Each service keeps a count of how many times it has auto-renewed since it was last sold or re-contracted. A service that has rolled over several times without a new order is a good one to talk to the customer about.
Services are auto-renewed by the Auto-renew expiring assets automation in Automation Builder.
The Auto Renewals tab
Open the service from the customer's services. The Auto Renewals tab shows:
Auto renew count: how many times the service has auto-renewed since it was last sold or re-contracted.
Replaced service: the service this one replaced, by an auto-renewal or a sales order.
Renewed or replaced since by service: shown on an older service. The newer service now holds the count.
Every change to the count: when, who, the old and new count, how it changed and the reason.
The tab appears on a service that has auto-renewed, replaced another service or had its count changed. Users who can change the count see it on every service.
How the count changes
Auto-renewal: the automation ceases the service and creates the next one. The new service's count is the old one's plus 1. The ceased service keeps its count.
Sales order, New & Cease: the new service starts at 0 and is linked to the service it replaced.
Sales order, Update: if the order moves the expiry date, the count goes back to 0. An update that leaves the expiry date alone does not change it.
Any other new service: starts at 0, unless an import or the API gives it a count.
In the list of changes, How shows Auto-renewal, Sales order, Changed by hand, Import or API.
Changing the count by hand
For example, set it back to 0 after a renewal conversation with the customer that did not need a new order.
You need the user role Override Auto Renew Count. An administrator can add it from Settings - Users: select the user and open the Roles tab. Sign out and back in once it has been added.
Open the service and go to the Auto Renewals tab.
Under Change the count, enter the New count.
Enter the Reason. It is required and is kept with the change.
Click Change count.
The change is listed on the tab as Changed by hand with your reason. A line is also added to the customer's Audit tab.
Importing counts
New services: the asset import in Settings
The asset import has two columns you can map:
Auto Renew: Yes/No, Y/N, True/False or 1/0. A blank cell or any other value is ignored.
Auto Renew Count: a whole number, 0 or more. A blank cell or any other value is ignored and the service starts at 0.
Existing services: Data Manager
To set the count on services you already have, use the Customer Service Assets import in Data Manager and map the Auto Renew Count column. The column is offered the day after the feature is turned on for your system.
Changes made this way are listed with How as Import and the reason Changed outside the app, for example by a Data Manager import.
The API
Creating or updating a service accepts
AutoRenewCount(0 or more).Getting a service returns
AutoRenewCountandPreviousAssetId.Renewing an asset returns the new service's
AutoRenewCount.
Changes made through the API are listed with How as API.
Good to know
The count is a record. It does not change the service's price, term or billing.
Counting starts when the feature is turned on. Earlier renewals are not counted unless you import them.
Changes to the count are listed on the Auto Renewals tab, not in the asset's change history.
If your company uses Relationship Health, check 8, Margin in contract, fails while any live service on the customer has a count of 2 or more. Setting the count back to 0 after a renewal conversation lets the check pass at the next recalculation. See The Relationship Health checks in detail.