Entitlement templates for products and assets
Key Takeaway
Attach an entitlement template to a product. Each new asset linked to that product then automatically gets an entitlement with the template's support terms, so nobody has to create that entitlement by hand for each purchase.
An entitlement is a unit of customer support, such as phone support or web support. Entitlements usually represent the terms in a warranty or SLA. An entitlement template is a predefined set of those support terms, such as 90 days of phone support. You define the terms once in the template and attach the template to a product. When a user creates an asset linked to that product, the asset gets an entitlement built from the template. Reps then don't have to create the same entitlement by hand for every customer who buys the product.
Templates, products and assets
Templates and entitlements live on different records. An entitlement template is linked to a product, such as a Copier 500 product. The entitlement created from the template is linked to an asset.
When a user creates an asset and links it to a product that has a template, an entitlement with the same settings as the template appears in the "Entitlements" related list on the asset. A rep handling a call about that asset can see right away what support the customer is entitled to.
Because the entitlement shows up on the asset, not the product, add the Entitlements related list to the asset page layout so reps can see it. Add the Entitlements related list to the account page layout too.
Use templates when a product comes with the same support terms no matter who buys it.
Your company sells the Copier 500, and each Copier 500 comes with 180 days of web support. You create a template named Web Support, set "Term (Days)" to 180 and set "Type" to Web. Then you attach the template to the Copier 500 product. Next week, Bayview Dental buys a Copier 500. A user creates an asset for that copier and links the asset to the Copier 500 product. A Web Support entitlement with the template's settings appears in the Entitlements related list on the asset. When Bayview Dental calls about a paper jam, the rep opens the asset and sees right away that the office has web support. Nobody had to build that entitlement by hand.