Extended Contracts
Package: BILLING
1. General
Extended Contracts are typically used as a supplement to a license and represent independent supplementary agreements – e.g., extended warranties, insurances, supplementary contracts or special equipment. Extended Contracts can be referenced to a license accordingly.
Records from the Extended Contracts module can be selected in the so-called "Product Block". For detailed information, see the section Product Block in Billing Modules in the manual.
A machine (product) is sold. The associated service contract is created as an asset record. The additionally agreed extended warranty is recorded as a separate record in the Extended Contracts module and linked to the corresponding asset.
For a sold device, an additional insurance is taken out. This is created as an extended contract, linked to the associated organization and the Active Until date is set to the contract end date. This makes it immediately apparent when a renewal is due.
This section only describes special fields or functionalities of the module, as all general brainX functionalities are described elsewhere in the manual.
2. List View
The list view in the Extended Contracts module has the usual functionalities of a list view. For more detailed information, see the section Structure/Layout – List View.
2.1. Actions
In the list view, general actions are available. An overview and description of all general actions can be found in the section Actions (List View).
There are no module-specific actions in this module.
3. Detail View
Unlike other modules, the detail view does not load the defined default view but always the last used view of the respective record.
The reason is that extended contracts can contain different special information in custom fields depending on the type (e.g., warranty, insurance, supplementary contract), which are only shown in the respective custom view.
3.1. Fields
The following table describes fields with non-obvious functions. All other fields are self-explanatory.
Basic Data Block
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Asset | Linked Asset (service or license contract) |
| Active Until | Date until which the extended contract is valid |
3.2. Actions
The following actions are available in the detail view:
3.2.1. General Actions
- PDF Export
- Recommend
- Copy
- Delete
- Change Tracking
For detailed information on the actions, see the section Actions (Detail View).
3.2.2. Module-Specific Actions
There are no module-specific actions in this module.
4. Practical Examples
1 – Recording an Extended Warranty for a Sold Machine
A company sells a machine and concludes an additional extended warranty with the customer in addition to the regular service contract. The service contract is created as an asset record. The extended warranty is recorded as a separate record in the Extended Contracts module.
In the record, a meaningful title is assigned, the Active Until date is set to the warranty expiry date and the record is linked to the corresponding asset via the Asset field. Additionally, the extended contract is referenced to the customer's organization. This makes the extended warranty directly retrievable from the customer record and the associated asset at any time, and the expiry date is immediately apparent.
2 – Managing an Additional Insurance with Term Control
For a sold device, an additional insurance is taken out from the manufacturer. The insurance is recorded as an extended contract in brainX, linked to the corresponding organization and the Active Until date is set to the last validity date of the insurance.
Since custom fields – e.g., for insurance number and insured sum – are maintained in a custom view for this insurance type, the last used view is automatically loaded when opening the record, in which all relevant fields are visible. Via a report in the Reports module, all extended contracts with an upcoming Active Until date can be filtered, allowing due renewals to be recognized early.
3 – Using an Extended Contract in the Product Block of a Billing Module
A customer acquires a paid additional equipment together with a product that is to be billed separately. The additional equipment is already maintained as a record in the Extended Contracts module.
When creating the invoice in the Invoices module, the corresponding record is added as a line item in the product block via the Extended Contract selection. Price and description are taken from the extended contract. This documents the additional service both in the invoice and as an independent record with full context.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an extended contract and an asset?
An asset represents a service or license contract for a specific product and serves primarily to track service dates and license states. An extended contract is an independent supplementary agreement – e.g., an extended warranty, insurance or special equipment – that is typically referenced as a supplement to an asset, but can also exist independently of it.
Why is the default view not always loaded in the detail view?
Since extended contracts can contain different custom fields in different views depending on the type (warranty, insurance, supplementary contract, etc.), brainX always loads the last used view of the respective record in the detail view – not the view defined as default. This ensures that all type-specific fields are visible.
What is the "Active Until" field used for?
The Active Until field specifies the date until which the extended contract is valid – e.g., the end of a warranty period or an insurance term. It serves as a guide for upcoming renewals and can be used as a filter criterion in reports to recognize due dates early.
Can an extended contract be used in the product block of billing modules?
Yes. Records from the Extended Contracts module can be selected in the product block of the billing modules and can be added as line items in invoices, sales orders or quotes. Detailed information can be found in the section Product Block in Billing Modules.
Are there module-specific actions in extended contracts?
No. In the detail view of the Extended Contracts module, no module-specific actions are available. Only the general actions PDF Export, Recommend, Copy, Delete and Change Tracking are available.