What a Business Central support contract covers and leaves out
A Business Central support contract is the written agreement that says who answers when something goes wrong and what is included. Ours sets out scope, priority levels and update testing. It says how you request changes and how either side can end it. We write it in language a controller can read without a lawyer. Sataware answers pricing questions on a call.
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What a Business Central support contract covers
The scope section lists what we support. That means the Business Central environments, named extensions, integrations and reports. It also states what is outside. Examples are third-party add-ons with their own vendor support, hardware and the network at your premises. A clear list is the most useful page in the agreement.
Being precise here prevents arguments later. When a label printer stops working, the contract should already say whose job it is. It may be ours, the add-on publisher's or your own IT team's. We write the boundary down for each connected system by name. The same goes for every integration.
Ask what a contract covers →
- ✓Production and sandbox environments
- ✓Named extensions
- ✓Listed integrations
- ✓Custom reports and layouts
- ✓User and permission changes
Business Central support contract priority levels and issue handling
Not every ticket is equal. The contract defines priority levels by business impact. One level is a process that has stopped for everyone. Another is a process that is impaired but has a workaround. The last is a question or cosmetic issue. The contract states how each level is handled during US business hours.
You decide the priority when you raise a ticket, and we can discuss it if it looks wrong. Every ticket has an owner and a visible status. If an issue turns out to be a Microsoft product defect, we raise it with Microsoft. We also track it on your behalf.
Discuss priority levels →- ✓Impact-based priority levels
- ✓Named owner per ticket
- ✓Visible ticket status
- ✓Escalation to Microsoft
- ✓Root cause notes
Update testing in a Business Central support contract
Microsoft updates Business Central online on a schedule. A support contract should say who tests your extensions and key processes before each major release reaches production. It should also say who fixes what the test finds. If it is silent on that, assume nobody does. Ask the question before you sign.
Ours names the processes to run in a preview sandbox. It names the extensions to compile against the new version. It also says how we choose the production update window. We send the outcome to your system owner in writing before the update date. Nothing about an update should come as a surprise.
Cover your next release →- ✓Preview sandbox created
- ✓Extensions compiled and tested
- ✓Agreed processes run
- ✓Written test outcome
- ✓Update window confirmed
Business Central support contract: changes and small requests
Support and change are different things, and a contract should treat them differently. Fixing a posting error is support. Adding a field to the sales order is a change. The contract states which small changes support covers and routes larger ones through a written estimate.
So we define where that line sits, with examples on each side. We scope and approve larger pieces of work separately. That way the support agreement never turns into an open-ended project without anyone deciding it should. Both sides can see the change log at any time.
Talk about change requests →- ✓Support against change
- ✓Small changes named
- ✓Estimate before larger work
- ✓Approval by your owner
- ✓Change log both sides see
Onboarding, term and exit
A new contract starts with onboarding. We document your setup, extensions, integrations and open issues. Then we agree on contacts for both sides. For a system another firm built, this step is a short health check. So we are not learning it during your first urgent ticket.
The exit terms matter as much as the start. A contract should state that you leave with your source code, documentation and ticket history, and it should give the notice period. Ours puts both in writing. A contract you can leave is one you can trust.
Ask about exit terms →- ✓Extension source code
- ✓Setup documentation
- ✓Ticket history export
- ✓Admin access to environments
- ✓Clear notice terms
Business Central support contract questions
Is a support contract the same as Microsoft support?
No. Microsoft supports the product through its partners, and end customers normally raise issues with their partner first. A support contract covers your configuration, extensions, integrations and user questions. The partner escalates true product defects to Microsoft for you.
Can we move our support contract from another partner to you?
Yes. Changing the partner on a Business Central online tenant is an administrative step in Microsoft's partner systems. Your data and environments stay in place. We then run an onboarding check of the setup before taking tickets.
What are your support hours?
Our help desk works during US business hours, Monday to Friday. The contract states the hours, how to raise an urgent issue and how each priority level is handled. Cover outside those hours applies only when it is separately agreed in writing.
What does a support contract cost?
It depends on the number of users, extensions and integrations, and on how much change work you expect. We do not publish figures. Sataware answers pricing questions on a call. After a look at your system, ask for a scoped proposal you can compare with others.
Are third-party add-ons included?
We handle first-line questions about add-ons and work with the publisher when a fault lies in their product. The publisher remains responsible for fixing its own code. The contract lists each add-on and states who supports it. So nothing falls between two parties. That is what a good Business Central support contract does.
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