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Service Contracts: Setting Up Recurring Maintenance

Introduction

Service contracts (Servicecontracten) are agreements that automatically generate work orders on a repeating schedule. Instead of manually creating a work order every month for maintenance, a contract does it automatically.

Types of Service Contracts

Preventive (Preventief)

Use for: Scheduled maintenance at regular intervals

Examples:

  • HVAC units serviced every 6 months
  • Equipment inspections quarterly
  • Filter replacements monthly

Corrective (Correctief)

Use for: Break-fix coverage agreements

Examples:

  • We cover all repairs for this machine for $X/month
  • Emergency call-out agreements with response-time guarantees
  • Annual coverage plans

Setting Up a Service Contract

Step 1: Access Service Contracts

  1. Go to Backoffice → Contracts (or Servicecontracten)
  2. Click New Contract or Add Contract

Step 2: Fill in Contract Details

Basic Information:

  • Customer: Select the customer this contract is for
  • Contract Type: Preventive or Corrective
  • Start Date: When does the contract begin?
  • End Date: When does it expire? (Optional if ongoing)
  • Description: What does this contract cover? (e.g., Monthly HVAC maintenance)

For Preventive Contracts:

  • Interval: How often? (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Annual, Custom days)
  • Default Technician: Who typically does this work?
  • Estimated Duration: How long should the job take?
  • Default Description: Pre-fill work order description for consistency

Step 3: Link to Assets

Which equipment/installations does this contract cover?

  1. Scroll to Linked Assets or Objects section
  2. Search for the customer's equipment/installation
  3. Select to link this contract to that asset
  4. You can link multiple assets if needed

Step 4: Save and Activate

  1. Review all details
  2. Click Save
  3. OutSmart now knows about this contract
  4. For preventive contracts, the first auto-generated work order appears on the scheduled date

How Contracts Generate Work Orders

Contract Example: Monthly HVAC Maintenance

  • Customer: Acme Inc.
  • Asset: HVAC Unit (Roof)
  • Interval: Monthly (1st of each month)
  • Start Date: Jan 1, 2025

What Happens:

  • Jan 1: OutSmart creates work order Monthly HVAC Maintenance for Acme
  • Feb 1: New work order auto-created
  • Mar 1: New work order auto-created
  • ...continues until contract expires or is cancelled

Key Point: These auto-generated work orders appear in In te plannen status. You still need to schedule and finalize them like regular work orders.

Managing Active Contracts

Viewing Contract Status

  1. Go to Contracts section
  2. Filter by Active, Expiring Soon, Expired, etc.
  3. Click a contract to view all auto-generated work orders, usage, renewal date and terms, linked assets

Renewing a Contract

  1. Go to a contract nearing expiration
  2. Click Renew
  3. Set new end date and any updated terms (price, interval, etc.)
  4. Save
  5. Contract continues with auto-generation

Cancelling a Contract

  1. Open the contract
  2. Click Cancel or Deactivate
  3. OutSmart stops creating new work orders immediately
  4. Existing work orders are unaffected
  5. Contract remains in history for records

Best Practices

  • Link contracts to assets: Makes it clear what gets maintained and helps technicians understand scope
  • Use default descriptions: Standardizes what technicians see on auto-generated work orders
  • Set default technicians: Ensures the same person handles recurring maintenance (better continuity)
  • Review corrective usage monthly: Watch for customers consuming too many hours
  • Set renewal reminders: Do not lose contracts at expiration — flag 60 days out
  • Track MRR: Service contracts are predictable revenue — highlight them in your reporting