Updated: 24.01.2024

Maintenance Contracts

This chapter describes how to create and process maintenance contracts in TRASER DMS 365. It is divided into the following sections:

Creating a Maintenance Contract

You can create maintenance contracts for Service Items in TRASER DMS 365. To do so, please proceed as follows:

Note

To be able to create maintenance contracts, please make sure that a number series is deposited on the Service Setup page.

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • To create a new maintenance contract, click on New in the menu bar.
  • Navigate to the General FastTab.
  • Fill in the fields according to the table below. Mandatory fields are highlighted in bold.
Option Description
Service Order Type Select a service order type for this maintenance contract.
Customer No. Select a service customer number. A dialog window opens, asking whether the customer should also be set as the bill-to customer for the sales invoice. More information on this can be found in the Invoicing Maintenance Contracts section.
Customer Name This field contains the name of the customer in the maintenance contract and is filled automatically after selecting the Customer No..
Contact No. This field contains the number of the contact who will receive the service delivery and is filled automatically after selecting the Customer No..
Contact Name This field contains the name of the contact and is filled automatically after selecting the Customer No..
Document Date Enter the date on which the document was created.
Starting Date Enter the starting date for the maintenance contract.
Contract Duration (Months) Enter the number of months that the maintenance contract shall be valid. This information is used to calculate the invoicing plan lines in connection with the invoicing intervals.
Estimated End Date This field contains the estimated end date of the maintenance contract and is filled automatically after entering the starting date and the contract duration (months).
Maximum Operating Hours Enter the maximum operating hours.
Status This field specifies the status of the maintenance contract and is automatically set to Open when creating a maintenance contract.
Contract Status This field specifies the contract status of the maintenance contract and is automatically set to Open when creating a maintenance contract.
Signature Status This field indicates whether the maintenance contract has been signed.
Contract Signed At This field shows when the maintenance contract was signed.
Salesperson Code Enter the code of the sales person responsible for this maintenance contract.
Person In Charge Enter the code of the person in charge of this maintenance contract.
Responsibility Center Enter the corresponding responsibility center.
  • Navigate to the Lines FastTab.
  • Add a service item by clicking in an empty line in the Service Item No. column and selecting a service item.
  • The following information is now displayed in the lines of the Lines FastTab:
Option Description
Serial No. This column shows the serial number of the service item and is filled automatically when selecting a service item.
Trade No. This column shows the trade number of the service item and is filled automatically when selecting a service item.
Description This column shows the description of the service item. It is filled automatically when selecting a service item and can be edited.
Calculation Entry Type This column shows the calculation entry type of the service item and is filled automatically when selecting a service item.
No. of Services This column shows the number of connected service intervals. By clicking in the column, the connected service intervals for this service item will be displayed.
Used Services This column displays the number of used services for this service item. By clicking in the column, the services performed on this service item will be displayed.
Line Amount This column shows the line amount for this service item.
Starting Date This column shows the starting date of the maintenance contract for this service item and can be edited.
Contract Line Duration (Months) This column shows the validity period for this contract line in months and can be edited. This information is used to calculate the invoicing plan lines in connection with the invoicing intervals.
Estimated End Date This column shows the estimated end date for this contract line and is filled in automatically.
Max. Operating hours This column shows the maximum operating hours for this contract line and can be edited.
Operating Hours Check Activate the checkbox in this column if you want the operating hours to be checked when posting the document.
  • Click on an empty line or on New Line in the menu bar of the FastTab to add service items as needed.
    • Optional Click on Delete Line in the menu bar of the FastTab to delete lines.

Tip

You can view the total value of the contract excluding and including VAT below the FastTab.

  • Navigate to the Invoice Details FastTab.
  • Fill in the fields according to the table below. Mandatory fields are highlighted in bold.
Option Description
Invoice Order Type Select an invoice order type in this field.
Your Reference Enter the reference number for the customer.
Language Code Select the language that shall be used on printouts for this customer.
Payment Terms Code Select a formula that calculates the payment due date, payment discount date, and payment discount amount.
Payment Method Code Specify the payment method of the customer.
Direct Debit Mandate ID Enter the direct-debit mandate that the customer has signed to allow direct debit collection of payments.
Currency Code Select the currency used to calculate the amounts in the documents related to this contract.
Customer Posting Group Select the customer posting group.
Gen. Business Posting Group Select the general business posting group.
VAT Bus. Posting Group Select the VAT business posting group here.
Price Including VAT Activate the toggle switch if the the sum of the value in the Line Amount Incl. VAT field on all lines in the document minus any discount amount in the Invoice Discount Amount field shall be displayed.
VAT Registration No. Enter the VAT registration number of the customer.
Invoicing Interval Here, select the invoicing interval for the maintenance contract. You can find more information regarding the setup of these intervals here.
Combine Lines Activate the toggle switch if you want to combine lines on the invoice.
Combine Invoices Activate the toggle switch if you want to combine invoices for this service contract with invoices for other service contracts with the same bill-to customer.
Reason Code Select the reason code for the maintenance contract.

You have successfully created a maintenance contract. You can now e.g. connect it to a service interval or create a service order from the maintenance contract and link them. Before you can invoice a maintenance contract, it must first be released.

You can connect a maintenance contract to a service interval to include regular maintenance services in the contract. To connect a maintenance contract to a service interval, please proceed as follows:

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • Open the maintenance contract you want to connect to a service interval.
  • Navigate to the Lines FastTab.
  • Click into the line of the desired service item, then click on Connect to Service Interval in the menu bar of the FastTab.
  • The Service Intervals page of the service item is displayed, filtered to the interval type Maintenance.
  • Click into the line of the desired service interval, then click on Connect/Disconnect > Link to Contract in the menu bar.
  • The service interval is automatically connected to the maintenance contract; the value in the No. of Services column increases by 1.
  • Repeat this step for all relevant service intervals.

You have successfully connected a maintenance contract to a service interval. For further information on working with service intervals, click here.

You can create a service order for a pending service interval from a maintenance contract. To do so, please proceed as follows:

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • Open the maintenance contract you want to link to a service order.
  • Navigate to the Lines FastTab.
  • Click into the line of the desired service item, then click on Connect to Service Interval in the menu bar of the FastTab.
  • The Service Intervals page of the service item is displayed, filtered to the interval type Maintenance.
  • Click into the line of the desired service interval, then click on Home** >Create Service Order** in the menu bar.
  • The dialog window Service Order Types is displayed.
  • Select the desired service order type, e.g. WARTUNG.
  • Click OK to confirm your selection.
  • The service order is created and pre-filled with the relevant information.
  • A dialog window is displayed.
  • Confirm the dialog with Yes if you want to open the newly created service order; clicking No returns you to the Service Intervals page.

You have successfully created a service order from a maintenance contract.

Releasing a Maintenance Contract

In order to invoice a maintenance contract, it must first be released. To do so, please proceed as follows:

Note

Releasing a maintenance contract is only possible if all mandatory fields are filled in and maintenance lines exist. If this is not the case, the Error Messages page is displayed when you try to release the contract, containing hints regarding the missing mandatory fields.

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • Open the maintenance contract you want to release.
  • Click on Release in the menu bar.

You have successfully released a maintenance contract. The Status of the contract is set to Released. In released maintenance contracts, you can only edit the Salesperson Code and Person in Charge fields in the General FastTab, the Description column in the Lines FastTab as well as the Your Reference field in the Invoice Details FastTab. Editing other fields results in an error message. In order to edit those fields, you have to reset the contract status by clicking on Reopen in the menu bar of the maintenance contract.

Posting Maintenance Contracts

You can set up invoicing intervals and invoice plans in TRASER DMS 365. In order to invoice a maintenance contract, you have to specify a bill-to customer. To do so, please proceed as follows:

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • Open the maintenance contract for which you want to specify a bill-to customer.
  • Navigate to the Billing FastTab.
  • The Bill-to field is pre-filled with Default (Customer), if you confirmed the dialog window with Yes after selecting a Customer No.. during the creation of a maintenance contract.
  • To invoice a different customer, seelct Another Customer from the dropdown menu in the Bill-to field. This option is also selected when clicking No in the dialog window.
  • The Name field is displayed; select the desired customer from the list.

Tip

You can also post the invoice to an address that is not stored in the system. To do so, select Custom Address from the dropdown menu in the Bill-to field, then click on Show more and fill in the displayed fields as needed.

You have successfully selected the bill-to customer of the maintenance contract.

Setting up Invoicing Intervals for Maintenance Contracts

You can use invoicing intervals to determine how often a maintenance contract shall be invoiced or whether an advance payment must be made. To set up an invoicing interval for a maintenance contract and then select it in the maintenance contract, please proceed as follows:

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contract Invoicing Interval page.
  • Click on New in the menu bar to create a new invoicing interval or click on Edit List to edit an existing interval.
  • Fill in the fields according to the table below.
Column Description
Interval Code Enter here a specific interval code, e.g. 1M for a monthly invoice.
Description Enter a specific description of the invoicing interval, e.g. monthly.
Account No. Select the account to which the invoice amount shall be posted.
Number of Months per Invoice Specify the number of months between two invoices, e.g. 1.
Prepayment Activate the checkbox if a payment must be made in advance.
Deferral Code If you activated the Prepayment checkbox, enter a deferral code here. The deferral codes are set up on the Deferral Templates page.
  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • Open the maintenance contract for which you want to set up an invoicing interval.
  • Navigate to the Invoice Details FastTab.
  • Select the desired invoice frequency in the Invoice Frequency field.

You have successfully set up the invoicing interval for a maintenance contract.

Creating Invoice Plans for Maintenance Contracts

The invoice plan serves as an overview of invoices that are created during the duration of the contract. To view or create the invoice plan of a maintenance contract, please proceed as follows:

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • Open the maintenance contract for which you want to create an invoice plan.
  • Navigate to the Lines FastTab.
  • Click on Invoice Plan in the menu bar of the FastTab.
  • The invoice plan of the maintenance contract is displayed.
  • If no invoice plan has been stored for this maintenance contract, you can create it by clicking on New > Create Invoice Plan in the menu bar. This action generates an invoice plan for the current maintenance contract based on the selected invoicing interval in the Contract Line Duration (Months) column in the Lines FastTab of the maintenance contract.

You have successfully created an invoice plan for a maintenance contract.

Deleting Invoice Plan Lines

You can delete lines from the invoice plan of a maintenance contract. To do so, please proceed as follows:

Note

Already posted lines can not be deleted.

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • Open the maintenance contract for which you want to create an invoice plan.
  • Navigate to the Lines FastTab.
  • Select Invoice Plan from the menu bar of the FastTab.
  • The invoice plan of the maintenance contract is displayed.
  • Click on the invoice plan line you want to delete.
  • Select Delete from the menu bar.
  • Click OK to confirm the dialog.

Note

If the invoice plan line is linked to an sales invoice that has not been posted yet, the content of the dialog changes.
Clicking Yes will delete the line as well as the linked invoice. Clicking No will only delete the line.

You have successfully deleted an invoice plan line.

Locking a Maintenance Contract

You can lock a maintenance contract, e.g. because the customer is in default of payments. To do so, please proceed as follows:

  • Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Maintenance Contracts page.
  • Open the maintenance contract you want to lock.
  • Select Lock from the menu bar.
  • The contract is locked and can no longer be edited.

You have successfully locked a maintenance contract. To unlock the contract and re-enable editing, click on Unlock in the menu bar.