Introduction
In “Master Agreement Types Explained – Part 1”, an overview of Master Agreement Types was provided. In this blog, each configuration item on a Master Agreement Type is explained.
Configuration of Master Agreement Types
As discussed in Part 1, there are five (5) sections that need to be reviewed and configured when defining a Master Agreement Type. The following paragraphs provide an explanation of each field in each of the five sections.
General Section - The General section is used to establish some key information about the Master Agreement Type such as the Name and Description as well as the Order in which it will be displayed to the user. The following items should be reviewed and setup according to your requirements:
Item | Item Description |
Inactive | This is a checkbox that, if checked, indicates that a Master Agreement Type is no longer available for use. When this checkbox is checked, the Master Agreement Type will not show up in the list of Master Agreement Types to pick from when the user does a “Create Master Agreement” or “Create Master Agreement Template”. |
Integrated System Type | This field will only be displayed if the integration to SAP ERP or SRM is enabled. If you are using the integration, you can select the type of integration that is related to the Master Agreement Type. When you choose a particular type of integration (SAP ERP or SRM), a new tab – Integration Details - on the Master Agreement Type will be displayed. |
Name | This is the name of the Master Agreement Type – for example, Master Services Agreement. This is the name that is displayed when the user does a Create Master Agreement” or “Create Master Agreement Template”. This field is required and has a maximum length of 40 characters. |
Description | This field is used to describe the Master Agreement Type. It is not a required field. It has a maximum length of 256 characters. |
Order | The number value used in this field determines in which order a particular Master Agreement Type will be displayed to the user. For example, if there are five Master Agreement Types defined and the values used in this field are 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, the Master Agreement Type with an Order value of 10 will be the first in the list as it is displayed to the user. It is recommended that you leave some spaces between the numbers used for the Order value. By leaving some spaces, if you need to create a new Master Agreement Type, you will be able to insert it in the order in which you want it displayed. This is a required field. |
Numbering Table | If you want to use a specific Numbering Table for a particular Master Agreement Type, you must associate the desired Numbering Table with the Master Agreement Type. The Numbering Table must first be defined in the Master Data section of Setup. The Numbering Table is used to create a unique id for each agreement of that type. If you do not associate a specific Numbering Table with a Master Agreement Type, the system will automatically use the default Numbering Table for Master Agreement Types. |
Features Section - The Features Section is used to determine which tabs - such as Audits and Schedules - will be used as well as which features - such as Discussions and Attachments - will be enabled. The following tables discusses each of the configuration items in this section:
Item | Item Description |
Discussions | The Discussions feature allows you to have discussions related to each Master Agreement with both your internal stakeholders and your suppliers. The Discussions are stored with Master Agreement. Depending upon other configuration options available to you, users can find their Discussion messages in the Discussion channel on their Workbench page or they can receive email notifications that a Discussion message has been sent to them. By checking this box, the Discussions feature will be available to users in the toolbar of any Master Agreements of that type. Most often, this feature is enabled. |
Chat | Chat allows you to “instant message” with another user that is logged into the system at the same time you are and reviewing the same Master Agreement. Chat messages are also stored with the Master Agreement and are accessible from the Chat feature in the toolbar if it is enabled. Most often, this feature is not used on Master Agreements. |
Attachments | By checking the Attachments box, you will enable the Attachments button to be displayed to users in the toolbar of Master Agreements of that type. This feature allows you to upload file attachments that are related to a particular Master Agreement. This allows you to store all related documentation with the Master Agreement in a single place. This feature is almost always enabled. |
Accounting | By checking this box, you will enable the Accounting tab on Master Agreements of this type. The Accounting tab allows you to associate predefined accounting entities (such as cost centers and general ledger accounts) at the header level of the Master Agreement and estimate benefit related to those accounting entities. The Accounting tab is most often not used. It can be repurposed; however, with the additional tabs that can be configured to meet specific needs, it is easier to use one of the additional tabs for custom requirements that you might have. |
Require Product Category | The Product Category (often relabeled as “Material Group”) can be made a required field on all Master Agreements of that type by checking this box. This is a that is commonly used in the standard reports and is one that organizations use to report on frequently to determine how much activity they have for a particular Product Category. This field is often enabled for that reason. |
Allow Duplication | |
Savings Metrics | |
Formulas | |
Line Item Specifications | |
Supplier-Entered Attributes | |
Master Agreement Agreements | |
Audits | |
Schedules | |
Terms | |
Line Items | |
Performance Metrics | |
Tab 1 | |
Tab 2 | |
Tab 3 | |
Tab 4 | |
Tab 5 | |
Hierarchy | |
Enforce Date Range | |
Subagreement Audits | |
Schedules | |
Terms | |
Line Items | |
Performance Metrics | |
Tab 1 | |
Tab 2 | |
Tab 3 | |
Tab 4 | |
Tab 5 | |
