WORKING WITH CONTRACTS

This section helps with:

• Understand the Tour de Force Contract form
• Understand how to access the Tour de Force Contract form
• Learn how to create new Contract records
• Learn how to link Contract records to multiple records and items

Screens covered in this section:

• Tour de Force Contract form

 

Overview

 

Tour de Force, gives users the ability to manage cases and issues related to products sold using the Tour de Force Contract form. The functionality of Contract records is similar to the functionality of Ticket items and Support records. The usage of Contract and Support records is interchangeable, and how a Contract and Support record is used varies from company to company.

 

The Tour de Force Contract form gives users the ability to enter in specific information regarding a case, or support issue. Users can also add Activities to Contract records, as well as assign Tasks for the issues. Contract records are useful for case management for products sold to customers, and partnerships with vendors and other business relationships.

 

Contract and Support records have similar functionality and are usually used in relation to case management. For example, a Contract record may be created for a piece of equipment sold to a customer and any issues that arise with that piece of equipment a Support record is created and linked to the Contract record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overview of the Tour de Force Contract Form

 

The Tour de Force Contract form provides one central form where all information associated with Contract records in Tour de Force is maintained.  This form is used to create new Contract records, as well as to display and edit information associated with Contract records that have been entered into Tour de Force.  

 

Permission rights are used to specify which users can create, edit, and delete Contract records.  Therefore, if one user creates the Contract record, other users can add and change information associated with the Contract record.  For example, if a customer service representative needs to create and link a Support record into Tour de Force after receiving a support request from a customer and cannot resolve the issue, the customer service representative can link the Support record to the Contract record.

 

 

The Tour de Force Contract form is divided into six sections:

• Tour de Force toolbar
• Breadcrumb bar

• Header Control Information
• Contract Details
• Summary tab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tour de Force Toolbar

 

The Tour de Force toolbar contains several buttons that can be used in relation to the Contract record currently open.

 

 

 

There are eight buttons located on the Tour de Force toolbar in the Tour de Force Contract form:

 

• Save – This button saves the Contract record and keeps the Tour de Force Contract form open.

• Save and Close – This button saves the Contract record and closes the Tour de Force Contract form.

 

• Close – This button closes the Tour de Force Contract form.

 

• Refresh – This button refreshes the Contract record.

 

• Attachments – This button is used to add, link, or view any documents attached to the Contract record.

 

• Actions – This button is used to create new items that are associated with the Contract record
• Views – This button is used to view any records or items linked to the Contract record.
• Templates – This button is used to view and use any templates related to Contract records.

The Breadcrumb Bar

 

The breadcrumb bar is used to quickly navigate between Account Roots, Account Packages, Territories, Contacts, and Account record. The breadcrumb bar is also used as pathway tracker to view the order in which records and items were accessed. Alternative methods for creating and viewing records and items can also be used with the breadcrumb bar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Header Control Information

 

The Header Control Information section is used to display information associated with the Contract record such as TDF Key, Owner, Creation, Last Mod, and the Active fields.  

 

 

 

There are five fields located in the Header Control:

 

• TDF Key – This field is used to uniquely identify each Contract record in Tour de Force.   This field is automatically assigned by the system and cannot be changed.

 

• Owner – This field displays the name of the Tour de Force user that created the Contract record.  This field is display only and cannot be changed.

 

• Creation – This field displays the date the Contract record was created.  This field is display only and cannot be changed.

 

• Last Mod – This field displays the date the Contract record was last modified. This field changes after each save operation inside the item.

 

• Active – This field displays whether the Contract record is visible in the Global Search. If this field is False then the Contract record does not display in the Global Search.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contract Details

 

The Contract Details section is used to enter and to view information associated with Contract records that companies need to track and maintain. This section is entirely configurable and can be customized to meet the business needs of any organization using the Screen Designer utility in the Administration Console of Tour de Force.  Configuration of Tour de Force forms is typically done during initial implementation of Tour de Force.

 

The Contract Details section is used to enter and to view information associated with Contract records that companies need to track such as Subject, Status, Product Series, and Priority.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary Tab

 

The final section of the Tour de Force Contract form has six tabs that are available, which can be set up to contain the key pieces of information that a company needs to track regarding Contract records.  These tabs are entirely configurable and can be customized to meet the business needs of any organization using the Screen Designer utility in the Administration Console of Tour de Force.  

 

 

 

The Summary tab also contains the Linked Item Grid that is used to display all items linked to Contract records such as Activities, Appointments, Contacts, Documents, Email, Opportunities, Support, Notes, and Tasks.  

 

For example, select Support in the Linked Item Type field to view all of the Support records linked to a Contract record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creating a New Contract Record Using the Global Search

 

There are multiple ways to create a new Contract record in Tour de Force. The MRH Technology Group recommends using the Global Search to create a new Contract record.

 

The Contract record is linked to the Tour de Force Record or Item the Contract record is created from.

 

Use the following procedures to create a Contract record using the Global Search utility:

 

1. Click the Global Search button on the Tour de Force toolbar.

 

 

2. In the Item Type field select the record that the Contract record needs to be created from.

 

 

3. Type in the name or the partial name of the record in the For field. Press the enter Key on the keyboard or click the Binoculars button.

 

 

4. Locate the appropriate record in the search grid, and right click on the record to display the Quick Events menu.

 

5. In the Quick Events menu select Action | New Contract.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Fill out the necessary information for the Support record and click the Save button.

 

Note: Because the Tour de Force Contract form is configurable, Contract records design and purpose varies from company to company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creating a Contract Record from a Record Form

 

An alternative method for creating a Contract record is by using the Actions button on a Tour de Force form that contains the Actions button.

 

Use the following procedures to create a Contract record from the Tour de Force Account form:

 

1. Click the Global Search button on the Tour de Force toolbar.

 

2. In the Item Type field, select Account.

 

 

3. Type in the name or partial name of the Account record in the For field. Press the Enter key on the keyboard or click the Binoculars button.

 

 

4. Locate the appropriate Account record and click the Open Folder button.

 

 

5. Click the Actions button on the Tour de Force toolbar in the Tour de Force Account form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Select New Contract in the Actions menu.

 

 

7. Fill out the necessary information for the Contract record and click the Save button.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viewing a Contract Record Linked to a Tour de Force Record Using the Global Search

 

There are multiple ways to view a Contract record once the Contract record has been entered into the database. The MRH Technology Group recommends using the Global Search utility to view Contract records linked to a record or item in Tour de Force.

 

Use the following procedures to view a Contract record linked to a record in Tour de Force using the Global Search utility:

 

1. Click the Global Search button on the Tour de Force toolbar.

 

2. In the Item Type field, select the Record Type.

 

3. Type in the name or partial name of the Account, Contact, Contract, or Opportunity record in the For field. Press the Enter key on the keyboard or click the Binoculars button.

 

4. Locate the appropriate record in the search grid, and right click on the record to display the Quick Events menu.

 

5. In the Quick Events menu select View | Contracts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. In the Quick View for Contract window click the Open Folder button next to the appropriate Contract record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viewing a Contract Record Linked to a Tour de Force Record from a Tour de Force Record Form

 

There are two ways to view and access Contract records once a Tour de Force Record form is accessed. The first method is using the Views button. The MRH Technology Group recommends using the Views button to view records and items linked to a Tour de Force Record form once a record is accessed.

 

Use the following procedures to view a Contract record linked to a record using the Views button:

 

1. Access the appropriate record.

 

2. Click the Views button on the Tour de Force toolbar in the Tour de Force Record form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. In the Views menu, select Contracts.

 

 

 

4. In the Quick View for Contract window, click the Open Folder button next to the appropriate Contract record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another method for viewing Contract records linked to a record in Tour de Force is to use the Linked Item Grid in the Tour de Force Record form.

 

Use the following procedures to view a Contract record from the Linked Item Grid:

 

1. Access the appropriate record.

 

2. In the Linked Item Type field, select Contract.

 

 

 

3. In the Linked Item Grid, click the Open Folder button next to the appropriate Contract record.

 

 

 

 

Deleting Contract Records

 

Use the following procedures to delete Contract records linked to a record in Tour de Force:

 

1. Access the Tour de Force Record form that contains the linked Contract record.
   
2. In the Linked Item Type field select Contracts.

 

3. Give focus to the Contract record in the Linked Item Grid click the Delete button.

 

 

 

4. Click the Yes button to confirm the deletion.