If your company sells to big customers, you know contract pricing is where the rubber meets the road. The sticker price is just a starting point; every deal has its own wrinkles, exceptions, and promises. Getting this right in your pricing system isn’t glamorous, but it’s essential. If you’re using Vistaar to manage contract pricing, this guide is for you—no fluff, just what you need to set it up and keep it running without headaches.
1. Get Clear on What You’re Trying to Do
Before you log into anything, take a minute and figure out exactly what you’re managing. Contract pricing isn’t just a “discount.” It’s a mix of:
- Specific prices by product or group for a customer or segment
- Start and end dates (because nothing lasts forever)
- Volume thresholds or special terms
- Sometimes exceptions to rules you didn’t know existed
Pro tip: Write down the most common contract pricing scenarios you actually see. Don’t try to boil the ocean; start with the 2-3 types that make up 80% of your deals.
2. Prep Your Data (Don’t Skip This)
Vistaar is only as good as the data you feed it. Garbage in, garbage out. Here’s what you’ll need ready, ideally in a spreadsheet or database export:
- Customer IDs — match what’s in Vistaar
- Product IDs/SKUs — again, must match Vistaar’s records
- Contracted price — per unit, per case, whatever your business uses
- Start and end dates
- Any tiered pricing info — e.g., $X for first 100 units, $Y after
Make sure the data is clean. If you’re not sure, VLOOKUP is your friend. If you use different systems for CRM and pricing, get someone who knows both to spot-check a few records.
3. Set Up Contract Pricing in Vistaar
Now, log into Vistaar. (If you don’t have permissions, stop here and find your admin. Don’t try to “wing it” with a workaround account.)
a. Navigate to the Contract Pricing Module
- Look for something like “Contract Management,” “Customer Pricing,” or “Agreements.” Vistaar’s menu names can be a little opaque, but they’re usually close to that.
- If your company has custom modules, use your cheat sheet or ask your internal Vistaar lead.
b. Create a New Contract (or Edit an Existing One)
- Click “Create Contract” or “Add Agreement.” If you’re editing, search by customer name or ID.
- Fill in the basics: Customer, effective dates, and any reference numbers.
c. Add Products and Prices
- There’ll be a section or tab for “Products,” “Items,” or “SKUs.”
- Add each product, enter the contract price, and—if needed—set up any tiered or volume pricing.
- Double-check units of measure. Mixing cases and eaches is a classic gotcha.
d. Attach Documentation (if needed)
- If your legal or sales team wants the signed contract uploaded, add it here.
- Don’t rely on just notes or comments; attach the PDF if Vistaar supports it.
e. Set Approval Workflows (if required)
- Some companies require manager or legal approval before pricing goes live.
- Set the right approvers. If your workflow is a mess, flag it now—don’t wait until a customer’s order is stuck in limbo.
f. Save and Activate
- Hit “Save” or “Activate.” If you’re not ready for it to go live, save as draft.
What works: Vistaar is good at tracking different prices for different customers, especially if your product catalog is a mess.
What doesn’t: The UI isn’t winning design awards. Expect to click around a bit, especially if your contracts are complicated.
4. Test Before You Go Live
This is the step most people skip—and regret.
- Pull up a test order for the customer. Enter products and quantities you just set up.
- Make sure the contract prices actually pull through.
- Test edge cases: products not on contract, expired contracts, or orders above/below volume tiers.
If something’s off, check:
- Did you use the right customer or product IDs?
- Are the start/end dates correct?
- Is there another contract (maybe older) that’s overriding your new prices?
Fix issues now. It’s much easier than explaining to a VP why an order got mispriced.
5. Managing Ongoing Changes
Contract pricing isn’t “set it and forget it.” Here’s what usually comes up:
a. Renewals and Expirations
- Set reminders for upcoming contract expirations. Vistaar can send alerts, but plenty of teams also use spreadsheets or calendar reminders—do whatever actually works in your world.
- Update prices, dates, and terms as needed. Don’t just copy-paste old contracts.
b. Amendments and Exceptions
- If a customer negotiates a new price mid-contract, create an amendment record. Don’t just overwrite the old price—you’ll lose your audit trail.
- For one-off “make goods” or credits, check if your company has a process. Vistaar supports notes and attachments, but your finance team might want more.
c. Clean-Up
- Once a quarter (or at least annually), review contracts for expired or unused agreements. Stale contracts can mess with reporting and compliance.
What works: Vistaar’s audit trails are decent. You can usually see who changed what, and when.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with every bell and whistle. If your team isn’t using advanced analytics today, focus on getting the basics right.
6. Reporting and Auditing
You’ll need to answer questions like “Who has special pricing?” or “What’s expiring soon?” Vistaar has built-in reports, but they’re only as good as your data.
- Use contract status, customer, and product filters.
- Export to Excel or CSV if you need to slice and dice further.
- For audits, pull the contract history to show changes over time.
If your reports look off, check for duplicate contracts, mismatched IDs, or inactive agreements that should be closed out.
7. Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Mismatch between systems: If your CRM and Vistaar don’t sync, someone’s going to get burned. Align on IDs and naming conventions.
- Forgetting to expire contracts: Old prices hanging around cause chaos. Set a process to review regularly.
- Ignoring volume tiers: If you set up thresholds wrong, you’ll either overcharge your best customers or leave money on the table.
- Too many cooks: If everyone can edit contracts, you’ll lose track of what’s official. Set clear permissions.
- Not testing changes: Always run a test order. Surprises are fun at parties, not in pricing.
8. When to Call for Help
Sometimes you just hit a wall. Here’s when it’s worth escalating:
- You’re seeing the wrong price and can’t figure out why (especially if it’s only for certain customers or products).
- Integration issues—orders aren’t pulling the new prices, or data isn’t syncing.
- The approval workflow is stuck and you’re on deadline.
- You’re not sure if an “override” is the right move. (Hint: It rarely is. Fix the root cause.)
Vistaar has documentation, but your best bet is usually your internal admin or the team that set it up. Vendor support is a last resort, but don’t be shy if you’re truly stuck.
Setting up contract pricing in Vistaar isn’t rocket science, but it rewards folks who keep things organized and don’t overcomplicate. Start with your real-world scenarios, keep your data clean, and always test before you go live. Most importantly, don’t try to automate everything on day one. Get the basics working, and iterate as you learn what actually matters to your business. That’s how you avoid headaches—and angry emails from Sales.