Hard versus soft affiliations between HCPs and HCOs
Key Takeaway
Save workplace affiliations as Hard and influence-based affiliations as Soft. When "Enforce Workplace Address Dependency" is enabled, creating a hard affiliation adds the organization's primary address to the HCP automatically.
In Agentforce Life Sciences, affiliations map how Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) and Healthcare Organizations (HCOs) are connected. Each affiliation has a type, Hard or Soft. Hard is for a tie to a specific location or organization, like the hospital where an HCP works. Soft is for a tie based on influence instead of a place. A user can choose the type, or a trigger can set it. The type matters because it drives behavior such as automatic workplace addresses.
Hard and soft affiliations
Affiliations map the connections between HCPs and HCOs so reps can target their engagement. The type on each affiliation tells you what kind of connection it is.
| Hard affiliation | Soft affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A tie between a person or a department and a specific location or organization | A tie based on influence rather than a physical location |
| Example | An HCP who is affiliated with a hospital | An HCP who significantly influences other doctors through research or their network |
| Question it answers | Where does someone work? | Who does someone influence? |
| Type to select | Hard, for workplace affiliations | Soft, for all other affiliations |
Dr. Priya Shah is a cardiologist at Riverside Medical Center. Her affiliation with Riverside records where she works, so it's saved as Hard. She also publishes research that Dr. Tom Weller, a cardiologist at another clinic, relies on when he treats patients. Her affiliation with Dr. Weller records influence, not a place, so it's saved as Soft.