Chargebacks are fees charged to people or businesses for the use of storage facilities or actions performed on physical items in the storage facilities. They can also be used to provide an explanation for storage actions. Reservations are used to manage physical items which can be checked out to users, reserved for later use, or requested.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Invoices can be generated for the storage, use, reservation, and destruction of the managed content. The invoices can then be sent to internal or external customers in accordance with applicable business procedures.
The administrator sets up charge types (billable events), payment types (methods of payment), and customers (users or organizations who will be billed). After being set, each billable action (creation, reservation, storage, destruction) can be charged to a particular customer by creating invoices containing one or more transactions on physical items occurring for these customers. Automatic transactions are those in which the charges are calculated at transaction time.
A charge type is a defined transaction triggered by certain criteria. For example, the creation of a physical item of object type Box and media type Box may cost $5 per occurrence, while reservation of an item with priority ASAP Rush may cost $20.
Whenever someone performs an action meeting the criteria of a charge type, a billable transaction is recorded for the associated user or organization (customer). The system uses the most specific charge type. If charge type A has two criteria and charge type B has the same two criteria plus another one, charge type B is recorded for a transaction meeting all three criteria of charge type B even though it also meets the two criteria of charge type A.
An amount of money is associated with each charge type that can be per item or for a specific period.For example, you could charge a fee every time a physical item is created (or reserved or destroyed), or charge a monthly fee to store a physical item.
A payment type specifies how internal or external customers pay for services. Pre-defined payment types include credit card or check. Custom payment types can also be created.
Customers are internal or external users or organizations who are charged for the services rendered on physical items. They will receive the invoices generated by Physical Content Management (in accordance with the applicable business procedures) and make the payments for the chargebacks.
After the charge types, payment types, and customers are defined, they can be used to create invoices to submit to the customers for each billable event. Invoices can be run on an as-needed basis or they can be scheduled automatically in accordance with defined criteria.
This section discusses the following topics:
A site's specific reservation process may differ from the one described here, depending on the procedures in place.
The typical fulfillment process of a chargeback is as follows:
A user performs a billable action (for example, creates, reserves, or stores a physical item in storage).
If automatic transactions are enable, when the user performs one of these actions on the physical item, those items are matched against all defined charge types. Each action on each item is matched against current transactions. If there is no match to a transaction, the action will not be recorded for chargeback.
The transaction is recorded in the system. The administrator should make sure there are transactions in place to cover as many variations as possible regarding actions on physical items. In this way chargeback can be made more automatic and require less individual attention for each request made for a physical item.
The administrator generates an invoice, either automatically through using scheduled invoices or manually by generating individual invoices.
The invoice is sent to the customer according to business procedures. The Physical Content Management functionality does not email invoices or otherwise deliver them.
The bill is paid or otherwise considered paid according to company procedures.
After the bill is paid, the administrator marks the invoice as paid within the Physical Content Management feature.
Administrators set up charge types, payment types, and customers.
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right is required to perform this action. This right is assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role. In addition, the chargeback feature has its own set of rights that define what users can do in this area.
The default Physical Content Management functionality comes with the following predefined charge actions:
Creation: A user is billed if a physical item is created.
Destruction: A user is billed if a physical item is destroyed.
Reservation: A user is billed if a reservation request is made for a physical item.
Storage: A user is billed if a physical item is stored.
The default Physical Content Management functionality comes with the following predefined payment types:
Credit Card: To charge a customer paying with a credit card.
Check: To charge a customer paying by check.
This section discusses the following topics:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Create right are needed to perform this action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
The most specific charge type is always used. For example, if charge type A has two criteria and charge type B has the same two criteria plus another one, charge type B is recorded for a transaction meeting all three criteria of charge type B (even though it also meets the two criteria of charge type A).
To create a new charge type to be used for chargebacks:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Edit rights are needed to perform this action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To modify a page, select the item to edit in the list of items and choose Edit Charge Type from the item's Actions menu. Modify the properties as required and click OK when finished.
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Read right are needed to perform this action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To view the properties of a charge type:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Delete right are needed to perform this action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To delete a charge type:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Create right are needed to perform this action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To create a new payment type to be used for chargebacks:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Edit right are needed to perform the following action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To modify a payment type, select the item to edit in the list of items and choose Edit Payment Type from the item's Actions menu. Modify the properties as required and click OK when finished.
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Read right are needed to perform the following action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To view the properties of a payment type:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Delete right are needed to perform the following action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To delete a payment type:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Create right are needed to perform the following action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To create a new customer to be used for chargebacks:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Edit right are needed to perform the following action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To modify a customer, select the customer to edit in the list of customers and choose Edit Customer from the Actions menu on the customer list. Modify the properties as required and click OK when finished.
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Read right are needed to perform the following action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To view the properties of a customer:
Note:
The PCM.Admin.Manager right and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Delete right are needed to perform the following action. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To delete a customer:
Automatic transactions can be defined by selecting the transaction type and enabling it. To enable automatic transactions:
You can create a manual transaction in much the same way as creating automatic transactions. To add a manual transaction:
Note:
The PCM.AdminManager right, the CBC.ChargeBacks.Delete right, and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Admin right are required to perform this task. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To delete a transaction:
This section discusses the processing of charging, invoicing, and billing. It contains the following topics:
Note:
The PCM.AdminManager right, the CBC.ChargeBacks.Create right, and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Admin right are required to perform this task. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To manually create a new invoice:
Note:
The PCM.AdminManager right, the CBC.ChargeBacks.Edit right, and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Admin right are required to perform this task. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To edit an invoice:
Note:
The PCM.AdminManager right, the CBC.ChargeBacks.Delete right, and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Admin right are required to perform this task. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To delete an invoice:
Note:
The PCM.AdminManager right, the CBC.ChargeBacks.Read right, and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Admin right are required to perform this task. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To view an invoice:
Note:
The PCM.AdminManager right, the CBC.ChargeBacks.PrintInvoices right, and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Admin right are required to perform this task. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To print an invoice:
Note:
The PCM.AdminManager right, the CBC.ChargeBacks.Admin right, and the CBC.ChargeBacks.Edit right are required to perform this task. These rights are assigned by default to the PCM Administrator role.
To mark an invoice as paid:
Reservations are used to manage physical content. A user can put a hold on items that are currently unavailable (for example, someone else has the item). If others also made a reservation request for an item, that reservation is put on a waiting list, which specifies the order in which people made a reservation for the item. A reservation request may comprise multiple items.
After a reservation request is made, an email notification is sent to the administrator, who processes the request and starts the reservation fulfillment process in accordance with the applicable procedures in the organization.
If you are a user with the standard reservation privileges, you cannot make any changes to an existing reservation. You can only do so if your administrator has granted you special privileges beyond the defaults for a PCM requestor.
Each user can normally place only one reservation request for the same item. However, the administrator may have set up the system so a user can make multiple requests. This may be useful in environments where there are users who make reservation requests on behalf of several people.
This section discusses the following topics:
Each reservation request has several properties, including the following:
The request status specifies the current status for a reserved physical item, which can be any of the following:
Waiting List: The request item is currently already checked out to someone else. It becomes available to the next requestor upon its return (unless the administrator chooses to override the waiting list order).
In Process (initial default): The reserved item is available and is being prepared for delivery. Only one request item for a reservation can have the In Process status.
Not Found: The request item could not be located in its designated location.
Unavailable: The request item cannot currently be processed for delivery.
Denied: The reservation request has been rejected by the administrator and cannot be fulfilled.
Canceled: The reservation request was called off before it could be fulfilled.
Checked Out: The reserved item is currently in the possession of someone as part of a reservation request. If a physical item is checked out, its current location (as shown on the Physical Item Information page) is automatically set to the value of the Deliver To Location field for the associated reservation request. If no value was entered in this field, the current location is set to OTHER. Also, the current location comment on the Physical Item Information page) is set to the location comment specified for the associated reservation request. If no comment was provided, it is set to the login name of the user who made the reservation.
Overdue: The reserved item is currently checked out to someone who has failed to return the item within the configured checkout time. As a result, the reservation request cannot currently be fulfilled.
By default, an email notification is sent out to the user who has an overdue item. This email notification can be turned off.
Returned: The checked-out item was returned to the storage repository, so it is available for other users to reserve and check out.
The transfer method specifies how the person who made the request (the requestor) will receive the reserved item. Users specify the transfer method when a reservation request is created. The following transfer methods are supported:
Copy: The physical content item will be duplicated and the copy will be provided to the intended recipient. The copy can be physical (for example, a copied DVD) or electronic (for example, an ISO image of a CD).
Fax: The physical content item will be faxed to its intended recipient.
Mail: The original physical content item will be mailed to its intended recipient.
Pickup: The intended recipient will pick up the physical content item in person.
Email: The content item will be emailed to its intended recipient.
The priority of a reservation request specifies the urgency with which it must be fulfilled. User specify the priority when they create a reservation request. The following priorities are supported:
No Priority: Delivery of the requested item does not have any particular priority (there is no rush). The item can be delivered in accordance with the applicable fulfillment procedures.
ASAP Rush: The requested item should be delivered to its intended recipient as soon as possible after the reservation was made.
This Morning: The requested item should be delivered to its intended recipient the same morning the reservation was made.
Today: The requested item should be delivered to its intended recipient the same day the reservation was made.
This Week: The requested item should be delivered to its intended recipient the same week the reservation was made.
The following tasks are included when managing reservations:
Note:
The PCM.Reservation.Create right is required to perform this task. This right is assigned by default to the predefined PCM Requestor and PCM Administrator roles.
Reservation requests can only be made for physical items. Error messages are displayed if an attempt is made to reserve electronic items.
By default, each user can place only one reservation request for the same item. If users make reservation requests on behalf of multiple people (for example, manager assistants), it may be useful to override this behavior. To do so, add the following variable to the physicalcontentmanager_environment.cfg
configuration file:
AllowMultipleRequests=true
If a reservation request is created for a physical item containing other items, the other items are included in the reservation. The child items are not seen in the request, but when a checkout is done for the parent item, all child items are also checked out. A request can be made for each of the child items, but they cannot be checked out until the parent item is returned.
As soon as a reservation request is submitted, the status of all request items is automatically changed to In Process, unless their status is already In Process or Checked Out. In that case, it is changed to Waiting List.
Users with the standard reservation privileges (those with the predefined 'pcmrequestor' role) cannot make any changes to an existing reservation by default. In order to edit reservation requests, they must be given the PCM.Reservation.Edit right.
To make a reservation request:
The status of all request items is now automatically changed to In Process, unless their status is already In Process or Checked Out. In that case, it is changed to Waiting List. The items are reserved and the administrator is notified about the reservation request. After the administrator processes the reservation request, it can be fulfilled in accordance with the procedures in the organization.
Note:
The PCM.Reservation.Edit right is required to perform this task. This right is assigned by default to the predefined PCM Administrator role. A user can edit an owned reservation without this right depending on the settings when PCM was configured.
To modify the properties of a reservation request:
Note:
The PCM.Reservation.Delete right is required to perform this task. This right is assigned by default to the predefined PCM Administrator role. A user can delete an owned reservation without this right depending on the setting when PCM is configured.
To delete a reservation request (and effectively cancel it):
Note:
The PCM.Reservation.Read right is required to perform this task. This right is assigned by default to the predefined PCM Requestor and PCM Administrator roles.
To view all outstanding reservation requests for a physical item:
Note:
The PCM.Reservation.Edit right is required to perform this task. This right is assigned by default to the predefined PCM Administrator role. Users can change the status of an owned reservation without this right depending on the settings when PCM was configured.
To change the status of a request item in a reservation request: