CRM On Demand Learning Blog

OK, you’re a customer service agent or a sales rep and you need to small talk for a minute or two while your computer is doing its thing. What’s better than a chat about the weather? Click a link and you’ll see if it’s sunny, snowing, or sweltering at the contact’s location. Here's how to do that!

1. Go to the Contact Field Setup page: Admin > Application Customization > Contact > Contact Field Setup

2. Add a new field:

a. For Display Name, enter Weather.
b. For Field Type, select Web Link.

c. On the Contact Fields page, scroll down and click Edit Web Link next to Weather:

3. On the Edit Web Link page, click Open in New window. That’s the safest bet so you don’t suddenly move away from your contact’s record in CRM On Demand.

4. In the URL field, set up the URL you want to use. Let’s use www.weather.com to illustrate this point:

a. Go to www.weather.com.

b. Enter a zip code at the top, and click GO. You’ll see the weather page for that zip code.

c. Copy and paste the URL from that page into the URL field in CRM On Demand:
http://www.weather.com/weather/local/19382?lswe=19382&lwsa=WeatherLocalUndeclared&from=searchbox

d. From the URL, delete the text that is specific to your search, which is everything after “local/”, so that it looks like this:
http://www.weather.com/weather/local/

e. Place your cursor at the end of your URL, click the Contact Fields drop-down list, and select Contact Zip/Post Code. This inserts the parameters for the URL, so it should look like this:
http://www.weather.com/weather/local/%%%PERSONAL_LIST_ZIP%%%

f. In the Display Text field, enter How’s the weather?

g. Click Save.

5. Add the Weather field to the page layout where you want it to appear:

a. Go to Admin > Application Customization > Contact > Contact Page Layout.
b. Click Edit for the appropriate role.
c. Click Step 3, Field Layout, in the Page Layout Wizard.
d. Click Weather in the Available Fields column and then the arrow next to the section where you want the Weather field to appear.
e. Click Finish.

6. Go to a contact record.

7. Click the How’s the weather? link. Start chatting away!

Do you want to integrate other applications with Oracle CRM On Demand? If so, you may have started investigating Web services. Whether you’re well on your way or just getting started, there are many resources to support you.

First, contact CRM On Demand Customer Care to have Web Services enabled for your company. Also, keep in mind that you need someone on your team that has Web development experience, as creating integrations does require some technical expertise. Once you have Web services enabled and the right resources, you’re ready to begin.

Next, get the Web Services On Demand Guide. This document offers an overview of Web Services On Demand, gives you the steps to get started, and offers code samples. Go to My Oracle Support (formerly MetaLink) or access it directly from CRM On Demand:

1. Click the Admin link in the upper right corner of any page in CRM On Demand.
2. Click the Web Services Administration link.
3. Click the Download Documentation button to get the Web Services On Demand Guide.

In addition, you can get more code samples, documentation, and getting started kits from the Web Services Resource Library:

1. Click the Training and Support link in the upper right corner of any page in CRM On Demand.
2. Click the Web Services Library link.

You can also tap into the knowledge and experience of other users and experts on the CRM On Demand Integration Development Forum. This forum is available for customers, partners, and other experts to discuss application development and integration topics, such as using Web services.