This chapter outlines useful procedures for using the Charges functionality available in the Service Request window of the Oracle Forms-based user interface.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Use this general procedure to create a charge line in a service request.
Note: Different entries are required for creating a charge line for a physical item, such as return or a replacement, or for the billing of a customer for time, material, and expenses.
For steps required to complete returns for credit, replacement, and repair see Creating a Return.
Prerequisites
You must create a service request before you can create a charge against it.
To create a charge line
Display the service request in the service request window.
The Service Request window appears.
Select the Charges tab.
Select the Action subtab.
View or edit the following fields:
Line
Read-only charge line number
Charge Line Type
Actual: Use this setting unless you are preparing an estimate that requires customer approval. Any charge line you set to Estimate is not submitted to Oracle Order Management and does not appear on the customer's invoice.
Estimate: Use this setting to create an estimate. You can create a charge line from an estimate by using the Copy to Actual button.
The application adds a new charge line of type Actual to the Actions subtab.
Operating Unit
Defaulted to the organization which recognizes the debit or credit from this charge line. The organizations you can select from are specified by the administrator.
Business Process
Defaulted by the service request type specified on the service request header. Each service request type is mapped to only one business process via the Service Request Types Setup page. The Service: Charges – Default Business Processes from SR profile option determines if this field should display a default value. If this profile is set to No, the user has to manually select a value from the service request type LOV. The business process determines which contract terms apply if a contract is specified. For example, a customer may have a service agreement that covers labor for customer support, but not field service labor. The selection you make here determines the LOV in the Service Activity field.
The “Service: Charges – Default Business Processes from SR” profile option can be set to Yes or No to determine if this field is defaulted. If set to No, the user has to manually select a value from the LOV.
Service Activity
Enter the purpose of this charge line, for example, Return, Labor, and Expenses. The selections are specified by your administrator.
Item Number
Inventory number of the labor, material, or expenses item. You must make an entry in this field even if you are entering a charge line for an installed base item a customer is returning.
Revision
Revision code for the inventory item. This field is enabled automatically when you enter an inventory item number that is revision controlled.
Billing Type
Read-only field that displays an Oracle Inventory item attribute. The type can be material, labor, expense, and other user-defined types.
UOM
Unit of measure. The value defaulted in this field depends on the item you selected.
Quantity
If you are entering a return the quantity must be negative. If the return is for an installed base item, the quantity must be -1.
Return Reason
This field is enabled only if this line is for a return. Use it to select an appropriate return reason code.
The Unsubmitted and Total fields within in the Actuals and In Progress region are updated after you enter an item.
Select the Item Instance subtab.
If you are creating a charge line for an installed base item, then you can view or enter the item by making a selection using one of the following lists of values (LOVs):
Tag Number
Oracle Installed Base identification number.
Instance Number
Oracle Installed Base or Oracle Asset Tracking instance number.
Serial Number
Item's serial number.
The following fields are view-only:
Item number
Revision
Description
If you are creating a return, then you must enter a date by which the customer is supposed to return the item in the Return By Date field. This field is mandatory if the Return Reqd check box is selected in the Transaction Subtypes Setup screen.
Select the Pricing subtab.
Here you can view the list price for the item and override it. If you do not want to charge the customer for this line, then select the No Charge check box.
The Line, UOM, Qty, and Billing Currency are defaulted from other tabs.
List Price
The price of the item from the price list entered on the Pricing Rules subtab or, for expenses, the currency amount you entered in the Action tab.
Override Unit Price
You can use this field to adjust the unit price.
Extended Price
Read-only field that displays the Override Unit Price times the quantity.
Contract Discount Amount
Read-only field that displays the discount based on the contract entered in the Contract Number field on the Pricing Rules subtab.
Net Price
The extended price minus any contract discount. You can adjust this price which will be the price to appear on the customer invoice.
Select the Pricing Rules subtab.
View and edit the following:
Contract Number
Number of the contract which applies to this line. The application defaults the contract applied to the service request as a whole, but you can choose a different contract using the List of Values. You can view the details of the contract by clicking Coverage.
Note: Task debrief lines submitted from Oracle Depot Repair default the repair order contract instead of the service request contract.
Coverage
Read-only field detailing what the contract covers.
Price list
The price list used to determine the pricing of the item. The value defaults from the selected contract. If the contract does not define a price list, then it is defaulted from the profile Service: Charges - Default Price list. If this profile is not set, then the price list is not defaulted.
Billing Currency
Price list currency.
Customer Purchase Order
Number of the customer purchase order. This number will appear on the invoice.
Rate Type
You can choose a rate type for labor items. The Rate Type field is enabled if the chosen item's billing type is Labor and the selected contract includes a labor rate.
The billing address for the customer invoice is defaulted from the service request Bill To address (displayed in the Contact Center's Contacts/Addresses tab). If you wish to modify the billing address then, select the Bill To subtab.
View and edit the following:
Bill To Party
Party that is to receive the invoice.
Bill To Account
Account that will be debited or credited for the transaction.
Card Number
Number listed on the credit card. If you have not manually changed the credit card at the service request header level, these changes are defaulted to the charge line level credit card only for the new records recreated there after. You can change this credit card information in the Charges tab.
Card Type
Type of card held by the card holder.
Card Holder
Name listed on the credit card.
Bill To Address
Address where the invoice will be sent.
Bill To Contact
You can enter a contact here for information only. The contact does not get passed to Oracle Order Management.
Shipping information for the charge line is defaulted into the Ship To subtab from the service request Ship To address (displayed in the Contacts/Addresses tab). If you are shipping an item in this charge line and wish to view it or select a different address, then select the Ship To subtab.
Ship To Party
Party that is to receive the shipment.
Ship To Account
Oracle Order Management requires an account number entered in this field to recognize the shipping address. The customer is not charged on this account.
Ship To Address
Address where the item will be sent.
Ship To Contact
You can enter a contact here for information only. The contact does not get passed to Oracle Order Management.
Select the Order Details subtab.
Optionally, select the shipping or receiving warehouse for the charge line. Leaving this field blank leaves it up to Oracle Order Management to determine the warehouse.
Verify that the OM Interface check box is selected if you want this charge line to be passed to Oracle Order Management.
The default value for this check box is determined by the setup of the service activity code.
Optionally, you can simplify customer invoices by grouping all charge lines under the generic headings of time, material, or expenses by selecting the Rollup check box.
This way the different charge lines for pens and for stationery appear on the invoice as expenses, for example, and the charge lines for straight time, overtime, and time and half appear under the simple heading of time. Selecting the Rollup check box, substitutes the generic inventory item on the customer invoice. Your administrator must set this substitution up in the Billing Type Attributes setup window. For details, see the Modifying the Display of Charges on Customer Invoices.
Select the Order Status tab to review a summary of the orders information for each submitted charge line.
After you have completed adding all of the charge lines for the service request, click Submit to submit the order to Oracle Order Management.
The Submitted and Unsubmitted fields within the Actuals and In Progress region are updated.
Note: You cannot update or resubmit charge lines after they have been submitted. Submitted charge lines appear as read-only.
In the Order Status subtab, you can view information about the order. This includes the order numbers where the different charge lines have been added, the status of each order as well as the invoice number and date.
Note: Depending on the setup of you implementation, you may need to use Oracle Order Management to book the order as described by Oracle Order Management User's Guide. However, your administrator can set a profile option that will automatically create orders in Booked status.
Your administrator can set up Field Service charges to be submitted automatically, after certain defined criteria are met. Your administrator can:
Set conditions that must be met before the application submits charges to Oracle Order Management, for example, to automatically submit charges only when all of the service request tasks are closed.
The application creates error messages for charges that are not submitted successfully. You can review these messages, by clicking Charge Line Status Details, the button next to the Line Status field on the Actions subtab.
Note: You can use the Find Service Request window to search for service requests containing charge lines of a particular status. For example, charge lines that have been restricted or have failed.
Define charges that are exempt from automatic submission. Such charges can be reviewed manually, see Submitting Charges Manually.
For example, your administrator can restrict charges, if the total of all charges for the service request exceeds a defined amount.
Note: This feature works in conjunction with the Field Service Debrief module. Only charges generated from Oracle Field Service Debrief are eligible for automatic submission.
Use the following procedure to submit charges manually.
Prerequisites
You must open a service request with eligible charge lines.
To submit charges manually
Display the service request in the Service Request window.
Select the Charges tab.
Select the Action subtab.
Review the charge line statuses to identify any charge lines that have failed to submit.
To review details of any failed lines and to determine if you can submit these manually, click the Charge Line Status Details button next to the Line Status field.
Verify that an Incident Address has been selected in the Service Request header.
Click Submit.
Successfully-submitted charge lines show a Type Status of "Submitted".
Use this procedure to view the progress of an order for charge lines that have been submitted to Oracle Order Management.
To view the status of orders and invoices
Display the service request in the Service Request window.
Select the Charges tab.
Select the Order Status subtab.
The confirmation number is displayed in the Order Number field.
The Order Status field displays the status of the order. If an Oracle Order Management order line is split, when a part of the order is put on back-order, for example, then Charges displays the status of the first line.
The invoice number and the invoice date display in the Invoice Number and Invoice Date fields respectively.
Oracle TeleService makes it possible for you to create three types of returns:
Return for Credit
A customer wants to return an item and receive credit to their account. See Creating a Return for Credit.
Return for Replacement:
A customer wants to receive a replacement. See Creating a Return for Replacement.
Return for Repair:
The item is to be repaired. See Creating a Return for Repair.
Note: Charges is designed for service-related returns, not as a quoting or sales application. It uses the company's current price list rather than the original invoice or sales receipt for calculating customer credit.
Use this procedure to create a return for credit. This type of return requires you to create just one charge line.
To create a return for credit
Display an existing service request in the Service Request window.
If you are creating a return for an inventory item not tracked by Oracle Installed Base, then:
Enter a customer in the service request header. You can use a single piece of identifying information such as the customer's contract number or account number. You can use the Maximize or Minimize the Header button (plus sign) at the top right hand corner of the header to reveal additional fields.
Enter the inventory item using the Item or Desc field lists of values. The Item LOV lets you search by inventory number; the Desc field by item description.
Note: You must enter the item number again on the Charges tab later in this procedure.
If you are creating a return for an item in the customer's installed base, then:
If you know the serial number or the installed base instance number, then enter them in the Serial or Instance fields using the LOVs provided.
If you do not know the number you can search for it by clicking the Find icon to the right of the item field.
In the Service Request window header, check to see if the Type, Status, and Severity fields display the correct values for the return in your service organization.
Select the Workbench tab and enter a summary of the customer problem in the Problem Summary field.
Save the service request by clicking Save in the toolbar.
Optionally, check to see if the product is still covered under a contract and the customer can return it.
Select the Charges tab.
Select the Action subtab.
Optionally, change any of the following defaulted fields:
Charge Line Type
Do not change the default Actual setting unless you are preparing an estimate that requires customer approval. (Any charge line you set to Estimate does not appear on the customer invoice.)
Operating Unit
The organization which recognizes the debit from this transaction.
Business Process
Defaulted by the service request type. The business process determines which contracts apply and the level of coverage a customer may receive. For example, a customer may have a service agreement that covers labor for customer support, but not field service labor. The selection you make here determines the list of values (LOV) in the Service Activity field.
Using the Service Activity LOV, specify the purpose of the charge line (for example: Return for Credit). The values in this LOV are determined by the administrator.
In Item Number, enter the inventory item number for the item being returned. You must do so even if you are creating the return for an item in the customer's installed base.
Rev (Revision), Billing Type, and UOM (Unit of Measure) fields are populated automatically.
Enter the quantity of the item being returned as a negative number. If the item is tracked by the installed base then this quantity must be -1.
Select the Pricing subtab.
The UOM and Quantity fields are carried over from the Activity tab.
The currency displayed in the Billing Currency field is defaulted from the price list and may not represent the currency the customer actually paid in.
The List Price reflects the price as listed on the price list; not necessarily what the customer paid for the item.
If you wish to adjust the unit price, you can do so by modifying the Override Unit Price.
The Extended Price is the Override Unit Price multiplied by the quantity.
If a contract applies, the contract discount appears in the Contract Discount Amount.
The Net Price is the extended price minus the contract discount amount.
If you wish to adjust the total amount of credit the customer receives, you can do so by modifying the amount in the Net Price field.
If the item the customer is returning is registered in Oracle Installed Base or Oracle Asset Tracking, then select the Item Instance tab and enter the item using the Instance Number or Tag Number LOVs.
Note: Entering an Installed Base item does not automatically populate the item number in the Action tab.
On the Item Instance subtab, enter a date by which the customer is supposed to return the item in the Return By Date field.
The application automatically applies the billing address and other billing information you entered in the service request's Contacts/Addresses tab. If you wish to change it or review it, then select the Bill To subtab. You can make alternate selections using the lists of values provided:
Bill to Party: this field is defaulted from the Bill To Address region Customer field in the Contacts/Addresses subtab on the service request. You can select a different party using the LOV.
Bill to Address: the address where the customer will receive a confirmation.
Bill to Contact: an optional contact. Any entry you make here is for information only and does not get passed to Oracle Order Management.
Select the Order Details subtab.
If you know the warehouse that will receive the return, then use the Shipping/Receiving Warehouse LOV to select it.
Do not select the Rollup check box as it does not apply to returns.
Oracle Order Management automatically adds the charge line to an open order, but if you wish to specify a specific order to add this transaction to, then:
Select a an order from the Add to Order LOV.
Enter an order number using the Order Number LOV.
Make sure the OM Interface check box is selected. This charge line is not sent to Oracle Order Management unless this check box is selected.
Save your entries by clicking Save on the toolbar.
Enter any additional return items as described above.
When you are done entering information about the items the customer wishes to return, then click Submit.
Note: You can only use Oracle Order Management to modify the charge line after you submit it.
Select the Order Status subtab.
The Order Number field displays the RMA number you can give to the customer to use for their equipment return.
Use Oracle Order Management to book the order as described by Oracle Order Management User's Guide. Booking the order notifies the receiving warehouse to expect the return.
Your administrator can also set up the application to create orders in Booked status.
You can monitor the progress of the return by viewing the status displayed in the Line Status field on the Order Status subtab.
Use this procedure to create a return for replacement. This type of return requires you to create two charge lines: one for the item being returned and one for the replacement item to be shipped.
Submit only after you have entered both lines. The procedure for creating the first charge line is very similar to the procedure for creating a return for credit.
Steps:
To create a return for replacement: Display a service request in the Service Request window.
If you are creating a return for an inventory item, then:
Select a customer in the Service Request window header. You can select a customer by name or by entering a single piece of identifying information such as the serial number of an installed base item, the customer's contract number, or the phone number.
Enter the inventory item using the Item or Desc field lists of values. The Item LOV lets you search by inventory number; the Desc field by item description.
Note: You must enter the item number again on the Charges tab later in this procedure.
If you are creating a return for an item in the customer's installed base, then:
If you know the serial number or the installed base instance number, then enter them in the Serial or Instance fields using the LOVs provided.
If you do not know the number you can search for it by clicking the Find icon to the right of the item field.
In the Service Request window header, check to see if the Type, Status, and Severity fields display the correct values for the return in your service organization. If not, use the lists of values (LOVs) to select them. Contact your administrator for more information about the correct settings for your organization.
Select the Workbench tab and enter a summary of the customer problem in the Problem Summary field.
Save the service request by clicking Save in the toolbar.
Optionally, check to see if the product is still covered under a warranty or contract and the customer can return it.
Select the Charges tab.
Create the first charge line for the return as described in Creating a Charge Line for a Return.
Create the second charge line for the replacement as described in Creating the Charge Line for a Replacement.
When you are done entering information about the items the customer wishes to return, then click Submit.
Note: You can only use Oracle Order Management to modify the charge line after you submit it.
Select the Order Status subtab.
The Order Number field displays the RMA number you can give to the customer to use for their equipment return.
Use Oracle Order Management to book the order as described by Oracle Order Management User's Guide. Booking the order notifies the receiving warehouse to expect the return and the shipping warehouse to send out the replacement.
You can monitor the progress of the return by viewing the status displayed in the Line Status field on the Order Status subtab.
Use this procedure to create the charge line for the equipment the customer is returning.
To create a charge line for the return
Select the Action subtab.
Optionally, change any of the following defaulted fields:
Charge Line Type
Defaulted to Actual. Do not change this setting unless you are preparing an estimate that requires customer approval. (Any charge line you set to Estimate does not appear on the customer invoice.)
Operating Unit
Defaulted to the organization which recognizes the debit from this transaction. This values is specified by the administrator.
Business Process
Defaulted by the service request type. The business process determines which contracts apply and the level of coverage a customer may receive. For example, a customer may have a service agreement that covers labor for customer support, but not field service labor. The selection you make here determines the list of values (LOV) in the Service Activity field.
Using the Service Activity LOV, specify the purpose of the charge (for example: Return for Replacement). our selection must have a line category type of "Return".
Enter the inventory item number for the item being returned. You must do so even if you are creating the charge line for an item in the customer's installed base.
Rev (Revision), Billing Type, and UOM (Unit of Measure) fields are populated automatically.
Enter the quantity of the item being returned as a negative number. If the item is tracked by the installed base or serialized then this quantity must be -1.
Select the Pricing subtab.
The UOM and Quantity fields are carried over from the Activity tab.
The currency displayed in the Billing Currency field is defaulted from the price list and may not be the same as the currency the customer used in payment.
The List Price reflects the price as listed on the price list; not necessarily what the customer paid for the item.
If you wish to adjust the unit price, you can do so by modifying the Override Unit Price.
The Extended Price is the Override Unit Price multiplied by the quantity.
If a contract applies, the contract discount appears in the Contract Discount Amount.
The Net Price is the extended price minus the contract discount amount.
If you wish to adjust the total price or the amount of credit the customer receives, you can do so by modifying the amount in the Net Price field.
If the item the customer is returning is registered in Oracle Installed Base or Oracle Asset Tracking, then select the Item Instance tab and enter the item using the Instance Number or Tag Number LOVs.
Note: Entering an installed base item does not automatically populate the item number in the Action tab.
On the Item Instance subtab, enter a date by which the customer is supposed to return the item in the Return By Date field.
The application automatically applies the billing address and other billing information you entered in the service request's Address tab. If you wish to change it or review it, then select the Bill To subtab. You can make alternate selections using the lists of values provided:
Bill to Party: this field is defaulted to the customer as it is normally the customer who is responsible for payment or receives credit for the return, but you can select a different party.
Bill to Address: The billing address.
Bill to Contact: An optional contact. Any entry you make here is for information only and does not get passed to Oracle Order Management.
Select the Order Details subtab.
If you know the warehouse that will receive the return, then use the Shipping/Receiving Warehouse LOV to select it.
Do not select the Rollup check box as it does not apply to returns.
The application automatically adds the charge line to an open order, but if you wish to specify an order to add this transaction to, then:
Select an order from the Add to Order LOV.
Enter an order number using the Order Number LOV.
Make sure the OM Interface check box is selected. The charge line is not sent to Oracle Order Management unless it is.
Save your entries by clicking Save on the toolbar.
You are now ready to enter the item you are sending out as a replacement. See Creating the Charge Line for a Replacement.
Use this procedure to create the charge line for the replacement unit the customer is to receive.
To create the charge line for the replacement
Select the Action subtab.
Optionally, change any of the following defaulted fields:
Charge Line Type
Defaulted to Actual. Do not change this setting unless you are preparing an estimate that requires customer approval. (Any charge line you set to Estimate does not appear on the customer invoice.)
Operating Unit
Defaulted to the organization which recognizes the debit or credit from this transaction. The available values are specified by the administrator.
Business Process
Defaulted by the service request type. The business process determines which contracts apply and the level of coverage a customer may receive. For example, a customer may have a service agreement that covers labor for customer support, but not field service labor. The selection you make here determines the list of values (LOV) in the Service Activity field.
Using the Service Activity LOV, specify what the purpose of the charge line (for example: Replacement). The values in this LOV are determined by the administrator.
Enter the inventory item number for the item being shipped out as a replacement.
Rev (Revision), Billing Type, and UOM (Unit of Measure) fields are populated automatically.
Enter the quantity of the item being shipped as a positive number.
Select the Pricing subtab.
The UOM and Quantity fields are carried over from the Activity tab.
The currency displayed in the Billing Currency field is defaulted from the price list.
The List Price reflects the price as listed on the price list.
If you wish to adjust the unit price, you can do so by modifying the Override Unit Price.
The Extended Price is the Override Unit Price multiplied by the quantity.
If a contract applies, the contract discount appears in the Contract Discount Amount.
The Net Price is the extended price minus the contract discount amount.
If you wish to adjust the total price, you can do so by modifying the amount in the Net Price field.
The application automatically applies the billing address and other billing information you entered in the service request's Address tab. If you wish to change it or review it, then select the Bill To subtab. You can make alternate selections using the lists of values provided:
Bill To Party: normally it is the customer who is responsible for payment or receives credit for the return, but you can select a different party.
Bill To Address: The billing address.
Bill To Contact: An optional contact. Any entry you make here is for information only and does not get passed to Oracle Order Management.
The application automatically copies the shipping address and other shipping information you entered in the service request's Address tab. If you wish to change it or review it, then select the Ship To subtab and use the LOVs provided for updates:
Ship To Party: Normally it is the customer who is responsible for paying the shipping, but you can select a different party.
Ship To Address: The shipping address.
Ship To Contact: An optional contact. Any entry you make here is for information only and does not get passed to Oracle Order Management.
Select the Order Details subtab.
If you know the warehouse that will do the shipping, then use the Shipping/Receiving Warehouse LOV to select it. Leaving this field blank lets Oracle Order Management choose the warehouse for you.
Do not select the Rollup check box as it does not apply to returns.
Oracle Order Management automatically adds the charge line to an open order, but if you wish to specify an order to add this transaction to, then:
Select an order from the Add to Order LOV.
Enter an order number using the Order Number LOV.
The application administrator can also set up the application to create orders in "Booked" status.
Make sure the OM Interface check box is selected. The charge line is not sent to Oracle Order Management unless it is.
You are now ready to complete the return as described in Creating a Return for Replacement.
To create a return for repair follow the procedure described in Creating a Return for Credit. On the Pricing tab, select the No Charge check box. This sets the price to zero as the customer does not want credit for the return. The rest of the return for repair procedure is carried out in Oracle Depot Repair. See the Oracle Depot Repair User Guide for details.
Use this procedure to charge customers for field service tasks that have been debriefed and closed. Your administrator also can set up charges to be submitted automatically, so that you do not need to review and submit field service charges for billing.
Depot Repair charges are generally submitted using the Depot Repair Workbench.
You cannot update or resubmit charge lines after they have been submitted. Submitted charge lines appear as read-only.
Prerequisites
You must have a service request with debrief lines to review.
To review and submit field service charges for billing
Display the service request in the Service Request window.
Select the Charges tab.
Review the charge lines displayed on the subtabs. You can view the original sourced documents by following the procedure outlined in Viewing the Source of a Charge Line.
Click Submit.
Select the Order Status subtab.
The Order Number field displays the reference number you can give to your customer.
Use Oracle Order Management to bill the customer as described by Oracle Order Management User's Guide.
Use this procedure to view pending charges for service request tasks that have been entered by field service agents but not yet closed.
Prerequisites
Field service technicians must complete the debrief for the tasks.
To view pending charges
Display the service request in the Service Request window.
Select the Charges tab.
Click Auto Generate.
The application displays information on pending charges for all tasks with an in progress status. These are tasks that have been debriefed but not yet closed.
If a charge line originates form an Oracle Field Service debrief or from an Oracle Depot Repair repair order, you can use this procedure to view the original documents.
To view the source of a charge line
Display the service request in the service request window.
Select the Charges tab and the Source subtab.
Select the charge line.
If the charge line is for a repair, then the Original Source Doc field displays Service Request or Depot Repair, depending on where application the charge line was created.
If the RMA or shipment line was created in Oracle Depot Repair, then click Source to display the depot repair order.
If the RMA or shipment line was created in Charges, then:
Select Depot Repair using the Current Source Doc list of values (LOV).
Click Source to display the depot repair order.
If the charge line was created through an Oracle Field Service debrief, then click Source to display the debrief.
The Original Source Doc displays Service Request and Current Source Doc displays Service Debrief. The number of the debrief document appears in the Current Source Number field.
You can view a report of the current charges for a service request in a browser window by clicking the Charges Report button on the Charges tab.