CSM Foundational Data Model · Topic 3 of 3
Contracts and Entitlements
CIS-CSM contracts and entitlements: service contracts, contract lines, entitlement fields, units, channels, characteristics and the check on a new case.
- 5 min
- Includes a diagram
- A service contract is the agreement; contract lines store each offer bought; sold products become covered products.
- An entitlement defines the support type and the allowed channels (Email, Web, Phone, Chat).
- Entitlements can apply to a product, an asset, an account or consumer, or a contract.
What it is
A service contract is the agreement between the customer and the organization. It names the account or consumer, the covered products and the period the support is active.
An entitlement defines the type of support the customer receives and the communication channels they may use. Entitlements can sit inside a contract or stand on their own, and they can carry the SLA terms that apply to the customer's cases.
How it works
Service contracts and contract lines
The contract holds the customer, the activation period and the products it covers. Service contract lines store each service or offer that the customer purchased or owns under that contract.
Sold products that are eligible for service can be added as covered products. This connects the contract to the product data from the install base, so an agent can see whether the item on a case is under contract.
The Customer Contracts and Entitlements application manages contracts from first offer to finalization in the CSM Configurable Workspace. It handles changes, scope changes and cancellations, and tracks entitlements for contract compliance.
The entitlement record
Entitlements are created under All > Customer Service > Contracts > Entitlements, or from the Entitlements related list on the Account or Contract form. The sn_customerservice_manager role or admin can create them.
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Product | The product model the support applies to |
| Account or Consumer | The customer who is entitled |
| Contract | The service contract the entitlement belongs to |
| Asset | A specific asset of a company |
| Install Base Item and Sold Product | Available with the install base plugin, added through the form layout |
| Channel | Email, Web, Phone, Chat |
| Business hours, Start date, End date | When support applies |
| Active | Makes the entitlement selectable on new cases |
| Per unit, Unit, Total Units, Remaining Units | Counts usage in cases or hours |
Where to attach an entitlement
| Requirement | Attach to |
|---|---|
| Every contact at Acme gets phone support | The account |
| Anyone who owns Product X gets web support | The product, then the account or consumer |
| Only the assets listed in a contract are covered | The contract, with the covered assets as contract line items |
| One specific device has premium support | The asset, or the install base item or sold product |
For a product entitlement, select the product first, then the account or consumer. For an asset entitlement, select a company first; only that company's assets appear. For a contract entitlement, the entitlement applies only to the assets listed on the contract lines.
Units and usage
Entitlements are counted per unit when Per unit is checked. The Unit field is Cases or Hours, Total Units is the allowance, and Remaining Units shows what is left.
For cases, the Update case entitlement on Close business rule reduces Remaining Units when a case is closed. Hours are not deducted automatically; the customer must add a business rule that deducts the hours spent when a case is resolved.
Entitlement characteristics
In the Customer Contracts and Entitlements application, what an entitlement covers is described by characteristics. A characteristic can state only what is covered, or it can also carry a quantity whose consumption is counted.
A usage characteristic shows Total units and Used units, such as 50 site visits with Used units rising after each visit. Usage records are created when the entitlement becomes Active. Managers can create and update usage records; agents can only update the Used units field.
The entitlement check on a case
When a case is opened, an entitlement check runs. It looks at the account, product, asset and service contract on the case to find the support the customer is entitled to.
Entitlements derived from the product and contract data determine which SLA is applied. This is why the customer, product and install base data must be correct before go live.
How the exam asks about this
- "All contacts at a customer get the same support level, whatever product they call about." Create the entitlement on the account.
- "A customer has prepaid 20 support cases." Check Per unit, set Unit to Cases and Total Units to 20; the close business rule reduces Remaining Units.
- "The support plan covers only three listed servers." Use a contract entitlement with those assets as contract line items.
What to remember for the exam
- A service contract is the agreement; contract lines store each offer bought; sold products become covered products.
- An entitlement defines the support type and the allowed channels (Email, Web, Phone, Chat).
- Entitlements can apply to a product, an asset, an account or consumer, or a contract.
- Per unit enables Total Units and Remaining Units, counted in cases or hours.
- Closing a case reduces Remaining Units through the Update case entitlement on Close business rule; hours need a custom rule.
- sn_customerservice_manager or admin creates entitlements.
An entitlement can only be selected on new cases when its Active field is checked. When a case shows no entitlement, check Active and the start and end dates first.
Common mistakes
Putting every entitlement on the account. An account entitlement covers all of that customer's cases. When support depends on the product or asset, attach it there instead so the case check finds the right one.
Expecting hours to count down by themselves. Only the case unit is reduced out of box, when a case closes. Hour based entitlements need a business rule that deducts the hours spent.
Treating a contract and an entitlement as the same record. The contract is the commercial agreement and its period. The entitlement is the support promise that the case check reads.
Check yourself
Which field turns on usage counting for an entitlement?
The Per unit field. When it is checked, Total Units and Remaining Units become active and the Unit field sets cases or hours.
When does Remaining Units drop for a case based entitlement?
When a case is closed, through the Update case entitlement on Close business rule. Hours are only deducted if the customer adds a business rule.
When does the platform look for an entitlement on a case?
When the case is opened. The check uses the account, product, asset and service contract on the case.
Topic 3 of 3 in CSM Foundational Data Model
Test yourself on CSM Foundational Data Model
The full ServiceNow CIS-CSM question bank has 590 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
This study guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ServiceNow. Vendor names, certification names and exam codes are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification only.