Creating support contracts

Overview

Support contracts can be set up in two ways, based on the way in which charges will be accrued. They can either be set up as a meter counter type contract or a quantity counter type contract.

Meter counter type support contracts work with an opening tally and a closing tally giving you a meter reading each month. This type is used with printers for instance, where the customer is charged per copy.

The quantity counter type contract is used when fixed charges, based on quantity, are agreed upon for example hours of service each month.

When using a meter counter type support contract some setup needs to occur beforehand by creating the inventory items that need to be used for the contract, for example, if this contract is for a printer you're renting out and charge per copy, you might create the following inventory items:

• MX-2030N - Multifunction printer
• Meter b - monochrome copies
• Meter c - colour copies
• Minimum billing - (the minimum that will be billed even when fewer copies are made)
• Rental charges
• Toner

The inventory items you create will depend on what you are providing and charging for with the contract.

The main steps for creating a support contract are the following:

• Creating the new contract
• Entering the contract’s general details
• Entering the contract item details
  • Inserting a new item
  • Adding the item information
  • Adding the billing information
  • Adding the counter information
    • Adding the general counter details
    • Adding the unit rates for rate type 1
    • Adding the unit rates for rate type 2
    • Repeating for the rest of the counters
  • Saving the item
• Saving the contract

Watch this video to see how to create a support contract or follow the steps below it.

Step-by-step guide

Navigate to the correct window

1. Navigate to Workshop / Support Maintenance / Contract Maintenance.

Create a new contract

1. Enter a contract number for the support contract in the Contract Number text box and press Enter.
2. Check that the following message box appears: The contract does not exist – do you want to create it?
3. Click the Yes button.

Enter the contract’s general details

1. Enter (or select) the debtor account that the contract belongs to in the Account text box.
2. Enter the contract start date in the Start Date text box.
3. Enter the contract expiry date in the Expiry Date text box.
4. Enter any remark applicable to the contract in the Remark text box.
5. Enter the customer reference for this contract in the Customer Ref text box.
6. In the Tax text box, enter I if the rates include VAT and E if the rates exclude VAT.

Enter the contract item details

Insert a new item

1. Select the first open line in the SERIAL NUMBER column and press Insert (on your keyboard).
2. Check that the Contract Maintenance – Add Item window has appeared.

Add the item information

1. Enter the serial number of the item in the Serial Number text box.
2. Enter a description of the item in the Description text box.
3. Enter the serial number of the item that this item is part of in the Parent text box, if applicable.
4. Set whether the item is decommissioned or not in the Decommissioned text box.
5. Enter the item's category in the Category text box, if applicable.
6. Enter the item number in the Item Number text box, if applicable.
7. Change the contract start date in the Contract Start text box, if applicable.
8. Change the contract expiry date in the Contract Expiry text box, if applicable.
9. Enter the item's asset number in the Asset Number text box, if applicable.
10. Enter the item's contract type in the Contract Type text box, if applicable.
11. Enter a remark for the item in the Remark text box, if applicable.
12. Enter the item's purchase date in the Purchase Date text box, if applicable.
13. Enter the item's warranty expiry date in the Warranty Expiry text box, if applicable.
14. Enter the start of the service for this contract in the Service Start text box.
15. Enter the number of days between maintenance services in the Service Days text box.
16. Enter the name of the original supplier in the Supplier text box, if applicable.
17. Enter the original supplier's invoice number in the Supplier Invoice text box, if applicable.
18. Enter the customer's cost centres in the Cost Centers text boxes, if applicable.
19. Enter the customer account number in the Sub Account text box if the item is sub-letted.
20. Enter the contact person's name in the Contact text box.
21. Enter the contact person's telephone number in the Tel text box.
22. Enter the item's physical location in the Location text box.

Add the billing information

1. Click the Billing Info tab.
2. Set whether to generate invoices for the item in the Invoice (Y/N) text box.
3. Enter (or select) the location that invoices should be included in, in the Invoice Location text box.
4. Set whether this contract is part of a debit order in the Debit Order text box.
5. Enter (or select) the debtor account for the invoices in the Invoice Acc text box.
6. Enter (or select) the sales rep code for the invoice in the Rep Code text box.
7. Enter the monthly rate for rate type 1 in the Monthly Rate 1 text box.
8. Enter (or select) the item number to be used for monthly charges, for rate type 1, on the invoices in the Item Number text box.
9. Enter the monthly rate for rate type 1 in the Monthly Rate 2 text box.
10. Enter (or select) the item number to be used for monthly charges, for rate type 2, on the invoices in the Item Number text box.
11. Repeat for all text boxes.
12. Enter the email address to send the invoices to in the EMail Address text box.
13. Enter the email address to send the meter reading vouchers to in the EMail – Readings text box.
14. Enter the escalation percentage of the item in the Escalation Percentage text box, if applicable.
15. Enter the escalation month of the item in the Escalation Month text box, if applicable.

Add the counter information

Add the general counter details

1. Click the Counter 1 tab.
2. Enter the counter’s description in the Description text box.
3. Enter the counter type in the Counter Type text box.
4. Enter the validation quantity in the Validation Quantity text box.
5. Enter the opening meter reading in the Opening Quantity text box.
6. Enter the yield quantity in the Yield Quantity text box.

Add the unit rates for rate type 1

1. Enter (or select) the item number to be used for the monthly charges in the Item Number text box.
2. Enter the unit rate for level 1 in the Unit Rate 1 text box.
3. Enter the quantity for level 1 in the Quantity text box, next to the Unit Rate 1.
4. Repeat for levels 2 to 5, if applicable.

Add the unit rates for rate type 2

1. Enter (or select) the item number to be used for the monthly charges in the Item Number text box.
2. Enter the unit rate for level 1 in the Unit Rate 2 text box.
3. Enter the quantity for level 1 in the Quantity text box, next to the Unit Rate 2.
4. Repeat for levels 2 to 5, if applicable.

Repeat for the rest of the counters

1. Repeat for counters 2 to 5, if applicable.

Save the item

1. Click the Accept button.

Save the contract

1. Click the Accept button.
2. Print the contract by specifying the print options and clicking the OK button, or click the Cancel button to close the window.