Configuring Contract Item Limits
You
use contract item usage limits to limit the number of supply items a customer
can acquire under a supplies-included contract without a charge. In order
for you to limit the customer’s supplies, you first determine your usage
expectations for the customer’s equipment during your contract period.
Next, you identify how many supply items are needed for the contract or
each equipment piece on the contract to meet your usage expectation. Finally,
you limit the customer’s quantity allowance of supply items to meet your
usage expectation. If the customer exceeds the allowed quantity of supply
items identified on the contract, e-automate automatically charges the
customer for limited supplies.
You
can configure contract item usage limits at the contract level or at the
individual equipment level. You use the Item Limit tab on the contract
for contract level limits, and also for equipment level limits on the
Contract Equipment window. Equipment-level contract item usage limits
allow a more controlled method for tracking how many supply items each
piece of equipment is allowed during the contract period. If you choose
to handle contract item limits at the equipment level, when a customer
orders supplies you will identify the specific equipment for which a supply
is intended. If you track contract item usage limits at the contract level,
the system allows a limit at the contract level and therefore it is not
necessary to identify on the contract the specific equipment for which
the supply is to be used.
In
order to use contract item usage limits you must configure your system
to meet the requirements outlined below.
Supply
items you limit must be enabled for contract usage limits.
Supply
items you limit must be associated as a related item to the equipment’s
base inventory item profile.
You
use the inventory item profile to define part items, supply items, equipment
items, expense items and non-stock items. Equipment item profiles on your
Item list are not only used in the purchasing and sales process, but are
also used as a reference to your service equipment. You cannot create
an equipment record in e-automate without basing the equipment on an existing
inventory item (more specifically, an inventory item that has an equipment
code). The inventory item that is linked to an equipment record is referred
to as the equipment’s basis item because the equipment is based on the
item. In order for you to use contract item usage limits, you must place
supplies you intend to limit on the equipment’s basis item’s Related
Items tab.
When
you limit supply items on a service contract, e-automate only tracks supply
usage for items that are configured to be tracked and are included under
the contract based on the appropriate bill code.
On
the e-automate toolbar, click [Items]
to open the Items list window.
From
the list of items, select the supply items you want to enable.
Click
[Edit] to open the Edit Inventory
Item window.
Check
the Use contract usage limits for
this item checkbox.
Click
[OK] to save your changes.
Repeat
this procedure for any supply items you want to enable for contract
item usage limits.
On
the e-automate toolbar, click [Items]
to open the Items list window.
From
the list of items, select the equipment coded items to which you want
to add related items.
Note: Related items added to
an equipment-coded item identify which supply items are used by the
equipment linked to this item.
Click
[Edit] to open the Edit Inventory
Item window.
Click
the Related Items tab to bring
it forward.
In
the Item field, use the lookup
icon to select supplies used by equipment linked to this item.
In
the Yield field, enter the
expected yield for the supply item when used in equipment linked to
this item.
Click
[QuickAdd] to add the supply
item to the list.
Repeat
Steps 5 through 7 to add supply items.
Click
[OK] to save the equipment
coded item.
Repeat
this procedure for each equipment-coded item to which you want to
add related items.
From
the e-automate toolbar, click [Contracts]
to open the Service Contracts list window.
From
the contract list, select the contract to which you want to add item
limits.
Click
[Edit] to open the Edit Contract
window.
Do
one of the following:
To
limit items on a contract at the contract level, do the following:
Click
the Item Limits tab to bring
it forward.
Click
[Add] to open the Contract
Item Limit window.
In
the Item field, use the Lookup
icon to select an item you want to limit.
Note: This lookup only displays
items related to equipment on this contract that are enabled for item
limits. The service code associated with your item should be on the
bill code as covered.
In
the Limit field, enter the
quantity in which you want to limit.
Click
[OK] to save your item limit.
Note: E-automate will not assess
a charge for these items when adding them to service calls or sales
orders in conjunction with the equipment and contract. Once the limit
is reached, e-automate will start charging for the items.
Repeat
steps b through e until you have added all your item limits.
To
limit items on a contract at the equipment level, do the following:
Click
on the Equipment/Item tab
to bring it forward.
Select
the equipment with which you want to associate item limits and click
[Edit] to open the Edit Contract
Equipment/Item window.
In
the Edit Contract Equipment/Item window, click the Item
Limits tab to bring it forward.
Click
[Add] to open the Contract
Item Limit window.
In
the Item field, use the lookup to select an item you want to
limit for this equipment.
Note: This lookup only displays
items related to this equipment that are enabled for item limits.
The service code associated with your item should be on the bill code
as covered.
In
the Limit field, enter the
quantity in which you want to limit for this equipment.
Click
[OK] to save your equipment
item limit.
Note: E-automate will not assess
a charge for these items when adding them to service calls or sales
orders in conjunction with this equipment and contract. Once the limit
is reached, e-automate will start charging for the items.
Repeat
Steps d through g until you have added all your equipment item limits.
To
add more item limits for other equipment on this contract, repeat
Steps b through h.
Click
[OK] to save your contract
with the defined item limits.