Siebel Field Service Guide > Charges and Invoices > Invoice Logic >

Logic for Agreements

To automate the consolidation of agreement charges into invoices, the FS - All Charge Consolidation and FS - Charge Consolidation workflow processes invoke the FS Charge Consolidation business service methods. The following logic is used to:

1. Generate a list of the charge consolidation plans.
2. For the first charge consolidation plan, if the Next Invoice Date is before today, proceed.
3. Search for charges based on the consolidation rules.
4. Consolidate the charges, and create and generate the invoice.
5. Set the Last Invoice Date to today and get the new Next Invoice Date.
6. Check for additional charge consolidation plans to process.
7. If there is another plan, repeat Step 1 through Step 6.

The charge consolidation business service can generate periodic invoices that include these types of charges:

• NRC. Installment payments for one-time (nonrecurring) charges; for example, a one-time fee for service billed in one or more installments.
• RC. Payment of periodic (recurring) charges; for example, a monthly service charge.
• Usage. Payments based on the use of an asset; for example, the number of copies produced on a color copier each month.
• Adjustments. Credits or charges for the selected period.

NOTE:  To increase flexibility, invoicing for agreements is implemented as a Business Service.

Logic for NRC Line Items

The charge consolidation business service uses the following logic to process NRC line items:

1. If there is a previous charge, find the NRC Charged amount. If the Non-Recurring amount is greater than or equal to the NRC Charged amount plus the next amount to be invoiced, proceed.
2. If this is the first charge and if the NRC amount for the line item is greater than zero, proceed.
3. Calculate the NRC amount for the next charge, using the NRC plan, if selected.
4. Create an NRC line item on the charge.

Logic for RC Line Items

The charge consolidation business service uses the following process logic for recurring cost line items:

1. If the recurring charge on the invoice is greater than zero, proceed.
2. Calculate the RC amount.
3. Create an RC line item.

Logic for Usage Line Items

To generate charges from usage line items, you must first define the asset on which the usage is measured. You specify this asset in the Usage Asset # field in the Agreements screen, Line Items view, Line Detail subview. For accurate billing, the charge schedule must match the measurement frequency of the asset.

If you want to charge on estimated usage, you must define certain fields in the product measurement record of the asset's product. Table 64 lists these fields.

You define these fields in the Administration - Product screen, Product Measurements view. For more information, see Product Measurements View.

The charge consolidation business service uses the following logic for usage line items:

1. If there was a previous charge for this agreement line item's use plan, find the reading on the last charge.
2. If this is the first charge for the use plan, find the reading closest to the Use Start date.
3. Find the reading closest to the current date or the Advance Invoice date.
4. If there is no new reading since the last charge or the Use Start date, and if the Estimate check box is selected (on the Administration - Service screen, Use Plans view), use the calculated average use defined in the Usage field (Assets screen, Measurements view) as the estimated reading.
5. If a reading is found, verify these values on the reading:
   • Is the Complete check box selected?
   • Is the Counter Type (defined in the Administration - Product screen, Product Measurements view) set to Incremental or Absolute?
6. If the conditions in Step 5 are satisfied, calculate the usage.

Logic for Adjustment Line Items

The charge consolidation business service uses the following process logic for adjustment line items:

1. For the charge period and agreement, if any value exists in the Adjustment field, add a new line item of this amount to the Charges subview.
2. Create an adjustment line item on the Charges subview.
3. Clear the Adjustment and the Adjustment Reason fields.