Swaps
Special processing occurs in Call Activity Recording when the call line item and the item issued to repair it are the same. This type of repair could occur in a number of scenarios, and each has different requirements related to updating the installed base.
Swaps. A swap occurs when you issue a new item to replace an existing one and return the existing one. This is similar to RMA processing. The customer returns a product, such as a defective computer monitor, and you ship them a new one. In this case, the installed base should be updated with the serial number of the new monitor.
Note: Use an exchange return status to provide credit for a swapped item, just an any other exchanged item.
Other replacements. In other scenarios, the item issued may be used to repair the existing item, rather than replacing it, or for other reasons you may need to retain the original serial number in the installed base. This might be the case, for example, if the item is on a contract.
When the component you issue is the same as the call line item, CAR issues the following warning:
Component issued is same as parent. Continue?
If you respond No, the item is not issued. If you respond Yes, a further prompt displays:
Is this component being issued as a swap?
When you respond Yes to this prompt:
• The system automatically sets the quantity returned to the quantity being issued.
• The serial number and ISB reference of the call line item are replaced with the serial number associated with the issued item.
• The installed base is updated to reflect the new serial number and reference.
When you respond No to this prompt, none of these updates are made. You can manually modify the quantity returned if you want, but the original serial number is not replaced.
Note: Normally, you cannot delete an installed base record if the item is referenced on a contract. However, in the case of a swap, this restriction does not apply. If you know the old serial number existed on a contract, you should update the contract with the new serial number, now that the item has been replaced.