Overview
This feature enables users to modify existing subscription plans instead of cancelling the existing subscription plan and creating a new plan from scratch. This can be achieved in two primary ways:
- Directly on a subscription plan in the Subscription Cockpit
- Using a Sales Order which is linked to an existing subscription plan.
Sales Orders that make contract changes can be create:
- directly in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- created in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales and synched to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central using the Bluefort BC Dataverse Integrator
- created and invoiced using the Bluefort Contract Copilot Agent which extends the Microsoft Sales Order Copilot Agent.
It supports:
- Adding new subscription lines to an existing plan
- Replacing an existing plan line with a new one
- Optionally crediting the replaced plan line from a defined date
- Automatic validation, action generation, and posting during order processing
The functionality ensures billing accuracy, auditability, and operational efficiency when customers request mid-term contract changes.
Business Value
Operational Efficiency
- Eliminates the need to cancel and recreate subscription plans for mid-term changes.
- Reduces manual corrections in billing and subscription data.
Billing Accuracy
- Automated validations prevent double billing or missed credits.
- Ensures clean alignment between contract terms, billing cycles, and invoices.
Improved Customer Experience
- Supports seamless upgrades, downgrades, and contract amendments.
- Ensure that the user experience to process contract changes is easy and seamless leading to a happier system user serving and a happier customer being served.
- Enables fair and transparent crediting for replaced subscription services.
Auditability and Control
- All actions are automatically linked to the originating Sales Order.
- Clear traceability between contract changes, billing actions, and financial postings.
Scalability
- Enables standardized handling of contract changes as subscription volumes grow.
- Reduces dependency on manual intervention by finance or IT teams.
Intended Users
- Sales Operations
- Subscription Administrators
- Finance / Billing Teams
- Order Management Users
Prerequisites
Before using this feature:
- The customer must already have at least one Subscription Plan.
- The Subscription Plan must be in Active or Draft status.
- Subscription Plan Lines to be replaced must be Enabled.
- The Sales Order must have a Bill-to Customer No. assigned.
Key Fields and Their Purpose
Sales Order Header
Add to Existing Plan
- Allows selection of an existing Subscription Plan for the customer.
- Displays only Active or Draft plans belonging to the Bill-to Customer.
- When populated, the system will not create a new subscription plan upon posting.
When to use:
Select this field whenever the Sales Order represents a change to an existing contract rather than a new subscription.
Sales Order Lines
Replace Plan Line
- Used to indicate that a Sales Line is replacing an existing Subscription Plan Line.
- Available only after Add to Existing Plan is filled in.
- Shows only enabled plan lines from the selected plan.
- The same plan line cannot be selected more than once in the same order.
When to use:
Choose this field when an existing subscription component needs to be changed (e.g., upgraded service, pricing change).
Credit Existing Plan Line
- Boolean field.
- When enabled, the system creates a credit note for the replaced plan line.
- The credit is calculated from the Subscription From Date on the Sales Line.
When to use:
Enable this option when the customer is entitled to a refund or credit for unused subscription periods.
Subscription From Date
- Defines when the new or replacement subscription becomes effective.
- If Replace Plan Line is filled, the date is validated to ensure:
- It does not overlap with already billed periods.
- It falls within the Global Start and End Date of the subscription plan.
Validation Rules (What the System Enforces)
The system automatically performs the following checks:
- Prevents overlap with already invoiced billing cycles.
- Ensures dates are within the plan’s allowed date range.
- Prevents the same plan line from being replaced multiple times in one order.
- Re-validates all conditions again just before posting to avoid conflicts caused by parallel processing or interim billing.
- Confirms that the selected plan line to be replaced is still enabled.
If any validation fails, posting is stopped with a clear error message.
Posting Behavior (What Happens When You Post)
When a Sales Order with Add to Existing Plan is posted:
Subscription Plan Handling
- No new subscription plan is created.
- New plan lines are added to the selected existing plan.
- Replaced plan lines are automatically disabled.
Subscription Actions
- The Subscription Processor runs automatically.
- Actions are generated starting from the Subscription From Date.
- Actions may apply to:
- Existing plan lines
- Newly created plan lines
- All generated actions are:
- Automatically firmed
- Linked to the Sales Order
- Posted where applicable
Credit Handling
- If Credit Existing Plan Line is enabled:
- A credit note is generated using standard credit logic.
- Credit starts from the Sales Line’s Subscription From Date.
Common User Scenarios
Scenario 1: Add a New Service to an Existing Contract
- Fill Add to Existing Plan
- Leave Replace Plan Line empty
- Enter Subscription From Date
- Post Order → New plan line added, existing lines unchanged
Scenario 2: Replace an Existing Subscription Component
- Fill Add to Existing Plan
- Select a line in Replace Plan Line
- Enter Subscription From Date
- Optionally enable Credit Existing Plan Line
- Post Order → Old line disabled, new line created, actions regenerated
Scenario 3: Prevent Billing Errors
- If a date overlaps with already billed periods, posting is blocked
- User must adjust dates before proceeding
Summary
This feature provides a controlled, auditable, and efficient way to manage subscription contract changes directly from Sales Orders. By enforcing validations and automating downstream subscription actions, it significantly reduces operational risk while improving customer satisfaction and internal productivity.