What Is Necessary To Start Service?
The service agreement's SA type defines what is necessary to start service:
- For SA types that have service points, all field activities linked to the service point must be complete before the service agreement can be activated. If field activities are linked to the service agreement, the system automatically links the appropriate billable read to the service point as its start read when the field activity is complete. (The completed field activity should have a read linked to it. If it is billable, it is used as the start read.)
- For SA types that don't have service points (e.g., charitable donations, deposits, one-time charges), everything necessary to activate the service agreement is defined when you initiate the request to start service. These types of service agreements can be activated immediately.
If the completed field activity linked to the SA / SP doesn't have an associated read (for whatever reason), the system still activates the service agreement but leaves the SA/SP without a starting read. It does this because it relies on billing to create a bill segment error the first time it attempts to bill the service agreement.
If a service agreement has required SA relationship types (e.g., if an energy supply service agreement must have a SA relationship defining the distribution company), the system activates the service agreement even when these required relationships are not defined. It does this because it counts on billing to create a bill segment error the first time it attempts to bill the service agreement (billing creates an error bill segment for a service agreement if it does not have its required SA relationships defined).