Preamble
Clause 1.8.(B) of the Caliach Support Terms and Conditions explicitly excludes custom software from the normal support provided by our standard support subscription. However, customers and support staff are being expected to respond with advice and assistance that falls within the category of customisation. This document is designed to clarify what is considered customisation and what procedure is to be followed when providing support for customisation.
Definition of customisation
Customisation is any object (class, plugin, etc) or method (user modified oCustom1, etc) that does not form part of the standard documented software system as installed from a Caliach Vision Installer, modified and enhanced from time to time with the application of a ProgSyst.db maintenance update but explicitly not updated by the application of a ProgUser.db update. As a rule of thumb customisation is anything contained in a ProgUser.db file or the design of Graphs, Data Views or Sales Document Configurations.
Reason for Customisation
Caliach’s design philosophy is to provide a framework in which customisation can be carried by the Caliach team so that the system can be extended to satisfy user-specific needs as far as is possible. However, users can not expect to bolt-on functionality that is beyond the limits of the structure of the standard program. The program cannot be forced to behave contrary to the system’s core logic, so most custom functionality is limited to data reporting, analysis and presentation.
Provision of Customisation
If Caliach is asked to write some custom feature or report for a client, it can fall into any one or more of the following categories:
- Addition to core program
- Custom Reports, Features, Link windows, etc
- oCustom1 methods
- Ad Hoc Reports
- Data View Designs
- Graph Designs
If the work carried out is determined by Caliach to be an addition to the core, then that becomes subject to normal support following release of the subsequent major version and will be only lightly documented (depending on specification) and will become the responsibility of the user when delivered. Such custom features are normally provided on a time-to-build basis and are not guaranteed to be bug free or even functionally operable as this depends largely on the specification provided by the end-user. Any additional work after delivery, including bug fixing, modification, training, explanation, etc., will be considered customisation support and will be chargeable under this policy.
Customisation Support
Assistance to a customer in any form (telephone, email, fax, letter, etc) is chargeable on a time basis. Customers must understand that unlike normal support that applies to all customers, customisation support is specific only to them and therefore generally requires a greater degree of research and investigation before any response can be provided. For example, it may be needed to set up a special configuration of Vision.lbs before any question can be answered.
Customisation Support Pricing
Customisation Support is chargeable on an ‘event’ basis. An event is a phone call or a written (email, fax, letter, etc) question. Multiple questions on separate custom features should be considered as multiple events.
- Simple event minimum charge: GBP 87.50
- Extended event taking more than 30 mins to resolve: GBP 87.50 per 30 mins or part thereof
