# Core System Mechanics TL;DR

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New here? See the[ **Quick-Start Guide** ](/onboarding/quick-start-guide.md)for a full introduction.
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### [The Engagement Object - Heart of the System](/onboarding/quick-start-guide.md#the-engagement-object)

* Every meaningful Lead/Contact interaction creates an Engagement record in Salesforce
* Engagements store both [attribution information](https://help.integrousanalytics.com/v1/docs/quick-start-guide#attribution-measurement) (where they came from and how they interacted) and [sales progression information](https://help.integrousanalytics.com/v1/docs/quick-start-guide#sales-progression-measurement) (how far they advanced in their qualification and deal process)
* Most reporting draws from Engagement records, not Lead/Contact records

### [Activations vs. Influencing Engagements](https://help.integrousanalytics.com/onboarding/pages/dd015d39015506ea3499521504df8ef811418c02#activations-vs.-influencing-engagements)

* Every Engagement record is either an Activation Engagement or an Influencing Engagement
  * **Activation Engagements:** Mark the beginning of a new Sales Journey (what we count as "leads" in reporting)
  * **Influencing Engagements:** Additional interactions during an active sales journey
* Every Engagement stores ***Attribution info***, but only Activation Engagements store ***sales progression info***
* Whether an Engagement is created as an Activation depends on if the Lead/Contact's previous sales journey is complete

### [Sales Journey Completion & Reactivation](/onboarding/quick-start-guide.md#reactivation-eligibility)

* Sales journeys "complete" when Leads/Contacts are dispositioned (disqualified, no response) or are associated with won/lost opportunities
* Completed journeys make Leads/Contacts eligible for "Reactivation" - their next interaction starts a fresh sales journey with new attribution
* This ensures opportunities are attributed to recent, relevant interactions rather than outdated ones

## Related:

* [**Quick-Start Guide** ](/onboarding/quick-start-guide.md)- Complete system introduction
* [**Engagement Relationships** ](/onboarding/quick-start-guide.md#engagement-object-relationships)- Learn how Engagements are connected to Leads, Contacts, and Opportunities
* [**Configuration Decisions** ](/onboarding/configuration-decisions.md)- Apply these concepts to your setup
* [**Customer System Prerequisites** ](/onboarding/customer-system-prerequisites.md)- Recommendations for your systems outside of Integrous Analytics
* [**Engagement Creation and Attribution Logic** ](/key-concepts/engagement-creation-and-attribution-logic.md)- Admin Cheat Sheet for how Engagements are created and where they get their attribution
* [**Key Concepts** ](/key-concepts.md)- Detailed articles describing system mechanics


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