Difference between revisions of "Invoicing"

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==Invoicing Overview==
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Invoicing}}
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= Overview =
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Invoicing is at the very heart of the Emersion billing system. All core features and functions are designed around the purpose of invoice creation and distribution. Without invoicing, there is no billing.
  
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Accounts have services, such as mobile or landline phones, or ADSL data access. The services are linked to packages, plans and rate cards that are used to determine the charges to invoice the accounts when the system processes usage data provided by upstream suppliers. The Emersion Billing and Rating Engine takes into account the tariff as supplied from the supplier, the rate card attached to the plan, plus any rate overrides that may be currently active for the relevant account, such as bolt ons, bolt-on add-ons and included value, as well as package level discounts and fees.
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This area is designed as a landing page for all invoicing related topics, including:
  
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On the billing day (as defined by the accounts’ settings), the Billing System automatically creates invoices in Adobe® Acrobat® PDF format. The PDF invoices can then be downloaded, emailed, printed, saved and viewed. If your supplier uses the Emersion Billing Platform, you may also be able view invoices received from them.
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* Customising your invoice templates
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* Global and customer-level settings
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* Activities that happen when the billing period closes.
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* Options for mid-cycle invoice generation.
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* Options for managing invoices.
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* Approving invoices and getting them out to your customers.<br />
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and more.....
  
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Invoice .PDFs files are created based on the [[InvoiceTemplates|invoice templates]] set up. The .PDF templates contain the design of the invoice, including the header page, payment options, account summary, and service details, along with the company logos and other specific branding. Details are inserted into each account’s invoice, including the account’s name and address, invoice number, account number, invoice date, with all current items and charges, as well as the invoice due date. These variables are placed in pre-defined areas of the invoice.
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While Emersion's system is designed to automate as many billing and invoicing functions with the objective of freeing up your staff to perform more important activities, the billing of customers isn't
 +
100% hands-off. There are activities and tasks your company needs to do in each bill cycle to ensure accurate and efficient billing. For a comprehensive run down on the regular activities for a bill run, read the [[Billing_Cheat_Sheet|The Billing Cheat Sheet]] article. All the articles and help in this section aims to provide you with generic advice and help on how you can achieve smooth and efficient bill runs that help secure
 +
your revenue and support you in your goals of expansion and growth.
  
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All invoices created for all accounts in the system are listed in the ''Finance'' &gt; ''Accounts Receivable'' &gt; ''Invoice List'' page. You can also view invoices created for a specific account in the ''Invoices ''tab of the ''Customers'' &gt; ''Customer List'' &gt; view Account page. Invoices should be [[InvoiceAudit|audited]] to check for any errors or missing charges. Once any adjustments have been made, the invoices should be approved. Once the invoices are approved, the system sends the invoices to customers via the default invoice delivery methods set up in each customer account’s record.
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<table class="" style="background-color: transparent; width: 100%">
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<tr>
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<td width="25%" align="left" valign="top">
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<p>
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'''Managing Invoice Template and Configuration'''
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* [https://resources.emersion.com/display/EKB/Invoice+Templates Invoice Setup and Configuration]
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** [https://resources.emersion.com/display/EKB/Invoice+Layout+Types Invoice Layouts]
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** [https://resources.emersion.com/display/EKB/Invoice+Designs Invoice Designs]
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* [https://resources.emersion.com/display/EKB/Invoice+Delivery+and+Approval| Invoice Delivery and Approval Settings]
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* [https://resources.emersion.com/display/EKB/The+Ledger+Journal Ledger Management and Ledger Codes]
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* [[Events/Invoice Delivery Events|Event Notifications for Invoices]]
  
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----
 
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'''Note:'''  The system does not send invoices to an account until the invoice has been successfully Approved. Rejected invoices are not sent.
 
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----
 
  
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==Immediate Invoices==
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</p>
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</td>
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<td width="25%" align="left" valign="top">
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<p>
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'''Managing Invoices'''
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* [[InvoiceAudit|Invoice Auditing]]
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* [[Accounts_Receivable|Accounts Receivable]]
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* [[InvoiceManagement|Invoice Management]]
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* [[InvoiceCardlineManagement|Invoice Cardlines]]
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** [[Cardline Allocation Rules|Cardline Allocation Rules]]
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* [[InvoiceApprove|Approving Invoices]]
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* [[InvoiceReject|Rejecting Invoices]]
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* [[InvoiceReRender|Rerender Invoices]]
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* [[InvoiceReRate|Rerate Invoices]]
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</p>
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</td>
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<td width="25%" align="left" valign="top">
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<p>
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'''Related Functions'''
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* [[Disputes|Disputing an Invoice]]
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* [[Credits|Raise a credit]]
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* [[Write_Offs|Write off charges]]
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* [[Refunds|Raise a refund]]
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</p>
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</td>
  
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In addition to the invoices automatically created by the Billing and Rating engine, the system allows you to create ad-hoc or ''immediate'' invoices. Immediate invoices can contain any pending cardlines held against the account, which may include cardlines created by the Billing and Rating engine for charges associated with services, product purchases, and ad hoc charges created manually.
 
  
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<td width="25%" align="left" valign="top">
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<p>
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* [[Billing_Cheat_Sheet|The Billing Cheat Sheet]]
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* [[InvoiceProcess|Rating, Billing and Invoice Process]]
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</p>
  
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==Batch Mediation System (BMS)==
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<p>
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'''Payments'''
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* [[Receive_Payment|Receive a payment]]
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* [[Take Payment|Take a Payment]]
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* [[Ledger_Allocating_Payments|Ledger Journal view of Allocation of Payments to Invoices]]
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* [[InvoiceManagement/Payment_Extensions|Payment Extensions]]
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</p>
  
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The Batch Mediation System (BMS) obtains batched (i.e. non real-time) Service Information Records (SIRs) from supplier(s). The SIRs (e.g. usage data such as Call Detail Records or RADIUS accounting records) are generally retrieved from an FTP location. Verification is performed on the usage information retrieved to ensure the information is complete and corruption free. Sequence checking is performed to detect any missing files or sequence errors. Inbound mediation is then performed, which translations the data into Emersion standardised formats for use within the system for rating and invoicing.
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</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
  
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BMS assigns a tariff to the SIR record. BMS locates the service within the system based on the service identifier, which may be the calling party, or charged number identifier within the SIR record. Using this information, all accounts that are to be invoiced for the record are located. As the system supports a multi-tiered account hierarchy, the end customer, the service provider, and the wholesaler may all be invoiced from the single usage record, per the service package, plan and rate information set up at each level.
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While invoices are the primary ''output'' of Emersion's billing system, there are several important inputs that users need to be familiar with. We refer to these in articles pertaining to invoicing and billing.
  
 +
;Account Invoice Period
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All accounts are set up with an [https://resources.emersion.com/display/EKB/Account+Invoice+Period|'''Account Invoice Period''']. This is a frequency-based period of time that determines the overall billing cycle for the account. Invoices are generated after the current account invoice period is closed. Read more about the [https://resources.emersion.com/display/EKB/Account+Invoice+Period| Account Invoice Period].
  
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==Quarantine==
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;Billing Objects
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If invoices are the ''output'', the inputs are the billing objects. These are the objects where your pricing and billing business rules are contained. If billing objects are incorrectly configured, incorrect charges on invoices will be the result. Learn more about the [[Billing_Objects|billing objects]] in Emersion.
  
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During the rating, billing and invoicing process, issues may arise for many reasons, such as missing service information, incorrect rating data, or issues with the service usage file received from your upstream service provider. The Billing and Rating engine places these records into [[Quarantine|Quarantine]] for manual investigation. Once the issue is resolved, the records can be re-processed through the billing and rating engine to place the associated charges on to the required account’s invoice. You should regularly review Quarantine to resolve billing issues to ensure your account’s invoices are generated correctly.
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;Subscription Periods
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Like the account invoice period, periods are also created by the system for billing objects. While it is common to align a package subscription or service subscription period to the account invoice period, there are plenty of cases where they should not be aligned. Subscription periods are created for Packages, services, service features, bolt-ons and bolt-on add-ons.
  
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;Service Types
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An object represents a single type of service that can be sold to an customer. Or in other words, it is something that a customer can subscribe to. [[Service_Types|Read more about Service Types here]].
  
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==See==
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;Batch Mediation System (BMS)
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* [[InvoiceProcess|Rating, Billing and Invoice Process]]
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The BMS is a special sub-system in the Emersion ecosystem. It's purpose is to receive usage files from external parties, and to generate usage files. It is the entry point of the Emersion system for all manner of usage that is provided in regular 'batch' files. It does not process usage in 'real-time'. Usage files are unpacked by BMS and the contents are translated before it is sent to the Emersion rating engine.
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* [[InvoiceAudit|Invoice Auditing]]
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* [[InvoiceManageInvoice|Invoice Management]]
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;Rating
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* [[Quarantine|Quarantine]]
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The Rating engine takes usage that has been prepared by BMS and determines what the charge should be. This is calculated using the rates and profiles defined in your rate cards and product rate cards.
 +
 
 +
;Quarantine
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There may be various reasons why usage cannot be identified, rated or billed. This usage is placed into 'Quarantine' so it can be managed.
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== Invoice Statuses ==
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The following statuses apply to invoices.
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 +
{| class="wikitable"
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|+Invoice Statuses
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|Data field ||Description
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|-
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|PENDING ||The invoice has been generated and ready for review and/or approval. Only one pending invoice can exist at any time for an account. Users must ''approve'' a pending invoice before the next one can be generated.
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|-
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|APPROVED ||The invoice has been approved and sent to the customer.
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|-
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|APPROVED - DO NOT SEND ||The invoice has been approved but has not been sent to the customer.
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|-
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|REJECTED ||The invoice has a problem of some kind (usually related to accuracy) and cannot be sent out yet. Read more on rejected invoices.
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|-
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|RENDERING ||The invoice PDF is currently been re-generated by the system. The invoice is not available for view or download while it is being re-rendered.
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|-
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|RERATING ||Charges on the invoice are currently being recalculated by the rating engine. The invoice is not available for view or download while it is being rated.
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|}
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 +
== Immediate Invoices ==
 +
In addition to the invoices automatically created by the system for the regular bill run, ''immediate'' invoices can be created at any time. Immediate invoices are generated at any time outside the normal billing cycle. It is common to generate an immediate invoice for an outright purchase of a physical product. Users can add any pending cardlines to an immediate invoice if they choose.
 +
 
 +
= Invoice Approval =
 +
Service providers have two options when it comes to invoice approval.
 +
 
 +
* Manual Approval - Invoices will be generated in a ''Pending'' status and will remain so until approved by a user. This is strongly recommended for any service provider who wants to review invoices before sending it to the customer.
 +
* Automated Approval - Invoiced are generated and then approved by the system automatically. Recommended when service providers are confident that no adjustments need to be made against plans rate cards, etc and that invoices are generating with accurate charges.

Latest revision as of 16:57, 9 August 2019

Overview

Invoicing is at the very heart of the Emersion billing system. All core features and functions are designed around the purpose of invoice creation and distribution. Without invoicing, there is no billing.

This area is designed as a landing page for all invoicing related topics, including:

  • Customising your invoice templates
  • Global and customer-level settings
  • Activities that happen when the billing period closes.
  • Options for mid-cycle invoice generation.
  • Options for managing invoices.
  • Approving invoices and getting them out to your customers.

and more.....

While Emersion's system is designed to automate as many billing and invoicing functions with the objective of freeing up your staff to perform more important activities, the billing of customers isn't 100% hands-off. There are activities and tasks your company needs to do in each bill cycle to ensure accurate and efficient billing. For a comprehensive run down on the regular activities for a bill run, read the The Billing Cheat Sheet article. All the articles and help in this section aims to provide you with generic advice and help on how you can achieve smooth and efficient bill runs that help secure your revenue and support you in your goals of expansion and growth.

Managing Invoice Template and Configuration

Managing Invoices

Related Functions

Payments

While invoices are the primary output of Emersion's billing system, there are several important inputs that users need to be familiar with. We refer to these in articles pertaining to invoicing and billing.

Account Invoice Period

All accounts are set up with an Account Invoice Period. This is a frequency-based period of time that determines the overall billing cycle for the account. Invoices are generated after the current account invoice period is closed. Read more about the Account Invoice Period.

Billing Objects

If invoices are the output, the inputs are the billing objects. These are the objects where your pricing and billing business rules are contained. If billing objects are incorrectly configured, incorrect charges on invoices will be the result. Learn more about the billing objects in Emersion.

Subscription Periods

Like the account invoice period, periods are also created by the system for billing objects. While it is common to align a package subscription or service subscription period to the account invoice period, there are plenty of cases where they should not be aligned. Subscription periods are created for Packages, services, service features, bolt-ons and bolt-on add-ons.

Service Types

An object represents a single type of service that can be sold to an customer. Or in other words, it is something that a customer can subscribe to. Read more about Service Types here.

Batch Mediation System (BMS)

The BMS is a special sub-system in the Emersion ecosystem. It's purpose is to receive usage files from external parties, and to generate usage files. It is the entry point of the Emersion system for all manner of usage that is provided in regular 'batch' files. It does not process usage in 'real-time'. Usage files are unpacked by BMS and the contents are translated before it is sent to the Emersion rating engine.

Rating

The Rating engine takes usage that has been prepared by BMS and determines what the charge should be. This is calculated using the rates and profiles defined in your rate cards and product rate cards.

Quarantine

There may be various reasons why usage cannot be identified, rated or billed. This usage is placed into 'Quarantine' so it can be managed.

Invoice Statuses

The following statuses apply to invoices.

Invoice Statuses
Data field Description
PENDING The invoice has been generated and ready for review and/or approval. Only one pending invoice can exist at any time for an account. Users must approve a pending invoice before the next one can be generated.
APPROVED The invoice has been approved and sent to the customer.
APPROVED - DO NOT SEND The invoice has been approved but has not been sent to the customer.
REJECTED The invoice has a problem of some kind (usually related to accuracy) and cannot be sent out yet. Read more on rejected invoices.
RENDERING The invoice PDF is currently been re-generated by the system. The invoice is not available for view or download while it is being re-rendered.
RERATING Charges on the invoice are currently being recalculated by the rating engine. The invoice is not available for view or download while it is being rated.

Immediate Invoices

In addition to the invoices automatically created by the system for the regular bill run, immediate invoices can be created at any time. Immediate invoices are generated at any time outside the normal billing cycle. It is common to generate an immediate invoice for an outright purchase of a physical product. Users can add any pending cardlines to an immediate invoice if they choose.

Invoice Approval

Service providers have two options when it comes to invoice approval.

  • Manual Approval - Invoices will be generated in a Pending status and will remain so until approved by a user. This is strongly recommended for any service provider who wants to review invoices before sending it to the customer.
  • Automated Approval - Invoiced are generated and then approved by the system automatically. Recommended when service providers are confident that no adjustments need to be made against plans rate cards, etc and that invoices are generating with accurate charges.
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