Navigating & editing an existing distributor support contract

Distributor support contracts (DSCs) are configurable entities that define the financial support a manufacturer will provide to a distributor partner. One DSC represents a relationship between one manufacturer and one distributor.

This article will cover the following topics:

The details of a DSC are contained in a number of tabs outlined below. In addition to these tabs, actions and period navigation are outlined below.

• Details: This tab allows you to update the core information, define calculation methods, etc. See how to update DSC details for further guidance.
• Approval: Review and approve the DSC; this tab contains creation and approval details for audibility. learn more about approving a DSC here.
• Products: Manage the specific products the DSC applies to. Please note these will be a subset of those specified on the template used when creating the DSC. You can learn more here on how to update DSC products.
• Branches: You can manage which distributor's branches you wish to support here. These can be selected individually, or you can select all.
• Customers enrolled: You can review which customer support contracts are currently enrolled with your DSC (forming a full special pricing agreement); learn more about enrollment here.
• Rebate interactions: this tab allows you to specify the behavior of your rebate and SPA claims if you are managing rebates within Enable. You can learn more about rebate interactions here.
• History: Review and manage contract versions. You can learn more about contract versioning here.
• Notes & documents: These are notes or key terms you must include on your DSC. You can also upload relevant documents which will be referenced. Learn more about adding notes and documents to a DSC here.
• PDF: View and download the PDF of your DSC.

Under the 3 dot menu in the top right of a DSC, you can perform three actions:

• Download PDF; this is the same as the PDF available under the PDF tab.
• Go to template; this action will take you to the template used to create the DSC.
• Delete contract; this action is only available for a draft DSC, and it will permanently delete it. Once deleted, the DSC will need to be set up manually again.

When a contract has multiple periods, you will be able to step through each one to the latest version. This navigation will appear at the bottom right of the page.

You can learn more about versioning (and how to create new periods and versions) here and about navigating periods and versions here.

The PDF tab will allow you to review a summary of the DSC information you configure. This document can be shared with your collaborators (i.e., the distributor or manufacturer you are forming the DSC within Enable, learn more when editing DSC details here. Alternatively, you can manually download and share the DSC PDF with the Download PDF button.

Please see the sections below if you wish to change any of the information in the PDF.

The details tab within the Distributor support contract (DSC) has two sections, a distributor support contract section that contains basic information and settings (learn more below) and a mechanism section that will change depending on which mechanism is specified in the template.

• ID: a system-generated field. DSC IDs always begin with D.
• Reference: A user-defined text field, you should make this descriptive to identify it amongst other DSCs easily.
• Template: chosen at the time of DSC creation, this represents the template that the DSC inherits from - see templates for more details.
• Start date: defines the day support begins (this is inclusive of the date set).
• End date: defines the day support ends (this is inclusive of the date set).
• Visibility: set to either shared or internal - where shared allows the DSC to be viewed by the partner organization (your collaborators), while internal can not.
• Approval status: can be set to approved or draft. Only an approved DSC can be used to create a SPA.
• Support claim period method: determines which date the support claim period should be calculated. This can be either the (last) transaction date or the SPA end date formed from this DSC. The field will read not set if the template used does not have a value set.
• Support claim period (days): this is set on the template. If the template used does not have a value set, the field will read not set, and claims can only be made up to and include the DSC end date.
• Delivery types: can be distributor delivery and direct for the distinction between products sold from the distributor’s inventory and products sold directly from the manufacturer. You can exclude selections made on the parent template (if both distributor delivery and direct were included). However, you can’t include distributor delivery or direct if it was not on the parent template.

The setting of the mechanism section is highly dependent on the configuration of the template used. You can review the mechanisms and how they calculate the distributor support here. This section will describe the process for configuring the mechanism section depending on the mechanism.

Please note that the delay type and the support mechanism will not be editable and are inherited from the template you chose during contract creation; see template detail editing here. If you wish to change these settings, you will need to choose or create a new template.

This section covers the setup for the distributor mechanisms:

• Margin maintenance
• Fixed per unit rate
• Percent of price list

You can find calculation details here.

This setup assumes you have both Delivery and Direct delivery types selected in the details potion. If this is not the case, the corresponding default values will not be configurable. To configure your DSC, you will need to:

1. Select the support mechanism price list. The options available will depend on your uploaded price lists as well as approved pricing programs approved pricing programs; see how to create a pricing program to learn more.
2. (Optional) Set a distributor delivery default value. Initially, this will default to the values set on the template used to create the DSC.
3. (Optional) Set the direct default value. Initially, this will default to the values set on the template used to create the DSC.
4. Set the If sold above supported price. This setting determines what action should be taken if the sell-out price (determined on future uploaded transactions lines) is different from the supported price (calculation specifics are available here):
   a. Support forfeited: the distributor receives no support if they sell an included product above the supported price. Applies to all distributor support mechanisms.
   b. Support paid: the distributor receives support as if they sold the included product at its supported price. Applies only to the fixed amount per unit mechanism.
   c. Support calculated on actual sell price: the distributor receives reduced support in proportion to the difference between the sell-out price (determined by future transactions) and the supported price (determined in the full special pricing agreement). Applies only to the Margin maintenance mechanism.
   d. Support calculated on quoted sell price: the distributor receives agreed-upon support as if they sold at the supported price. Applies only to the margin maintenance and percent of price list mechanisms.
5. Set the relevant price list version: Determines which price list to use when calculating support; the options are active price list at the time of sale and active price list at the time of approval. This setting only applies to the margin maintenance and percent of price list mechanisms.

Unlike the other mechanisms, the price difference mechanism is only available when the template does not specify the end customer pricing; see here. To configure this:

1. Select the Into-stock price list.
2. Select the Support mechanism price list.

Only approved pricing contracts will appear in either drop-down. See here to learn more about creating and approving pricing programs.

Before you can use your distributor support contracts (DSC), you will need to approve them. Please note that once approved, they cannot be returned to draft, and you will need to use the History tab to create and manage new versions; learn more here about versioning.

Approving a draft DSC can be done via the Approval or Details tabs by clicking the Approve button at the bottom left of the page. The Approval tab tracks when the agreement status, who it was created and approved by, and when these events occurred.

Distributor support contracts can provide maintenance for either the full set or a subset of the products that the template they were created from included. The selection of products to include on the DSC is the same as that of templates; learn more about template product selection here.

Once you have made your DSC product selection, you will see additional columns depending on whether the DSC supports distributor delivery (Column name: distributor deliver), direct delivery  (column name: direct), or both delivery types.  There will also be an addition to the heading based on the mechanism:

• Margin maintenance, %; for margin maintenance, see calculation details here.
• Fixed amount per unit, currency; for fixed per unit rate, see calculation details here.
• Percent of price list, %; for Percent of price list, see calculation details here.

tip: You will not see a products tab if you are using the Price difference mechanism.

For each of the delivery type columns, you will be able to type directly onto the row the values for distributor and direct delivery.

1. Identify the row to edit. Editing values can be done for an entire product category, entire product group, or at the individual product level. Individual edits will be in the direct and indirect sections, depending on how the product has been included.
2. Click the value on the row you want to adjust and type the new value in.
3. Click anywhere outside of the cell you edited will automatically save your adjustment.
4. Review your edits. It is recommended you check the effect edits to product groups and categories have had across the indirectly selected products.

Any adjusted values will be darker than any defaults inherited from the details tab. Furthermore, all edits always overwrite the default defined on the details tab. Edits to indirectly selected products always overwrite an edit made to the product group or category.

If your DSC needs to include products not included within the template used to create the DSC then the template will need to be updated or a new template created; learn more about template creation here.

A distributor support contract (DSC) between a manufacturer can be limited to only a subset of the distributor’s branches. This can be managed via the Branches tab. The selection of branches is similar to directly selecting products on a template; see here. This includes:

• Single branch selection by clicking on each branch included, simultaneous search is supported, making adding specific branches in a large list easier.
• Select all selections in the menu bar on the branches listing; you can use the select all button to include all branches.

If the distributor has new branches added during the course of the DSC, these will be in the DSC if the select all option was used.

The enrollment tab allows you to review all the special pricing agreements (SPAs) created from the distributor support contract (DSC) you are in.

If there are SPA agreements that enroll the DSC, you can review them here. The table will show the following information:

• ID: This SPA ID will be denoted by the letter S.
• SPA Reference: This is the reference set within the details tab of the SPA. Learn more about how to edit SPA details here.
• Organization: This is the customer organization the SPA applies to. If the SPA is for all customers, it will read any end customer.
• Start date: The date the SPA will begin. This may not be the same as the constituent contracts.
• End date: The date the SPA will end. This may not be the same as the constituent contracts.
• Approval status: Either draft or approved, the approved status ensures the DSC has all mandatory fields and selections set and communicates the contract is ready for support/is active.

The enroll a customer button allows you to select an existing customer support contract to form a special pricing agreement. Before clicking the enroll a customer button, you need to ensure you are on the DSC period, which matches the period you wish to create an enrollment (SPA) for. Learn how to change DSC periods here. While creating an enrollment, you can set up a new contract (i.e., customer pricing contract (CPC)); it is recommended you complete this before entering the enrollment process. You can learn how to create a CPC here.

To create an enrollment (SPA):

1. Click the enroll a customer button.
2. Click on either the customer row, which has a contract or if you wish to use a contract with any end customer selected, click the any end Customer check box.
3. (Shown if customer pricing is supported) Click next
4. (Shown if customer pricing is supported)Click on the enroll an existing contract tile.
5. (Shown if customer pricing is supported) Select your contract from the list and click Next. If you cannot find your contract, please reach out to our support team here for help.

tip: your contract may not show if the period you are enrolling is not approved.

6. (Shown if customer pricing is supported)Click enroll

You will now have a new SPA. If your DSC does not specify customer pricing you can still select a customer in step 2, this enables you to report by customer on the support provided. To learn more about updating an SPA here.

The rebate interactions functionality allows you to connect program lines, from Trading programs. This requires you to track your rebate programs within Enable. If you wish to learn more, please reach out to our support team here.

This section will demonstrate how you update and manage a DSC. During the lifetime of the contract, you may encounter errors in setup, contract renewals, and renegotiations. Enable allows you to manage all these scenarios and more with versioning by creating new versions, renewing contracts, and splitting contracts. You can learn about these different versioning actions here. This article will walk you through each versioning action.

Whether you want to review a different period or a different version, the process is the same.

From the history tab, you can review all periods and versions within the period section of the page (on the left-hand side). Clicking on a different period or version will change the details shown on the right-hand side of the page but will not switch the DSC in other tabs to this version or period (i.e. to review details, products, branches, etc.). To switch all DSC data to a different version or period, allowing you to review the details, approval, products, branches, etc., you will need to:

1. Click on the period or version you wish to view, this will change to green to indicate it is selected.
2. Click on the icon within the details area. This can be found under the details heading next to the Name field.

tip: before clicking on the icon in step 2, take note of the period and version number in the name for step 4.

3. Wait while you are navigated to the details page.
4. Check that the ID field has the correct period number and version number you expected.

New versions are used to fix erroneous setups, adjust terms, etc. A new version will apply changes retrospectively which will update calculations already made. Learn more about contract versioning concepts here. To create a new version from the history tab:

1. Click the create new heading under the periods heading.
2. Click the new version tile.

tip: If there is a draft within the distributors enrolled tab, you cannot click a tile, and it will appear greyed out.

3. Click confirm on the popup.
4. Wait for the new version to be created.

Once the new version is created, you will be navigated to the details tab of the new version. You can review the version on the ID field. This new period will be in a draft approval status and can be edited.

5. Make any updates to the DSC; learn about editing a DSC here.
6. Approve the new period DSC; learn about DSC approval here.

Your new period DSC will now be ready to use. If you encounter issues with any of the steps above, please reach out to our support team here.

Renewals are the best way to extend the active time of your contract.  Learn more about contract versioning concepts here. When you renew, you can make adjustments without affecting the previous period's claims.

1. Click the create new heading under the periods heading.
2. Click the renewal tile.

tip: If there is a draft within the distributors enrolled tab, you cannot click a tile, and it will appear greyed out.

3. Add an end date to the renewal. If the end date is left blank, you can set this at a later date.
4. Click confirm on the popup.
5. Wait for the new period to be created.

Once the new period is created, you will be navigated to the details tab of the new period. You can review the version on the ID field. This new period will be in a draft approval status and can be edited.

6. Make any updates to the DSC; learn about editing a DSC here.
7. Approve the new period DSC; learn about DSC approval here.

Your new period DSC will now be ready to use; learn to navigate contract history here. If you encounter issues with any of the steps above, please reach out to our support team here.

Splits allow you to create non-retrospective changes part-way through a contract's active period. You may use a split in reaction to a renegotiation, sudden pricing change, etc. Learn more about contract versioning concepts here. To create a split from the history tab:

1. Click the create new heading under the periods heading.
2. Click on the box for split date and select the date you wish to split on.

tip: If there is a draft within the distributors enrolled tab, you cannot click a tile, and it will appear greyed out.

3. Click confirm on the popup.
4. Wait for the system to:
   a. Create the new version for the period you are splitting on.
   b. Create the new period, which will occur from the split date (inclusive).

You will be automatically navigated to the details page of the version created in 4a. At this point, it is recommended you return to the History page and review your latest two periods. Both of these will need to be updated and approved. From the history page:

5. Navigate to the period and version you wish to update; you can learn about navigating history here.
6. Make updates to the DSC; learn about editing a DSC here.
7. Approve the DSC; learn about DSC approval here.

If you encounter issues with any of the steps above, please reach out to our support team here.

Under the notes and documents tab, you can add text, supporting documents and files. This highly flexible feature allows you to add terms and conditions, payment conditions or any other information you want to capture within the contract PDF.

To create a new note:

1. Type a header into the header field.
2. Type your text into the note input.
3. Click save

Documents and files can be uploaded in the documents section.

Existing notes and documents can not be edited after a contract has been approved.

The Notes you add appear on the PDF under a Notes heading in chronological order you can see each header and text input separated by a dividing line.

Within the Notes and documents tab you can review who added each note to the contract and when.