Before you start configuring Asset-Based Ordering, you must understand how the Sales and Customer Service Representatives in your organization will use the ABO functionality.

Asset-based ordering is particularly useful when your business offers complex service products, such as phone services and equipment.

On the Installed Products page, you can Renew, Terminate, Swap, and Change an existing standalone, fixed, or a configurable bundle asset. For each transaction involving ABO actions, the system creates a new order while you are navigating on the Cart. The status of the Asset Line Item is not changed until you finalize the Cart and activate the Order containing that Asset Line Item.

Use case

For a sales-driven industry with products such as equipment (new purchase) and service (purchased for an equipment), you might want to achieve the following:

• As a manufacturing sales representative, for a service flow, you want to view the Renew and the Terminate button. For an equipment flow, you want to view the Change and the Swap button.
• As a subscription sales representative, you want to see the Renew button only when I make a purchase for a quote of type renew. For an add-on quote or an upgrade quote, you do not want to see the Renew button. For example, managing the renewal of a magazine subscription.

There are total 3 flows that you can consider before starting the configurations for using ABO. Ensure that you understand and choose one of the flows to implement error-free ABO.

1. Quote/Proposal Flow: This is one of the signature events in Asset-based Ordering involving Quote/Proposal. This is the normal flow of going through the Quote/Proposal to an Order and then to the Assets. Once you accept a Quote/Proposal, the Order is generated. Upon activation of the order, assets are created.
2. CSR Flow: This is the flow designed to enable the Sales Rep to skip the creation of a Quote/Proposal. No signature event, such as the creation of an Agreement or a Quote/Proposal is involved. A new button called AssetManager is configured on the Accounts page to help the Sales Rep navigate directly to the Installed Products page.
3. Contract Flow: This is one of the signature events in Asset-based Ordering involving Contracts/Agreements. The assets are created through Contracts/Agreements using the normal Contract lifecycle flow. Once you finalize a Contract (containing Agreement Line Items), the corresponding Asset Line Items are created.