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Uplink Services

This document outlines how Uplink Services work and the intended workflow of a service.

Table of Contents - Uplink Services - 1. Starting a Service from Fresh - 1.1 From the 'Create Service' Page - 1.1.1 Creating a Service - 1.1.2 Adding Service Items to a Service (After a Service has been created) - 1.2 From the 'Order Detail' Page - 1.2.1 Add a Service Item (Group) to the Order - Operational Guidelines and Fixes - A. Services Without an Attached Order (Warning \& Workflow) - B. Filtering Orders With Service-Only Lines (Reduce List Clutter) - C. Error Handling When Adding Service Items Without Selecting a Plan - D. SIM Services: Product Instance Link vs. Physical SIM Swap - Quick Reference

1. Starting a Service from Fresh

If someone is starting a service from fresh, there are 3 ways that this can be done depending on which method makes the most sense for the user.

  1. From the 'Create Service' page.
  2. From the 'Order Detail' page.
  3. When adding a pre-configured product instance e.g. a Netmore config gateway with a SIM card.

1.1 From the 'Create Service' Page

1.1.1 Creating a Service

  1. Click the '+Create Service' Button

  2. You'll be promted to add in the details for the contact that you want to create a service for:

a. Type in the contact name or company in the 'Search for a Contact' box.

b. Click on the desired contact in the list.

c. If the contact details have been pre-filled properly, you should see them populate the fields in the 'Billing Details' section below.

d. Choose the appropriate address from the 'Choose Address' dropdown and the appropriate person from the 'Choose Person' Dropdown. E.g. 'Invoice address' and 'Money Keeper'.

e. If none of the contact details, address details or person details are available, these can be added my searching a pre-existing contact or creating a new contact by going to the 'Contacts' list.

f. Consider whether or not to select 'Always use default contact invoice details for billing'. If, for example, a service was to renew in the future, it would automatically use the default contact invoice/billing information for that charge. Please note that it won't use the billing details that have been set here as they may have changed between service renewals. This is especially a consideration if a service is only renewed once a year.

  1. Now that you've selected the appropriate contact, contact address and contact person, please ensure the correct 'Source Business*' is selected. You can choose from Sensational Systems Ltd. (UK) or Sensational Systems Europe (EU). If unsure, e.g. if it's a US order or an order going to the EU but being supplied by SSL (UK), check before setting up the service.

  2. The next thing to select is the 'Service Type*'. For example, if you're offering a SIM service, then please select 'SIM' from the drop down.

  3. The 'Service Name' field is just an internal, useful name for the Service. So you could write something like 'Morag McDougall | SIM service for Netmore Gateway'. It's nothing too long, but just something to give a wee bit of context.

  4. Once the Contact (and contact address + person), Source Business and Service Type have been selected, along with a handy Service Name, we're ready to 'Select a Service Plan*'.

a. Click on the 'Select a plan' drop down.

b. This will show a list of available plans filtered by the 'Service Type' that has been selected above. If you don't see any service plans, or the right plan, then it may not be created, or you may have selected the wrong service type. If the service plan you are after hasn't been created, then one will have to be created first before seelcting it. This is currently done through the Django Admin.

c. Once a plan has been selected, the Start Date, End Date, Fixed Rate + Currency and Volume Rate + Data will automatically be populated (if they have been properly populated in the service plan). However, you can make edits if needed. If edits are needed, they should be within the plan that has been selected. For example, if the details are being changed to suit the characteristics of a different plan, then consider using that one instead.

  1. Next, you can fill in a 'Service Description'. This is similar to the service name but can include more information. For example, 'Morag McDougall | SIM service for Netmore Gateway. SIMCEL0001 SIMs on yearly rolling contract'. This isn't essential to fill in but, again, gives some quick additonal context.

  2. Finally, there is the 'Service Notes' that can be filled in. This is for notes on the service in general, which could be something like 'Is on a yearly plan, but needs to be notified 3 months before plan is renewed. There is an alert set up on Uplink for this as well as in the calendar'. This lets colleagues know about potential admin or other requirements specific to this service/client.

  3. Now, you're ready to finalise creating the service! Just hit the button at the bottom right of the page to finalise the creation of the service.

  4. After a Service has been created, you can now add Service Items. For this, please continue following the steps below.

1.1.2 Adding Service Items to a Service (After a Service has been created)

1.2 From the 'Order Detail' Page

The second way to create a service from scratch, is to do it through the Order Detail page. This requires an order to already have been created. Once an order has been created, go to the Order Detail page and then follow the steps below.

1.2.1 Add a Service Item (Group) to the Order

A Service Item Group is equivalent to an Order Item (from a databse point of view). The reason that the Service Items are Grouped at this level, as there can be multiple of the same product, on the same plan, but at different prices. In this case, two different services would need to be created. The beginning and end dates could also be different on these services. This would also create two different lines on an invoice when this order is shipped. Upon creation of these Service Item groups/Order Item lines, it creates a service based off of each individual group.

Operational Guidelines and Fixes

A. Services Without an Attached Order (Warning & Workflow)

  • Policy: Every service must be associated with an order to ensure billing, auditability, and renewal tracking.
  • What to check:
  • On the Service Detail page, confirm an Order reference is present.
  • If missing, add an order immediately or link the service to the originating order.
  • Recommended workflow:
  • From Orders → create or locate the relevant order.
  • Add the appropriate Service Item Group (see 1.2.1) so the service is created via the order path.
  • Link any existing service to this order (if the service was created standalone).
  • Guidance: If a service is genuinely pre-sales or internal, add a temporary internal order to capture the relationship; convert later when finalized.

B. Filtering Orders With Service-Only Lines (Reduce List Clutter)

  • Goal: Hide or de-emphasize orders that contain only service renewal lines (no physical kit) when reviewing daily operations.
  • Suggested filters and views:
  • Use an "Operational Orders" list view that excludes orders with only service items.
  • When searching orders, filter by has_physical_items = true or by product type category (e.g., exclude Service type-only orders).
  • For reporting, add a separate "Renewals" view that contains service-only orders, so they’re still tracked but not in the main picking/shipping workflow.
  • Practical steps:
  • Add or use existing filters in the Orders UI: status, item type, and date ranges.
  • Document team usage: daily picking uses "Operational Orders"; finance uses "Renewals".

C. Error Handling When Adding Service Items Without Selecting a Plan

  • Requirement: A service item must have a selected plan before it can be added to an order.
  • User prompts:
  • If "Add Service Item" is clicked without a plan selected, show a clear error message: "Please select a Service Plan before adding a Service Item."
  • Highlight the Plan selector field and provide a link to "Create Service Plan" (admin) if none exist for the chosen service type.
  • Preventive guidance:
  • Always choose Service Type first to filter available plans correctly.
  • If no plans appear, verify the correct Service Type or create/configure the missing plan.
  • Validation behavior:
  • Disable the "Add Service Item" button until a plan is selected.
  • Display inline validation near the plan field when attempting to proceed without one.
  • Concept: The service (data plan) and the physical SIM are related but may change independently.
  • Best practice:
  • Maintain the service instance continuity while allowing physical SIM replacement.
  • When swapping the physical SIM, link the new SIM product instance to the existing service.
  • Keep audit notes on the service for any SIM swaps (date, reason, who performed it).
  • Workflow tip:
  • Adding multiple service instances in a group should automatically add matching physical SIM order items when appropriate, ensuring instances can be linked normally.

Quick Reference

  • Always attach services to an order; use a temporary internal order if needed.
  • Use dedicated views/filters to separate service-only renewals from operational orders.
  • Enforce plan selection before adding service items; provide clear validation and guidance.
  • Treat SIM service continuity separately from the physical SIM; link and audit swaps.