Customer relation > Customer support > Installed base 

The customer installed base represents the list of all the products installed at any one time at the customers.

The management of the customer Installed base is useful both for Pre-sales and After-sales.

A sales representative is always going to be interested by being able to view the characteristics of the equipment/material installed at its prospect/customer before each appointment.

A technician must of necessity verify the purchase of equipment by his/her contact before any repair work.

For each serial number, this function contains a view of the life of equipment over the long term. When it was shipped, returned, loaned, returned, resold etc. Each important stage is the object of a precise record.

It is also possible to obtain a summary and a history for all the warranties, repair work, maintenance under taken for the equipment.

Each item of equipment is located very precisely. Each function manages both the actual installation site and the actual location within this site.

Prerequisite

SEEREFERTTO Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

Header

Presentation

Chrono (machine code)

This field is by default associated with the automatically functioning Customer installed base sequence counter. Consequently, the user should not normally concern him/herself with its contents.

Sales site 

This field contains the code for the site that will track the equipment.

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Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

This field contains the code for the site that will track the equipment.

  • Sequence no. (field MACNUM)

The identifier of an installed base record is always generated automatically by the system.
As a consequence, the Installed base object MUST be associated to a sequence number counter managed in an automatic fashion.
It is not possible to proceed with the copying of an installed base record.
However, another method giving a similar result is possible for products that are not managed with serial numbers.
It is only necessary to create an installed base record with a quantity higher than one and to then click on the [Split] button.
The system then carried out an n-1 duplication of the initial record.

  • Description (field MACDES)

 

  • field TOTFLTMAC

 

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Tab General

Presentation

Identification

Product code

This field contains the product reference corresponding to the serial number in question This field is very important to ensure the correct functioning of the control of the products covered by a service contract.

Quantity

This field is used to enter the physical quantity of the customer installed base. It is possible to split the installed base (not managed by serial numbers) into several installed base records if this field is greater than 1.

Commercial group

This field is used to enter the commercial group associated to the installed base.

Applicable warranty

This field is used to enter the applicable warranty belonging to the installed base. The applicable warranty is different according to whether the installed base is installed or not or on loan.

Serial number

This field represents the identity of the physical product in question.

Entered in service the

This field is used to enter the date the installed base entered service,

Brand

It is possible to mention the commercial brand for a product from amongst those values in miscellaneous table 408 : Brand. This field is for purely information purposes but can help distinguish certain products. The brand field is conditioned by the general setup MACBRAUSE (use of the brand field).

Actual installation

Installation type

Five base installation types are possible:

  • User
  • Final reseller
  • Wholesaler
  • In stock
  • Rejected

Installed on loan

This field will determine miscellaneous behaviour during the sales cycle, within the automatic management of the customer installed base. This field is used to manager the loan of equipment. It is possible to link a prospect or a contact to the installed base record. This field is important to allow the execution of the periodic searches on products out on loan in order to recover those that have been out too long.

Reseller 

In the case of indirect sales, it is possible to establish a link between the shipment to a reseller and the actual installation of a product at an end user's.

End user 

This field is used to specify the identity of the business partner or the individual where the item with this serial number has been installed.

NB: This field must be qualified exclusively by using one of the two following contextual menus :

  • Business partner search
  • Contact search

If a code is manually entered directly in this field, the contents are not saved and the following message is displayed : "You must use one of the two contextual menus to select a business partner or a contact".

In the case of the direct entry of a BP code, the following message can appear in order to confirm the entry : "Confirm that this is a BP code:XXX."

The Installed base object is one of the rare objects that make up the customer module that is used to work on the totality of the customer base. This possibility is offered in order to identify the equipment base on loan. In fact, it is possible to manage the loan of the equipment at no matter what type of business partner population (notably the prospects) and also at private sales (before they have been the object of a transformation into customers).

In addition, all modification of this field leads to the automatic loading of the successive installation history for a serial number in the Installations tab.

Sales date 

This is the date on which the equipment was sold to the customer.

Purchase date 

This is the date on which the equipment has been acquired.

Installation date

This is the date from which the product is considered to be operational within the customer locations.

Source

Original document  no. / Line 

These fields are used to identify the document line number that is the origin of the customer installed base. These fields are automatically loaded, with values such as Manual creation or Split...

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Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Identification

This field contains the product reference corresponding to the managed installed base.
This field is very important to ensure the correct functioning of the control of the products covered by a service contract.

  • Quantity (field MACQTY)

This field concerns only the products that are not managed with serial numbers.
When a group of products having no distinctive sign is installed at a customer, this field prevents n redundant installed base records from being created.
An installed base record having a quantity greater than one can be the object of a Distribution.

  • Commercial group (field MACFAMCIA)

This informative field is used to enter the commercial group associated to the installed base.

  • Applicable warranty (field MACWARTYP)

This information field indicates the warranty classically applied to each installed base sharing the same product reference.
This warranty can differ from the true one applied to this customer.
The truly applied warranty can be viewed in the "Service contracts" tab and in the "Indirect Coverages" function.

  • When the product is sold to the customer, the applicable warranty corresponds to the service contract template indicated in the field Warranty contract of the product record associated with the base.
  • When the installed base is on loan, the applicable warranty corresponds to the service contract template mentioned in the Loan contractfield of the product record associated with the installed base.

In both cases, a contextual menu "Detail" is used to view the characteristics of this standard warranty.

  • Serial number (field MACSERNUM)

This field represents the identity of the physical product in question. It only applies to the installed base managed with serial numbers.

  • When the installed base is generated from a sales transaction, the serial number is obtained from the internal stock management.
  • When an installed base record is created manually or stock management is carried out in another application, any number can be entered provided it does not contain more than 25 characters.

SEEINFO A base record managed with a serial number cannot have a quantity greater than one.

  • In service date (field MACITSDAT)

This field is used to enter the date at which the installed base has been put into service (time at which the product is tested, validated and ready to be marketed).

This field is used to save the commercial brand of a product. 
It is for information purposes only but can be useful for distinguishing certain products.
The "Brand" field is conditioned by the general parameter "Use of Brand field" (HDK Chapter/ MIS Group/ MACBRAUSE).
This parameter determines the text code that will replace the 'Brand' label wherever used in the application.

Current installation

  • Installation type (field MACITNTYP)

This field indicates the nature of the current installation of the customer base. Five base installation types are possible:

  • User indicates that the product is truly used by the customer.
  • Final Reselleror Wholesaler means that the product is either not used and waiting to be acquired or used by a customer who has not sent their warranty voucher yet.
  • In stock indicates a product that has either been returned by the customer or repurchased by the seller to be sold as second-hand.
  • Reject indicates that the product has been returned and no new resale is planned.

  • Loan installation (field MACITNLND)

The field Loan installation is used to manage the loan of equipment.
It is used to:

  • determine miscellaneous behaviors during the sales cycle, within the automatic management of the customer installed base,
  • manage the loan of equipment (it is possible to link a prospect or a contact to the installed base record),
  • enable the execution of the periodic searches on products out on loan in order to recover those that have been out too long.

  • Installation date (field MACITNDAT)

 This is the date from which the product is considered to be truly operational within the customer locations.

In the case of indirect sales, it is possible to establish a link between the shipment to a reseller and the actual installation of a product at an end user's.

  • End user (field MACCUTBPC)

This field is used to specify the identity of the business partner or the individual where the item with this serial number has been installed.

SEEINFO This field must be qualified exclusively by using one of the two following contextual menus :

  • business partner search,
  • contact search.

If a code is manually entered directly in this field, the contents are not saved and the following message is displayed : "You must use one of the two contextual menus to select a business partner or a contact".

In the case of the direct entry of a BP code, the following message can appear in order to confirm the entry : "Confirm that this is a BP code: XXX."

The Installed base object is one of the rare objects that make up the customer module that is used to work on the totality of the customer base. This possibility is offered in order to identify the equipment base on loan. In fact, it is possible to manage the loan of the equipment at no matter what type of business partner population (notably the prospects) and also at private sales (before they have been the object of a transformation into customers).

In addition, all modification of this field leads to the automatic loading of the successive installation history for a serial number in the Installations tab.

of the successive installations in the installed base in the [Installations] tab.

  • field CUTBPCCLA

 

  • Sale price (field MACSALPRI)

This field contains the total sales amount (unit price X base quantity) to which the base has been sold, either directly to the end user or to an intermediary (Reseller or Wholesaler).

If the installed base has been sold to an end user the sales price and the purchase price should be the same.

 The currency is used to value the entered sales price.

  • Sales date (field MACPURDAT)

This is the date at which the base was sold to the customer.

  • Purchase price (field MACBPCPRI)

This field contains the acquisition price of the installed base by the final user.

It indicates the ex-tax amount negotiated for the acquisition of the equipment. This field is important notably in the case of a second hand product. In this case, the amount results always from a negotiation. In addition it is used in the case of numerous reinstallations of the same equipment, with a measure of progressive depreciation.

This field contains the currency that is used to value the purchase price of the installed customer base.

  • Purchase date (field MACBPCDAT)

This field indicates the date at which the installed base has been acquired by the end user.

Source

  • Source (field MACORI)

 

  • Document no. (field MACORIVCR)

These fields are used to identify the document line number that is the origin of the customer installed base. These fields are automatically loaded, with values such as Manual creation or Split...

  • Line (field MACORIVCRL)

 

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Tab Address

Presentation

This tab is used to identify the actual installation site for the equipment from amongst the different potential addresses for a business partner.

The Address tab is automatically entered during the confirmation of the installed base record creation.

The address grid is entered:

  • Either with all the addresses for the BP where the serial number is installed;
  • Or with the contact address from where the serial number is installed.

The Installation site is defined on the address base by default for the BP.

The Site column in the address grid is used to modify the installation site proposed by default. A double-click on the chosen address defines this address as the new installation site.

Location / notes 

This field must indicate the precise location where the equipment is installed. Thus, in the case of an intervention at the site (maintenance or repair) by a technician, he/she will be able to verify if the equipment has not been relocated by the customer. In certain contracts, the relocation of equipment by the customer can be an exclusion clause in the warranty or maintenance.

 

Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Grid Addresses

  • Address (field MACADDCOD)

 

  • Site (field MACFCYITN)

 

The Object of this field is to identify the actual installation site for the equipment from amongst the different potential addresses for a business partner.

The Address tab is automatically entered during the confirmation of the Installed base record creation. The address grid is entered:

Either with all the addresses for the BP where the serial number is installed.

Or with the contact address from where the serial number is installed.

The installation site is defined on the address base by default for the BP.

The "Site" column in the address grid is used to modify the installation site proposed by default. A double-click on the chosen address defines this address as the new installation site.

(The field Installation site is used to identify the actual installation site for the equipment from amongst the different potential addresses for a business partner.

The 'Address' tab is automatically entered during the confirmation of the installed base record creation.

The address grid is entered :

  • Either with all the addresses for the BP where the serial number is installed;
  • Or with the contact address from where the serial number is installed.

The Installation site is defined on the address base by default for the BP.

The Site column in the address grid is used to modify the installation site proposed by default. A double-click on the chosen address defines this address as the new installation site.)

Detail

  • Installation site (field MACFCYITNX)

The Installation site is defined on the address base by default for the BP.
This field is used to specify if the address displayed in the screen matches the installation site of the current serial number.

The Site column in the address grid is used to modify the installation site proposed by default. A double-click on the chosen address defines this address as the new installation site.

This code is used to identify the country associated with the address.

In the Country table, which controls this field, some specific characteristics are used to perform controls on the related information, in particular:

  • the phone number format,
  • the format of the number identifying a company or an activity (SIRET, NAF in France),
  • the format of the postal/town-city code as well as that of the geographical subdivision, and whether their entry is mandatory or not,
  • the format of the bank ID number,
  • the IBAN management.
  • field MACADD

 

  • Postal code (field MACZIP)

The postal code, whose entry format is defined in the Country table, is used to define the town/city and the geographical subdivision if it is defined for the country.
When the postal code is changed the city/town corresponding to the new code is automatically displayed. The principle is the same for the geographical subdivision if it is present for the country. 
It is also possible to manually enter the town/city name. If the town/city is already defined, the associated postal code is automatically displayed.

The control of this information and its mandatory nature depend on the setup performed in the country management. In order for the control to be applied, the POSCOD - Nonexistent postal code alert parameter (SUP chapter, INT group) must also be set to "Yes".

Specific cases:

- for ANDORRA, indicate 99130
- for MONACO, indicate 99138
- for the other overseas countries, indicate the INSEE code of the country or 99999 if not known.

  • City (field MACCTY)

The city automatically proposed is the one associated with the postal code previously indicated. It is also possible to manually enter the name of a town/city:

  • if the town/city is already defined, the associated postal code is automatically displayed, 
  •  if the city does not exist and the postal code control has been set up in the Country record, a warning message is displayed but the continuation of the entry is authorized. In addition, the CTY - Nonexistent city alert parameter (SUP chapter, INT group) needs to have the value "Yes" for this control to apply.
  • if the city does not exist and the postal code is not entered, a blocking message is displayed when the postal code is set up as mandatory for the country.

Notes:

  • Its format is defined in the Country record setup.
  • Depending on this setup, the entered town/city can automatically be converted into uppercase after it has been entered.
  • In order to make selections easier without taking into account the format (accented characters/uppercase letters/lowercase letters), the selection window available on this field proposes a column dedicated to the search, where the names of the towns/cities are displayed in uppercase. The control which is carried out is case-insensitive since it is carried out with respect to the town/city name stored in uppercase.
  • field ITINERAIRE

Click this icon to open a mapping site and locate the entered address.

  • field MACSAT

This field contains the geographical subdivision corresponding to definition of the postal address. For example, a 'department' for France, and a state for the United-States.

The description of the geographic subdivision, as well as the control on the information entry, are defined in theCountries setup.

This field loads automatically after the postal code and town/city have been entered and is based on the Postal codes setup.
If the field is controlled, the control is carried out with respect to the Geographical subdivision table.

  • Telephone (field MACTEL)

 

  • Fax (field MACFAX)

 

Localization / comments

  • field PLE

This field indicates the precise location where the equipment is installed. In the case of an intervention at the site (maintenance or repair) by a technician, he/she is able to verify if the equipment has not been relocated by the customer. In certain contracts, the relocation of equipment by the customer can be an exclusion clause in the warranty or maintenance.

This field applies specifically to high volume goods.

 

Tab Service Contracts

Presentation

The Service contracts tab is used to view all the coverage applied to the installed base record.

Applied coverage

This field is used to enter the service contract covering the installed base record. The field Applicable warranty from the General tab, is used to establish any differences between the services due ( Applicable warrantyfield) and the agreed services Contract denominationfield).

Certain coverage can inherit the specific characteristics of service contracts.

Warranty requests 

This field is used to enter the warranty request covering the installed base. 

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Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Indirect coverage

  • Normal coverage (field STDCOV)

 

  • Coverage viewed (field CRSCOV)

 

Grid Applied coverage

This column is used to view or define the management of the customer installed base by one or more service contracts.

The selection of a service contract in this grid automatically applies a coverage of the type

"According to customer base" from the current customer base record for the selected contract.

In effect, coverage of type "Product reference" or "Sales range" can only take place within the framework of the "Covered installed base" function of the service contracts.
This tab only displays direct coverage that can benefit a customer installed base.
Nevertheless, the customer installed base record can benefit from less explicit additional coverage. (Cross referenced coverage, coverage of the type All the base, etc...)
These other types of coverage can be viewed in the "Indirect coverage" window.

(This field is used to enter the service contract covering the installed base record. The applicable warranty field from the General tab is used to establish any differences between the services due (Applicable warranty field) and the agreed services (Contract denomination field).

Certain types of coverage can inherit the specific characteristics of service contracts.)

  • Description (field MACCONNAM)

 

  • Contract category (field MACCONTYP)

 

  • Contract end date (field CONENDDAT)

 

  • Subscriber (field CONBPC)

 

Grid Warranty requests

  • Warranty request (field WRENUM)

 

  • Date created (field CREDAT)

 

 

  • Description (field WARAPL)

 

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Action icon

This menu is used to access the active service contract object, then to enter any coverage.

This menu is used to select a service contract from amongst the list of existing active contracts, then to enter any coverage.

 

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Tab Installations

Presentation

This grid contains the successive installation history for a serial number. It is impossible to create new lines manually. The lines are automatically created from the information managed in the General tab. Only certain fields in this grid are accessible in modification mode.

A new history line is added in the installations grid each time that the fields below are subject to a modification :

  • Installation type
  • Reseller
  • End user
  • Installed on loan

In fact, for each modification of these fields, certain information in the General tab is purged to allow the entry of the of the new transaction. This is the fields :

  • Reseller
  • Installed on loan
  • End user
  • Sales price/Currency Sales date
  • Purchase price/Currency Purchase date
  • Physical location

A confirmation question is used to load or not the implementation history : "Do you confirm the saving of the installation history? " »

When the user confirms his/her modification, a new line appears in the successive installation grid. The Until field is automatically set to the current date.

The user is then invited to enter the price and currency for the equipment then to correct the installation end date if necessary.

The Origin, Document no. / Line are modified if the installation is modified.

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Fields

The following fields are present on this tab :

Grid History

  • Installation type (field ITNTYP)

 

  • End user/Reseller/Wholesaler (field BPCCLA)

 

 

  • Loan (field LND)

 

  • Start date (field ITNDAT)

 

  • End date (field ENDITN)

The field Until is used to indicate the date of the equipment return.
It is qualified automatically with the date of the current day when the user records an installation history.
The message: "Do you confirm the saving of the installation history?  " is displayed and the date changes.

  • Recovery price (field SECPRI)

This field is used to indicate the recovery price of the material.

This field contains the currency that is used to value the recovery price of the material.

  • Source (field ORI)

 

  • Original document (field ORIVCR)

 

  • Origin line (field ORIVCRL)

 

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Action icon

This menu is used to access the detail of the original document for the installation.

This menu is used to return the installation to its initial state. It is only possible to restore the installation if the last line of the installation is selected. In a list of several installations, it is impossible to restore the first line.

A recovery of the installations sets the fields Document origin and no. / Line back in phase.

 

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Specific Buttons

This button is used to split a base record not manage with serial no., entered with a quantity superior to 1, into several records. If the installed base is managed with serial numbers, the  button remains grey-ed out

A confirmation message is used to launch the split of a selected installed base record : "Do you confirm the split of this installed base record? "

The split creates automatically as many installed base records as specified in the field Quantity. For example, an installed base record with a quantity of 20 can be split into 20 installed base records.

Menu Bar

Functions/Indirect coverage

The coverage can inherit the specific characteristics belonging to the service contracts.

This menu is used to view the indirect coverage and offers a view of all the coverage determined by the service contract for the type :

  • Contracts with points
  • Coverage at product level
  • Coverage at the level of the commercial groups for the products
  • Coverage at the level of All the installed base
  • Coverages cross-referenced with the skills

Functions/After-sales BOM

This menu is used to display the BOMs for the installed base concerned. It is then possible to view all the components making up the installed base.

Save/Action/Service Request

This menu is used to record a service request direct from the customer installed base record. The user can then access the service request object. The simple fact of carrying out "File-New" initializes several items of information recovered from the installed base record. For example, the customer code with all the linked information is pre-loaded by default. The base code and various information contained in the tab Invoicing elements are entered by default. All that remains is to enter any other information necessary and then proceed to the creation of the service request.

Options / Transaction

This menu is used to view the entry transaction for the customer installed base used.

Options / 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.

Error messages

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

No currency has been associated with the sales price. Creation is refused.

This message appears when the user attempts to confirm the creation of a base record that has a sales price but no currency.

No currency has been associated with the sales price. Modification refused.

This message appears when the user attempts to confirm the modification of a base record that has a sales price but no currency.

Tables used

SEEREFERTTO Refer to documentation Implementation