Customer Care & Billing: Functionality لـ Implementers Ed 7

Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing Overview

• Objectives
• The System
• Customer Information
• Sales & Marketing
• Device Management
• Field Work
• Meter Reading
• Billing
• Statements
• Rates
• Payments
• Adjustments
• Credit & Collections
• Budgets
• Deposits
• SA Relationships
• Service Credits
• Contract Management
• Loans
• Conservation Programs
• Framework Utilities
• Integration Tools
• Summary
• The System
• The Format of This Class
• The Documentation
• Caveat
• Summary

Control Central and User Interface Standards

• Objectives
• Practice 2-1
• The Anatomy Of All Pages
• Control Central
• Control Central Search Facilities
• Invoking Help
• Help: Finding Information
• Find a Customer/Premise
• The Dashboard
• Dashboard + Account Information = 360-Degree View of the Customer
• Portals Versus Fixed Pages
• Portals Have Zones
• Portal Preferences
• New Zones Appear in Account Information
• Dictating Portal Preferences
• The Dashboard Is a Portal Too
• Zone Patterns
• Explorer Zone Layout
• Broadcasting
• Explorer Zones May Have End-User Filters
• Dragging and Dropping
• Work Lists
• Working the List
• Starting Business Processes
• Practice 2-2
• Map Zones
• Section and Element Help
• Explorer Zones Are Configured, Not Programmed
• Special-Purpose Zones
• Special Feature – Timeline Zone
• More Special Feature Zones
• You’ve Seen Several BPA Scripts
• The BPA Menu
• BPA Scripts Are Everywhere
• BPA Scripts Reflect An Organization
• Scripts Are Configured
• Fixed Pages
• Object Maintenance Pages
• Search Pages
• Other Pages
• Some Transactions Use Both Metaphors
• Portal-Based Maintenance is Becoming More Common
• Why Evolve?
• Menu and Admin
• Context Menus
• Context Menu – Opening a Search Page
• Context Menu – Opening a Portal
• Practice 2-3
• Grids
• Scrolls
• Search
• Recap of General Layout
• Recap of Dialogs
• Demo Versus Empty Install
• A Configuration Tools Example
• The Configuration Tools Class
• Summary
• Review Questions

Metadata and Framework Overview

• Objectives
• Agenda
• Oracle Utilities Application Framework Overview
• Oracle Utilities Application Framework
• Browser UI Activities
• Web Server Activities
• Web Application Server Breakdown
• Application Server Activities
• Database Server Activities
• Entity Relationship Diagramming (ERD)
• Information Is Stored in Tables, Each Box In An ERD Is a Table
• Color-Coding Highlights the Subsystem Where the Table’s Rows are Typically Maintained
• The PowerPoints Use Color-Coding To Group Tables into Logical Subsystems
• We use ERDs To Highlight Important Business Relationships
• Relationships Between Entities Are Highlighted with Arrows Between Boxes
• Dashed Lines Represent Columns on Entities With Predefined “Lookup” Values
• The Table and Field Metadata
• The Application Viewer Is Your Primary Documentation of Tables and Fields
• The Application Viewer Is Generated from Metadata
• Practice 3-1
• No Recurring Groups
• Prime Keys
• Prime and Foreign Keys In The Application Viewer
• Very Little (Almost No) Redundant Data
• Language Tables
• XML Extensions
• MO Definition
• Why MOs?
• MO, Table, Field Metadata
• MOs Are Also In the App Viewer
• MOs Encapsulate Core Business Rules
• Maintenance Objects Versus Business Objects
• A Maintenance Object Has Fields, A Business Object Has Elements
• A BO’s Elements Must Physically Reside Somewhere in its MO’s Tables
• BOs Encapsulate Core Business Rules
• BOs and SOA
• Older MOs = Object Maintenance Newer MOs = Portal Maintenance
• Plug-in = Algorithm
• An Algorithm Example
• Use a Base Package Plug-In or Write Your Own
• Creating a New Plug-In
• Some Objects Are Preconfigured
• The Application Viewer Also Contains Algorithms
• Practice 3-2
• User-Defined Fields Extend …
• Many MOs Support Characteristics
• There Are Four Types of Char Types
• Predefined Char Types
• Ad Hoc Characteristic Types
• Foreign Key Reference Characteristic Types
• File Location Characteristic Types
• Characteristic Values Are Effective-Dated on some Entities
• A Char Type Can be Used on Multiple Entities
• Practice 3-3
• Owning Metadata
• Owner Flag ERD
• Owner Flag Is Ubiquitous
• The System Stamps Owner Flag On New Metadata Rows
• Don’t Even Think About It
• Practice 3-4
• Web Services Architecture
• XAI / Web Services
• More Web Services Information
• Database and Operating System Security
• Application Services Are Secured
• Application Services Have Valid Actions
• Field-Level Security
• Field-Level Security Overview
• Security Rights Are Cached
• Practice 3-5
• Audit Trails
• Localization Support
• Isolating Implementation-Specific Business Rules
• The Conversion Tool
• Review Questions

Batch Processing

• Objectives
• Batch Processes
• Batch Processes Are Documented In the Application Viewer
• What You Can Count On
• Errors
• Parallel Processing
• Optimal Number of Threads
• Parameters
• Batch Processing ERD
• Practice 4-1
• Separate Application Servers
• Submitting Ad Hoc Requests
• Practice – Instructor-Led
• Batch Process Dependencies
• Classic Batch Job Versus Sample and Submit
• Step 1: Identify the Batch Job
• Step 2: Enter the Criteria
• Step 3 (optional): See the Sample
• The Request
• How To
• Some Processes Can Be Viewed as Plug-Ins
• Review Questions

Maintaining Customer Information

• Objectives
• Customer Information
• Customer = Person and Account
• Practice 5-1
• Important Person Concepts
• Person ERD
• Person Contacts
• Practice 5-3
• Important Account Concepts
• Account ERD
• Practice 5-2
• Customer Contact: Overview
• Customer Contact ERD
• Practice 5-4
• Customer Contacts Trigger To-Do Entries
• Customer Contacts Trigger Letters
• Letter Images
• Important Premise Concepts
• Premise ERD
• Important Service Point Concepts
• Types of Service Points
• Metered Service Points
• Badged Item-Based Service Points
• Unbadged Item-Based Service Points
• Two Ways to Handle Area Lights: Badged or Unbadged
• Service Point ERD
• Practice 5-5
• Review: Bills Are Sent to Customers
• A Bill Contains Charges for Services
• An Account Must Have a Service Agreement For Every Service That Is Billed
• Some SAs Are Linked to Premises via SPs
• Some SAs Are Not Linked to Premises
• Service Agreement ERD
• Account Security: Overview
• Persons Can Also Be Secured
• Premises Can Also Be Secured
• Data Access Groups and Roles
• An Account’s Access Group
• More Account Security Information
• The V Diagram
• Two SAs, Each Linked to a Single SP (A Normal, Single-Family Residence Scenario)
• Two SAs Linked to the Same SP
• One SA linked to Two SPs (To Consolidate Consumption Charges)
• Typical Family Moves
• Non-Utility Customer
• Customers Share One Line, Usage Goes Through One Meter on the Way to Another Customer
• Corporate Pays For Usage, Operating Units Pay For Transport & Metering
• SA Type and SP Type Control the Valid Relationships
• Most SAs Are Created Via Start Service
• Start Options Control Default Values
• Practice 5-6
• Service Agreement States
• Activating Pending Start SAs
• Important Service-Oriented Concepts Still to Come
• The Alert Zone
• The Control Central Alert Plug-In Spot
• Jurisdictional Rules
• Division = Jurisdiction
• Replicators
• Alternate Names and Addresses
• Address Validation
• Configuring Address Validation
• Address Validation BPA
• Introducing Custom Address Validation Logic
• Account Management
• Account Management Portal – Account Update
• Supported Account Updates
• Supported Service Agreement Updates
• Notification Preferences
• Notification Preferences: Key Relationships
• Notification Preferences Management Process Overview – Enabling Customer Choice
• Push versus Subscription Notification Types
• Push-Based Notifications
• Account – Account Portal: Push Communications Preferences Zone
• Subscription-Based Notifications
• Account – Account Portal: Subscription Communication Preferences Zone
• Account – Persons: Notification Preferences
• Account – Account Portal: Maintaining Contact Details
• Master Configuration
• Practice 5-7
• Review Questions

To Do Lists

• Objectives
• Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing
• What Is To Do Processing?
• To Do Summary
• To Do List
• To Do Summary Zone
• Practice 6-1
• To Do Type
• الرسالة
• To Do Roles
• Special Message Handling
• Role Assignment
• How Entries Are Created
• Batch Process
• The Creator Supplies Other Attributes
• Filling In The Blanks
• To Do Entry Summary ERD
• Practice 6-2
• Related To Do’s
• Related Entries Are Also Shown in the Dashboard
• Related To Do ERD
• Practice 6-3
• To Do Entry Lifecycle
• Forwarding
• Manual Completion
• Batch Processes Can Complete Entries
• To Do Entries Have Logs
• Log Entries
• To Do Search Is Powerful
• Practice 6-4
• Entry Priority
• Priority Assignment
• Priority Updates: Scenario
• Assigning Entries to Users
• On Demand Assignment
• On Demand – How It Works
• Skill-Based Assignment: Overview
• Skill Level ERD
• Skill Level Override for a Specific Message ERD
• Skill-Based Summary
• The Benefits
• Supervisor Push
• Summary of Entries by User
• Supervisor Assignment
• Pick and Choose
• Multi-Use Pages
• Practice 6-5
• To Do Entries May be Routed To an External System
• Configuration to Implement External Routing
• Practice 6-6
• To Do Types Are Documented in the Application Viewer
• What To Do Entries Aren’t
• Purging Old Entries
• Review Questions
• Creating New To Do Types
• Introducing a New Type of Entry Involves the Following Steps
• Analysis Example: Account has active SAs, but has no bill cycle
• Example Setup: Account has active SAs, but has no bill cycle
• Example Programming: Account has active SAs, but has no bill cycle
• 7a Sales & Marketing
• Objectives 7a-2
• Sales & Marketing 7a-3
• Definitions 7a-4
• Practice 7-1 7a-5
• What Just Happened? 7a-6
• The Order’s Campaign Controls Many Things 7a-8
• Campaign ERD 7a-9
• Practice 7-2 7a-10

A Campaign may have Zero or More Packages. A Campaign’s Packages Define what is Sold 7a-12

• Package ERD 7a-13
• Practice 7-3 7a-14
• Business Process Flow Is Flexible 7a-16
• Business Process Flow 1 – Upload Prospects from a Marketing Database 7a-17
• Business Process Flow 2 – Market to a Pre-Selected Customer Segment 7a-18
• Business Process Flow 3 – Ad hoc Upselling to Existing Customers 7a-19
• Business Process Flow 4 – Ad hoc Selling to New Customers 7a-20
• Business Process Flow 5, 6, 7, 8 – Packages Are Optional 7a-21
• An Order’s Questions & Misc. Fields 7a-23
• All Q&MFs Are Defined on the Campaign 7a-25
• Q&MF Responses 7a-26
• Q&MF ERD 7a-27
• Groups of Columns 7a-28
• Practice 7-4 7a-29
• Use Case 1: Marketing Surveys 7a-31
• Practice 7-5 7a-32
• Use Case 2: Setting Up a Customer Prior to Start/Stop 7a-33
• Practice 7-6 7a-34
• Use Case 3: Setting Up a One-Time Charge 7a-35
• Use Case 4: Creating Service Agreements and Service Points 7a-36
• There Are Two Types of Eligibility Rules 7a-38
• Package Eligibility Rules: Eligibility Groups Contain Criteria 7a-39
• Schematic of a Sample Package’s Eligibility Rules 7a-40
• Eligibility Criteria 7a-42
• Another Example 7a-43
• Eligibility Criteria ERD 7a-44
• Eligibility Group ERD 7a-45
• Practice 7-7 7a-46
• Campaign versus Package Eligibility Rules 7a-48
• Campaign Eligibility Algorithms 7a-50
• Campaign State Transition Rules 7a-52
• Package State Transition Rules 7a-53
• Order State Transition Rules 7a-54

An Order’s Questions & Misc. Fields Are Used to Record Information That Isn’t Kept in “Real” Fields on the Order 7a-55

Characteristic-Oriented Q&MFs can Cause Characteristics on Account, Person, Premise and Order to be Created or Updated 7a-56

Column-Oriented Q&MFs can Cause Fields on Almost any Object to be Created or Updated 7a-57

The SA Creation Rules Linked to the Package Selected on the Order, Control the SAs and SPs That Are Created 7a-58

• When an Order Is Created, The “V” is Set Up 7a-59
• The Sequence of Events at Completion Time 7a-60
• Reminder: Your Campaigns Can Do Many Things 7a-62
• The Design Process Can Be Challenging 7a-63
• Use the Documentation 7a-65
• Order Versus Start/Stop 7a-67

The System Automatically Updates an Order’s Log When Interesting Things Occur 7a-68

• Premise Characteristics 7a-69
• Service Point Characteristics 7a-70
• To Do Processing 7a-71
• Post Completion Processing 7a-72
• When Are V Objects Created 7a-73
• Review Questions 7a-74
• 7b Sales & Marketing
• Objectives 7b-2
• �� Before We Begin 7b-3
• Program Management 7b-5
• Primary Functional Components 7b-6
• Program Management: Related Tables and Maintenance Objects 7b-7
• Similarities: Structure 7b-9
• Differences: Inward Versus Outward 7b-10
• Differences: Business Objects 7b-11
• Program Management: Lead 7b-12
• Lead Lifecycle 7b-13
• Practice 7-1: Create a Lead 7b-14
• Initiative Overview 7b-16
• Initiative Hierarchy 7b-17
• Program Management: Initiative 7b-18
• Initiative Lifecycle 7b-19
• Practice 7-2: Explore the Initiative Configuration 7b-20
• When to Create Eligibility Rules 7b-22
• Eligibility Rules 7b-23
• Eligibility Criteria: Example of Criteria for Segmentation 7b-24
• Practice 7-3: Explore Eligibility Criteria 7b-25
• Lead Events 7b-27
• Program Management: Lead Event 7b-28
• Lead Event Lifecycle 7b-29
• Practice 7-4: Explore Lead Event Type Configuration 7b-30
• Practice 7-5: Configure a Lead Event Type 7b-31
• Practice 7-6: Configure an Initiative 7b-32
• Individuals or Groups 7b-34
• Program Management: Representative 7b-35
• Third Party Representative 7b-37
• Sales Representatives Versus Third Party Representatives 7b-38
• Program Management: Representative 7b-39
• Practice 7-7: Explore the Sales Representative Configuration 7b-40
• Initiative Portal 7b-42
• Master Configuration 7b-45
• Practice 7-8: Add a Lead to a Customer 7b-46
• Summary 7b-47
• Review Questions 7b-48

Maintaining Meters and Items

• Objectives
• Checkpoint
• Review: Service Points Define Services at a Premise
• Review: There are Three Types of Service Points
• Review: Metered Service Points
• A Meter’s Registers Measure How Much Was Used
• Every Register Has Many Attributes
• A Register’s Attributes Can Change Over Time
• Meter ERD
• There Are Many Ways to Identify a Meter
• Service Types Must Be in Sync ERD
• Practice 8-1
• A Configuration’s Registers Are Read
• Subtractive Versus Consumptive Registers
• Meter Read ERD
• Important SP/Meter Installation Concepts
• Meter Installation ERD
• Practice 8-2
• How to Exchange the Meter at an SP
• Remember That There Are Two Types of Item-Oriented SPs
• This Discussion Concerns Badged Items
• When to Use a Badged Item
• Badged Item ERD
• There Are Two Ways to Identify a Badged Item
• Item Replicator
• Important SP/Item Installation Concepts
• Item Installation ERD
• Important Item Exchange Concepts
• Unbadged Items Are an Alternative
• Meter/Item Search Page
• Practice 8-3
• Review Questions
• 9a Field Work: Managing Field Work
• Objectives 9a-2
• Checkpoint 9a-3
• Field Activities 9a-4
• Field Activity ERD 9a-5
• Field Activity State Transition 9a-6
• Practice 9-1 9a-7
• Operations Areas 9a-9
• Dispatch Groups and Representatives 9a-10
• Field Service Control Is a Multidimensional Matrix 9a-11
• Dispatch Group Assignment Is in a Plug-In 9a-12
• Practice 9-2 9a-13
• Field Orders Are Premise Oriented Field Activities Are SP Oriented 9a-15
• Different Dispatch Groups Result in Different Field Orders 9a-16
• Field Orders May Be Assigned a Specific Rep 9a-17
• Field Order and Rep ERD 9a-18
• Field Order State Transition 9a-19
• Capturing Reasons 9a-21
• Enabled with a Feature Configuration 9a-22
• The Pages Change 9a-23
• Reschedule Reason Audits 9a-24
• The Group Premise FAs Alternative 9a-26
• The Group Premise FAs Page 9a-27
• Lowest Common Denominator Dispatch Group 9a-28
• Batch Dispatcher 9a-29
• Practice 9-3 9a-30
• Automatic Field Activity Creation 9a-32
• Field Activity Type Profile 9a-34
• Field Activity Type Profile is a Multidimensional Matrix 9a-35
• FA Type Profile Also Defines Valid FA Types 9a-36
• Service-Oriented Field Activities Are Created by a Plug-In 9a-37
• When Service-Oriented Activities Are Created 9a-38
• You Don’t Know About Schedule Read Dates Yet… 9a-39
• Not All Automated FA Creations Use FA Type Profiles 9a-41
• Dispatching Field Orders 9a-43
• Dispatched to Completed 9a-44
• Complete Activities, Then Complete Order 9a-45
• Completion Algorithms 9a-46
• Completion Algorithms ERD 9a-47
• Practice 9-4 9a-48
• Completion Upload 9a-50
• Two Batch Process Are Used To Download Field Orders 9a-52
• Process FDS: Create Download Staging 9a-53
• Each Download Record Gets Marked with a Batch Control and Run 9a-54
• FODL Creates a Flat File 9a-55
• FODL Executes an Algorithm to Format the Flat File Information 9a-56
• An Aside: Ongoing Instructions and Warnings 9a-57
• Metered SAs Need Start Reads to Bill 9a-59
• SA Activation Batch Process 9a-60
• Metered SA’s Need Stop Reads to Final Bill 9a-61
• SA Activation Also Handles Pending Stops 9a-62
• SA / FA / MR Flow 9a-63
• Credit & Collections 9a-64
• Practice 9-5 9a-65
• Field Activities are for All SP-Related Efforts 9a-67
• Review Questions 9a-68
• 9b Field Work: Appointments
• Objectives 9b-2
• Appointment Scheduling 9b-3
• A Dispatch Group Refresher Before We Start 9b-5
• Dispatch Group Assignment ERD 9b-6
• Appointment Periods and Appointments 9b-8
• Limiting the Number of Appointments 9b-9
• Appointment Period Maintenance 9b-10
• Updating Appointment Periods 9b-11
• Practice 9-1: Creating and Updating Appointment Periods 9b-12
• Scheduling An Appointment 9b-14
• Default Dispatch Group and Date 9b-15
• Available Appointments are Controlled By an Algorithm 9b-16
• The Base-Package Available Appointments Algorithm 9b-17
• Canceling Appointments 9b-18
• Practice 9-2: Scheduling and Cancelling Appointments 9b-19
• Penalties 9b-21
• Review Questions 9b-22
• 10a Devices Inventory and Testing: Equipment Management
• Objectives 10a-2

Equipment, Meters, and Items Are Installed at a Premise to Regulate and Measure Service 10a-3

• There are Two Types of Items 10a-4
• Equipment May Be Associated with Meters 10a-5
• Equipment May Be Associated with Service Points and Items 10a-6
• Preventing Invalid Equipment Linkages 10a-7
• Foreshadowing: Equipment Is NOT Billed 10a-8
• Generic Equipment 10a-9
• Generic Equipment – How To Do It 10a-10
• An Installation Service Point Holds Multiple Pieces of Equipment 10a-12
• Installation SP ERD 10a-13
• Practice 10-1 10a-14
• Review Questions 10a-15
• 10b Devices Inventory and Testing: Device Testing
• Objectives 10b-2
• Item and Meter Tests 10b-3
• Device Test Example 10b-4
• Badged Items and Meters Can be Tested 10b-5
• Device Test Type Example 10b-6
• The Control Tables Are Sophisticated 10b-7
• Device Test Lifecycle 10b-8
• Practice 10-1 10b-9
• Device Tests Occur Because of Field Activities 10b-11
• How to Create Device Test Field Activities 10b-12
• Test Selection Creates Field Activities Based on an Algorithm 10b-13
• Review Questions 10b-14
• 10c Devices Inventory and Testing: Asset Inventory
• Objectives 10c-2
• Stock Location Tracking 10c-3
• Stock Location 10c-4
• Stock Location Characteristics 10c-5
• Asset Stock Location History 10c-6
• Asset Stock Location History ERD 10c-7
• Default Location for SP Removals 10c-8
• Manually Changing an Asset’s Stock Location 10c-9
• Practice 10-1 10c-10
• Review Questions 10c-11

Meter Reading

• Objectives
• There are Many Sources of Meter Reads
• Meter Read ERD
• Meter Read Remarks Can Trigger Other Events
• Consumption Estimation Is in a Plug-In
• Important Estimation Concepts
• How Does MR EST TREND Work?
• An Example: Estimating Consumption for February
• An Example: Estimating Non-Peak Consumption
• An Example: Estimating Peak Consumption
• Trend ERD
• Ensuring a Statistically Significant Sample
• Trend Is Updated in Batch
• High/Low Limits Are Calculated in a Plug-In
• High/Low Check Plug-In
• High/Low Factor ERD
• Failing High/Low and Use on Bill
• Reviewing Readings That Failed High/Low Checks
• Practice 11-1
• Review Questions

Route Management and Field Activity Upload

• Objectives
• Important Service Cycle Concepts
• SP Type Controls The Number of Cycles on a Service Point
• Single Service Cycle ERD
• SPs Also Need a Route and Sequence
• Renumbering Service Points in a Route
• Transferring a Route
• Practice 12-1
• Downloading Meter-Read Requests
• When Cycle and Route Frequency Differ
• The Three Download Batch Processes
• Process MSR: Create MR Schedule Routes
• Process MDS: Create Download Staging
• Process MDL: Create Download Flat File
• The Source of the Batch Control
• Summary: Meter Read Download ERD
• Important! The Service Cycle Schedule Is Also Used by Billing
• Practice 12-2
• The Upload Processes
• Process X: Populate Upload Staging
• Process MUP1: Populate Meter Config
• Process MUP2: Create Meter Reads
• Important: The MR Upload Has Other Uses
• Purging Upload Records
• Practice 12-3
• Demo Database Contains a Sample Transaction
• Find a Scheduled Date for a Route Zone
• See Service Points in a Route for a Scheduled Selection Date Zone
• See Register Reads in a Route for a Scheduled Selection Date Zone
• Multiple Service Cycles
• Waste Collection Background Information
• Multi-Service Cycle ERD
• Waste Collection Scenario 1
• Waste Collection Scenario 2
• The Three Download Batch Processes
• Service Route Download ERD
• Field Order Completion Details Can Be Uploaded
• Step Types That Are Supported By the Batch Completion Process
• The Upload Processes
• Process X: Populate Upload Staging
• Processes MUP1 and MUP2: Create Reads
• Process FACOMPL: Complete Field Activities
• Process FACOMPL: Complete Field Activities – Errors
• Purging Upload Records
• Uploading “Generic” Step Types
• Review Questions

Financial Transactions

• Objectives
• FTs Determine an Account’s Balance
• Source of FTs
• Bill Segments Create FTs
• Payment Segments Create FTs
• Adjustments Create FTs
• Practice 13-1
• Current Balance Versus Payoff Balance
• Every FT Contains Current Amt and Payoff Amt
• Practice 13-2
• Examples When Current Balance Does Not Equal Payoff Balance
• GL Details
• Examples of FTs Without GL Details
• How Old is the Debt?
• Specific Days are Shown on Several Transactions
• Arrears Date
• Arrears Date is Typically Populated by Billing
• Practice 13-3
• FT Algorithms Control how FTs are Created
• FT Status
• FTs Affect More Than Balances
• Updating the General Ledger
• The the GL Download Processes
• Process GLASSIGN
• Process GLS: Prepare FTs for Download
• Process GLDL: Create Download Flat File
• Practice 13-4
• Overview of Balance Control
• The Balance Control Batch Processes
• Process BCGNEW: Create a New Balance Control Group
• Process BCASSIGN: Assign New FTs a Balance Control Group
• Process BCGSNAP: Insert Balance Control Members And Check Financial Integrity
• Review Questions
• 14a Billing
• Objectives 14a-2
• Checkpoint 14a-3
• A Bill Contains Charges for Services 14a-4

An Account Must have a Service Agreement For Every Service that is Billed 14a-5

• An SA’s SA Type Controls Many Billing Functions 14a-6
• Definitions 14a-8
• Bill ERD 14a-10
• Bill Lifecycle 14a-11
• Most Bills are Produced in Batch 14a-13
• Bill Cycles 14a-14
• Window Billing 14a-15
• Other Bill Cycle Schedule Functions 14a-17
• How an Account Gets its Bill Cycle 14a-18
• If the SP’s Meter-Read Cycle Changes 14a-19
• Practice 14-1 14a-20
• Bill Segment Creation Algorithms 14a-22
• Get Consumption is First 14a-24
• Bill Segment Consumption Snapshot ERD 14a-25
• Creating Estimated Reads 14a-26
• Estimating Earlier Than the Schedule Allows 14a-27
• Creating Bill Segments by Applying a Rate 14a-28
• Rated Bill Segment ERD 14a-29
• An Aside: Bill Segments are Snapshots 14a-30
• Multiple Bill Segments May Be Created 14a-31
• Control Processing Sequence 14a-33
• Processing Sequence on SA Type 14a-34
• Review: Bill Segments’ FTs 14a-36
• Practice 14-2 14a-37
• Metered SAs are Special 14a-39
• Time Period Derivation for Non-Metered Service 14a-40
• Use a Bill Period to Derive the End Date 14a-41
• Anniversary Date 14a-42
• The Default – Current Business Date 14a-43
• Preventing Short Bill Segments 14a-44
• More to Come 14a-45
• Bill Segment Lifecycle 14a-47
• Freeze at Bill Completion 14a-48
• Classic Errors 14a-50
• Bill Segment Errors 14a-51
• Bill Segment Remarks 14a-52
• Bill Errors 14a-53
• Errors After The Window Closes 14a-54
• Bill Lifecycle 14a-56
• Bill Completion is Intensive 14a-57
• SA Type Pre-Completion Algorithms 14a-58
• Customer Class Pre-Completion Algorithms 14a-59
• Bill Due-Date Calculation ERD 14a-60
• LPC Computation – Levying The Charge 14a-61
• LPC – Manual Intervention 14a-63
• Bill Routings 14a-64
• Bill Routing ERD 14a-65
• Route Method 14a-66
• Four Potential Mailing Addresses ERD 14a-67
• An Aside: Reprints 14a-68
• Customer Class Bill-Completion Algorithms 14a-69
• SA Type Bill-Completion Algorithms 14a-70
• Messages can be Linked to a Bill And/Or Bill Segments 14a-71
• Messages can be Linked to a Bill and/or Bill Segments 14a-72
• Messages with Variables 14a-74
• A Bill Summarizes Financial Transactions 14a-75
• All New FTs will be Swept onto the Bill 14a-76
• Customer Class Post Completion Algorithms 14a-77
• Practice 14-3 14a-78
• Overriding SQs and Items 14a-80
• Review: Bill Routing ERD 14a-82
• Postal Routing 14a-83
• Marking a Routing Record With a Batch Control and Run 14a-84
• Process POSTROUT: Create Download Flat File For Postal Routing 14a-85
• Configurable Bill Print Extract 14a-86
• Bill Print Extract Record Types 14a-87
• How is the XML Extract Constructed? 14a-88
• Extending the XML Extract 14a-89
• Bill-Print Intercept 14a-90
• UI Interlude 14a-92
• Bill Summary Differs for Open-Item Customers 14a-93
• Bill Segments Differ for Accounts with Many SAs 14a-94
• Bill – Bill Segment for Large Accounts 14a-95
• Other Places Where Bills Are Displayed 14a-96
• Financial Information Dashboard Zone 14a-97
• Online Bill Image 14a-98
• Bill Info is Constructed by a Plug-In 14a-99
• Warning: Demo Portals and Zones Ahead 14a-100
• Bill History Zone on Control Central 14a-101
• Bill Segment Calc Lines Zone 14a-102
• View Bill Zone 14a-103
• SA Billing History Portal 14a-104
• SP Consumption Summary Portal 14a-106
• Practice 14-4 14a-107
• Bill Print Groups 14a-109
• Bill ERD 14a-110
• Bill Segments Produced by Applying a Rate 14a-112

When the Flat File is Created, the Language Tables are Accessed to Download Language Dependent Values 14a-113

• Reopening a Completed Bill 14a-115
• Mass Reopen 14a-117
• How to Avoid Reopening 14a-118
• Freezing and Completing 14a-119
• Closing Bills (… Bill Segments, really) 14a-121
• Sequential Bill Numbers 14a-123
• When Sequential Bill Numbers are Assigned 14a-124
• Correction via Cancellation 14a-126
• Different Correction Methods 14a-128
• The Cancel / Rebill Method 14a-130
• Cancel Only 14a-131
• Online Cancel / Rebill 14a-132
• Mass-Cancel an Entire Batch 14a-133
• Automatic Cancel Rebill 14a-134
• Automatic Cancel Rebill: An Example 14a-136
• Credit Notes 14a-137
• Online Credit Note Creation 14a-138
• Correction Notes 14a-139
• Online Correction Note Creation 14a-140
• Bill Segment Remarks 14a-141
• Cancellations Prior to Completion 14a-142
• Practice 14-5 14a-144
• Checkpoint 14a-146
• Billable Charges 14a-148
• Billable Charges may have Bill Lines 14a-149
• A Different Bill Segment Creation Algorithm 14a-150
• Billable Charge ERD 14a-151
• Billable Charges with Service Quantities 14a-153
• Billable Consumption ERD 14a-154
• Billable Charge Bill Segment ERD 14a-155
• Billable Charge Read Details 14a-157
• Billable Charge Read Details ERD 14a-158
• Billable-Charge Line Characteristics ERD 14a-160
• Billable Charge Templates Save Typing 14a-162
• How are Billable Charge Templates Used? 14a-163
• Practice 14-6 14a-164
• Billable Charge Upload Overview 14a-166
• The Upload Processes 14a-167
• Process X: Populate Upload Staging 14a-168
• Process BCU1: Populate and Validate SA ID and Line Details 14a-170
• Process BCU2: Create Billable Charge 14a-171
• Purging Upload Records 14a-173
• Strict and Wait Options 14a-174
• Recurring Charge SAs 14a-176
• Recurring Charge Bill Segment ERD 14a-178
• More to Come 14a-179
• Review Questions 14a-180
• 14b Billing Part 2: Off-Cycle Bill Generator
• Objectives 14b-2
• Financial Transactions on Bills 14b-3
• Off-Cycle Bill Generator Overview 14b-4
• Off-Cycle Bill Generator ERD 14b-5
• Off-Cycle Bill Generator Lifecycle 14b-6
• Creating the Bill 14b-7
• Practice 14-1 The Off-Cycle Bill Generator Business Object 14b-8
• Off-Cycle Bill Generator Portal 14b-9
• Standard Bill Page 14b-11
• Off-Cycle Bill Generator Query Portal 14b-12
• How to Access The Off-Cycle Bill Generator Portal 14b-13
• How to Create an Off-Cycle Bill Generator 14b-14
• Realigned Standard Bill Page Functions 14b-16
• Practice 14-2 Creating an Off-Cycle Bill 14b-17
• Summary 14b-18
• 14c Billing Part 3: Usage Requests
• Objectives 14c-2
• Not Applicable to All Implementations 14c-3
• Integration Overview 14c-4

BPEL Orchestrates the Transformation and Load of Payloads Between CCB and MDM 14c-5

• Billing Creates Usage Requests 14c-6
• MDM Responds with Bill Determinants (or Errors) 14c-7
• The Usage Object Generates a Bill Segment 14c-8
• Usage Requests Are Not for Meters Only 14c-10
• SA Type Controls Everything 14c-11
• Get Consumption 14c-12
• Scalar Processing Details 14c-15
• Interval Processing Details 14c-16
• Usage Request Example 14c-17
• Bill Segment Creation 14c-18
• Practice 14-1 BD-oriented SA Configuration 14c-21
• Usage Business Objects 14c-23
• Usage ERD 14c-24
• Usage Request BO Lifecycle 14c-25
• Creating the Outbound Message 14c-30
• External Message Configuration 14c-31
• Practice 14-2 The Usage Request Business Objects 14c-32
• Usage Request Portal (Request) 14c-34
• Usage Request Portal (Response) 14c-35
• Usage Interval Data Overlay 14c-36
• Usage Request Portal (Exceptions) 14c-37
• Usage Request Log 14c-38
• Standard Bill Segment Page 14c-39
• Usage Request Query Portal 14c-41
• Practice 14-3 View a Usage Request 14c-42
• Corrected Reads 14c-44
• Corrected Reads BO 14c-45
• Corrected Read BO Lifecycle 14c-46
• Corrected Read Portal 14c-47
• Cancel/Rebill 14c-49
• Navigating to MDM 14c-51
• Summary 14c-53
• Review Questions 14c-54

Managing Statements

• Objectives
• Checkpoint
• A Statement Consolidates SA FTs
• Statements Can Also Be