Table of Contents
Document Summary
RecTrac’s Contracts enables you to organize, track, and bind complex transactions into a “Contract.” A Contract is a grouping of one or more RecTrac transactions / SADetail records. Setting up billing and billing schedules at the Contract level provides your organization with a robust solution for simplifying large, often recurring reservation sets and transactions.
Contracts gives you comprehensive and current reference information about your reservations and payment schedule, including Facility reservation dates and times, a Fee breakdown / billing schedule, and potentially Facility usage information, FAQs, maps and diagrams, etc. In providing an aggregated view of complex transactions along with simplified billing options, Contracts streamlines business processes, particularly for large-scale events planned well into the future, such as concerts, weddings, and conferences, as well as recurring transactions such as rentals. For organizations that frequently manage complex sets of transactions, RecTrac Contracts streamlines your business by:
· Increasing efficiency via a simplified billing process.
· Maximizing RecTrac value if you use other software to manage complex transaction sets.
· Offering increased diversity in scheduling and billing options.
· Generating a Contract Letter that summarizes critical reservation / billing information.
Contracts: Streamlining Facility Reservation and Billing Processes
· Typically, you will use RecTrac’s Contracts with both RecTrac’s Facility Reservations and Installment Billing modules, as Contracts streamlines your reservation and billing business processes for large, complex, and often recurring reservations sets.
· Leveraging Installment Billing with Contracts simplifies billing for large, complex transactions while still applying standard Fees to each transaction item. Therefore, you do not have to create Installment Billing fees when billing for a Contract, either automatically or manually (ad hoc).
Contracts and Automatic versus Manual (Ad Hoc) Billing
Given the billing process ease and efficiency the feature lends complex, large transactions, most often you will the feature in conjunction with RecTrac’s Installment Billing module.
· Automatic Billing: Ideally, when the Contract billing terms correlate directly with the pre-established underlying Fee structure, you would choose Automatic Billing via Installment Billing. When billing a Contract automatically, advantageously you do not have to set up Installment Billing Fees. Rather, Installment Billing, when used with Contracts, creates installment bills according to each item’s standard Fees.
· Ad Hoc Billing: Conversely, when Contract billing requires independence from the underlying Item Fee structure, you would choose manual, or Ad Hoc, Billing. This option allows you to bill a Contract according to your legacy billing structure. Ad Hoc Billing decreases your initial billing configuration, as you do not need to set up an Installment Billing template.
Contracts and Billing: Fees
Though Contracts allows you to pay in full for a transaction during checkout, typically the Fee Total often is so large that splitting the Total across specified bill dates simplifies the billing.
Note : You do not need to create Installment Billing Fees when billing a Contract, either automatically or manually. Leveraging Installment Billing simplifies billing for Contracts while still applying standard Fees to each transaction item.
Provided that you are comfortable with your underlying Fee structure for a Contract, you simply can rely on your pre-selected Installment Billing template to create billing automatically for your Contract behind the scenes. Contracts works with various complex Fee combinations including Facility, Facility Service, Rentals, Deposits, and Applications.
Contract Creation Prerequisites
This document provides the basic steps required to configure your RecTrac database for Contracts. It also provides basic operating guidelines for standard Contracts processes. To establish and use a Contract in RecTrac, you first must satisfy three key requirements:
- To whom, as in, to which Household, will the Contract be assigned?
· Note that one contract can be assigned to one only one Household. For large teams, groups, etc. with multiple leaders, a primary Household guardian manages the Contract.
· Once you have identified the Household to tie to the Contract, ensure that you have created this Household in RecTrac, through Global Sales or Household Management.
- What kind of billing do you plan to use to pay for the Contract—Automatic or Manual?
· Automatic billing simplifies Contract billing by using a pre-selected Installment Billing template. Manual, or ad hoc, billing offers you independence from underlying, predetermined Fee structures and freedom to create your own bills upon checkout.
· Before creating a Contract, ensure that you have set up and selected an Installment Billing template. Refer to the Topic Doc - Installment Billing to review Installment Billing template creation and use.
- Do you want to generate a Contract Letter?
· A Contract Letter summarizes critical Contract details, including billing, reservation dates, etc.
· If you choose to create a Contract Letter, how do you want the Contract letter to be displayed—with a receipt or via manual processes?
Given this general Contract workflow, this document will lead you through the following:
- Creating, adding, setting, interacting with, and verifying a Contract in Global Sales.
- Paying for a Contract via Automatic or Ad Hoc Billing.
- Creating and managing a Contract Letter.
- Historically viewing your Contract information, including Contract underlying items, billing, and document history.
If you have additional questions about Contracts setup and operation after reading this document, please contact Vermont Systems Customer Service by phone at 887-883-8757 or generate a Support Case through the Customer portal of the Vermont Systems web site using your Customer ID and password.
Before You Begin
This document is written with the following assumptions. If any of the items listed below is NOT true, contact Vermont Systems Support prior to continuing, as the steps in this document may prove difficult to complete and unexpected results may occur.
- Your organization is running RecTrac 3.1.10.09 and above.
- You have established a rich RecTrac environment, particularly regarding business processes for managing large, complex, often recurring transactions.
- You have Contracts configured with the Contract tab.
- You are familiar with RecTrac letters, waivers, etc.
- You have a full understanding of Installment Billing. Refer to the Topic Doc - Installment Billing. This document does not provide instruction for RecTrac Installment Billing beyond the minimum requirements necessary to use in conjunction with Contracts.
- You understand RecTrac DataGrids and how to maneuver through them.
- You understand RecTrac Profile Management and hierarchy.
- You MUST understand RecTrac Fees, Fee Sets, Criteria, and the multiple hierarchy levels at which Fees and Fee Sets can be linked in RecTrac. This document does not provide instruction for RecTrac Fee Maintenance beyond the minimum requirements necessary to set and use Contracts.
Creating and Managing a Contract in Global Sales
As highlighted above, to use Contracts in RecTrac, you must identify the Household connected to the Contract; the billing type that you will use to pay for the Contract; and how the Contract Letter will display, if you choose to generate one.
The first step in using RecTrac’s Contracts feature is to create a Contract in Global Sales. Though you can create a Contract via Contract Management, since a Contract is assigned to a single Household, you will find it most efficient to initiate Contract creation via Global Sales, where you can view and promptly select the appropriate Household to which the Contract is tied.
Creating a Contract in Global Sales
To create a Contract in Global Sales:
1. Once you have selected the appropriate Household, navigate to the Contracts tab.
2. Click Add to connect a Contract to your selected Household, as shown below.
3. At the Default Record Add modal prompt, select Continue to view the Contract Update screen.
4. Non-Required Contract Fields:
· Status: To select the status of your Contract (i.e. Active/Inactive/Default), choose from the Status options, as shown below.
· Long and Short Descriptions: Enter the Contract’s Short Description, which appears on reports, receipts, etc. Enter the Contract’s Long Description. Succinctly, appropriately naming your Long and Short Descriptions helps you filter Contracts by description quickly and easily.
· Contract Letter: The Contracts feature allows you to generate a document that summarizes critical Contract information. To generate and print a letter, first select the Letter for this Contract from the Contract Letter options, as shown below.
· Print Options: Select the Print Option for the Contract linked to this letter group (Receipt/Manual). The Receipt option will attach the Contract Letter to the receipt after checkout. The Manual option will not display the generated Contract Letter with the receipt.
5. Required Contract Fields
· Contract Code: If you are creating a new Contract, enter your Contract Code in this field, as shown below.
Codes may be alpha and/or numeric. This is a mandatory field for the default Vermont Systems design. Your design and setup may vary. If you are updating an existing Contract, you will not visit this field.
· Household Number: The required Household Number field should populate with the number corresponding to Household you selected, as shown below.
· Contract Billing: Automatic versus Ad Hoc:
To bill the Contract automatically:
a) First note that Create Bills Automatically is pre-selected, as shown below.
b) From the Installment Billing Template options, select your pre-chosen Installment Billing template, as shown below. Typically, you will select either “In Advance” or “In Arrears” Installment Billing.
OR
To bill the Contract manually via ad hoc Billing:
a) Deselect Create Bills Automatically.
Note : When using ad hoc billing, you must select an Installment Billing Template. While you will create bills manually, the bills remain constrained by specific Installment Billing payment options, such as credit card, ACH, etc., and therefore reliant on an Installment Billing Template.
6. Click Save to connect your Contract to your specified Household.
Setting a Contract in Global Sales
Once you have created a Contract, you are ready to interact with your Contract by adding Items such as Rentals, Activities, etc. Setting your Contract tells Global Sales that everything you do with that Household needs to be reflected in that Household’s specific Contract with which you are working.
Note : Saving a created Contract simply connects the Contract to a specific Household. Until you have set a Contract, you cannot interact with that Contract. In other words, until you have set a Contract, any Items you add to that Household will not be reflected in that Household’s Contract.
To set a Contract in Global Sales:
1. Once you have created a Contract and saved a Contract, a modal that prompting you to set the Contract will display, as shown below.
Click Yes to set the Contract and connect all ensuing Household Items to that Contract or click No if you are not yet ready to work with that Household’s Contract.
2. To verify that you have successfully set the Contract, check that the Contract name displays in the upper right of the Global Sales screen for that Contract’s Household, as shown below.
If you have already created a Contract for a Household but have not yet set this Contract, you can set the Contract in Global Sales by first locating the Household for which you want to set the Contract. Once you have selected the appropriate Household, set the Contract by:
a) In the Global Sales Household record, select the desired Contract from the options, as shown below.
OR
b) In the Global Sales Shopping Cart, select “Set Contract” from Cart Options, as shown below.
Note : Once you have set a Contract, the only way to “unset” the Contract is simply to close that Household session or close the Global Sales program completely. Then, begin the process again by accessing the Household. Closing the session/program negates the Contract setting.
Adding Items to a Contract
Once you have created and set your Contract, you are ready to work with your Contract by adding other Items in Global Sales. For example, once you have set your Contract, you may want to add a Rental Item, Activity, Facility Reservation, etc. to the Contract. You simply add Items to your Contract by following the same processes you would without a Contract. In other words, creating and setting a Contract to a Household does not limit or change how you add Items to a Household.
To add an Item to a Contract:
1. Select the Global Sales tab representing the Item that you want to add to the Contract. Select the Item(s) you want to add to your Contract from the DataGrid and then click Add To Cart.
2. Automatic versus Ad Hoc Billing:
- Automatic Billing: After adding Items to the Contract via Automatic Billing, a processing prompt presenting Billing Options will display. In general, when using Installment Billing in RecTrac, selecting among several options (credit card, ACH, etc.) determines how you will pay those Installment Bills. When paying for Contract automatically via Installment Billing template you chose, the default Billing Option is to pay via Installment Bill, as shown below.
Refer to the Installment Billing topic document to review Installment Billing payment options. The amount owed in the Shopping Cart will be “0.00,” as you are paying for Contract in the future.
- Ad Hoc Billing: After adding Items to the Contract via ad hoc billing, a processing prompt will provide you with Fee options but not Billing Options, as you will create your billing during checkout. Choose your Fees and click Continue, as shown below.
When adding items to the Contract, the Shopping Cart will display the full dollar amount owed (as shown below), as you have not yet created your billing.
Checking Out to Pay for Items in Contract
To pay for Items in a Contract:
1. Select the Global Sales tab representing the Item that you want to add to the Contract. Select the Item(s) you want to add to your Contract from the DataGrid and then click Add To Cart.
2. Automatic versus Ad Hoc Billing:
a) Automatic Billing: If you chose to bill the Contract via Automatic Billing, when you click Payment upon checkout:
1. Bills are created behind the scenes according to the Installment Billing template you chose. The Shopping Cart will display a “$0.00,” as you have pre-created your bills via Automatic Billing.
· You can print a receipt during Checkout when using Automatic Billing. Note: The receipt does not reflect the Household’s Contract. Instead, RecTrac’s new Contract Letter conveniently summarizes critical Contract information for you within RecTrac.
· If your Facility reservation requires a deposit, you will be prompted to pay that deposit amount at Checkout.
2. Click Process to complete Contract payment.
b) Ad Hoc Billing: If you chose to create bills manually for your Contract, when you click Payment upon Checkout:
1. A processing prompt will display, asking you to select Fees.
2. Create Bills by clicking Add Billing Record.
3. Once you have created the Contract’s bills, click Save to complete the billing creation and return to the Shopping Cart.
4. Click Process to complete the Contract payment.
Managing Contract Letters
Though you do not need to generate a Letter to accompany a Contract, a Contract Letter provides you with a summary of critical Contract details, all created, generated, and printed within RecTrac. Further, as a standard receipt does not display Contract information, a Contract Letter succinctly provides Contract details.
Database Value Holds—allows you to select critical Contract details, like the Contract Name, during Letter creation. Pre-selecting specific Contract details pre-populates corresponding Letter fields with appropriate Contract information, saving you time and providing ease in Letter creation.
Contract Letters are managed in Letter Group Management, with Code Type “Contract.” The Letter that you select can be printed automatically or manually upon checkout. This Contract Letter always can be accessed via the Contract tab in Global Sales.
To create a Contract Letter:
1. Open Letter / Waiver Management Program.
2. Click Add to add a new Letter.
3. After Letter Update opens, enter the required information.
· Select the new Letter type, such as Contract, as shown below.
· Once you have selected the Contract Letter type, you can leverage RecTrac’s new Database Value Holds—a key component within the new Contract Letter that enables you to pre-populate the Letter with key Contract information. Below shows the Activity Code Database Value Hold.
Contract Historical Referencing
RecTrac’s Contracts allows you to view each critical component of a Contract, including Item, Billing, and Document history.
Viewing Underlying Items in a Contract
Once you have created, set, and interacted with a Contract, at any point you can view a Contract’s underlying Items—the Items that you have added to a Contract.
To view a Contract’s underlying Items:
· In Global Sales, locate and select the Household tied to the Contract you want to view. A DataGrid will display that shows Items specific to that Contract.
Note: This DataGrid strongly resembles the Purchase History DataGrid that displays Items tied to a specific Household. However, viewing a Contract’s items via the Contracts tab enables you to easily and efficiently view all Items tied to that Household’s specific Contract.
To iterate on a Contract:
1. In Global Sales, locate and select the Household tied to the Contract you want to view.
2. To adjust or cancel your Contract, select the tab corresponding to the change you want to make to your Contract (Change, Delete, etc.), as shown below.
Note that when you iterate on a Contract in Global Sales, billing automatically updates behind the scenes.
Viewing a Contract’s Billing History
Once you have created a Contract’s billing, either via Automatic Billing or Ad Hoc Billing, at any point you can view a Contract’s billing details. Viewing a Contract’s billing history via Installment Billing Update simplifies your view of a Contract’s billing by providing an aggregated display of billing history, wrapped and organized by bill date.
To view a Contract’s billing history:
1. In Household Management, locate and select via a single click the Household you wish you view.
2. Click Installment Billing Update to view a Contract’s historical billing details, either automatic or ad hoc.
Viewing a Contract’s Document History
Once you have created and generated a Contract Letter, at any point you can view a Contract’s document history. The Document History DataGrid is historical. As such, viewing a Contract’s document history via Document History provides you with each iteration of a Contract Letter, including crucial reservation and billing details. By giving you access to each of a Contract Letter’s versions, you easily can capture and leverage critical pieces of a Contract’s reservation and billing evolution.
To view a Contract’s document history:
1. In Global Sales, locate and select the Household tied to the Contract you wish you view.
2. Click Document History from the Contracts tab, as shown below.