to calculate average drive times.

You can align one or more accounts with a territory using rules for automatic alignment, or you can manually allocate accounts. You can also transfer an account alignment from one territory to another.

Aligning accounts automatically

You can automate the allocation of accounts to your rep-level territories and overlay territories by configuring territory rules for the individual territories. Accounts can only be aligned automatically with territories that have alignment rules configured. Additional information about configuring alignment rules is available in Lesson 3.

You can align accounts for the entire territory tree, or just one specific territory. To align accounts for the entire territory tree, alignment rules must be configured for at least one of the territories in the territory tree.

Align Accounts for the Entire Territory Tree

Steps

  1. To run an account alignment for an entire territory tree navigate to Territory AdminTerritory Programs and select the territory program for which you want to run the account alignment. The territory program opens to the Territory Tree tab.

  2. Select the Detail tab.

  3. From the Territory menu on the top right, select Base Account Allocation. The Run Account Allocation screen appears.

  4. Effective as of date: by default, the effective date is the current date. If necessary, change it to a different date.

  5. Create Scenario: if you wish to create a scenario, expand the Create Scenario section, select Create Scenario, and optionally give the scenario a label. Additional information on scenarios is available in Lesson 10.

  6. Which Accounts should be included: to limit the accounts that are included in the alignment, expand this section and fill out the options.

    1. Select to include All accounts, only New accounts created on or after the entered date, or Modified accounts on or after the entered date.
    2. Account filter: a freeform field allowing you to filter accounts based on account properties. This options uses the following syntax: Account.property = "X" OR Account.Property = "Y"
    3. Remove Accounts First: this option will remove all accounts already aligned to the territory before aligning the new set of accounts.

      Note

      Manual Inclusions won't be removed, and Manual Exceptions won't be realigned, even if they match the Territory alignment rules.
    4. Consider Parent Territory’s Account Only: the system will only look at parent accounts in the territories during the account allocation instead of looking at all accounts in the territories.
    5. Ignore Exceptions: enabling this option instructs the job to ignore any inclusion or exclusion exceptions that may be in place for an account for the given territory.
    6. Allocate Account to Overlay Territory: enabling this option applies the same account alignment rules to its associated overlay territories.
    7. Disable Notifications: enabling this option disables all email notifications for the user who starts the job.
  7. Account Alignment Effective Dates: when an account is associated with a territory via a Run Account Allocation job run, the effective start and end dates for the territory account alignment are based on the option you select for the Account Alignment Effective Dates.

    1. Use Current Territory Version Dates (Default): each territory has a version date, and these version dates will be used for the effective dates.
    2. Use Matching Account / Geo Align Version Dates: accounts and geographies can have their own version dates different from the territory version dates, so this option will use the account/geography version dates as the effective dates.
    3. Custom Dates: enter the custom dates you’d like to use for the effective dates.
  8. Scheduling: you can configure the Account Allocation job to run automatically on a regular basis.

    1. Enable Scheduling: check the box to turn on the scheduling feature.
    2. Job Frequency: select how frequently you want the job to run.
    3. Schedule Start Date: select the start date and time.
    4. Schedule End Date: select the end date and time.
  9. Save your changes. You can close the form and return to it to run it at any time.

  10. Select Run to run the allocation and align all accounts to the territories that have rules defined. A banner will appear at the top of the screen with updates on the allocation job. Once the banner is green with a success message, the account allocation job is complete.

Result

Define Account Rules and Align Accounts to a Territory

Business Example

In this exercise, you will learn to define account alignment rules and align accounts to a Territory, so they can be used in calculating quotas.

Running an Account Alignment for a Single Territory

If you’ve made changes to a single territory that can affect the account alignment, such as adding a new geography, you can run an account alignment for just that territory. Once again, the alignment rules must be in place for that territory to have the alignment run automatically.

Before you begin an account alignment job, you can choose to refresh the rule summary to get an idea of how many accounts might be affected when you apply this territory's rules. To refresh the rule summary, choose Refresh Rule Summary () on the Rules tab of the territory. No rules are actually executed when you choose this option.

Run an Account Alignment for a Single Territory

Steps

  1. Navigate to Territory AdminTerritory Programs and open the territory program to which the territory belongs. The territory program opens, and the Territory Tree tab is displayed.

  2. On the Territory Tree tab, open the territory for which you want to apply the alignment rules. In the Territory detail pane on the right, navigate to the Alignments tab, then the Rules tab.

  3. Choose the Account radio button.

  4. Choose Apply Rules. The Run Account Allocation screen appears.

  5. Effective as of date: by default, the effective date is the current date. If necessary, change to a different date.

  6. Create Scenario: if you wish to create a scenario, expand the Create Scenario section, select Create Scenario, and optionally give the scenario a label. Additional information on scenarios is available in Lesson 10.

  7. Which Accounts should be included: to limit the accounts that are included in the alignment, expand this section and fill out the options.

    1. Select to include All accounts, only New accounts created on or after the entered date, or Modified accounts on or after the entered date.

    2. Account filter: a freeform field allowing you to filter accounts based on account properties and using the following syntax: Account.property = "X" OR Account.Property = "Y"

    3. Remove Accounts First: this option will remove all accounts already aligned to the territory before aligning the new set of accounts.

      Note

      Manual Inclusions won't be removed, and Manual Exceptions won't be realigned, even if they match the Territory alignment rules.
    4. Consider Parent Territory’s Account Only: the system will only look at parent accounts in the territories during the account allocation instead of looking at all accounts in the territories.

    5. Ignore Exceptions: enabling this option instructs the job to ignore any inclusion or exclusion exceptions that may be in place for an account for the given territory.

    6. Run Rule for Child Territories: enabling this option overlays the existing territory accounts and lists a unique set of territory accounts.

    7. Allocate Account to Overlay Territory: enabling this option applies the same account alignment rules to its associated overlay territories.

    8. Disable Notifications: enabling this option disables all email notifications for the user who starts the job.

  8. Account Alignment Effective Dates: when an account is associated with a territory via a Run Account Allocation job run, the effective start and end dates for the territory account alignment are based on the option you select for the Account Alignment Effective Dates.

    1. Use Current Territory Version Dates (Default): each territory has a version date, and these version dates will be used for the effective dates.

    2. Use Matching Account / Geo Align Version Dates: accounts and geographies can have their own version dates different from the territory version dates, so this option will use the account/geography version dates as the effective dates.

    3. Custom Dates: enter the custom dates you’d like to use for the effective dates.

  9. Select Run to run the allocation and align all accounts for this territory. A banner will appear at the top of the screen with updates on the allocation job. Once the banner is green with a success message, the account allocation job is complete.

  10. Choose Save on the Accounts tab of the selected territory to save the account changes.

Result

Alignment Rules All to Qualify

To learn more about Alignment Rules All to Qualify, watch this video:

Aligning Accounts Manually

When you need to align accounts to a territory where a rule is not applicable, you can align those accounts manually.

Align Accounts Manually

Steps

  1. Navigate to Territory AdminTerritory Programs and open the territory program to which the territory belongs. The territory program opens, and the Territory Tree tab is displayed.

  2. Select the territory for which you want to manually align an account. The Territory Detail pane will open on the right.

  3. In the Territory Detail pane, navigate to the Alignments tab, then the Accounts tab.

  4. Choose Create () to add an alignment.

  5. The Add Accounts wizard screen appears. All available accounts are listed.

  6. To narrow down the list of accounts, use the Global Search () or choose Column Search () and filter by specific columns. You can also use the Show Parent Accounts Only option.

  7. Select the checkbox for one or more accounts you want to align with the territory.

  8. Choose Next. The Alignment Details screen of the Add Accounts wizard appears. The accounts that were selected in the previous step are listed under Selected Accounts on the right. The Alignment Details you define apply to all the selected accounts.

  9. Accounts to Territory Alignment Dates: by default, the dates align with the effective period for the selected version of the territory.

  10. Alignment Type: select the Alignment Type from the list. All Alignment Types associated with the territory program are available for selection.

    1. Override Uniqueness Enforcement: if selected, the aligned account acts as unique and can't be aligned to other territories during that effective period.

  11. Additional Options

    1. Create Inclusion: by default, Create Inclusion is enabled with the start date and end date set to the territory program alignment dates. Dates can be modified but must fall within the alignment dates specified in Accounts to Territory Alignment Dates.

    2. Apply to Children: when enabled, the application creates an account alignment for all child accounts of the current account.

    3. Create Inclusion for Children: when enabled, within the selected period the account alignments are treated as exceptions.

  12. Choose Next.

  13. Custom Attributes: you can set or update any Custom Attributes that exist for the territory account. Choose Select Attributes to select which custom attributes you want to display on the screen.

  14. Choose Save Changes to close the Add Accounts wizard.

  15. Choose Save on the Accounts tab of the territory. A banner will appear at the top of the screen with updates on the alignment job. Once the banner is green with a success message, the account alignment job is complete.

    Note

    When you align an account manually on the Accounts tab, the application sets the Source associated with the alignment as Direct Placement. You can add the Source column to the AlignmentsAccounts view using Select Columns ().

Result

Transferring Account Alignments

Account alignments can be transferred from one territory to another within the same territory tree. You can transfer accounts manually, or by using the lasso feature in the mapping application. Additional information about the mapping application is available in Lesson 9.

Transfer Accounts Manually

Steps

  1. Navigate to Territory AdminTerritory Programs and open the territory program in which you want to transfer an account. The territory program opens, and the Territory Tree tab is displayed.

  2. On the Territory Tree tab, open the territory to which the account is currently aligned.

  3. In the Territory detail pane on the right, navigate to the Alignments tab, then the Accounts tab.

  4. Select Transfer Accounts. The Transfer Accounts wizard appears, with a list of all currently aligned accounts.

  5. Select one or more accounts you want to transfer to another territory.

  6. Choose Next. The Select Destination screen of the Transfer Accounts window opens.

  7. Select the row of the territory to which you want to transfer the account. Use the Tree View Icon () or List View Icon () to switch views.

    You can only transfer accounts to one destination territory at a time.

  8. Choose Next.

  9. Set Custom Attributes.

    Optionally, you can set or update any Custom Attributes that exist for the account being transferred.

    1. No Alignment Attributes : Only custom attributes with default values are populated by the system.

    2. Keep Existing Alignment Attribute values for each Account: All custom attribute values are retained from the original alignment record for each transferred account.

    3. Set Alignment Attributes for all transferred Accounts: All alignments created by the transfer process share the values set here. If this option is selected, all custom attributes are displayed. You can update them, as needed.

  10. Choose Next.

  11. Set Additional Options. Select the Additional Options that apply.

    1. When should the transferred Accounts take effect? Either use the destination territory effective dates or select new effective dates.

    2. Alignment Type. Set the account(s) to have no alignment type, to keep the existing alignment types the account(s) currently have or select a new alignment type for all transferred account(s).

    3. Alignment Exception Type

      1. Create Exclusion in Source Territory: creates exclusions for each transferred account in its source territory. Exclusion dates cover the same time period as the original alignments.
      2. Transfer with Exception Type: each new alignment that is created in the destination territory is created with the selected Alignment Type regardless of the Alignment Type in the source territory. For example, an exclusion in the source territory can be converted to inclusion in the destination territory via this process. If selected, you can choose None, Inclusion or Exclusion.
  12. Choose Save As Scenario if you wish to execute a hypothetical run of an account alignment transfer. Additional information on scenarios is available in Lesson 10.

  13. Choose Transfer Accounts to transfer the account(s) to the new territory. A banner will appear at the top of the screen with updates on the transfer job. Once the banner is green with a success message, the transfer job is complete.

Result

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