Hierarchy of contract objects

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Contracts in ESM are organized in a hierarchy of objects that contain data from the most general aspects to the most specific details.

Overview

Matrix42 Enterprise Service Management provides you with three levels of contract objects arranged in vertical hierarchy:

Level 1. Master Contract/Volume License Agreement.
Level 2. Contract.
Level 3. Contract Item.

This helps you enter all contract information from the most general data to specific details.

You can also link master contracts and contracts horizontally. In this way, you can define the predecessors and successors of a contract and thus document the contract development along the time axis.

Hierarchy levels explained

At the top level, if it exists, is the General Master Contract or Volume License Agreement (VLA). A General Master Contract contains one or more contracts (A to C on the picture below).

At the middle level is the contract, which can be assigned to a master contract or exist as a standalone contract. It contains one or more contract items (A1 to C3 on the picture below).

A contract with its contract items lies at the core of Contract Management in ESM.

At the lowest level are the contract items. These cannot exist alone: they should be linked to a parent contract. Matrix42 Contract Management provides five different categories of contract items:

Contract Item of Maintenance: Contract component that is related to computer or software maintenance. Maintenance denotes a service for maintaining previously acquired objects or rights, such as computers or software licenses.
Contract Item of Purchase: Contract component that is related to acquisition of objects or rights.
Contract Item of Leasing: Contract component that is related to the use of objects or rights without owning them.
Contract Item of Professional Service: Contract component that is related to the use of services, such as professional services that are provided by consultants.
General Contract Item: Contract component that does not belong to Contract Items of Leasing, Purchase, Maintenance, or Professional Service.

Contract items play a central role in the requisition process of hardware, software, and services. They have links to:

All objects from the accounting systems and the operational procurement.
Acquired assets that are recorded as stock keeping units for IT Asset Management or licenses for License Management.