Overview
The Supports module enables:- Vendor support contract tracking
- SLA and warranty management
- Asset-to-support relationship mapping
- Expiration date monitoring
- Support documentation and escalation paths
- Financial tracking for support costs
Contract Management
Track support agreements with vendors including terms, costs, and coverage
Asset Assignment
Link support contracts to specific hardware and infrastructure
Expiration Alerts
Monitor upcoming renewal dates and warranty expirations
Escalation Paths
Document support contact information and escalation procedures
Support Types
Classify your support contracts:- Warranty - Manufacturer standard warranty
- Extended Warranty - Purchased warranty extensions
- Maintenance Agreement - Regular maintenance services
- Premium Support - 24/7 support with guaranteed response times
- On-Site Support - Vendor on-site service agreements
- Depot Repair - Return-to-depot service contracts
- Software Support - Application support and updates
Creating Support Contracts
Required Information
To add a new support contract:- Name - Descriptive name for the contract
- Contract ID - Vendor’s contract reference number
- Date To - Contract expiration date (required)
- Asset Type - Data Center, Back Office, or All
Optional Details
Contract Information- Date From - Contract start date
- Support Type - Category of support
- Status - Contract status (new, active, expired)
- Description - Summary of coverage
- Contract Terms - Detailed terms and conditions
- Producer - Equipment manufacturer
- Supplier - Support service provider
- Serial Number - Equipment serial covered
- SLA Type - Service level agreement details
- Escalation Path - Contact information and escalation steps
- Price - Annual or total contract cost
- Budget Info - Cost center allocation
- Region - Geographic coverage area
The Contract ID is required and should match the vendor’s reference number. This makes it easy to reference during support calls.
Asset Assignment
Assigning Supports to Assets
Link support contracts to covered equipment:- From Support Record
- Open support contract detail page
- Click “Assets” tab
- Add assets covered by this contract
- From Asset Record
- Open asset detail page
- Click “Supports” tab
- Add applicable support contracts
Assignment Scenarios
Single Device Support- Server with vendor warranty
- Network equipment with maintenance
- Storage array with premium support
- Fleet-wide laptop warranties
- Data center hardware under single contract
- Site-wide equipment maintenance
- Base manufacturer warranty
- Extended hardware support
- Software support contract
- Premium SLA agreement
Support Status
Track the lifecycle of support contracts:- New - Recently created, not yet active
- Active - Current and in effect
- Expired - Past the end date
- Renewed - Contract has been renewed
- Cancelled - Contract terminated early
Support status is tracked separately from expiration dates. A contract might be “Active” even if approaching its end date, while “Expired” indicates it has passed the date_to.
Escalation Paths
Document support contact procedures:- Contact methods (email, phone, portal)
- Hours of availability
- Response time expectations
- Account or customer numbers
- Specific contact names
SLA Management
SLA Types
Document service level agreements:- 4-Hour Response - Critical issue response time
- Next Business Day - Standard response SLA
- 24/7 Support - Round-the-clock availability
- 99.9% Uptime - Availability guarantees
- On-Site within 4 Hours - Physical response time
SLA Tracking
Use the SLA Type field to record:- Response time commitments
- Resolution time targets
- Availability guarantees
- Coverage hours
- Parts replacement terms
Contract Terms
The Contract Terms field (text area) should include:- Covered Services - What’s included in support
- Exclusions - What’s not covered
- Coverage Hours - 24/7, business hours, etc.
- Response Times - Guaranteed response SLAs
- Parts & Labor - What’s included
- Renewal Terms - Auto-renewal or manual
- Cancellation - Notice requirements
- Payment Terms - Billing schedule
Financial Management
Cost Tracking
- Price - Total contract value
- Budget Info - Link to budget and cost center
- Region - For regional cost allocation
- Order Number - Purchase order reference
- Invoice Number - Billing reference
Reporting
Generate financial reports:- Total support costs by vendor
- Support costs by asset type
- Upcoming renewal costs
- Support cost per asset
- Year-over-year trends
Expiration Management
Monitoring Renewals
Stay ahead of expiring contracts:- Expiration Reports - Generate reports of upcoming expirations
- Filter by Date - View contracts expiring in next 30/60/90 days
- Set Reminders - Create tasks for renewal processing
- Vendor Contact - Initiate renewal discussions
Renewal Process
- Review Coverage - Assess if support is still needed
- Verify Assets - Confirm covered equipment is still in use
- Get Quote - Request renewal pricing from vendor
- Budget Approval - Secure funding for renewal
- Process Purchase - Issue PO and complete renewal
- Update Record - Update contract with new dates and terms
Integration
Assets
Support contracts integrate with asset management:- View supports from asset detail pages
- Add supports during asset deployment
- Track support history per asset
- Include in asset reports
- Link to warranty information
Transitions
Automate support tracking in workflows:- Verify support coverage during deployment
- Check warranty status before decommission
- Require support assignment for critical assets
Attachments
Attach relevant documentation:- Contract PDFs and agreements
- Service documentation
- Support call records
- SLA documentation
- Renewal quotes
Reporting
Standard Reports
Active Supports- All current support contracts
- Grouped by vendor or asset type
- Total contract values
- Contracts expiring in next 30/60/90 days
- Renewal action required
- Budget impact analysis
- Assets with active support
- Assets without support coverage
- Support costs per asset
- Support contracts by vendor
- Total spending per vendor
- Service level comparison
Custom Reports via API
Best Practices
Attach vendor contracts and service documentation to the support record. Having the full contract searchable in Ralph is invaluable when disputes arise.
Common Workflows
New Equipment Purchase
- Purchase equipment with warranty
- Create asset in Ralph
- Create support record for warranty
- Link support to asset
- Set expiration reminder
Warranty Expiration
- Report shows warranty expiring in 60 days
- Assess if extended support needed
- Request quote from vendor
- If approved, purchase extension
- Update support record with new dates
- If not approved, mark as expired
Support Incident
- Issue occurs with equipment
- Open asset in Ralph
- Check Supports tab for coverage
- Reference contract ID and escalation path
- Contact vendor using documented process
- Document incident in asset notes
Asset Decommission
- Asset marked for retirement
- Review support contracts
- Remove asset from support assignments
- Consider if support can be transferred
- Update or cancel support if only asset covered
Differences from Licenses
While similar in concept, supports differ from licenses:| Feature | Supports | Licenses |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Service contracts & warranties | Software licensing |
| Assigns to | Assets only | Assets and users |
| Quantity | No limit tracking | Tracks free/used |
| Key Field | Contract ID | Serial number/key |
| Expiration | Required date_to | Optional validity |
| Type | Support type | License type (per-user, etc.) |
Next Steps
Discover workflow automation with Workflows & Transitions