Overview
This article covers how users can link a bolt-on add-on plan to a service plan.
This article is one part of a series that covers the plan construction process of bolt-on add-on plans. If you have not completed all the steps correctly in the previous articles in this series, you will be unable to link the bolt-on and the bolt-on add-on to the service plan and you may need to double-check your configuration.
At the conclusion of the steps presented below, step 10-13 of the process to construct a bolt-on add-on plan and prepare it for sale will be achieved.
Creating Links Between Multiple Plan Objects in a Single Step
When bolt-on add-ons are included in your plan construction, linking a service plan to a bolt-on plan, and then to an add-on plan is achieved in a single step.
It is actually an extension of the step taken when a user links a service plan and a bolt-on plan.
By the end of the process you will have achieved the following:
- Create the associations between the service plan, bolt-on and bolt-on add-on.
- Set the bolt-on add-on plan allowances.
- Optionally set up any add-on exclusivity rules.
Exclusivity Rules
Bolt-on add-ons can be optionally subject to exclusivity rules. There are two ways exclusivity rules are used.
- To prevent multiple concurrent subscriptions to the same bolt-on plan during a billing period.
- To prevent an end user from subscribing to another add-ons in the exclusivity group when they already have an existing subscription.
- This is analogous to placing several bolt-on plans into a bolt-on group to achieve the same objective. It makes them mutually exclusive plan objects.
The absence of exclusivity rules results in end users being able to have multiple concurrent subscriptions to an add-on, up to the maximum allowance, as configured within the bolt-on plan.
Link a Bolt-on Add-on to a Service Plan
The process of linking a bolt-on add-on to a service plan is done in two steps.
- Link the bolt-on and define its behaviour.
- Link the bolt-on add-on and define the exclusivity rules.
The steps below cover both steps.
Packages and Plans > Management > Service Plan
Search for the service plan you want to link the bolt-on and bolt-on add-on to.
Drill down the service plan so that the service plan details are open and on screen.
Click the Bolt-on Configuration tab. A list of the bolt-ons that are associated with this service plan will be displayed.
If any add-ons have already been linked to the bolt-on when it it was linked to the service plan the user will see a magnifying glass icon under the Add-ons column on the right. Clicking the magnifying glass icon under the Add-Ons column of the table will provide the user with the ability to inspect and update the association.
Link the Bolt-on to the Service Plan
Do you already have a service plans with bolt-ons, and just need to link a new add-on plan to your existing structure? Skip over linking a bolt-on and go straight to linking the add-on.
Click the Link Bolt-on button. This will open a new light box.
Choose the BUY bolt-on plan. Once chosen, the dialogue will refresh promoting the user to configure the bolt-on behaviour and the bolt-on sell plan.
Bolt-On Behaviour
The table below describes each bolt-on behaviour option.
| Behaviour | Description |
|---|---|
| Forced irremovable | The bolt-on is mandatory and a subscription will automatically be created when the service is activated. The bolt-on subscription must remain for the life of the service subscription. |
| Forced removable | A bolt-on subscription will automatically be created when the service is activated, but it can be cancelled at any time after that if the end user does not want it. |
| Completely optional | No subscription to the bolt-on will be created upon service activation, but the end user can add or remove the bolt-on at any time during the life of the service subscription. |
Once the behaviour and the sell plan has been chosen, the window will refresh showing the configuration in read only.
Press Submit to save the configuration.
Once saved, the bolt-on configuration tab will list the bolt-on as shown.
Link the Bolt-On Add-On
Click the magnifying glass icon under the Add-Ons column. A list of add-ons already associated with the bolt-on and service plan will be shown. An example is shown below.
Click the Link Add-On button.
The system will conduct a processing step to look at which bolt-on add-ons are eligible. When that is done, it will open the following window, showing the service plan, BUY bolt-on plan, it's corresponding SELL bolt-on plan.
The user will be prompted to choose the appropriate BUY add-on plan.
Once the BUY plan is selected, the window will refresh prompting the user to choose the corresponding SELL plan.
Now the window will refresh again and ask the user to configure the linkage with some settings.
Select the Parent Allowance.
Enter the Max Occurrence. The number entered here controls how many times this add on plan can be purchased within a single billing period. If the max occurrence = 10, and you bill monthly, then the user can purchase up to 10 add-ons in a month.
If the add-on is automatically provisioned, choose the add-on plan that provisions it on the network.
Enter an optional Description.
Press Submit.
Once the system has processed the configuration, the window will automatically close and take the user back to the previous screen where the new link will be shown.
Process Complete
With these steps now all completed for both BUY plans (if applicable) and SELL plans, the process of constructing bolt-on add-ons is now completed and they are ready for sale.
This is all that needs to be done. If all steps have been completed correctly, your customers are now able to subscribe to these plan.