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Managing line item service dates

Service dates, like start or end date, can be configured on each line item to communicate when the product or service purchased will begin and end. This can be useful when defining a pricing schedule or "scheduling" the line item, you may know this as "scaling" or "ramping". At RevOps, we use our Schedule line items to achieve this. ‍

Usage​

‍ When used on the deal, you can show:

  • The service period for when the software subscription may be discounted.

  • Different quantities sold per service period.

The Enterprise Edition line item has different quantities for each service period.

  • The start date and end date of a professional service course.

Converting any line item to a Schedule line item​

‍ To be able to customize the service periods and their dates of line items, a line item must be using a "Schedule" type SKU. If your line item is currently not the right type, it can be converted. ‍

Steps​

To convert a line item to be a "Schedule" type SKU:

  1. Select the line item
  2. Click the "Adjust dates" button

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Missing Required Terms​

In order to convert a line item, RevOps requires 2 built-in Terms, Contract Term (months)  and Contract Activates terms (these may be renamed in your Workspace), to be included on the deal. When we can't find either of these terms on a deal, we will display warnings that will allow you to quickly add the missing terms. This will allow you to convert your line item and adjust it's service dates. ‍

Setting the service period of each line item​

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Steps​

To set the service period of each line item:

  1. Select the line item
  2. Choose to edit the start or end date of that line item using their Edit button

Anchor a service date​

By default, the start date of each line item will be anchored to the contract period start date. ‍

This way you only need to change the contract start date and the line item will update to reflect this same date. ‍

Offset a service date​

Additionally, you may choose to offset the line item to start days, months, or years after the contract start date. By choosing to offset the line item, you're able to make sure that if the contract period start date is adjusted, your line item dates are updated as well. ‍

Manually set a service date​

Lastly, you may choose to manually set a specific date. If the start date of a service period is manually set, it will always display the date you've selected. ‍

Since this date is not anchored to a term date, if the contract period start date or any other term dates are updated, this date will not change. ‍

What if a date is outside of the contract period?​

If the service start date of your line items starts before the contract is in effect or ends after the contract has ended, a warning will be displayed to help you correct these dates. ‍

Setting multiple service periods on a line item​

‍ When a product is sold over multiple years, you may want to break out the line item into independent service periods to ramp up the quantity sold or offer per service period discounting.  ‍

Steps​

Once the SKU has been added to the deal, simply click on "Add time period". ‍

Best Practice​

When adding more service periods, we recommend:

  1. Updating the contract length first
  2. Using the "Add time period" button to add a new period
  3. Setting the length of the first period using the Edit button

RevOps then anchors the end date of the second period to the end of the full contract. ‍ As independent periods, you can now adjust the quantity and adjusted price for each period. ‍

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Field-Based Permissions on Dates​

‍ For some businesses, modifying and adjusting the service dates of a line item allows too much flexibility and room for error.  ‍ As an Admin, you may choose which roles have the permission to adjust the service dates of each line item. ‍

Steps​

To do this, go to the SKU Settings for the SKU you'd like to edit. Under the "Field-Based Permissions" label, you'll be able to see and select the roles that can:

  • edit all service Start dates
  • edit all service End dates
  • add and remove service periods In this example, only our Deal Desk Manager and Sales Manager users can edit the start date of this SKU.  ‍

‍ If the role is not specified, they'll see a "Lock" icon instead of "Edit" next to the field. For example, the image below is what a Sales Rep would see since they aren't able to edit the Service Period Start date.

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Details​

Field-Based Permissions may also be set on the template for each SKU already added to the deal. When setting field-based permissions on the template, these permissions will override any permissions set on the SKU. ‍ For example, on the template, you may allow only Deal Desk Managers to add or remove additional service periods from a SKU. Even if that SKU, in SKU Settings, specifies that Sales Managers can add/remove additional periods, since the Sales Manager isn't given permission on the template, any deal created with the template will only allow Deal Desk Managers to add or remove additional service periods.