7.2.4 Setup Booking Calendar

 

Do you already know our Booking Calendar Lightning? If not you can check it out on this Wiki page: 4.22 How to book Campaigns with our Booking Calendar? (Booking Calendar Lightning) or for settings: 7.2.25 How to set up the Booking Calendar Lightning?


The Booking Calendar assists you to easily handle exclusive placements. An exclusive placement blocks other ad types, so it’s important to check thoroughly if a booking is possible to prevent double bookings. With the help of the Booking Calendar, booked, offered, and available exclusive placements are visualized to give you a better overview of what is available or not.

Here you find how to use the 4.9 Booking Calendar

A. Prerequisites

1. Add Remote Site Settings

In order to use the Booking Calendar, you need to configure a remote site setting. This setting allows the Booking Calendar to load data records.

Please navigate to remote site settings and enter the URL from the Booking Calendar Wizard:

  1. Navigate to Setup.

  2. Search for Remote Site Settings in the Quick search

  3. Click the link Remote Site Settings.

  4. Click the button New Remote Site.

  5. Enter the Remote Site Name, for instance, enter "PositionChart".

  6. Enter the Remote Site URL displayed at the Booking Calendar Wizard (it will look like this: "https://advendio.XXX.visual.force.com").

  7. Please activate the Checkbox Active.

  8. Click the button Save.

After creating this remote site setting the warning message should not appear anymore.

2. Prepare your Inventory - Ad Price and Campaign Item Fields

The Booking Calendar can only show Ad Prices and compare them with offered or booked Campaign Items, that are marked as "exclusive".

The Booking Calendar uses the following fields:

  • Exclusive: This Ad price is exclusive. Only exclusive items are displayed in the Booking Calendar. The exclusive checkbox is automatically set for new campaign items while creating them.

  • Maximum Applicability: This field defines how often the item is available. This field is available in the object Ad Price and also in the object Ad Specs. If empty the Booking Calendar and Check Availability will assume a 1.

  • Effective Maximum Applicability: This field defines how often the item is available. If the field Maximum Applicability in the Ad Price is empty, the field Maximum Applicability in the Ad Spec is used. If both fields are empty, the Booking Calendar interprets this as "1".

  • Constant Quantity: This field defines if the Booking Calendar should count the QuantityGuaranteed AI, Runtime Campaign Item or Frequency. If this field is not defined, the default value is "Quantity".

  • Maximum Applicability Unit: This field defines if the Booking Calendar is using this Ad Price per Day, WeekMonth, Quarter, or Year. The Booked Quantity of Campaign Items will then be divided among the days, weeks, months, quarters, or years. (Please see table below)

Attention:

  1. If any of these values are missing add them to the respective picklists.

  2. Ad Prices with a Maximum Applicability Unit of month, quarter, or year will only appear if the time column in the Booking Calendar is set to same or a larger time frame and not in the day-view.

  3. Please take note that for Maximum Applicability unit of weeks no conversion is happening. 

  4. You can also define the above values on the Content and AdSpec Object. (If fields are not visible, please edit the corresponding page layout.)

  5. Make sure that your Campaign Line Item also has the exclusive checkbox marked. This should work automatically if you pick out an exclusive Ad price but automatically imports or other processes might miss it.

 

Here you can see which smaller units on your AdSpec are converted and shown in the booking calendar if the following time columns are selected:

time columns → 
/ max AppUnit 

day

week

month

quarter

year

time columns → 
/ max AppUnit 

day

week

month

quarter

year

day

converted

converted

converted

converted

converted

week

-

converted

-

-

-

month

-

-

converted

converted

converted

quarter

-

-

-

converted

converted

year

-

-

-

-

converted

B. Manage your Booking Calendar Settings

In order to use the Booking Calendar, you need to configure remote site settings and create some templates.

Please navigate to the Booking Calendar Wizard:

  1. Navigate to the App Launcher.

  2. Search for the term "Booking Calendar Settings".

  3. Click the link to the Booking Calendar Settings.

The Booking Calendar Settings help you to manage your templates. Templates are used to define which filters and fields a user can see.

Note: If you run the Booking Calendar the first time, you will see a warning message. Please copy the site URL and create a remote site setting:

1. Create Templates

In order to use the Booking Calendar, you need to configure a template. Optionally you can use the ADvendio default templates or modify those.

1. Select Template

 

Please navigate to the Booking Calendar Wizard and create a new template:

  1. Navigate to the App Launcher.

  2. Search for the term "Booking Calendar Settings".

  3. Click the link to the Booking Calendar Settings.

  4. Select the button Create Template.

  5. Enter a Name for this template, for instance, use "Standard" as default.

  6. Click the button Next.

If you have defined a name for the template, you are able to define filter fields, pre-fill filters, define layout columns and detailed information (campaign item data).

2a. Select Filters (Search Page)

Filters allow you to search for specific sites, placements or ad types if you define those filters. You are able to define various filters like billing categories or price lists. The system has automatically defined filters that are used most frequently.

You can add filters from different objects (any linked objects, start is Campaign Item) like you would add fields to a formula field:

  • Click the Plus icon to add a new line.

  • Click the Delete icon to delete an existing line.

  • Click and hold click the Sort-Icon and drag and drop the line to sort your filters.

  • Select a field from the picklist to insert that field as a filter.

  • Select a lookup from the picklist to jump to another object to insert a field as a filter.

All fields are automatically added to the section below.

Silent Publication Date filter

The setting "Silent Publication Date filter" is a very specific setting which can be used by clients with Publication Dates who don't want to use the Publication Dates as own columns. The Silent Publication Date filter will require at least one Site filter to be set and start to request all Publication Dates relevant for the requested timeframe once the "Filter" button is hit. The result is a cleaner table view with one row per product/price also when working with publication dates. 

2b. Predefined Filters and default values

Filters allow you to search for specific sites, placements or ad types if you define those filters. You are able to predefine filters by selecting a template. 

You are able to predefine filters while selecting a template that filters the results of the Booking Calendar:

Standard Fields

  • From Date: Enter a date in this field. This field is automatically filled with the date while selecting this template.

  • Until Date: Enter a date in this field. This field is automatically filled with the date while selecting this template.

  • Date Range: Define a date range (Custom, Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next 7 Days) to define which time frame should be displayed in the Booking Calendar.

  • Media Campaign: Define a standard media campaign that always should be used.

  • Time Columns: Define which unit of time (days, weeks, months, quarters, years or publication dates) should be used in this template.

  • Level of Detail: Standard is low, if you want to see more details directly in the Booking Calendar, you are able to set it to high.

  • Content: Define a value to filter the Booking Calendar by this Content. You can use a wildcard ("*").

Custom Filters

  • Site: Define one or more sites (Multi-Lookup) to filter the Booking Calendar.

  • Placement: Define one or more placements (Multi-Lookup) to filter the Booking Calendar.

  • Ad Type: Define one or more ad types (Multi-Lookup) to filter the Booking Calendar.

  • Billing Category: Define a billing category to see only certain records.

If you have configured all settings you can go to the next step:

  1. Click the button Next.

Note: If the time frame is too large, the time columns automatically switch to weeks, because the Booking Calendar can not display too much information. Please use filters always to display the results of records that you need.

2c. Expert Mode

Here you can program more advanced filters for your Booking Calendar templates.

To enable the feature you can just click the checkbox on the upper right corner in the relevant template.

After hitting the checkbox you will see two fields in the layout where you can write your query for Ad Prices and Campaign Items. 

The Query for the Ad Price should be starting with an AND and the query for the Campaign Item does not need an operator to start. 

Here are two examples:

  • SOQL Where Clause Addition (Ad Price): "AND Name = 'AP-1'"

  • SOQL Where Clause Addition (Campaign item): "ADvendio__TimeZone__c != 'Europe/Berlin'"

3. Setup Layout (Result Columns)

The columns of the Booking Calendar can be defined to display the information that is necessary. The system has automatically defined columns that are used most frequently.

You are able to define columns (any linked objects, starting as Campaign Item) like you would add fields to a formula field:

  • Click the Plus icon to add a new line.

  • Click the Delete icon to delete an existing line.

  • Click and hold click the Sort-Icon and drag and drop the line to sort your filters.

  • Select a field from the picklist to insert that field as a column.

  • Select a lookup from the picklist to jump to another object to insert a field as a column.

  • Activate the checkboxes Content and Publication Dates to display them as a column.

Here is your result for the example above:

If you have configured all settings you can go to the next step:

  • Click the button Next.

4. Define Detailed View

The detailed information (campaign item data) of the Booking Calendar can be defined to display the information that is necessary. The system has automatically defined columns that are used most frequently.

You are able to define columns (any linked objects, start is Campaign Item) like you would add fields to a formula field:

  • Click the Plus icon to add a new line.

  • Click the Delete icon to delete an existing line.

  • Click and hold click the Sort-Icon and drag and drop the line to sort your filters.

  • Select a field from the picklist to insert that field as a column.

  • Select a lookup from the picklist to jump to another object to insert a field as a column.

  • Activate the checkbox Campaign Item as Link to display the campaign item as a column with a link to the right campaign item.

Here is the result info page for the example above (clicking on the little  Button): 

5. High Details

In this step you are able to define different fields you will see when choosing "high" in the filter selection directly in the cell as opposed to step 4 when you click on the little  Button.

Please choose the relevant information to see at a glance, for instance, campaign item or media campaign details. 



The result can look like this:

If you have configured all settings, you can go to the next step: Click the button Finish.

2. Edit or Delete Templates

If you want to edit an existing template or delete a template that is no longer used, you can also use the Booking Calendar Wizard.

Please navigate to the Booking Calendar Wizard and edit an existing template:

  1. Navigate to the App Launcher.

  2. Search for the term "Booking Calendar Settings".

  3. Click the link to the Booking Calendar Settings.

  4. Select the button Edit Template.

You can now select an existing template and edit it or delete that template.

  1. Click the Button Next to exit this template OR click the Delete Icon to delete this template.

Activate or Deactivate Templates

Templates can be activated or deactivated. A deactivated template still exists, but it will be hidden in the Booking Calendar.

To deactivate or activate an existing Template go to the Booking Calendar Settings. Click on "Edit Template" and select the Template of your choice. You can then use the Active Checkbox to activate or deactivate the Template. Afterwards click on Next to save your changes to the Template, you can then close the wizard or further adjust the template, while going through the steps.

3. Clone Templates

In the first step in the Booking Calendar Settings select Clone.

  • Pick the template you like to copy

  • Enter a name for the new template

The next 4 steps are analogue to the ones described above:

C. Custom Settings

With the help of the Booking Calendar, booked and offered and available exclusive placements are displayed in different colours and define some other default settings. Navigate to Setup - Custom Settings and click on Manage and Edit the ADvendio Settings:



The system administrator is able to overwrite the standard colour scheme and use custom colours. Just go to setup and enter HTML Color Code for the colour you wish to use:

  1. Navigate to Setup > Develop > Custom Settings > ADvendio Settings and click Manage.

  2. Click the button Edit.

    1. Position Chart: Count cell colour 0: Position is completely available, booked + offered items = 0 Default Color: #5CFC85, dark green)

    2. Position Chart: Count cell colour 1: At least one offered item and no booked item, offered > 0 AND booked = 0  (Default Color: #CBFFC2, light green)

    3. Position Chart: Count cell colour 2: At least one booked item, but still at least 1 available, booked > 0 AND booked < maxApp (Default Color: #FFFB45, yellow)

    4. Position Chart: Count cell colour 3: The number of booked and offered items together is higher than the availability,  offered + booked >= maxApp AND booked < maxApp (Default Color: #FCBF41, orange)

    5. Position Chart: Count cell colorPercent1

    6. Position Chart: Count cell colorPercent2

    7. Position Chart: Count cell colorPercent3

    8. Position Chart: Display Content Column: If set the Content is always part of the Columns (Booking Calendar Step 3 Content is always ON)

    9. Position Chart: Display Content Filter: If set the Content is always part of the Filters (Booking Calendar Step 2a Content is always ON)

    10. Position Chart: DefaultSelTemplateName: The template with this name is pre-selected in the chart type select list of the Position Chart.

    11. Position Chart: Count cell colour 4: The position is fully booked, there is nothing left available, booked = maxApp (Default Color: #FF0018, red)

    12. Position Chart: CellColor "Event"

    13. Position Chart: CellColor "Not Available"

    14. Position Chart: Count cell colour 5: Overbooking, the number of booked items is higher than the availability, booked > maxApp (Default Color: #FF0018, red) 

    15. Extra logging until: ADvendio will log more detailed information to debug logs Until this date and time (which will slow ADvendio down).

    16. Budget Amount Field API Name: API name of the field which is subtracted from the budget.

  3. Click the button Save.

 

D. Privacy Settings

If you like to have some kind of access control which limits users from seeing each other's Media Campaigns but the availability is still accounted for in the Booking Calendar - here is how to do it:

Just set the Media Campaign object as private (Setup - Sharing Settings). This way, all users will see the same view using the Booking Calendar (i.e., what inventory is available, booked, offered) because it does not use the Salesforce sharing model (means, sharing only private is ignored). The detail view shows the same behavior: every field is displayed with the information. So make sure to display only data that is not private to other users (like from date, until date, owner of this media campaign and stuff like that). In the case, you click on a link to a campaign you will get an error message showing "insufficient rights" if not owned by the active user.

E. Translations

Translations can be done with custom labels in the category "Position Chart". Just go to Setup > Custom Labels and add translations/overrides for the relevant labels.

F. Working with an Ad Spec level view

When working with different rate cards the booking calendar view can be used on ad spec level (with contents and publication dates). Then it will show a summed up availability for the different prices connected to the Ad Spec.

When working with Rate Card filters in your Media Campaign it might be that Availabilities will be restricted to be shown for only one ad price connected to the ad spec which belongs to the Rate Card set in the Media Campaign. 

To disable the filtering per Rate Card from a Media Campaign in the Booking Calendar please create the following Feature Setting in your org: 

Feature Setting Name

Feature Name

Template Name

Value

Feature Setting Name

Feature Name

Template Name

Value

DisableRateCardFiltering

PositionChart

Configuration

true

You are ready to use the Booking Calendar!

If a template has been created, the Booking Calendar can be used if your inventory is prepared (see below).

Please navigate to the Booking Calendar:

  1. Navigate to App Launcher.

  2. Search for Booking Calendar.

  3. Click the link Booking Calendar.

  4. Select your Chart Type.