Why Phases exist
In many B2B deals, the commercial commitment isn’t uniform across the contract term. Common scenarios include:- Ramp deals — pricing or quantity increases over time (e.g., 50 seats in Year 1, 100 seats in Year 2)
- Step-up pricing — the per-unit rate changes at defined intervals
- Phased rollouts — different products activate at different points in the term
- Promotional periods — discounted pricing for an initial period that reverts to standard rates
How Phases work
Structure
Phases are strictly sequential and non-overlapping. Together they cover the full duration of the commercial commitment from start to end. There are no gaps between Phases and no periods where two Phases overlap. Each Phase defines:| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Start date | When this commitment interval begins. |
| End date | When this commitment interval ends. The next Phase (if any) starts the following day. |
| Duration | The length of the interval (derived from start and end dates). |
Quote Lines belong to Phases
Quote Lines are always associated with a specific Phase. They do not independently define their own service dates — instead, they inherit the date boundaries of the Phase they belong to. This ensures that all product-level commitments are explicitly bounded and structurally ordered before the quote is promoted. A single Phase can contain multiple Quote Lines (different products), and the same product can appear across multiple Phases (with different pricing or quantities in each).Common patterns
Single Phase (simple deal)
A straightforward 12-month or 24-month deal with uniform pricing across the entire term.Multi-year ramp
Pricing or quantity increases at defined annual intervals. Each year is a separate Phase with its own line item configuration.Step-up pricing
The quantity stays the same, but the per-unit rate changes at defined intervals. Common for deals that offer a promotional rate for the first period.Phased product rollout
Different products activate at different points during the contract.Building Phases in the Calculator
When you open a Pricing Option in the Veles Calculator, the Phase structure is managed at the top of the builder alongside the deal’s start date, end date, and term length. For a single-Phase deal, the default configuration is all you need — one Phase covering the full term. To add additional Phases:- Configure the overall deal term (e.g., 3 years).
- Add a Phase for each commitment interval. Set the start and end dates for each.
- Within each Phase, add the products and configure quantities, pricing, and discounts specific to that interval.
Phases through the deal lifecycle
The Phase structure isn’t just a quoting convenience — it carries through the entire deal lifecycle with structural parity at every layer.At promotion (Quote → Order)
When a Quote is promoted, each Quote Phase becomes an Order Phase with the same service boundaries, and each Quote Line becomes an Order Line associated with the corresponding Order Phase. At this point, the commitment schedule is no longer a modeling construct. The start and end dates become binding execution intervals embedded in the Order. Pricing ceases to be dynamic and becomes authoritative.At activation (Order → Contract)
When the Order is activated, each Order Phase produces a Contract Phase, and each Order Line produces a Contract Line. The Contract now contains the full commitment schedule as durable commercial state.In amendments
When an amendment Quote references an existing Contract, the amendment can introduce new Phases or modify future Phases without affecting executed ones. Existing Phase segments remain intact — only future commitment windows are affected. For example, if a customer on a 3-year ramp wants to add seats starting in Year 2, the amendment creates new or modified Quote Lines in the Year 2 and Year 3 Phases. The Year 1 Phase (already executed) is untouched. See Contract Management for details on how amendments interact with the Contract.What’s next
Pricing Options
Build options with products, discounting, and approval workflows.
Quote Overview
Understand the full quote structure: blocks, publishing, and promotion.
Contract Management
How Phases carry through to Contracts and are affected by amendments.
Proration Logic
How mid-Phase changes are calculated and applied.

