Implementing the Contract Functionality: Configuration Prerequisites

Before starting to create contracts, you should be sure that the needed feature has been enabled, the needed settings have been specified, and the applicable entities have been created, as described in the following sections.

Enabling the Needed Feature

On the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, the Contract Management feature must be enabled.

Configuring Project Identifiers

The CONTRACT segmented key on the Segmented Keys (CS202000) form defines the identifier of the contracts. By default, this segmented key specifies that the contract identifier is an alphanumeric string of up to 10 characters. For the key, you can define how many segments it is to have, what values may be used, whether these values should be validated, and whether auto-numbering should be used in one of the segments. You can also divide item identifiers into segments with specific values. For more information on configuring segmented keys, see Segmented Identifiers.

Configuring the System

You need to make sure the following tasks have been performed in MYOB Advanced before you begin to create contracts:

• On the Companies (CS101500) form, you need to make sure that the companies of the organization have been configured. For more information, see Company Without Branches: To Configure a Company Without Branches.
• On the Accounts Receivable Preferences (AR101000) form, you need to make sure that the account receivable functionality has been configured.
• On the Chart of Accounts (GL202500) form, the accounts to be used with the accounts receivable functionality have been defined. For more information, see General Ledger: To Create a Chart of Accounts.

Defining Entities

You need to define the following MYOB Advanced entities before you create contracts:

• Customer accounts and locations: The customers you will specify in contracts must be created on the Customers (AR303000) form. Also, the needed customer locations must be created on the Customer Locations (AR303020) form, which is available if the Business Account Locations feature is enabled on the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form. When you create a contract on the Customer Contracts (CT301000) form and select a customer account, the system fills in the applicable billing settings that have been specified for the customer.
• Discount: If you want to give any customer a discount for services provided recurrently through the contract, you should create the needed discount code, which determines the discount rate, the application rules, and the non-stock items it is applied to. You will specify this discount code when you create a contract. You create each needed discount code on the Discount Codes (AR209000) form and the discount sequences of each discount code on the Discounts (AR209500) form. For details on creating discounts, see Customer Discounts: General Information.
• Contract template: A contract is based on a contract template, which provides the default settings of the contract. For each type of contract (such as a service agreement or support plan) your company has with its customers, you can create a contract template. Then when you create a contract, you select the appropriate contract template, which causes the default settings of the contract to be filled in. A contract template may also provide a list of products and services that you want to sell. These services and products are represented by contract items, which you create separately.