Start Contract

Overview

This option enables a contract to be started and initial rental and any catch-up regular rental invoices to be raised if required. A contract can be started at any point after the acceptance procedure has been completed and the contract has moved to an Accepted status. To raise catch-up invoices or roll-back a contract this option can also be used for contracts at a Live status.

Tip: System enables a contract to be started with a date in advance of a registration date as this may be neccessary in some instances; however, in this case, a warning message is displayed stating Start date before registration date.

What do you want to do?

Step-by-step process

To access the Start Contract option:

From the Master Menu, select the Contract Administration option and Company required.

The Contract Administration menu is displayed.
Select the Administration Options option.

The Administration Options Menu is displayed.
Select the Start Contract option.

The Start Contract form is displayed.
From either the Registration number or Current agreement field enter the required contract or use the button to search the contract file.

The selected contract is loaded into the Start Contract form.
The Invoice account field defaults to the invoicing account held against the address group, contract administration sub-record. If required it can be changed within this field by entering the new account code or searching using the button. Use the tab key to move to the next field.
The Start date field enables entry of the contract start date either directly or by using the button to search for the date using the Kestrel calendar search routine. Use the tab key to move to the next field.
Once a start date has been entered the system calculates the termination date based on the period of lease on the contract record. To start the contract with these details select the Start Contract button.

The contract has now moved to a Live status.
If initial invoices are required immediately then the invoice date can be entered in the Initial invoice date field either directly or by using the button to search for the date using the Kestrel calendar search routine.

After pressing the tab key you are asked to confirm initial invoices are to be raised. Selecting the Yes command button creates entries in the pending invoice file at an un-validated status ready for validating, batching, printing and posting using the Daily procedure and Post to accounts routines. A further pop-up form confirms the creation of these postings. Selecting the No command button at the Raise initial invoices prompt cancels the request to raise entries in the pending invoice file.
Note: Once the contract is live initial rental invoices due will be automatically raised during the next Periodic procedure regardless of whether they are raised at this stage.
If catch-up invoices are required immediately then the invoice date can be entered in the Catch-up invoice field either directly or by using the button to search for the date using the Kestrel calendar search routine.

After pressing the tab key you are asked to confirm if catch-up invoices are required to be raised. Selecting the Yes command button creates entries in the pending invoice file at an un-validated status ready for validating, batching, printing and posting using the Daily procedure and Post to accounts routines. A further pop-up form confirms the creation of these postings .Selecting the No command button at the Raise catch-up invoices prompt cancels the request to raise entries in the pending invoice file.
Note: Once the contract is live any catch-up invoices due will be automatically raised during the next Periodic procedure regardless of whether they are raised at this stage.

Start Contract Form

This form is constituted of five elements, which are as follows:

Title Bar

In addition to displaying the screen name the Title Bar provides a number of useful buttons.

Menubar and Toolbar

File
Help

Menu	Icon	Description
File > New		Clears the form of any existing vehicle/contract data and returns the cursor to the Registration Number field for input of a new vehicle registration number.
File > Exit		Exits the form and returns to the Administration Options menu.
Reports >		This menu option provides access to the five most frequently used Contract Administration reports. Once written within RepGen a button may be used to locate and select these reports for inclusion within this menu list within the Reports Group Box in the Reports Tab within Contract Administration/System Maintenance/System Controls.
Admin > Administrator		Accesses the Administrator mail and diary functions.
Admin > CRM		Accesses the CRM module and its associated Company, Customer and Vehicle records.
Admin > Task Manager		Provides quick access to the Task Manager form.
Admin > Global Review		Displays the Global ReviewForm.
Help >		Provides online access to context sensitive help for the current application using the default browser.

Start Contract Dialogue Box

The following data fields are contained within the Start Contract Dialogue Box:

Registration Number: On entry to this form the registration or agreement number for the vehicle is required. This may be keyed directly or the Fleet Global Search facility may be invoked by selection of the ellipsis button immediately to the right of this field. Only vehicles with a status of A for "Accepted" should be entered.

Current Agreement: Master number of the relevant agreement that is linked to the vehicle. The agreement number produced at the quotation stage of the contract. Selection of the button immediately to the right of this field displays theFleet Global Search form that enables a vehicle to be found by entering search selection criteria.

Status: Located immediately to the right of the Current Agreement field. The status flag denotes the status of the agreement for example, L(Live).

Customer Reference: Customer Address Group Code for example, MINERVA. Following selection, the full customer name is displayed to the right of this field for example, Minerva Business Solutions. This information is obtained from the converted quotation and cannot be edited.

Lease Type: Contract Lease Type Code for example, CM. Following selection, the full lease type description is displayed to the right of this field for example, Contract Hire With Maintenance. This information is obtained from the converted quotation and cannot be edited.

Period of Lease: Period over which the lease agreement is taken. This information is obtained from the converted quotation and cannot be edited.

Lease Definition: Contract Lease Definition Code for example, A. Following selection, the full lease definition description is displayed to the right of this field for example, Contract Hire With Maintenance. This information is obtained from the converted quotation and cannot be edited.

Contract Distance: Proposed number of miles for the vehicle that is linked to the agreement. This information is obtained from the converted quotation and cannot be edited.

Invoice Account: Sales Ledger account code (for example, A0002) for the customer attached to the selected agreement. A default code is obtained from the Contract Invoices field within the Contract Administration 1 Tab of the Address Group Code.

A single-left-click of the button immediately to the right of this field displays a Customer Accounts search form that enables selection of an alternative available account code. The cursor is located in the search field. Key part or all of the required customer address group code and select the Shortname command button. Customers matching the entered criteria are displayed and, having selected the required code by highlighting with the mouse, the OK command button is used to confirm this selection and return to the Start Contractform. Following selection, the full customer name is displayed to the right of this field.

Start Date: Defaults-in the current system date. Enter the date on which the contract is to start. The system enables alteration back to as far as the quotation date but NOT earlier.

By clicking-on the button immediately to the right of the date fields a monthly diary form is displayed in order to assist in establishing the correct date. Selection of the < button moves to the previous month and the > button moves to the next month. Selection of Exit exits the diary form. A double-click on the appropriate day of the month enters this date into the appropriate date field.

Tip: Enter Tto display today's date.

Note: If the Enforce Continuous Contracts? checkbox is selected in The General Tab of System controls (Contract Administration / System Maintenance) this controls the creation of secondary contracts to ensure that the start date of the secondary contract must match the end date of the primary contract (i.e. the system automatically defaults a start date of the Primary End Date +1). The system does not enables the Start Date within the Start Contract process to be less or greater than the Primary End Date + 1. In addition, this flag ensures that the vehicle record must be immediately updated to show the secondary contract number (as opposed to the primary contract number) as the current linked agreement number. If this checkbox is not selected then the system uses the Primary number until the Primary contract end date has been reached and then the Secondary number is used.

Termination Date: Automatically calculated. The system uses the Start Date and the Period of Lease to calculate the exact termination date. This field cannot be edited.

Initial Invoice Date: Date on which the initial invoices are raised. The system looks at the Nominal Ledger for the earliest/latest posting date.

By clicking-on the button immediately to the right of the date fields a monthly diary form is displayed in order to assist in establishing the correct date. Selection of the < button moves to the previous month and the > button moves to the next month. Selection of Exit exits the diary form. A double-click on the appropriate day of the month enters this date into the appropriate date field.

Tip: Enter Tto display today's date.

Use of the Tab key displays a small sub-menu presenting the following options:

Re-edit: Enables for alteration of the initial invoice date.

Raise: System raises postings within the invoices pending (Ipend) file but does not create the actual invoices. The postings have zero From and To periods set to define advance payment.

Abort: Returns to the previous form with no action taken.

Catch-up Invoice: Date from which the catch-up invoices are to be raised so that invoices may be caught-up to the current period if necessary.

By clicking-on the button immediately to the right of the date fields a monthly diary form is displayed in order to assist in establishing the correct date. Selection of the < button moves to the previous month and the > button moves to the next month. Selection of Exit exits the diary form. A double-click on the appropriate day of the month enters this date into the appropriate date field.

Tip: Enter Tto display today's date.

Use of the Tab key displays a small sub-menu presenting the following options:

Re-edit: Enables for alteration of the catch-up invoice date.

Raise-Catch-up-Invoices: System raises postings within the invoices pending (Ipend) file that should already have been made, up to and including the system date.

Abort: Returns to the previous form with no action taken.

DR Company ID: If applicable, the Vehicle Rental Company (for example, 01) to hich the vehicle/contract is to be allocated.

Vehicle Rentals Group: If applicable, the Vehicle Rentals Vehicle Hire Group to which the current vehicle/contract is to be allocated. Vehicle Hire Groups are definable within the Vehicle Rentals system.

A single-left-click of the button immediately to the right of this field displays a Hire Groups List Box that enables selection of an appropriate group. Having selected the required code by highlighting with the mouse, the OK command button is used to confirm this selection and return to the Start Contract form.

RPI Uplift Flag: Checkbox which, if selected, denotes that the current vehicle/contract rental attracts future Retail Price Index rises.

Next RPI Uplift Date: Date on which the next future Retail Price Index uplift is to be applied to the current vehicle/contract.

By clicking-on the button immediately to the right of the date fields a monthly diary form is displayed in order to assist in establishing the correct date. Selection of the < button moves to the previous month and the > button moves to the next month. Selection of Exit exits the diary form. A double-click on the appropriate day of the month enters this date into the appropriate date field.

Tip: Enter Tto display today's date.

RPI Percentage: Percentage of the Retail Price Index raise that is to be applied to the current vehicle/contract.

Command Buttons:

Start Contract: Sets the agreement as a Live contract (moves agreement status from A to L) and enables invoicing to commence.

Note: Validation occurs at this stage to ensure that all Acceptance stages in Vehicle Purchasing have been completed. Each line of the Acceptance Stage is checked to ensure it has been selected as accepted (Acceptance Stages can be defined as mandatory). If all Acceptance Stages have been accepted the agreement is allowed to be started. If any Acceptance stages have not been selected as accepted the following process occurs: a message is displayed stating Incomplete Order Acceptance. Agreement cannot start.; th Start Date and Termination date are reset to zero; the Start Contract command button is dimmed.
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Next Contract: Enables selection of the next contract in the Start Multiple Contracts process. Once the next contract is loaded automatically from the original selection the start contract form is pre-populated with the data from the preceding contract ready for final amendments and starting. This process loops around until all selected contracts have been started at which point the system disables the Next Contract command button in the Start Contract form awaiting the user to exit out and return to the Administration Options menu.

Note: This command button is only displayed if the Start Contract form is being displayed as part of the larger Start Multiple Contracts process.