Call-offs against a framework agreement
A call-off (Abruf) is an ordinary order placed against a framework agreement. The price comes from the agreement's price list, and the quantity comes off the committed volume. This article covers both sides of that.
What the buyer sees
A contact at an account with an active agreement sees three things a normal buyer does not:
- The agreement price on the product page and in the cart, because the agreement's price list is bound to their organization and outranks your channel and default lists. No badge is needed for this; it is their price. The ordering rules are in How pricing works.
- The remaining volume, on the article and in their account area: "8,400 m of 12,000 m remaining, term ends 31.12.".
- The call-off rules, where one is about to bite — the minimum call-off, or a warning that this order would exceed the commitment.
Showing the remaining volume matters more than it looks. A buyer who can see that 3,600 metres of a 12,000-metre commitment have gone with four months left will call off more. A buyer who cannot see it discovers the shortfall in December, when neither of you can do anything about it.
Placing a call-off
For the buyer it is an ordinary checkout. Nothing special happens at the cart except the rule checks:
- The buyer adds the agreement articles to the cart, from the catalogue, a quick order or an order list.
- At checkout, the call-off rules are evaluated:
- Below the minimum call-off, the order is refused with the rule named.
- Above the maximum per call-off, likewise.
- Beyond the remaining volume, your over-call-off rule decides:
block,warnand continue, orallow at list price.
- The order is placed and the agreement's balance is decremented.
When the balance moves
This is the detail that decides whether your remaining-volume figure can be trusted, and it is a policy on the agreement:
| Decrement on | Balance reflects | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Order placed | What has been ordered | Agreements where the commitment is to order |
| Shipment | What has left your warehouse | Agreements where the commitment is to take delivery |
| Invoice | What has been billed | Agreements where the commitment is a value |
Pick one and write it into the agreement text, because a customer who thinks in deliveries and a supplier who counts orders will disagree by exactly the amount sitting in your outbound queue. Cancellations and returns give the volume back at the same point in the chain — see Returns.
pending should not decrement the balance. An order awaiting the
customer's own approval may never be placed. If unapproved requests reduce the
remaining volume, your balance drifts every time an approver says no — and it
drifts in the direction that makes you look like you delivered more than you did.Over-call-off
The customer wants 13,000 metres against a 12,000-metre commitment. Three behaviours, configured on the agreement:
block— the excess is refused. Correct where you cannot supply beyond the committed volume, and irritating everywhere else.warn— the buyer is told they are past the commitment and the order goes through at the agreement price. The friendliest option, and the most expensive: you gave a volume price for volume that was never committed.allow at list price— the order splits. The remaining committed quantity is priced from the agreement; the excess is priced from your standard chain. This is usually the commercially correct answer, and buyers accept it when they were told in advance.
The split shows on the order as two lines for the same article at two prices, which is honest and occasionally generates a phone call. It is a better phone call than the one about a surprise invoice.
Reporting
Sales › Framework agreements shows every agreement with its committed volume, its call-offs to date, the remaining volume and the days left in the term. Two columns to work from:
- Coverage — remaining volume against remaining term. An agreement four months from expiry with 70 % of its volume left is a conversation to have now, not in December.
- Call-off frequency — an agreement with no call-off in eight weeks has usually been forgotten by the buyer, or the buying contact has changed.
Feed both into your regular account review — see Customer activity.
What to check
- Place a test call-off. The order price matches the agreement list, and the remaining volume drops by exactly the ordered quantity.
- Cancel it. The volume comes back.
- Place one below the minimum call-off. It is refused with the rule named, not silently accepted.
Next
- Reading the quote pipeline — agreements and quotes in one view.
- Standing orders — when the call-offs themselves are on a schedule.