General Tab

FlexNet Manager Suite 2022 R1 (On-Premises)
This identifies the purchase order covering this item, the details of the purchased item itself, and its key relationships affecting license compliance calculations. Scroll down for each of the following sections of the General tab:
  • Purchase order section
  • Purchase details section
  • Related contract section
  • Maintenance section
  • Volume purchase program section
  • Notes section

Purchase order section

The Purchase order section is editable only when you first create a purchase order (manually). Once a purchase has been saved, or if the purchase details were imported, the fields in this section are read-only. If you need to edit the details of the purchase order in an existing purchase, click Edit this purchase order at the top of the section.

The following controls are available in this section (listed here alphabetically):

Control Comments
Copy to a new purchase

Opens a new set of purchase properties, with all the Purchase details values blanked out, and the same values for the Purchase order header values displayed as read-only. This allows you to manually complete details of another purchase that forms part of the same overall purchase order. (Only available after purchase details have been saved.)

Edit this purchase order
Converts the read-only fields describing the purchase order into editable fields.
Note: Changes to the Vendor or Purchase date values affect all linked purchases. A change to the Purchase order no. moves this purchase to a different purchase order record, leaving any other purchases on the original purchase order unchanged.
Purchase date

The date that goods were ordered. This date is common to all purchases ordered on the same purchase order.

To change the Purchase date on an existing purchase, first click the link Edit this purchase order. This converts the read-only fields describing the purchase order into editable fields, and you can edit the Purchase date value.
Important: Changes you make to the purchase order details on this purchase affect all other purchases recorded on the same purchase order.
Purchase order no.

The purchase order number that authorizes this purchase.

All purchases from a single purchase order must have the same value in this field. If this field is read-only, and you need to correct it, click Edit this purchase order at the top of the section.

Mandatory field. Enter the number assigned to this purchase. This may be a number assigned by another computer system, or printed on a pre-numbered form. You can enter digits, letters, punctuation and special characters.
  • All purchases sharing an identical purchase order number are considered to come from a single purchase order that covered multiple items.
  • To edit the purchase order number on an existing purchase record, first click the link Edit this purchase order.
    Important: If more than one purchase is recorded on the same purchase order, changing this number moves this purchase off the original purchase order and onto the new purchase order. If the wrong number has been recorded for several purchases, all must be edited individually.
Purchases on this purchase order

Displays the count of individual purchases (including the current one) that share the common purchase order header data.

Vendor

This is the name of the reseller who sold you this product. (The publisher of the software, who created the license, is listed in the Publisher field.)

For example, suppose that you obtained an application made by Adobe Software, purchasing it through a reseller called City Software. In this case, the Vendor is set to City Software.

There are occasions when you purchase software directly from the publisher. In these few cases, the same value can be entered for the Vendor and Publisher fields.

The vendor must be recorded in FlexNet Manager Suite before being used in this field (if not, navigate to Procurement > Create a Vendor (in the Vendors group)). When editing the record of an existing purchase, first click the Edit this purchase order link to allow changing the vendor name.

Use the search facility to select the appropriate reseller.

Purchase details section

The following controls describe the individual item purchased. Controls are listed here in alphabetical order.

Control Comments
Description

Details of the item purchased.

When no SKU is recorded for a purchase, this description may be used by FlexNet Manager Suite to make recommendations for linking the purchase to the appropriate preexisting license. For this to work, a candidate license must be linked to only one product (although there may be multiple applications, versions or editions of the same product, linked to the license); and either:
  • This Description must exactly match the name of the existing candidate license, or
  • This Description must exactly match the Name field displayed in the General tab of an application's properties, where the application is already linked to at least one candidate license. (If there are multiple linked licenses, the best match is recommended, or you may switch to another linked license while using the purchase processing wizard.)
This description appears in lists and reports to help identify the contents of this purchase.
Tip: For purchases of software licenses, there is a second reason to make this description a thorough identification of the licensed application (for example, including name and version). If you make future upgrades to the software license purchased here, this purchase may later be linked to a different, upgraded license. In that case, a complete description entered here will be helpful in auditing the original purpose of this purchase.
Effective date

Only appears for purchases of type Software subscription.

The first date that this purchase contributes to the software subscription you purchased. If this is the first purchase for a particular subscription, then this is the first date you are permitted to use the software. If this is a later purchase for the same subscription, it acts as a renewal of the subscription for the next period. In the renewal case, it is normal to set the Effective date to the next day after the previous purchase expired.

Either:
  • Click the calendar icon at the right of the field, and use the calendar control to pick the date.
  • Type in the date in your preferred format.
    Tip: If there is a date formatting error (compared with the saved format), the field is cleared again as you move focus to the next field.
Effective quantity

The total number of units that are acquired with this purchase, particularly applicable where the purchase was of some kind of bundle of multiples.

This value is not editable. It is calculated automatically by multiplying the Purchase quantity with the Quantity per unit (and as a signed integer, is limited to a little over 2.14 billion).
Note: For appropriate Purchase type values, the Effective quantity corresponds to the number of license entitlements that the purchase contributes to a linked license. Only the Software, Software subscription, Software baseline, and Not set purchase types can increase the license quantity (number of entitlements on a license). Software upgrade migrates entitlements from the previous license to the upgraded one.
Expiry date

Only appears for purchases of type Software subscription.

The last date on which this purchase authorizes use of your software subscription. (To allow continuous use of the software to which you have subscribed, be sure that there is a subsequent purchase with an Effective date of the next day after this.)
Tip: If the expiry date was automatically given a default value, check it for accuracy. For example, the subscription may default to a year, but you may have purchased a longer subscription; and the date may increment to the anniversary of the effective date, rather than to the day before when your subscription actually expires.
Either:
  • Click the calendar icon at the right of the field, and use the calendar control to pick the date.
  • Type in the date in your preferred format.
    Tip: If there is a date formatting error (compared with the saved format), the field is cleared again as you move focus to the next field.
Item

The ordinal value of this purchase within the underlying purchase order.

This field is not editable, and reflects the order of data entry of purchases given the same Purchase order no..

Part no./SKU

A Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number is a code that uniquely identifies a particular product.

Entering a SKU for software purchases may enable FlexNet Manager Suite to automatically create or update the appropriate license records. When you enter a value and leave this field, your value is checked against the library of known SKU values, and a result appears below this field:
  • Previously processed when this SKU has been processed as part of an earlier purchase. In this case the SKU may exist in the SKU library (in which case a down arrow appears to the right of the field), or it may be unknown in the SKU library.
  • In SKU library when this is the first time referencing a SKU found in the library (a down arrow also appears to the right of the field).
  • Unrecognized when this is a new SKU and not found in the library.
Note: Automated processing of purchases using SKUs that have been Previously processed recommends linking this purchase to the same license used most recently for this SKU (assuming that all other requirements are also met).
Tip: When the down-arrow is displayed to the right of this field (meaning that the SKU exists in the SKU library), you may click the arrow icon to review the product details represented by the SKU code. The values in this panel are not editable. Click the arrow icon a second time to hide these values.

For information about the product details represented by the SKU code, see Part no./SKU.

Publisher

The name of the company that manufactures the purchased product.

If a recognized SKU is found for the product, the Publisher field is populated automatically. (This check is performed as you exit the Part no./SKU field, and may take a moment.) You can also click in the Publisher field to use the Search control and select the name of an existing publisher, or switch a name that was chosen earlier. For details about using the search control, see To Use a Fly-Down.
Tip: The publisher must first exist as a vendor record in your system. If not, navigate to Procurement > Create a Vendor.
Purchase quantity

The number of units of a product that are recorded for this purchase.

Mandatory field. Enter the number of units that were purchased. For example, suppose you ordered three license packs, each of which entitled you to install five copies of the application. In this case, the Purchase quantity value is 3, and the Quantity per unit value is 5.

The Purchase quantity value is multiplied by the Quantity per unit value to calculate the Effective quantity.

Purchase type

Use this field to track the kind of purchase.

If a recognized SKU has been entered for the product, the Purchase type field is populated automatically. If necessary, you can still update the value; but there must be exceptional reasons to make this differ from the value implied by the SKU.
Tip: At purchase processing time, when the purchase is linked to a license, the type from a recognized SKU is given priority over the purchase type. If there is a conflict at that time, this Purchase type is ignored, and the SKU Purchase type sets the effect of the purchase on the linked license.
If no SKU is recognized, you can select one of the following options from the drop-down list to indicate the type of item that was purchased:
  • Not set — Treated similar to Software until you change it to any other value.
  • Software — One or more software products were procured, with or without associate maintenance. Do not use this type for the purchase of upgrades, where special processing is required.
  • Hardware — One or more hardware products were procured.
  • Service — The purchase covered services delivered by consultants or other professionals. Examples include implementation services, ongoing managed services, training, and so on.
  • Other — The purchase is of some other type that is not in the list.
  • Software upgrade — The purchase secured the right to upgrade one or more applications from an earlier version or edition to a newer version or edition (for example, upgrading Microsoft Office 2007 Professional to Microsoft Office 2010 Professional).
  • Software maintenance — Use this type for a separate purchase software maintenance (variously known as maintenance, support, Software Assurance, and so on), without the simultaneous purchase of new license entitlements. (For a mixed purchase of software with maintenance, use the Software type.) Maintenance is typically added to secure version upgrades as required, while the maintenance is current.
    Tip: Setting this purchase type automatically sets the Purchase includes support, maintenance, or other service agreement for the following period check box, and disables it so that it cannot be cleared until the purchase type is changed.
  • Disk kit — The purchase of an installation media kit, typically CDs and DVDs.
  • Hardware maintenance — Use this type for purchases of support services for hardware issues and failures, for a specific period. A typical example is to extend hardware support after the expiration of the original warranty.
  • Software baseline — An estimated or agreed amount of entitlements typically resulting of an audit, report or negotiation with a software vendor. Entitlements from purchases prior to the baseline are not counted toward the license position. FlexNet Manager Suite enables you to create purchases and licenses by uploading a Microsoft Licensing Statement (MLS). For more information, see Uploading Purchases from Microsoft License Statement.
  • Software subscription — Used for the purchase of a software license which may expire after a period of time, or can be renewed with periodic payments. A subscription typically enables you to use the latest version of the software during the subscription period (equivalent to upgrade rights on a perpetual license). This is the most commonly used purchase for Software as a Service (SaaS) and Cloud applications. Each purchase can record its Effective date and its Expiry date. If today's date falls between these two (inclusive), this purchase is keeping the subscription license 'current'. After the Expiry date, you need another Software subscription purchase to 'renew' the subscription license.
Note: Automated processing of purchases for software licenses can occur only when the Purchase type is set to one of the following:
  • Not set
  • Software
  • Software baseline
  • Software maintenance
  • Software subscription
  • Software upgrade.
Only the Software, Software subscription, Software baseline, and Not set purchase types can increase the license quantity (number of entitlements on a license). Software upgrade migrates entitlements from the previous license to the upgraded one.
Quantity per unit

The number of individual items that are acquired with the purchase of a single group or pack. Single-item purchases (not groups or packs) always have a multiplier of 1.

Enter the number of items that are included per product unit that was purchased. For example, you might order a license pack which entitles you to install 10 copies of an application. In this case, you purchase only one product, and the Quantity per unit value is 10.

The Quantity per unit value is multiplied by the Purchase quantity value to calculate the Effective quantity.

Status

Each purchase is assigned a status which enables you to track the associated business processes.

Select one of the following options from the drop-down list to indicate the current status of the purchase:
  • Cancelled
  • Completed
  • New
  • Pending
Tip: These values have no effect on license compliance calculations. If a purchase conveys license entitlements and is linked to a license, the entitlements are counted regardless of this status value. If you intend to cancel a purchase so that it no longer contributes to your license entitlements, be sure to disconnect the purchase from any licenses.

When you create a purchase, it is assigned the default value New.

Related contract section

Use this section if you choose to link your purchase record to a separate record of a contract, such as a maintenance agreement.

Control Comments
Contract

If this purchase is associated with a contract recorded in FlexNet Manager Suite, you can link the two records.

The contract must be recorded in FlexNet Manager Suite before being used in this field (if not, navigate to Contracts > Create a Contract).
Tip: If the contract record has not been created yet, you can skip the contract here, and link to this purchase later, as you create the new contract record.
Remember: If this purchase covers software maintenance (or support) under a contract that you model in the system, be sure to establish this link to the correct contract. This assists in automatic processing of purchases and their impact on license compliance. Some SKUs include a Maintenance type of Until end of contract. For purchases quoting these SKUs, linking the appropriate contract to the purchase allows automated purchase processing to also link the resulting license to the contract. Here, an "appropriate contract" means that the contract type matches the Purchase program referenced by the SKU, or is one of Software License or Software maintenance and support.
Use the search facility to select the appropriate contract. For details, see To Use a Fly-Down.

Maintenance section

You may associate software maintenance with a purchase, without recording a separate contract record.

Control Comments
Purchase includes support, maintenance, or other service agreement for the following period
This control may be set:
  • Automatically (and then disabled to prevent manual change) if either of:
    • The purchase record is saved with a Part no./SKU that includes maintenance
    • The Purchase type on this tab is set to Software maintenance
  • Manually where neither of the above conditions is true, but you want to manage maintenance on software licenses linked to this purchase (without the overhead of creating and linking a separate maintenance contract record).
Tip: Remember that a license record may also inherit maintenance from an appropriate contract. If you have a long term maintenance agreement covering many products (such as Microsoft Software Assurance), you may choose to record this as a maintenance contract, and link the appropriate purchases and licenses to the contract. This also allows you to use the contract record to set rights that are dependent on the continuation of the contract, and have software licenses inherit those rights for as long as the contract exists. If the contract expires and this is the only source of data about maintenance recorded in FlexNet Manager Suite, you need to change the inherited rights manually in the contract records. However, if you have also:
  • On the record of each purchase that included maintenance, set this check box and entered the maintenance Effective date and Expiry date on the same tab, and
  • Linked the purchase record to the applicable license (if you are also creating a contract record, this link is in addition to the link between purchase and contract)
automation can apply as the maintenance expires, potentially modifying the product use rights for you after the expiry date. This update to the license rights happens even when the license originally inherited rights from the contract record.

If the purchase of software includes a period of software maintenance or support, set this check box. When the check box is selected, the Effective date and Expiry date fields are enabled.

Effective date

The first date from which this purchase entitles you to support or maintenance on your software purchase. (This field is enabled only when you select the check box for Purchase includes support, maintenance, or other service agreement for the following period.)

Either:
  • Click the calendar icon at the right of the field, and use the calendar control to pick the date.
  • Type in the date in your preferred format.
    Tip: If there is a date formatting error (compared with the saved format), the field is cleared again as you move focus to the next field.
Tip: When the purchase is of type Software subscription, this field is hidden, because maintenance is typically included in the software subscription. Instead, use the Effective date in the Purchase details section of this tab.
Expiry date
The last date on which this purchase entitles you to support or maintenance on your software purchase. (This field is enabled only when you select the check box for Purchase includes support, maintenance, or other service agreement for the following period.)
Tip: If the expiry date was automatically given a default value, check it for accuracy. For example, the maintenance may default to a year, but you may have purchased a longer coverage; and the date may increment to the anniversary of the effective date, rather than to the day before when your maintenance actually expires.
Either:
  • Click the calendar icon at the right of the field, and use the calendar control to pick the date.
  • Type in the date in your preferred format.
    Tip: If there is a date formatting error (compared with the saved format), the field is cleared again as you move focus to the next field.
Tip: When the purchase is of type Software subscription, this field is hidden, because maintenance is typically included in the software subscription. Instead, use the Expiry date in the Purchase details section of this tab.

Volume purchase program section

This section is useful for purchases under a Microsoft Select agreement.

Control Comments
Product pool

If this purchase is made under an enrollment (or affiliation) with a Microsoft Select agreement, this is the first of two fields that ensure proper tracking of your Select points per product pool.

Ensure that the correct product pool is identified for your enrollment (or affiliation) with your Microsoft Select agreement. If in doubt, you may be able to verify the product pool on your corporate price list or by consulting your Large Account Reseller (LAR, who should be identified on the properties of the enrollment, which should be linked to this purchase as the related contract).
Note: This value may have been calculated automatically when you accepted a default action in purchase processing automation, and linked the PO line item to your Select agreement. Where the PO line item included a recognized SKU that applies to a purchase under a Select agreement, but the PO line item was missing the Select pool or Select points values, the following adjustments were made:
  • The missing pool was identified from the SKU data
  • Missing points were estimated based on the SKU (license only, Software Assurance only, or both) and the years remaining for the enrollment (or affiliate registration).
Product points

If this purchase is made under an enrollment (or affiliation) with a Microsoft Select agreement, this is the second of two fields that ensure proper tracking of your Select points per product pool.

Confirm that the correct points are listed for this purchase. This value is used in accruing points per enrollment to meet the overall commitment required to maintain discount levels under your Microsoft Select agreement. This value may also be displayed on your corporate price list; and it is also tracked independently by your LAR.
Note: This value may have been calculated automatically when you accepted a default action in purchase processing automation, and linked the PO line item to your Select agreement. Where the PO line item included a recognized SKU that applies to a purchase under a Select agreement, but the PO line item was missing the Select pool or Select points values, the following adjustments were made:
  • The missing pool was identified from the SKU data
  • Missing points were estimated based on the SKU (license only, Software Assurance only, or both) and the years remaining for the enrollment (or affiliate registration).

Notes section

Control Comments
Comments

Free-form comments to help you manage details of this purchase.

Enter any special comments or special instructions that relate only to this purchase. (For example, some comments may have been recorded on the original purchase order.)
Tip: For purchases of maintenance or license subscriptions, it's handy to record any known discounts for early renewal and the like. These comments are available during the renewal process.

FlexNet Manager Suite (On-Premises)

2022 R1