Provider Contracts
In provider contracts, you can map long-term agreements for services and products from telecommunications. The contract contains the following information:
Contract duration
Contract object, for example cellular service connection
Services and rate plans
Regular fees
You cannot directly create a provider contract, you need to create a provider order first. After you create the provider order, the system automatically creates a corresponding provider contract, and copies the contract-relevant data from the order to the contract. The contract then receives the status In Activation
. This means that the provider contract is distributed to external systems. You can only partially change a provider contract that has this status. In the standard delivery for example, you can only change the telephone number, lock/unlock the contract, or change the SIM card.
If the provider contract was distributed, for example, if an external system returns the message that the SIM card was activated, the provider contract has the status Active
.
The provider contract is therefore closely connected with the provider order. You can make changes to the provider contract using change processes only. A new provider order is created for each change process.
The provider contract contains data about the products, rate plans, and validity periods.
The contract history lists all change orders related to the contract. It gives you a quick overview of all provider orders created previously.
Prerequisites
You make general settings for provider contracts in SAP CRM Customizing by choosing 
Customer Relationship Management
Transactions
Basic Settings
.
The following transaction types are available for provider orders and provider contracts in the standard system:
ISPR - Provider order using E-Commerce
PRVO - Provider order for interaction center
PRVR - Provider order for dealer
PRVC - Provider contract
You make special settings for provider contracts, for example, for change processes and pricing for contract changes, in SAP CRM Customizing under Customer Relationship Management
Transactions
Settings for Provider Contracts
.
Lean Items
You can use lean items in provider contracts for the telecommunications industry. Lean items are those with limited functionality, whereby system performance is optimized. For more information, see Provider Orders.
Features
Searching for Customers and Creating New Customers (Interaction Center and Dealer Application)
In both the interaction center and the dealer application, you can search for customers and create new ones.
In the dealer application, you must enter the first name and last name as well as the postal code, to find the customer. This search helps you to identify the customer. You can adjust the standard SAP customer identification process, and choose other appropriate fields for it in the Customizing settings. You can also waive identification of the customer.
All provider contracts and provider orders that were created for the respective customers are then displayed with their quantity, in the result list. Use the links displayed to go to the contracts or orders.
Creating Provider Contracts (Interaction Center and Dealer Application)
Once you confirm or submit the provider order, which you can give to your customer to sign as a PDF document in the dealer application, the provider contract is automatically created as a follow-up transaction. This only happens if all checks were successfully processed. The contract-relevant items are then copied from the provider order to the provider contract.
You can create corresponding provider orders using the interaction center or a Web shop, as well as in the dealer application.
Changing Provider Contracts (In the Interaction Center Only)
You can make the following changes in the provider contract, delivered as standard:
Contract extension
Changes to the product configuration
Product change
Locking and unlocking connections
Your customers can use this function if they want to prevent unauthorized people from using their telephone connection during their vacation, for example.
Changing telephone number
Cancellation
Changing the SIM card
Master data changes
For example, changing address after relocation
Undo cancellation
This change process is available only if the contract was canceled.
Undo contract extension
This change process is available only if the contract was previously extended.
NoteYou can only trigger contract changes using the provider contract, and they are available only in the interaction center.
End of the note.
For contract changes, you must create a change order that corresponds to a regular provider order. When you save the change order, you can release or reject the changes. You can also temporarily store the change order and later release or cancel the items. All released changes are transferred to the contract. You control the contract changes using change processes, to which process types are assigned. For example:
ISTA - for business changes to the contract, such as extension or cancellation
ISTB - for changing technical data, such as SIM card or telephone number
ISTC - for locking and unlocking contracts
ISTD - for entering initial provider orders that lead to the creation of a provider contract
A separate change order is created for each process type.
You can use the change processes delivered as standard by SAP, and adapt them to your requirements, or you can implement your own change processes. For more information about using the maintenance framework to develop your own change processes, see Maintenance Framework for Business Transactions.
When you make changes to contracts, change fees often accrue or existing rate plans change. These fees are grouped together on the user interface of the provider order at item level, and displayed separately at header level in different columns. You can find more information about the settlement of these one-time or recurring fees under Settling Recurring and One-Time Fees.
The following functions are also available in the provider contract:
Execution of credit check and availability check
Use of product proposals, such as top n product lists and cross-selling