Common Siebel Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)

Updated 1 March 2023

Customer relationship management or CRM is one of the most effective ways of communicating with existing and potential customers. Siebel is one type of CRM program that can help manage a large customer base by contacting them regularly and offering a wide variety of CRM solutions. Reviewing some common interview questions about Siebel can help you build your confidence when preparing for an interview. In this article, we discuss some common Siebel interview questions, share some example answers, and offer preparation tips to help you build confidence before an interview.

Common Siebel interview questions

Here is a list of additional Siebel interview questions to help you prepare for your interview:

Explain the differences between fields and single value fields?
What are the differences between the horizontal and the vertical in Siebel?
What are the differences between an organisation and a division in Siebel?
What do you mean by EIM and EAI?
What are the different tables that one can use in Siebel CRM?

Siebel interview questions and example answers

Here are some common Siebel interview questions to help prepare you for your interview:

1. Explain what the Siebel CRM system is.

Employers often ask this question to gain a basic understanding of your knowledge and to assess if you can competently fulfil the role. When answering this question, you may want to define Siebel and mention any experiences you have with this application to help employers understand your experience level.

Example: 'Siebel CRM is one of the most widely used customer relationship management suites. During my time at XYZ technicals as a software engineer, I used this CRM to execute most of my data management and operational tasks efficiently. Since this CRM uses server frameworks, using which I could develop and manage our company's vast customer base. I could also deliver comprehensive on-demand solutions using this framework.

As a business owner, you can customise Siebel according to your requirements and I believe this is the strength of this CRM. Using Siebel, I also helped organise my company's sales and marketing initiatives, the contact centre, partner relationships and customer loyalty. Because of my work with Siebel, I could effectively optimise operations and improve our business' overall efficacy. Since Siebel is a dynamic CRM software, you can use it in various industries like consumer goods, automotive care, the life sciences, industrial manufacturing, media management, communications and healthcare.'

2. Discuss the advantages of using the Siebel CRM system.

This question wants to test your conceptual understanding of the Siebel CRM system and seeks to examine whether you have the practical knowledge to describe the system based on its positive qualities. When answering this question, consider highlighting the most relevant advantages of using Siebel CRM. You can also elaborate on specific elements that you feel are beneficial based on your experience. This can help make your answer personalised and specific.

Example: 'There are many advantages to using the Siebel CRM, such as its speed of sales cycle and its ability to help improve sales performance across various organisations. Using this CRM can also increase the customer loyalty rate of a business and enhance the effectiveness of marketing initiatives. When you use the Siebel CRM, you can often deliver excellent customer experiences while improving efficiency and driving more profit into the business.'

'This CRM can also empower customers to help themselves through the purchasing process by guiding them along the product life cycle. While using Siebel CRM at my previous company, it experienced revenue growth as a result of the deep business insights Siebel offers into customer preferences. The company also experienced the benefits of using this system's partner relationship management tools because they helped provide strong partnership solutions.'

3. Describe some of the widely used Siebel CRM applications.

Employers often ask this question to assess if you are up to date with the industry trends and to see if you understand the CRM software well enough to describe situations where it works well. The interviewers typically want to know if you are familiar with the CRM system and have the practical knowledge to identify the various ways one can use it to generate revenue. When answering this question, consider highlighting the essential applications of the CRM software and the specific purposes for which you can use each of the applications.

Example: 'Many applications within Siebel CRM can help generate and maximise a company's profits. From my experience working with Siebel, one of the important applications to use frequently is the business analytics application. This function helps business leaders and marketers gather and analyse data that can help them determine the company's growth through various metrics and statistics, which tend to offer insight into how to improve the company's performance. Another application is the contact centre, which transforms the business' call centre into a sales and service delivery system.'

'Customer data integration and customer order management are two other applications that can help enhance a company's customer service, delivery and management experience. The enterprise marketing application can equip you with the tools and resources you need to execute a business' marketing initiatives smoothly. For a business, it can use the sales application to help it increase its sales within a specified time.'

4. Explain the significant differences between Siebel and Salesforce.

Employers often want to know if you can differentiate between various CRM systems and explain the benefits of using one over the other. You may want to define the significant differences you recognise between the two systems when answering this question. You can also share your experience using one or both programs to support your answer.

Example: 'Many factors differentiate the Salesforce CRM and the Siebel CRM. One significant difference is that Siebel is a multi-faceted CRM whereas Salesforce is a multi-tenant CRM. This means that Salesforce is a risk-free platform for businesses to engage with their customers and grow their sales and brand presence. Contrarily, Siebel promotes its vertical application functionality and constantly updates its software to ensure that it provides support to its customers. Previously, while working with both CRM systems, I noticed differences in their overall cost and resource allocation, as Salesforce is comparatively cheaper than Siebel, especially in the beginning. While Siebel requires dedicated resources to manage governance and user roles, Salesforce offers centralised security and control data permissions.'

5. Why might a company use the Siebel CRM?

Employers often ask you this question to see if you can explain how the system works and if you can offer reasons for why a company may want to use this software to a layperson. Being able to persuade someone of a CRM's merits can be important for demonstrating clear communication skills. When answering this question, you may want to consider explaining how CRMs can help businesses in general and the various benefits a business may experience when using Siebel. You can also highlight some of Siebel's other advantages to show your range of knowledge and expertise with the software.

Example: 'There are many reasons why you might choose to work with Siebel CRM software, but one of the primary reasons is that it can help you seamlessly adapt to the latest innovations and technological advances that may boost the business. This CRM software can also provide transactional and analytical features to help enhance and simplify your management solutions. Since the Siebel system is one of the most advanced in the CRM space, it typically comprises the latest features that can help you manage the entire customer base of a company.'

'When you integrate this CRM into a business, you can keep track of any current and potential customers by storing and managing their contact information to create effective communication channels that notify customers of product deliveries and ask for feedback. Since the customer buying journey varies among people and often changes, having an effective CRM like the Siebel can help you follow customers throughout the buying cycle and encourage those who hesitate at a particular stage to advance their purchase. Once the company knows of such customers, it can send alerts to notify the person of their pending purchases.'

6. Explain the difference between the horizontal and vertical applications of Siebel CRM.

The design interface and the Siebel CRM functionality are dynamic and contain various columns, rows and sizes to differentiate between product and industry categories. An employer may ask this question to help them understand how familiar you are with using Siebel in a practical manner. Answering this question can show that you understand the core concepts that make up the design, pattern and functions of the Siebel CRM. When answering this question, consider explaining the purpose of horizontal and vertical frameworks and give examples to ensure clarity in your answer.

Example: 'Horizontal applications in Siebel are applications that work across numerous industries rather than one specific domain, which makes them available for general use. Examples include the Siebel call centre and Siebel Sales. In contrast, vertical applications focus on a specific industry or domain, such as insurance or e-banking and follow the requirements of the specific industry.'

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are associated with Indeed.

Common Siebel Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)