QRB Validation Error When Reducing Quantity

Modified on Mon, Oct 27 at 5:42 PM

Applies to: Work 365 (Subscriptions)
Audience: Billing Admins | System Administrators

Overview

When reducing Quantity on a subscription, you may see a Business Process Error:

Exception QRB Validation Error:
“Linked Subscription Quantity reduction is not allowed because it falls outside of allowed window. Please reload the form and try again.”

This is governed by Quantity Reduction Behavior (QRB). If the subscription is linked (parent/add-on bundle), all linked items must follow compatible QRB policies and be within the allowed window for the change to succeed.

Key Concepts

QRB (Quantity Reduction Behavior): Determines if/when reductions are allowed (e.g., Disallow, Allow, Allow within X days).
Reduction Window (QRW): If QRB = Allow within window, reductions are only permitted within X days of provisioning/renewal.
Linked Subscriptions: Parent/add-on relationships validated as a group. A stricter policy on any linked item blocks the entire change.

Why It Happens

Outside the allowed window: The requested reduction date exceeds the QRW.
Inconsistent QRB settings: Linked subscriptions use stricter or mismatched policies.
Stale form data: The form wasn’t refreshed after policy/date changes, so validation runs on outdated data.
Provider constraints: Even if QRB allows it, the provider (e.g., Microsoft NCE) may forbid mid-term reductions.

How It Works (Validation Flow)

On Save, Work 365:

Validates the current subscription’s QRB and reduction date/window.
Validates all linked subscriptions for compatible policies.
Blocks the save if any linked item violates the policy or the window has elapsed.

Resolution – Step by Step

1) Check QRB on the Subscription You’re Editing

Open Subscription → Advanced tab → Quantity Reduction Behavior (QRB).
If Allow within X days, confirm the Effective Date of the reduction falls within X days of provisioning/renewal.
If policy permits and governance allows, temporarily set QRB = Allow, apply the reduction, Save, then restore the original QRB.

⚠️ Log any temporary policy changes in Notes and rely on Audit History for compliance.

2) Align QRB Across All Linked Subscriptions

Identify linked items (parent + add-ons): Related → Subscriptions or the Linked/Bundle subgrid.
Open each linked subscription → Advanced tab → set QRB to match the main subscription (or a policy that permits the reduction).
Save each record.

3) Reload and Retry

Hard refresh the form (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R) to clear stale UI data.
Re-enter the reduced Quantity → Save.
If it fails, re-check QRB parity across all linked items and confirm the window.

4) Restore Original Policies

After a successful reduction, revert any temporary QRB relaxations.
Document the rationale and approvals (Notes/Audit Log).

Pre-Checks (quick)

Effective Date: Within the permitted QRW when QRB = Allow within window.
Prior LCLs: No Awaiting/Merge Failed License Change Logs blocking new changes.
Provider limits: NCE or provider rules do not allow reductions mid-term.
Caching: Refresh the form before retrying.

Troubleshooting

Symptom: Still seeing QRB Validation Error after aligning policies
Check:

A hidden/forgotten add-on still has Disallow.
Effective Date set to a day outside the QRW.
SLCL (Scheduled License Change Log) in Merge Failed.
Fix: Align all QRB settings → set SLCL to Awaiting Merge after resolving errors → retry.

Symptom: Error mentions reloading the form
Fix: Hard refresh the browser (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R) or reopen the record to clear stale policy cache.

Symptom: Provider rejects the change even after QRB passes
Fix: Review provider policy (e.g., Microsoft NCE reduction restrictions). You may need to schedule the reduction for renewal instead.

Best Practices

Keep QRB aligned across parent and add-on subscriptions—standardize on Allow or the same QRW.
Respect provider rules: QRB does not override provider/API constraints.
Use SLCLs: For future-dated reductions, create a Scheduled License Change Log with an Effective Date inside the window.
Document changes: Record any temporary QRB modifications in the subscription Notes; rely on Audit Tracking.
Health views: Monitor Awaiting/Merge Failed/Uninvoiced LCL views to prevent pipeline blocks.

FAQs

Q: Can I reduce quantity if the parent allows it but an add-on is Disallow?
A: No. All linked items must allow the operation (or share a compatible window).

Q: I changed QRB but still get the error.
A: Refresh the form and verify every linked subscription’s QRB and window. Also confirm there are no pending/failed LCLs.

Q: Does QRB override provider rules?
A: No. QRB governs Work 365 validation; provider APIs (e.g., NCE) can still reject changes.

Q: How do I handle reductions outside the window?
A: Schedule the change On Renewal (SLCL) or follow provider-mandated timelines.

Summary

The QRB validation error occurs when attempting a reduction on linked subscriptions with mismatched or restrictive QRB settings, or when the request is outside the allowed window. Align QRB across all linked items, ensure the Effective Date fits the permitted window, refresh the form, and retry—while observing provider limits and documenting any temporary policy changes.