Creating Contracts for Accounts
You can create Contracts for your end-customer Accounts. If you expect to have end-customers who consume several different service or product packages you offer, you can then report on the total Contract values for these end-customer Accounts for accounting purposes. Creating Contracts for an Account has no effect on billing for the Account.
When you create a Contract for an end customer Account, you can:
Set the start and end dates of the Contract, which serves auto-renewal of the customer's Contract - for example on an annual renewal basis.
Add Account Plans or Account Plan Groups that you've attached to the Account to the Contract.
Add a Prepayment/Commitment amounts you've created for an Account to a Contract.
End date billing entities associated with the Account you've created the Contract for or end date the Contract itself. For more details, see End Dating Account Billing Entities.
Creating Contracts
You can create Contracts for an end customer Account from the Accounts page.
To create a Contract for an Account:
1. Select Accounts. The Accounts page opens.
2. Select the Name text of the Account for which you want to create a Contract. The Account page opens.
3. On the Account actions menu, select Contracts>Create Contract:
Alternatively:
Select the Contracts tab.
On the Active and pending contracts panel, select Create Contract.
The Create page opens.
4. Enter the Contract Details:
Name. Descriptive name for the Contract.
Code. Unique identifier for the Contract.
Description. Optional attribute.
Purchase Order Number. Optional attribute, which allows you to assign an order number to the Contract. For example, your financial systems might require this as a reference for clearing payments.
Note: Contract Purchase Order Number and Account Purchase Order Number? These are entirely separate Purchase Order Numbers and are in no sense connected in the m3ter system.
Start date and End date. Use the popup calendars to select the start and end dates for the Contract. Note that the End date is exclusive - if you want the contract to end at midnight on June 30th 2023, set the End date to July 1st 2023.
5. If required, add any Custom Fields to the Contract:
Currently, you cannot create Custom Fields for Contracts at the Organization-level, and therefore you cannot reference the Custom Fields values you create for an individual Contract in your calculations
For more on Custom Fields, see Adding and Editing Custom Fields. We strongly recommend reviewing Working with Custom Fields before you create and use Custom Fields.
6. Select Create Contract. You are returned to the Contracts tab, where the new Contract is listed on the Active and pending contracts panel:
Adding Attached Plans or Plan Groups to Contracts
You can add Plans or Plan Groups that you've attached to an end customer Account to a Contract.
To add attached Plans/Plan Groups to a Contract:
1. Select Accounts. The Accounts page opens.
2. Select the Name text of the Account for which you want to add attached Plans for a Contract. The Account page opens.
3. Select the Contracts tab.
4. On the Active and pending contracts panel, select the Name text of the Contract to which you want to add attached Plans. The Contract Details page opens:
Tip: Account Plans or Account Plans Groups Already Show? If you've already added an Account Plan or Account Plan Group to the Contract when you attached Plans/Plan Groups to the Account, these will show in the Contract plans panel. See Attaching Plans to an Account and Attaching Plan Groups to an Account.
5. On the Contract Plans panel, select Add attached Plans to Contract. A Select Account Plans dialog appears and lists the Account Plans/Account Plan Groups attached to the Account.
6. Use the check boxes to select the attached Account Plans/Account Plan Groups you want to add to the Contract, and select Confirm.
7. The dialog closes and you are returned to the Contract Details page and the selected Account Plans/Account Plan Groups are listed in the Contracts Plans panel:
Adding Prepayments to a Contract
You can add a Prepayment/Commitment amount you've created for an Account to a Contract.
To add a Prepayment amount to a Contract:
1. Select Accounts. The Accounts page opens.
2. Select the Name text of the Account for which you want to add a Prepayment amount to a Contract. The Account page opens.
3. Select the Contracts tab.
4. On the Active and pending contracts panel, select the Name text of the Contract to which you want to add the Prepayment amount. The Contract Details page opens.
Tip: Prepayment Already Shows? If you've already added a Prepayment to the Contract, this will show in the Contract prepayments panel. See Creating Prepayments for Accounts.
5. On the Contract Prepayments panel, select Add Prepayments. A Select Prepayments dialog appears and lists the Prepayment amounts created for the Account.
6. Use the check boxes to select the Prepayment amount you want to add to the Contract, and select Confirm.
7. The dialog closes and you are returned to the Contract Details page and the selected Prepayment amount is listed in the Contracts Prepayments panel:
Important: Prepayment Contract and Account Plan Contract must match! If you associate a Prepayment with a Contract you must ensure the Account Plan attached to the Account has the same Contract associated with it. If the Account Plan Contract and Prepayment Contract do not match, then at billing the Prepayment amount will not be drawn-down against
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