Customer relation > Customer support > Service contracts 

A service contract is a generic term that covers three ways of managing contracts, based on their common characteristics:

  • The management of warranty contracts
  • The management of maintenance contracts
  • The management of contracts with points (ranking).

You can create various types of service contracts using contract templates.

Both free and chargeable services are provided to the customer through service contracts. Those services include:

  • Contacting a consultant to know more about how to use a system or hardware
  • Getting assistance in case of a system failure
  • Complying with the quality criteria enforced by the contract
  • and more...

A contract can be written:

  • For one customer
  • For a list of serial numbers used by the customer
  • For a group of serial numbers with the same product reference

The services managed by a contract can be subject to restrictions depending on the type of intervention required, the skills required to resolve the issue in due time, and the costs incurred.

The costing of a service contract is particularly flexible.

The contract duration, invoicing, successive revaluations, all follow their own schedule. Each element can be managed independently for a given contract.

Two processes can be followed to create service contracts.

Warranty contracts

Warranty contracts must be created manually. Use warranty contract templates will help you gain a lot of time when entering your contracts.

These contracts are free and their coverage rules are based on a defined installed base and the related dimension type code (skill).

The Installed base object is used to create a warranty contract managed with serial numbers. You can use the Service contract section from this object to create the contract and product coverage for a given serial number in a single operation.

Maintenance contracts

Maintenance contracts are created automatically from the order entry. For each order line that includes a product linked to a maintenance contract template, a maintenance contract is created for the customer and the sales representative.

Maintenance contracts have the same characteristics as service contracts, the difference being that maintenance contracts can be invoiced.

For a product coverage by serial number, you must define the coverage on the generated service contract record directly. The contract can be accessed from the related the order line.

Contracts with points

Contracts with points can be created manually or using a service contract template.

They can be free or chargeable and apply to the whole installed base. Their coverage is limited by how many points have already been used.

Maintenance contracts that have been created manually cannot be invoiced.

The service contract is also a reference point to access other functions.

The Index value history can only be accessed from the service contract management. This history is used to record all the successive values of an index. Contract revaluations are based on these values. This file must be updated regularly.

The manual renewal of contracts where renewal is not planned can be carried out either from the workbench or from the service contract management. This additional functionality is used to make sure that the successive renewal history of a contract has been updated automatically.

Prerequisite

SEEREFERTTO Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

Six sections are available to define a service contract. The fields you can enter depend on your selected service contract.

Header

Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

This field contains the company code that manages the contract.

This field contains the site code which carries out the contract management.

  • Reference (field CONNUM)

This field is associated to an automatic sequence number by default. As this counter is automatic, you should not need to check the content of this field. By default, the service contract number is defined on 15 characters.

This field contains the customer code who is in receipt of the contract.

Enter the currency to be applied to all the financial fields in a service contract. This currency is also used to evaluate the minimum and maximum thresholds of services in a product coverage.

This field contains the name of the contact with whom the different contract negotiations are carried out.

  • field CONCCNCLA

 

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Tab General

Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Block number 1

  • Description (field CONNAM)

Use this field to enter text that will help identify and understand the main characteristics of the contract.

Statistical groups

Use these fields to enter the statistics group codes for the service contracts. Codes can be selected and initialized from the service contract template.

You can define up to 5 statistical groups. The number of groups and their names can be set up when installing the application. These groups are used in statistical processes and as selection criteria in many programs.



Contract category

  • Category (field CONCAT)

This field is essential to determine the functional category of the service contract:

  • Warranty contract
  • Maintenance contract
  • Contract with points

This triggers various processes: the points management rule, the contract revaluation, the invoicing, etc.


Coverage

  • All skills (field EVRPBL)

This check box sets the access to the skill coverage table.

  • If selected, the table cannot be accessed; The skills defined in the application are considered based on the contract. It is not necessary in that case to enter them one by one.
  • If cleared, only the skills entered in the Skills covered table are considered.

In this function, you enter the level of the covered skills group. This means that when a skills group is entered, all its subgroups are considered in the contract.

When the check box is cleared and no skills group is defined, the contract can be considered as useless as no customer issue can be supported by this contract.



  • All installed base products (field EVRMAC)

This check box sets the access to the installed base coverage management. It does not apply to contracts with points.

  • If selected, the installed base coverage function cannot be accessed. This means that the contract applies to the whole installed base, that is to say all the products ordered by the customer. This can be seen as a "super contract".
  • If cleared, the contract can contain coverage rules based on:
    • Specific installed base records
    • A defined set of installed base records by product reference
    • A defined set of installed base records by commercial group.
These coverages can be limited by components, consumed parts, labor, or assignment expenses.
  • Priority to installed base (field CRSCOVSAM)

This check box is only used on warranty and maintenance contracts with a coverage According to base (not All the base).

It is used to automate the definition of combined coverages (Installed base + Skill) for all coverages set According to base.

If this check box is selected, the creation, modification or deletion of this type of coverage will immediately apply to the associated cross-referenced coverages.

Signatures

This field contains the code for the sales representative that has signed either the maintenance contract order or the product order covered by a warranty contract.

Source

  • Source (field CONORI)

A service contract can be created manually or via the entry of a sales movement. The different possible origins are :

  • Manual creation
  • Sales order Sales delivery validation
  • Sales invoice confirmation
  • Warranty request
  • Service contract duplication
  • Token credit

  • Document no. (field CONORIVCR)

The Document no. and Line fields identify the line number in the document used to create the service contract. These fields are loaded automatically.



  • Line (field CONORIVCRL)

 

  • Contract template (field CONCOT)

Use this field to facilitate the manual entry of a contract: enter or select a template used to define the main characteristics of the contract. You can only use a template compliant with the category of the service contract being created.

  • field CONCOTNAM

 

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Tab Management

Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Management

  • Subscription date (field SIUDAT)

This field contains the subscription date of the contract. It is only entered once.

  • Renewal frequency (field REWFRY)

This field indicates the contract duration.

  • For the contracts with tacit renewal, this is the automatic renewal frequency of the contract.
  • For contracts with no tacit renewal agreement, it is the frequency according to which the contract should be renegotiated by the two parties.
  • Unit (field REWFRYBAS)

 

  • Start date (field CONSTRDAT)

This field contains either a date that is identical to the subscription date (throughout the first period) or the date of the last renewal.

  • End date (field CONENDDAT)

This date indicates either the date on which the contract will automatically be renewed where there is tacit renewal agreement or the date from which the contract will no longer be valid.

  • Automatic renewal (field CONREW)

This field specifics whether the contract will be subject to an automatic renewal at the end of its term. Essentially this signifies that there will be no gap in the invoicing chain that will continue to be executed at the desired frequency. It is the invoicing that takes into account the contract renewal.

If this is not the case, the contract will be the object of a renegotiation and a manual renewal in the function provided for this

Several tools can be used to identify the non-renewable contracts:

  • A dedicated selection list in service contracts: Contracts to renew
  • The CONECHE1 reports that lists all renewed contracts for all representatives.
  • The CONECHE2 report that lists all the contracts renewed based on a date range.
  • The CONECHE12 reports that lists all renewed contracts for a given representative.
  • Warning messages displaying from the before-sales workbench.

  • Annual royalty base (field CONAMT)

This field does not apply to warranty contracts. It displays the price of a contract with points. Contract with points are indeed subject to an overall and single invoicing process.

This field displays the basis used to calculate billable scheduled invoices from maintenance contracts.

 

  • field REWWRN

 

  • Points credit (field PITCDT)

This field concerns only contracts with points. You use it to enter the total number of points awarded to the customer for this contract.

Revaluation

  • Revaluation frequency (field RVAFRY)

Enter the renewal frequency of the contract annual royalty basis. The automatic revaluation can also be done based on the evolution of a chosen index.


  • Unit (field RVAFRYBAS)

 

  • Revaluation method (field RVAMET)

Specify a contract revaluation method. Maintenance contracts can be revaluated in two ways:

  • Post-revaluation: Always calculate the amount of the next scheduled invoice. Note that there is always a one month difference between the annual royalty basis and the actual index value used in this revaluation.
  • Pre-revaluation: Calculate the annual royalty basis matching the exact status of the index. Note that this method cannot be used to know the amount of scheduled invoices in advance, except from the first scheduled invoice.

  • Help for revaluation (field RVASSP)

This field specifies which type of revaluation is used on the service contract. Two options are available:

  • Evolution of an index: Used as a basis for the periodic flows to be applied to the annual royalty basis of a contract.
  • Mathematical formula: Used to manage all other revaluation methods.


This field is only accessible if the Evolution of an index revaluation has been selected. You use it to enter index to be used at each contract revaluation. A revaluation is done by comparing the index value used during the last revaluation and the last value saved in the system for this index.


  • Last value used (field LASVALIDX)

This field indicates what is the index value used at the time of the last contract re-evaluation. The Date field indicates the date for the index value.

  • Date (field LASIDXDAT)

 

This field can only be accessed if the Mathematical formula revaluation has been selected. Enter the formula code, selected from the 427 - Revaluation formulas miscellaneous table.


  • Date of last revaluation (field RVADAT)

This field displays the date when the contract has been revaluated for the last time.

Termination

  • Advance notice of cancellation (field RSILTI)

Depending on your activity sector, this field can have the following meanings:

  • The number of days before the end of the contract, when a customer termination request can be accepted.
  • The number of days during which the contract still applies after a termination request has been received from a customer.

In both cases, the termination has to be done manually from the contract record.

  • Unit (field RSILTIBAS)

 

  • Points tolerance (%) (field PITTOL)

This field only applies to contracts with points. In this process, contracts can be fully "consumed" based on a ranking system with points and a tolerance threshold. As the rules for consuming these points can be quite complex, it is usually unlikely to fully consume all the points awarded for a given contract.

For example, a contract has a 100 points and a consumption rule for 30 points by service request with a tolerance threshold of 10%. The fourth service request from this customer leads to issuing a quote for subscribing to a new service contract. However, in the meantime, the customer still has a contract with 10 points. If this contract had been assigned a 20% tolerance, this fourth request would have followed the standard process and the contract would have been closed automatically once the service request had been processed.


 

Tab Invoicing rules

Presentation

The information in this section:

  • Can be accessed for non-billable warranty contracts.
  • Is particularly useful for maintenance contracts or contracts with points.

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Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Invoicing

  • Frequency (field INVFRY)

This field indicates the frequency on which the customer will receive the invoices related to the receipt of services covered by their contract. It is also used to determine what fraction of the annual royalty must be allocated to the invoice.

  • Unit (field INVFRYBAS)

 

  • Method (field INVMET)

Use this field to enter the method used for invoicing the service contract.

  • Pre-invoicing (term to mature): The contract is invoiced before the contract ends. This method is used to invoice a contract before it actually applies to the customer.Example: For a three-year contract billable once a year:
March 1, 2004March 1, 2005March 1, 2006March 1, 2007
Subscription and invoicingInvoicingInvoicingInvoicing
Scheduled invoice 1Scheduled invoice 2Scheduled invoice 3
  • Post-invoicing (overdue term): The contract is invoiced after the contract ends. This method is used to invoice a contract only after a customer has seen it through.Example: For a three-year contract billable once a year:
1st March 20041st March 20051st March 20061st March 2007
Subscription and invoicingInvoicingInvoicingInvoicing

Scheduled invoice 1Scheduled invoice 2Scheduled invoice 3

  • Increase/Decrease coefficient (field INVFRYCOE)

When open items are collected several times a year, an increase or increase is often applied. You use this field is to define how important this increase or decrease is.

  • Advance notice (field INVLTI)

Use this field to define the notice from which a contract open item to be invoiced will be available in the invoicing tools. From this moment, the invoice will be generated and sent to the customer.

The notice represents the number of days that precede the term for an invoicing open item.

  • Unit (field INVLTIBAS)

 

Use this field to enter the payment terms defined for paying the contract open items.
It is only possible to enter a payment term that is consistent with the legislation and the group of the company of the document site.
SEEREFERTTOThe general principles linked to the multi-legislation setup are detailed here.

Grid Litigations

Use this field to enter the dispute codes used to log customer issues when a payment is made after the contract due dates.

Example: A customer payment is two month late after the contract due date. This customer has also reported a dispute with their supplier. When the customer calls customer support to solve an hardware issue for example, they will get assistance if the dispute code is already listed on their maintenance contract.

Grid Analytical dimensions

 

  • Description (field NAMDIE)

 

You can enter analytical dimensions for each dimension type defined in the folder.

Refer to the documentation on Contract templates.

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Tab Invoicing elements

Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

BPs

Code of the bill-to customer. By default, the bill-to customer code defined on the service contract header is displayed.

Code of the pay-by customer. By default, the pay-by customer code defined on the service contract header is displayed.


Code of the group customer. By default, the group customer code defined on the service contract header is displayed.

Use this field to enter the project code used to subscribe to the service contract, if applicable.

Valuation

  • Rate type (field CONCHGTYP)

Use this field to enter the exchange rate type used to invoice the contract. If no exchange rate type is specified, the first value in local menu 202, Daily exchange rate, is used by default.

This field is essential if the service contract is subject to invoicing.

You use it to enter the product code that will be displayed on the invoice line for the selected scheduled invoice of the service contract.

By default, this field displays the value defined on the service contract template or, if no value is defined, the value of the DEFCONITM - Default contract product parameter (HDK chapter, COT group).

  • Price type (field CONPRITYP)

 

This field displays the sales unit of the invoicing product.

A tax rule represents the tax territoriality principle, in other words, the calculation rules to be applied to determine the tax amount.
As a general rule, by crossing a tax rule linked to the BP with a Tax level, you can determine the tax code to be applied to the document line and so, to the entry line.
In this field, you enter the tax rule associated with the BP: this tax rule will be suggested by default in all the transactions used by this business partner.

 

Grid Invoicing elements

  • No. (field NOLIG)

 

  • Description (field SHO)

 

  • % or amount (field INVDTAAMT)

The values relate to the invoicing footer. This information can directly come from the parameters of the invoice footer or from the customer record.
SEEREFERTTO Refer to the Invoicing elements documentation for more information.
The values of the footer elements can be modified. The ex-tax and tax-incl. amounts of the document are directly impacted by these values.
Intercompany specificities
If the order has been generated from an inter-company or inter-site purchase order, and the inter-company setup stipulates that the invoicing elements come from the Purchase module, these will be initialized with the values entered in the original purchase order.

  • field INVDTATYP

 

 

Enter the code to use in order to override the default SST tax code from the product or invoice element. This tax code is recognized by Sage Sales Tax and is used to identify line types for tax purposes. This field is available only if the LTA - Local taxing activity code is activated, and the USATAX - Tax system user parameter is set to Yes.

For invoicing elements designated as the SST document discount for a company, you cannot remove the SST tax code value on the document.

Points

  • Points available (field PITRER)

These fields are not available for entry.

  • The Points available are the number of points awarded to a service request still in process (not resolved). If the service request is deleted, the points are reallocated.
  • The Points consumed are the points used by a closed service request.
  • The Remaining points are the balance of points that have not been made available or consumed.

  • Points consumed (field PITCSM)

 

  • Remaining points (field PITBLC)

 

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Tab Invoicing

Presentation

Invoice grid

Each invoice generated for a contract is displayed in the issued invoices table. Invoices are displayed in descending order by default: the last issued invoice is displayed on the first table line.

Click on an invoice line to display the open items and payments related to the selected invoice in the corresponding tables.

Open item table

This table displays the list of generated open items for an invoice. The number of generated open items depends on the payment terms of the contract.

Open items are sorted in the order in which payments are expected to be collected.

Use the Dispute column to record any disputes reported by the customer.

Payments table

This table displays the list of payments received for an invoice. You use it to quickly check if the open items have been paid.

Use the Open item no. column to group the payments by open item.

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Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Block number 1

  • Next invoice issue date (field NEXSHIINV)

This field displays the date on which the next invoice will be issued.

  • Next invoice date (field NEXINVDAT)

This field displays the date from which the scheduled invoice to be billed will be available in the service contract picking list in the Invoices function. This date is calculated based on the invoicing frequency and the invoice notice.

It is calculated automatically when creating the contract in order entry. It is recalculated automatically each time an invoice is generated for the contract.

  • Next inv. amount excluding tax (field NEXINVAMT)

This field displays the excluding-tax amount of the next invoice provided that the contract has not yet been revaluated, or revaluated using the post-revaluation method.

For a pre-revaluated contract, this field displays the amount of the first scheduled invoice only. The amounts of next invoices are not known.

This amount is calculated based on the annual renewal and following parameters:

  • The invoicing frequency
  • The long-term increase coefficient
  • Potential revaluations

It is calculated automatically when creating the contract in order entry. It is recalculated automatically each time an invoice is generated for the contract.



 

Grid Invoices

  • Date (field INVDAT)

 

  • Amount - tax (field INVAMT)

 

  • Document no. (field INVVCR)

 

Grid Open items

  • Date (field DUDDAT)

 

  • Amount + tax (field DUDAMT)

 

 

  • Open item no. (field DUDNUM)

 

Grid Payments

  • Date (field PAYDAT)

 

  • Amount + tax (field PAYAMT)

 

  • Payment no. (field PAYNUM)

 

  • Open item no. (field PAYDUDLIG)

 

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Action icon

Detail

Click this action to access the invoice record.

Detail

Click this action to access the payment details.

 

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Tab Histories

Presentation

Revaluation history

This table is automatically updated each time a service contract is revaluated. For example, if the contract needs to be revaluated while generating an invoice, the previous annual royalty basis, and dates of application, are kept in the history.

Renewal history

This table is updated automatically each time a service contract is renewed, manually or automatically.

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Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Grid Revaluations

  • Start (field AMTSTR)

 

  • End (field AMTEND)

 

  • Amount (field AMT)

 

Grid Renewals

  • Start (field REWSTR)

 

  • End (field REWEND)

 

Termination/Closing

  • Cancelled contract (field RSIFLG)

Select this check box terminate the contract. The termination of a contract leads to it disappearing from the invoicing chain and all the renewal tools. In the selection panel, the contract will be removed from the list of active contracts and moved to the list of terminated or closed contracts.

This field can only be accessed if the Terminated contract check box is selected. You use it to enter the reason why the customer requested a termination of their contract.


  • Closed contract (field FDDFLG)

Select this check box to close the contract. The closing has the same consequences as a contract termination as far as invoicing and renewal go.

However, the closing is usually due to an internal action within the organization rather than a request from a customer. In the selection panel, the contract will be removed from the list of active contracts and moved to the list of terminated or closed contracts.



  • Closed by (field FDDUSR)

This field indicates the user who closed the service contract.


  • field FDDUSRCLA

 

  • Date of the event (field RSIDAT)

This field displays the current date when the Terminated contract or Closed contract check boxes are selected. You can also enter freely the actual contract termination date requested by the customer.

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Reports

By default, the following reports are associated with this function :

 CONTSERV : Service contracts

 CONECHE1 : Contracts to renew

This can be changed using a different setup.

Specific actions

Click this action to generate the invoice linked to a maintenance service contract (Reminder: Only service contracts can be billed). The date of the next invoice can be today's date or the actual next invoice date based on how you have set up the DATREFCON - Service contract invoice date parameter (HDK chapter, INV group).

Menu bar

Functions / Covered base

To access this function, the All the base option must be cleared on the service contract. This option is not available on contracts with points.

You use it to identify what equipment on the customer's premises is covered by the contract.

Base identification table

The coverage for a warranty contract is comprehensive by default. However, you can limit this coverage by defining (including or excluding) components or financial rules to adjust the coverage of free services.

Three methods are available to identify the installed base and define the coverage:

  • According to base: The contract coverage can be defined at the level of each installed base record. You select a record from the selection list specific to the customer's installed base.
  • According to product reference: From a unique entry line, the coverage applies to the whole installed base for the same product reference.
  • According to commercial group: From a unique entry line, the coverage applies the whole installed base for the same product commercial group.

For warranty contracts, a "+" sign on the base identification line indicates a partial coverage, which means that a financial coverage description is defined. In this context, the Financial coverage action is available from the Actions icon on the table line.

Each coverage type can be based on a different rule:

  • Installed base only
  • Coverage only
  • Component
  • A combination of these elements.

A financial coverage can cover:

  • Spare parts
  • Labor
  • Assignment expenses

The function is designed so that you can only enter exceptions, by excluding or including elements, while considering the minimum and maximum thresholds.

Component identification table

A good way to refine your coverage rules is to define a precise list of components. When the Exclude non-listed components option is selected, you can still include components. When the Include non-listed components option is selected, you can still exclude components.

You can use general parameters from the HDK chapter, COV group to define the default coverage type when no rules are set on the service contract.

  • Parameter DEFCPNICD - Component coverage
  • Parameter DEFITMICD - Spare parts covered
  • Parameter DEFLABICD - Labor coverage
  • Parameter DEFEXSICD - Expense coverage

Functions / Skills covered

Click this function to describe all the skills covered by the service contract. This can be a full coverage or partial coverage. The "+" sign before the coverage line signals that the coverage of the skill group is partial. When no "+" sign is displayed, the skill group is considered as covered in full.

Click Cross-reference with the installed base from a skill coverage line to create a cross-referenced coverage.

Each skill can be assigned a different financial coverage by clicking Financial coverage.

Functions / Renew the contract

Click this function to renew the contract manually.

When opening the window, you are prompted to renew the contract either based on the end date of the current period or of the last active period. This means that the new suggested start date will correspond to the contract end date.

The new period is then displayed with an identical duration and annual royalty basis. You are free to adjust this information on the new period.

Click Current date to define the New start date and New end date: The current date will be used as the start date for the new period.

Click Renew to update all related fields on the contract. A line is added to the renewal history table.

There are two possible scenarios:

  • Non-expired contracts: The customer agreement is saved on the contract for automatic renewal when processing the last invoice. Once the contract has been renewed, the "Next renewal accepted" mention displays against the contracts that the customer has already approved for renewal.
  • Expired contracts: The contract is immediately renewed, for the new criteria. The REWHISMOD - Renewal history general parameter (HDK chapter, COT group) can be used to adjust the start and end dates recorded in the automatic renewal history.

Option / Journal traceability

This option gives access, via a tunnel, to the Journal traceability inquiry function that makes it possible to view and browse the hierarchy of the entries originating the document or coming from it.

Limitations

You cannot import service contracts in Sage X3.

Error messages

In addition to the generic error messages, the following messages can appear during the entry :

This skills group has already been entered.

This message is displayed when you enter the same skills group twice in the covered skills table.

This dispute code has already been entered.

This message is displayed when you enter the same dispute code more than once in the accepted dispute table.

You must define a sales site. Creation is refused.

This message is displayed when you confirm the creation of a service contract but the site is missing.

You must define a sales site. Modification refused.

This message is displayed when you confirm the modification of a service contract but the site is missing.

No index has been specified for the contract re-evaluation.

This message is displayed when the Evolution of an index revaluation has been selected but the index is missing.

Tables used

SEEREFERTTO Refer to documentation Implementation