Contract dates appear to renew incorrectly in Microsoft Dynamics CRM

This article describes a by design behavior that contract dates appear to renew wrongly in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Applies to:   Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
Original KB number:   2536251

Symptoms

Renewing an expired contract may appear incorrect when the Contract End Date is calculated in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Cause

The contract renewal design is based on keeping the contract duration the same for the renewed contract as the previous contract. This is calculated based on the number of days in the original contract. For example, if a contract was saved with a start and end date one year apart, in most years this will save as 365 days. However, when renewed over a leap year, it will still use the 365 days and then display as expiring one day sooner than anticipated.

Resolution

The duration in days is displayed on the contract form. As such, a contract may need to be modified to work for the intended time period as the days might not map as anticipated.