20Warranties
Warranties
This chapter describes how to track the warranties for products. It includes the following topics:
About Warranties
Warranties include the following types: product, manufacturer, and component. Each warranty specifies the covered products, costs, and service providers. A warranty is valid for a specified amount of time or usage. Warranties are separate from entitlements that you sell to a customer.
When creating a service request or repair number to repair an asset, you can select the Check Warranty menu command to verify the warranty coverage on a specified date. If a warranty is not associated with the asset, then the feature to check warranties automatically checks the parent and root assets to determine whether an applicable component warranty covers the asset.
When you create an asset for a product that warranties cover, you can associate the applicable warranties with the asset by clicking the Get Warranties button in the Warranty view in the List view of the Assets screen. The number of days remaining on the warranty is automatically calculated.
When an asset returned from the field is still under warranty, you can create an order for the services of the warranty provider, associate the warranty with the order line items, and track warranty recovery for each order line item.
Concurrent Warranties
In Siebel Field Service, you can create concurrent warranties. For example, an automobile warranty that expires after 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first, is a concurrent warranty. Concurrent warranties are valid for a predefined amount of time or predefined amount of usage.
Process of Administering Warranties
The following list shows the tasks that administrators typically perform to administer warranties. Your company might follow a different process according to its business requirements.
To administer warranties, administrators perform the following tasks:
Creating Warranties
Administrators must create warranties. Then, users can associate warranties with appropriate records.
This task is a step in Process of Administering Warranties.
To create a warranty
Navigate to the Administration - Service screen, then the Warranties view.
Create a new warranty record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Start Date Type
Select the field value in the associated asset record to use as the start date of the warranty coverage for that asset. For example, if the Start Date Type of the warranty is Installed Date, then the installed date of the asset is the start date of the warranty that is associated with the asset.
Duration (Days)
Type the number of days for the warranty period.
Provider
Select the account that provides the warranty. To set up the accounts that appear in the Pick Vendor dialog box for this field, navigate to the Account List view of the Administration - Data screen. In this view, make sure you clear the Account Flag field for the accounts that you set up.
This account is not necessarily the same account that supplies services for the warranty. You can click the Service Provider view tab to associate the warranty with the accounts that supply services for the warranty.
Transferable
Select this check box to indicate the warranty is transferred from a removed asset to an installed asset when recording an asset swap. For more information, see Asset Swaps.
Measurement Type
Select the type of measurement for measuring asset usage for the warranty.
Unit of Measure
Select the unit of measurement for measuring asset usage for the warranty.
Usage Amount
Type the amount of the limitation on asset usage for the warranty. The warranty is no longer valid if the asset usage exceeds this amount.
Parts
Select this check box to indicate the warranty covers the cost of replacement parts.
Labor
Select this check box to indicate the warranty covers the cost of labor.
Expenses
Select this check box to indicate the warranty covers the cost of expenses that field service agents incur.
Transportation
Select this check box to indicate the warranty covers the cost of transportation that field service agents incur.
Adding Products to Warranties
To specify the products that a warranty covers, you add the products to the warranty. Administrators configure products in the Administration - Product screen. For more information, see Siebel Product Administration Guide.
This task is a step in Process of Administering Warranties.
To add a product to a warranty
Navigate to the Administration - Service screen, then the Warranties view.
Select a warranty, and click the Products view tab.
In the Products list, create a new product record, and complete the fields as appropriate for the product.
Associating Warranties with Service Providers
Service providers can provide the services for a warranty. You can associate warranties with the appropriate service providers.
This task is a step in Process of Administering Warranties.
To associate a warranty with a service provider
Navigate to the Administration - Service screen, then the Warranties view.
Select a warranty, and click the Service Providers view tab.
Create a new service provider record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Process of Managing Warranties
The following list shows the tasks that end users typically perform to manage warranties. Your company might follow a different process according to its business requirements.
To manage warranties, end users perform the following tasks:
Viewing Warranty Information (End User)
Follow the procedures in this topic to view warranty information. You can view warranty information for an asset.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Warranties.
To view warranty information for an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Select an asset.
The fields for warranty information are described in the following table.
Field Comments Status
Displays the status of the asset.
Installed
Displays the installation date of the asset.
Registered
Displays the registration date of the asset.
You can also view the warranties for a product.
To view the warranties for a product
Navigate to the Products screen, then the Internal Product List view.
Drill down on the Product field for a selected product, and click the Warranties view tab.
The Warranties list shows the warranties that are associated with the product.
Verifying Warranties (End User)
Follow the procedures in this topic to verify warranty coverage. When you verify warranty coverage, you find the applicable warranties for a specified date. You can verify the warranties for a service request.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Warranties.
To verify the warranties for a service request
Navigate to the Service screen, then the Service Request List view.
Drill down on the SR number (#) field for a selected service request that is associated with a product or asset, and click the Service Details view tab.
In the Warranty As of field, enter a date for verification of warranty coverage for the service request.
The default date is the creation date for the service request.
Click Check Warranty.
The updated fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Product Warranty
Displays a check if a product warranty is in effect on the specified date. This field is for information only, and does not affect other fields or functions.
Component Warranty
Displays a check if a component warranty is in effect on the specified date. This field is for information only, and does not affect other fields or functions.
Manufacturer Warranty
Displays a check if a manufacturer warranty is in effect on the specified date. This field is for information only, and does not affect other fields or functions.
You can also verify the warranties for a defective product.
To verify the warranties for a defective product
Navigate to the Repairs screen.
Drill down on the Repair number (#) field for a selected repair, and click the More Info view tab.
In the Warranty As of field, enter a date for verification of warranty coverage for the repair.
Click Check Warranty.
The updated fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Product Warranty
Displays a check if a product warranty is in effect on the specified date. This field is for information only, and does not affect other fields or functions.
Manufacturer Warranty
Displays a check if a manufacturer warranty is in effect on the specified date. This field is for information only, and does not affect other fields or functions.
Component Warranty
Displays a check if a component warranty is in effect on the specified date. This field is for information only, and does not affect other fields or functions.
Associating Warranties with Assets (End User)
Follow the procedures in this topic to associate warranties with assets. You can manually associate a warranty with an asset.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Warranties.
To manually associate a warranty with an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Warranty view tab.
In the Warranty list, create a new warranty record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Select the name of the warranty.
Note: Before a warranty can appear in the Pick Warranty dialog box, administrators must associate a product with that warranty in the Products view in the Warranties view of the Administration - Service screen.Start Date
Select the starting date of the warranty.
End Date
Select the ending date of the warranty.
You can also automatically associate warranties with an asset.
To automatically associate warranties with an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Warranty view tab.
Click Get Warranty.
The warranties that are associated with the selected asset and with the product for the selected asset appear in the Warranties list. Each warranty record shows the start date, the end date, and the number of days remaining in the warranty.
Note: If the date field that the Start Date Type (in the Warranties view of the Administration - Service screen) specifies is not populated in the asset record, then the Get Warranty command fails. If you do not define an appropriate measurement for the asset, then Get Warranty does not correctly add the usage-based concurrent warranty.If necessary, modify the values in the Start Date, End Date, and Name fields of the warranty records.
Associating Warranties with Order Line Items (End User)
You can create an order for the services of a warranty provider. Then you can associate a warranty with the order line items.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Warranties.
To associate a warranty with an order line item
Navigate to the Service Orders screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Order number (#) field for a selected order, and click the Line Items view tab.
Select an order line item record.
On the link bar, click Warranty.
In the Warranty list, create a new warranty record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Select the name of the warranty.
Note: Before a warranty can appear in the Pick Warranty dialog box, administrators must associate a product with that warranty in the Products view in the Warranties view of the Administration - Service screen.Status
Select the status of the warranty.
Tracking Warranty Recovery (End User)
To track warranty recovery for order line items, you record warranty claim information.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Warranties.
To track warranty recovery
Navigate to the Service Orders screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Order number (#) field for a selected order with a Type field value of RMA Return, RMA Repair Return, or RMA Advance Exchange, and click the Line Items view tab.
Select an order line item record.
On the link bar, click Warranty.
In the Warranty list, select a warranty record.
Record the warranty claim information in the appropriate fields.
The fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Status
Select the status of the warranty.
Planned Recovery
Select the date of planned recovery.
Actual Recovery
Select the date of actual recovery.