Subscription Management (ONB08US01)

1. Problem Statement

User Role: System Admin (IT Director)

Pain Points:

• No centralized interface to view current subscription details and usage limits
• Inability to compare available plans and features to make informed upgrade decisions
• Manual process required to request subscription changes through sales representatives
• Lack of visibility into feature availability across different subscription tiers
• Difficulty in understanding pricing implications of plan changes

Core Problem: System Admins need a self-service subscription management interface to view their current plan, compare available options, and upgrade their SMART360 subscription to access additional features and capabilities without requiring manual intervention from sales teams.

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

System Admin (IT Director):

• Responsible for managing SMART360 platform administration and IT infrastructure
• Makes decisions about software subscriptions and feature access
• Needs to evaluate and approve technology investments
• Should have full access to subscription management features

3. Jobs To Be Done

For System Admin: When I need to evaluate and upgrade our SMART360 subscription to access additional features for our growing utility operations, But I have no self-service way to view our current plan details, compare available options, or understand the pricing and feature differences between tiers, Help me access a comprehensive subscription management interface that shows my current plan, allows me to compare all available options with detailed feature breakdowns, and enables me to upgrade our subscription with transparent pricing, So that I can make informed decisions about our software investment and ensure our teams have access to the capabilities they need without delays from manual sales processes.

4. Solution

Comprehensive Subscription Management Portal

Current Subscription Overview:

• Display active plan details with expiration dates
• Show current usage and limits
• Provide subscription status and renewal information

Plan Comparison Interface:

• Side-by-side comparison of Smart Billing, Smart Workforce, and Smart Utility plans
• Feature-by-feature breakdown with availability indicators
• Clear pricing display for each tier

Feature Category Organization:

• Core Billing & Customer Management capabilities
• Customer Portal & Mobile Experience features
• Operations & Workforce Management tools
• Analytics & Business Intelligence capabilities
• Integration & API Access options
• Security & Compliance features
• Support & Professional Services levels

Upgrade Management:

• Self-service plan selection and upgrade process
• Add-on package selection capabilities
• Immediate plan activation options

Billing Integration:

• Transparent pricing display
• Prorated billing calculations
• Payment method management

Administrative Controls:

• Usage monitoring and alerts
• Subscription history tracking
• Team access management

Support Resources:

• Feature documentation links
• Implementation guidance
• Professional services options

5. Major Steps Involved

System Admin Subscription Management Flow:

1. Access Subscription Portal
   • Navigate to Dashboard → Subscription
   • View "Manage Your Subscription" interface
   • Review current Smart360 trial status and expiration
2. Evaluate Current Plan
   • Review current plan details (Smart360 Trial)
   • Check expiration date (December 14, 2024)
   • Assess current usage against limits
3. Compare Available Plans
   • View "Choose Your Subscription Plan" section
   • Compare Smart Billing ($15,000), Smart Workforce ($45,000), Smart Utility ($45,000)
   • Review "Save up to 17% with yearly billing" option
4. Analyze Feature Differences
   • Scroll through "Comprehensive Plan Features Comparison"
   • Review feature categories: Core Billing, Customer Portal, Operations, Analytics, etc.
   • Identify required features for utility needs
5. Select Target Plan
   • Choose appropriate plan based on feature requirements
   • Click "Contact Sales" or direct upgrade option
   • Consider add-on packages if needed
6. Review Add-On Options
   • Evaluate Self Service Add-Ons
   • Consider Professional Services Add-Ons
   • Review Training & Support Add-Ons
   • Assess Usage-Based Add-Ons
7. Complete Upgrade Process
   • Confirm plan selection
   • Review pricing and billing terms
   • Process payment or approval workflow
   • Receive confirmation of plan activation

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

Subscription overview

• User can view the current subscription overview for trial and current plan
• For trial display the start and end date and number of days remaining for trial end
  • Content for trail - Your Smart360 Trial
    Your trial started on October 15, 2023 and will end on November 14, 2023. 0 days remaining. Please select a subscription below to continue using Smart360 after your trial period.
  • Content for current plan - Active Subscription
    You have an active subscription to Smart Billing. Activated on: July 14, 2025

Monthly billing (Hardcode data)

Smart Billing

Price per Meter

$1.75/month

up to 10,000 meters

Monthly Cost (Example)

$17,500.00/month

Based on 10,000 meters @ $1.75/meter

Key Features

• Basic customer profiles & billing
• Standard AMI/AMR data collection
• Email support (business hours)
• 2 years data storage

Smart Workforce

Price per Meter

$1.60/month

up to 30,000 meters

Monthly Cost (Example)

$48,000.00/month

Based on 30,000 meters @ $1.60/meter

Key Features

• Service order management
• Field force mobile app
• Phone + email support
• 5 years data storage

Smart Utility

Price per Meter

$1.40/month

30,000+ meters

Monthly Cost (Example)

$42,000.00/month

Based on 30,000 meters @ $1.40/meter

Key Features

• Multi-utility platform support
• AI-powered predictive analytics
• 24/7 premium support
• Unlimited data storage

Yearly Billing (Hardcode data)

• Only price per meter and annual cost will change

Smart Billing

Price per Meter

$1.50/month

up to 10,000 meters

Annual Cost (Example)

$180,000.00/year

Based on 10,000 meters @ $1.50/meter

Smart Workforce

Price per Meter

$1.35/month

up to 30,000 meters

Annual Cost (Example)

$486,000.00/year

Based on 30,000 meters @ $1.35/meter

Smart Utility

Price per Meter

$1.15/month

30,000+ meters

Annual Cost (Example)

$414,000.00/year

Based on 30,000 meters @ $1.15/meter

Add on Packages

• Add on's should be of 5 below types
  1. Self service
  2. Professional service
  3. Traning and support
  4. Usage based
  5. AI - based
• Refer the wire frame for content
• add a Contact sales button
• Each Addon should be same asper the context given in the wireframe

Contact Sales Button

• On clicking on the button show the message "Ready to discuss the Smart Utility plan? Our sales team will reach out to you within 24 hours to help you get started with enterprise-grade features and custom pricing.".
• A ticket should be raised in the Odin with the below details
  • Title should be as per below criteria
    • Smart billing - Smart billing Requested
    • Smart Workforce - Smart Workforce requested
    • Smart Utility - Smart Utility requested
    • Addon's - (Addon category) - (Addon name) Inquiry
  • Customer - the customer name who has requested, match with odin account
  • Issue type - Subscription
  • Customer Priority - High
  • Group - CSM
  • Priority - High

Track Request

• User can view a modal withe the below details
  • Request name - from Odin - title
  • Requeted by - user name of the requested user with requet date. Eg : Requeted by : Harsh Jha on 2025/06/19
  • Track request button - redirect to the odin with the specific request.

8. Sample Data

Current Subscription:

Plan: Smart360 Trial
Start Date: October 15, 2024
Expiration: December 14, 2024
Users: 25 active users
Monthly Usage: 15,000 transactions
Status: Active (Trial)

Available Plans:

Smart Billing: $15,000/year
- 50 users included
- Core billing features
- Basic customer management
- Email support

Smart Workforce: $45,000/year  
- 150 users included
- Full workforce management
- Advanced analytics
- Phone & email support

Smart Utility: $45,000/year
- Unlimited users
- Complete utility management
- Enterprise analytics
- 24/7 premium support

Add-On Packages:

Professional Services: $5,000-$25,000
Training & Support: $2,000-$8,000  
Usage-Based Features: $500-$3,000/month
AI-Based Analytics: $10,000/year

9. Acceptance Criteria

1. The system must display current subscription plan details including name, pricing, and expiration date
2. The system must show a clear comparison of all available subscription tiers with pricing
3. The system must provide detailed feature comparison across all plan categories
4. The system must highlight feature availability with clear indicators (included, not included, advanced)
5. The system must display yearly billing savings percentage (17%) prominently
6. The system must allow users to select and compare different billing cycles (monthly vs yearly)
7. The system must provide access to add-on package selection with clear pricing
8. The system must show comprehensive feature categories including Core Billing, Customer Portal, Operations, Analytics, Integration, and Security
9. The system must enable direct plan upgrade selection through "Contact Sales" or self-service options
10. The system must display current trial status with clear expiration warnings
11. The system must provide feature-level details for each subscription tier
12. The system must show support levels included with each plan
13. The system must display integration capabilities by plan tier
14. The system must provide clear navigation between plan comparison and add-on selection
15. The system must maintain consistent pricing display format across all plans
16. The system must show user limits and usage allocations for each plan
17. The system must provide access to detailed feature documentation
18. The system must enable plan selection confirmation before processing
19. The system must display total cost calculations including base plan and add-ons
20. The system must provide immediate plan activation confirmation upon successful upgrade

10. Process Changes

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

12. User Behavior Tracking

System Admin Tracking Plan

Key Questions These Events Answer:

• Which subscription features are most compelling to System Admins?
• What is the typical evaluation time before upgrade decisions?
• How do pricing options influence plan selection?
• Which add-on packages are most popular with different plan tiers?
• What causes users to abandon the subscription upgrade process?
• How effective is the self-service model compared to sales-assisted upgrades?
• Which feature categories drive the highest upgrade conversion rates?

13. Wireframe

https://preview--subscrib-guru-phase1-91.lovable.app/subscriptions

14. Technical Suggestions

zammad open integration keys for putting tickets from application

Using API Keys to Create Tickets in Zammad

Zammad provides a REST API that enables external applications to interact with the Zammad system, including creating tickets. API key authentication is a convenient way to integrate external applications with Zammad. Here's a summary of the process: 

1. Enable API Token Access

First, you need to enable API Token Access within your Zammad instance: 

• Go to Settings > System > API. 

2. Create an API Key

Next, you need to create a dedicated API key with the necessary permissions: 

• Go to your Profile (bottom left corner) > Token Access > Create.
• Specify the required permissions for the key. For creating tickets, you'll need at least ticket.agent permissions.
• Copy the generated API key for later use. 

3. Use the API Key in your Application

Now you can use the API key in your external application to create tickets in Zammad. You'll typically send a POST request to the Zammad API endpoint for tickets, including the API key in the authorization header and the ticket details in JSON format. 

bash

curl -X POST "YOUR-ZAMMAD-URL/api/v1/tickets" \
-H "Authorization: Token token=YOUR-API-KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
    "title": "My New Ticket",
    "group_id": 5, 
    "customer": { "email": "customer@example.com", "firstname": "John", "lastname": "Doe" }, 
    "state": "new", 
    "priority": "2", 
    "article": {
        "subject": "Issue from external app",
        "body": "This ticket was created from our application using the API key.",
        "type": "note",
        "internal": false
    }
}'

Use code with caution.

Note:

• Replace "YOUR-ZAMMAD-URL" with the actual URL of your Zammad installation and "YOUR-API-KEY" with the API key you generated.
• Adjust the ticket details (title, group, customer, state, priority, etc.) to match your specific requirements.
• Remember to set Content-Type: application/json in your request header. 

Important considerations

• Permissions: Ensure the API key has the necessary permissions (e.g., ticket.agent) to create tickets.
• Security: Use strong API keys and manage them securely within your application.
• Rate Limits: Be mindful of API rate limits to avoid disruptions.
• Error Handling: Implement error handling in your application to gracefully manage failed API requests. 

For more advanced use cases, like creating tickets on behalf of other users, refer to the Zammad documentation.