2 Implementation Defaults

This chapter describes the default implementation of Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management (BRM) for business policies, such as those used for registration and billing. It also describes the methods used for changing the default behavior. For more information, see "Ways to Use and Customize BRM" in BRM Concepts.

Caution:

Do not use or modify this product except as explicitly instructed in this documentation. Assumptions should not be made about functionality that is not documented or use of functionality in a manner that is not documented. Use or modification of this software product in any manner or for any purpose other than as expressly set forth in this documentation may result in voidance or forfeiture of your warranties and support services rights. Please consult your software license agreement for more details. If you have any questions regarding an intended use or modification of this product, please contact your BRM account executive.

Defaults for Offering Plans and Deals to Customers

Table 2-1 lists the default settings for plans and deals provided by BRM:

Table 2-1 BRM Default Settings

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Control which plans a customer can register with on the Web.	Customers can register with plans in the default plan list.	When implementing Web-based registration, write a script that presents plans based on user input. See "Controlling Which Plans and Deals are Available to Customers" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_GET_PLANS.
Control which deals are available to customers.	The customer can purchase all deals.	When implementing Web-based registration, write a script that presents deals based on user input. See "Controlling Which Plans and Deals are Available to Customers" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_GET_DEALS.
Change the amount of time during which you can cancel a product without charging a cancel fee.	Cancel fees are applied.	Change the cancel_tolerance entry in the Connection Manager (CM) configuration file. See "Canceling Products Without Charging a Cancel Fee" in BRM Managing Customers.
Set a credit limit in a plan.	Credit limits are set to 0.	Change the credit limit in Pricing Center. See "About Applying Credit Limits to Resources" in BRM Setting Up Pricing and Rating. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_LIMIT.

Defaults for Creating Customer Accounts

Table 2-2 lists the default settings for customer accounts:

Table 2-2 Default Settings for Customer Accounts

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Specify the default country, in case the customer doesn't enter a country name.	USA.	Change the country entry in the CM configuration file. See "Specifying the Default Country" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_NAMEINFO.
Specify how to assign the merchant to each account. See "About Merchant Numbers and Account Identifiers" in BRM Configuring and Collecting Payments.	Use the merchant name from the /config/ach object.	To use multiple merchant names, customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_BILLINFO source code.
Specify the numbering scheme for account numbers.	Account numbers are created by combining the database number with the object ID from the account POID, for example, 0.0.0.1-1482.	To change how account numbers are generated, customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_ACCTINFO source code.
Standardize data for account names. For example, to ensure consistent display and formatting of account names, you can capitalize the first and last name, regardless of how the customer entered the information.	The name is formatted exactly how the customer entered it.	Customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_NAMEINFO source code.

Defaults for Login Names and Passwords

Table 2-3 lists the default settings for login names and passwords

Table 2-3 Default Settings for Login Names and Passwords

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Specify the characteristics of a valid login name and password.	At least 1 character but no more than 255 characters.	To specify login requirements, including a list of "naughty words," use the Field Validation Editor. See "Setting up Login Name and Password Defaults" in BRM Managing Customers. To edit the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_LOGIN and PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_PASSWD.
Specify how to encrypt passwords.	Passwords for IP services are not encrypted. AES encryption is used for non-service passwords.	Customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_ENCRYPT_PASSWD source code.
Specify requirements for email login names.	Customers must use all lowercase characters for email logins. The login name must include the domain name.	Customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_LOGIN source code.
Specify whether the customer or the system picks the password.	Customer must specify a password.	To supply an algorithm for generating passwords, customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_PASSWD source code.
Specify the number of days before a CSR password must be changed.	CSR passwords expire after 90 days.	Edit the passwd_age entry in the CM configuration file. See "Setting the Default Password Expiry Duration" in BRM System Administrator's Guide.

Defaults for Validating Customer Registration Information

Table 2-4 lists the default settings for validating customer registration information:

Table 2-4 Default Settings for Customer Registration Validation

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Specify the minimal information a CSR or customer must enter to create an account.	Customer must enter: Last name Address City State ZIP code Country Service logins and passwords	To change the required entries, use the Field Validation Editor. See "Specifying Which Information is Required for Registration" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_NAMEINFO.
Specify the formats a CSR or customer must use when entering state, phone number, and postal code.	State: two uppercase letters, for example, CA. Phone number: either a TAPI-compliant number or (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Postal code: (USA only); 5 digits, or 5 digits followed by a hyphen and 4 digits.	To change the required format, use the Field Validation Editor. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_NAMEINFO.
Validate state and ZIP code for tax calculation.	Do not validate state and ZIP code.	Edit the tax_valid entry in the CM configuration file. See "Specifying Whether to Validate ZIP Codes" in BRM Calculating Taxes. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_NAMEINFO.

Business Decision

Default Behavior

How to Customize

Specify the minimal information a CSR or customer must enter to create an account.

Customer must enter:

Last name
Address
City
State
ZIP code
Country
Service logins and passwords

To change the required entries, use the Field Validation Editor. See "Specifying Which Information is Required for Registration" in BRM Managing Customers.

To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_NAMEINFO.

Specify the formats a CSR or customer must use when entering state, phone number, and postal code.

State: two uppercase letters, for example, CA.
Phone number: either a TAPI-compliant number or (xxx) xxx-xxxx.
Postal code: (USA only); 5 digits, or 5 digits followed by a hyphen and 4 digits.

To change the required format, use the Field Validation Editor.

To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_NAMEINFO.

Validate state and ZIP code for tax calculation.

Do not validate state and ZIP code.

Edit the tax_valid entry in the CM configuration file.

See "Specifying Whether to Validate ZIP Codes" in BRM Calculating Taxes.

To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_NAMEINFO.

Defaults for Validating Payment Information

Table 2-5 lists for validating payment information:

Table 2-5 Defaults to Validate Payment Information

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Specify what registration information to validate when creating an account.	BRM validates the credit card only. An error in the street address is allowed. The following errors are not allowed: Wrong postal code Bad credit card number Failed credit check	Customize the PCM_OP_PYMT_POL_VALIDATE source code.
Specify how to validate payment information, such as credit card type, expiration date, and debit account information.	For credit cards, verifies the type as: Amex Carte Blanche Diners Discover JBC Mastercard Optima VISA Validates that the credit card number has the required number of digits, and verifies the expiration date. For direct debit, validates the number of digits in bank, branch, and account numbers.	Customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_VALID_PAYINFO source code.
Specify whether to validate the customer's billing information during registration.	Validates credit card information.	Change the cc_validate entry in the CM configuration file. See "Specifying How to Validate Customer Contact Information" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_PYMT_POL_SPEC_VALIDATE.
Specify whether to validate direct debit information during registration.	Validates direct debit information.	Change the dd_validate entry in the CM configuration file. See "Enabling Direct Debit Processing" in BRM Configuring and Collecting Payments.
Specify the time between validations of the same credit card. For example, you can allow two members of the same family to register for the same service without validating the credit card the second time.	Does not validate a credit card that has been validated within the last hour.	Edit the cc_revalidation_interval entry in the CM configuration file. See "Revalidating Credit Cards" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_PYMT_POL_SPEC_VALIDATE.
Specify the valid format for entering a credit card or debit number.	Strips spaces between groups of digits.	Customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_PAYINFO source code. See "Using Customer Security Codes" in BRM Managing Customers.
Specify the valid date format for credit card or debit card expiration.	BRM stores expiration dates as 4-character strings in the format MMYY. BRM is Y2K compliant, for example, 02 is the same as 2002. Valid formats are: MMYY MM/YY M/YY MM/YYYY All formats are converted to MMYY.	Customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_PAYINFO source code. See "Specifying the Valid Expiration-Date Format" in BRM Managing Customers.
Run a checksum validation on the customer's credit card during validation.	Use a checksum to validate the credit card during registration.	Change the checksum entry in the CM configuration file. See "Disabling the Credit Card Checksum" in BRM Managing Customers.

Defaults for Displaying and Sending Introductory Messages

Table 2-6 lists the default settings used to display and send introductory messages:

Table 2-6 Default Settings for Introductory Messages

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Specify whether to display an HTML introductory message to customers during registration.	The introductory message is disabled by default.	Customize the default introductory message and configure your Web registration to display it. See "Setting up Introductory Messages" in BRM Managing Customers. To enable the introductory message, customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_GET_INTRO_MSG source code.
Specify whether to send a welcome email message to customers after they register.	The welcome email message is enabled by default.	Customize the welcome message. See "Sending Welcome Messages to Customers" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_POST_COMMIT.

Business Decision

Default Behavior

How to Customize

Specify whether to display an HTML introductory message to customers during registration.

The introductory message is disabled by default.

Customize the default introductory message and configure your Web registration to display it. See "Setting up Introductory Messages" in BRM Managing Customers.

To enable the introductory message, customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_GET_INTRO_MSG source code.

Specify whether to send a welcome email message to customers after they register.

The welcome email message is enabled by default.

Customize the welcome message. See "Sending Welcome Messages to Customers" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_POST_COMMIT.

Defaults for Billing

Table 2-7 lists the default settings for billing:

Table 2-7 Billing Defaults

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Set the default billing type to open item accounting or balance forward accounting.	Balance forward accounting.	Change the actg_type entry in the CM configuration file. See "Setting the Default Accounting Type" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_BILLINFO.
For open item accounting, set whether to include or exclude the previous total (PIN_FLD_PREVIOUS_TOTAL) of the bill from the pending amount due (PENDING_RECV) of the current bill unit.	The previous total is not included.	Change the open_item_actg_include_prev_total entry in the CM configuration file.
Set the default accounting day to a specific day of the month, or to the day that the account was created.	The day that the account was created. For example, if a customer registers on the 15th, the accounting for that customer is done on the 15th. By default, if the account was created on day 29 - 31, the accounting day is the 1st of the next month. You can change this to be able to use any day of the month.	To set the default accounting day of month, change the actg_dom entry in the CM configuration file. See "Setting the Default Accounting Day of Month (DOM)" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_BILLINFO. To use 31-day billing, see "Using 31-day Billing" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Set the default number of accounting cycles in a billing cycle. The billing cycle must be a whole-number multiple of accounting cycles. See "About Accounting and Billing Cycles" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.	Monthly billing (one accounting cycle per billing cycle).	Change the bill_when entry in the CM configuration file. See "Setting the Default Billing-Cycle Length" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing. To edit the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_BILLINFO.
Specify the system currency.	US dollars.	You must set the system currency when you install BRM. See "Setting the System Currency" in BRM Managing Customers.
Specify the default account currency for new accounts.	US dollars.	Change the currency entry in the CM configuration file. See "Setting the Default Account Currency" in BRM Managing Customers. To edit the source code, see PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_BILLINFO.
Specify whether to create a long cycle or a short cycle when creating an account or changing the billing date. See "Specifying How to Handle Partial Accounting Cycles" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.	If the short accounting cycle is 15 days or greater, create a short cycle. If the short accounting cycle is less than 15 days, create a long cycle.	Customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_BILLINFO source code.
Specify a numbering scheme for bills.	Creates the bill number B-sequence number, for example, "B-81".	Customize the PCM_OP_BILL_POL_SPEC_BILLNO source code.
Change the cutoff time for billing, accounting, and promotion start times. For example, if your cutoff time is 10:00:00 a.m., any events that take place after 10:00:00 a.m. on that date will be included in the next billing run.	The cutoff time is midnight.	Edit the /config/business_params object. See "Configuring the BRM Cutoff Time" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Bill sponsor group member accounts.	Sponsor group member accounts are not billed.	Change the billing_flow_sponsorship and billing_flow_discount parameters in /config/business_params object. See "Setting up Billing for Sponsorship" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Change the number of days to delay billing.	Billing is not delayed.	Change the config_billing_delay entry in the CM configuration file and the billing utility configuration file (BRM_Home/apps/pin_billd/pin.conf). See "Setting up Delayed Billing" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Change how proration is calculated: The number of days in the cycle. The number of days in the month.	Number of days in the cycle.	Change the use_number_of_days_in_month entry in the CM configuration file. See "Calculating Prorated Cycle Fees" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Apply cycle fees in parallel for multiple services in an account.	Cycle fees is applied sequentially for each of the services in an account.	Change the StagedBillingFeeProcessing business parameter. See "About Applying Cycle Forward Fees in Parallel" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Align the purchase, cycle, usage start and end times with the accounting cycle if you set up products with delayed fees.	Start and end times are not aligned.	Change the cycle_delay_align entry in the CM configuration file. See "Aligning Account and Cycle Start and End Times" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.

Defaults for Tax Calculation

Table 2-8 lists the default settings for tax calculations:

Table 2-8 Tax Calculation Settings

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Enable or disable tax calculation.	Both real-time and deferred taxation are enabled.	Change the taxation_switch entry in the CM configuration file. See "Enabling Taxation During Real-Time Rating or Billing" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Specify whether deferred taxes are calculated separately for a parent and its subordinate child accounts, or consolidated into a single tax item for both the parent and child accounts.	Taxes are calculated separately.	Change the cycle_tax_interval entry in the CM configuration file. See "Specifying How to Calculate Taxes" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Change the default ship-from locale for tax calculation.	No default: must be set, or disabled.	Change the provider_loc entry in the CM configuration file. See "Defining a Default Ship-From Locale" in BRM Calculating Taxes.
Defer tax calculation for all adjustments that occur at account level until the end of the billing cycle.	Tax calculation is deferred.	Change the tax_now entry in the CM configuration file. See "Configuring the Default Tax Method for Account-Level Adjustments" in BRM Managing Accounts Receivable.
Perform tax reversals for adjustments, disputes, and settlements that occur at the bill and account level.	Taxes are not reversed.	Change the tax_reversal_with_tax entry in the CM configuration file. This entry is used if the opcode does not explicitly specify the tax behavior. See "Configuring the Default Tax Method for Account-Level Adjustments" in BRM Managing Accounts Receivable.
Report zero tax amounts.	Zero tax amounts are not reported.	Change the include_zero_tax entry in the CM configuration file. See "Reporting Zero Tax Amounts" inBRM Calculating Taxes.
Summarize or itemize taxes by jurisdiction.	Summarize taxes by jurisdiction.	Change the tax_return_juris entry in the CM configuration file. See "Itemizing Taxes by Jurisdiction" in BRM Calculating Taxes.

Defaults for Payments and A/R

Table 2-9 lists the default settings for payments and A/R:

Table 2-9 Payment and A/R Defaults

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Specify the minimum due amount that the pin_collect utility searches for when collecting online payments.	2.00 (expressed in the account currency).	Change the minimum entry in the billing utility configuration file (BRM_Home/apps/pin_billd/pin.conf). See "Specifying the Minimum Payment to Collect" in BRM Configuring and Running Billing.
Specify the minimum due amount that custom billing utilities search for.	2.00 (expressed in the account currency).	Change the minimum_payment entry in the CM configuration file.
Specify the minimum credit card charge.	2.00 (expressed in the account currency).	Edit the PCM_OP_PYMT_POL_PRE_COLLECT source code.
Specify the minimum refund amount.	2.00 (expressed in the account currency).	Change the minimum_refund entry in the CM configuration file.
Use CVV fraud protection for Paymentech transactions. See "Requiring Additional Protection Against Credit Card Fraud" in BRM Configuring and Collecting Payments.	Disabled.	Change the cvv2_required entry in the CM configuration file.
Use card identification data (CID), a method of fraud prevention for American Express card transactions. See "Requiring Additional Protection Against Credit Card Fraud" in BRM Configuring and Collecting Payments.	Disabled.	Change the cid_required entry in the CM configuration file.
Specify whether to collect cycle forward and purchase fees when the customer registers.	Collects cycle-forward and purchase fees on registration only for credit card customers.	Change the cc_collect entry in the CM configuration file. See "Charging Customers at Registration" in BRM Managing Customers. To customize the source code, see PCM_OP_PYMT_POL_SPEC_COLLECT.
Specify the payment methods your customers can use. If you use a payment method that is not included in the defaults, you must create a new payment method.	Accepts these payment methods: Credit card Invoice Nonpaying child (Subordinate) Undefined Prepaid Debit card Direct debit Smart card Beta	To create a new payment method, customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_PAYINFO source code. To validate payment methods, use the Field Validation Editor.
Set the payment due date for invoice payments.	30 days.	Customize the PCM_OP_CUST_POL_PREP_PAYINFO source code.
Set the default invoice type to summary invoice.	Detailed invoices are generated.	Change the value of the PIN_FLD_INV_TYPE field in the /payinfo object to 1. When creating a customer account, pass it in the input flist of PCM_OP_CUST_COMMIT_CUSTOMER. When adding or changing a payment method, pass it in the input flist of PCM_OP_CUST_SET_PAYINFO.
Specify how to handle underpayments. See "Handling Overpayments and Underpayments" in BRM Configuring and Collecting Payments.	For balance forward accounting, BRM applies the payment to the oldest items first. If the remainder doesn't match the amount due for any one item, BRM requires that the remainder must be allocated manually. For open item accounting, BRM requires that the payment must be allocated manually.	Customize the PCM_OP_PYMT_POL_UNDER_PAYMENT source code.
Specify how to handle overpayments. See "Handling Overpayments and Underpayments" in BRM Configuring and Collecting Payments.	For balance forward accounting, BRM closes all open items and applies the overpayment as a credit balance. By default, you must allocate the resulting credit balance to future open items manually. For open item accounting, BRM requires that the payment must be allocated manually.	Customize the PCM_OP_PYMT_POL_OVER_PAYMENT source code.
Specify what to do if a credit card customer doesn't pay. See "Handling Late or Missed Payments" in BRM Configuring and Collecting Payments.	Inactivates the account if the account has an item more than 30 days past due and a credit card transaction receives one of these failures: Soft decline Wrong address Wrong ZIP code No connection Inactivates the account immediately if a credit card transaction receives one of these failures: Bad card Hard decline	Customize the PCM_OP_PYMT_POL_COLLECT source code.
Change the euro conversion error tolerance.	When the conversion result is less than the amount due: Apply tolerance values only if the amount applied to the item is in secondary currency. When the conversion result is more than the amount due: Do not apply tolerance values defined for resources.	Change the overdue_tolerance and underdue_tolerance entries in the CM configuration file. See "Handling Euro Conversion Rounding Errors" in BRM Managing Customers.
Collect the current direct debit balance of each account during registration.	Collect the balance.	Change the dd_collect entry in the CM configuration file. See "Enabling Direct Debit Processing" in BRM Configuring and Collecting Payments.
Specify how to handle write-off reversals.	Apply write-off reversals at the account level.	Modify the ar instance of the /config/business_params object. See "Enabling Automatic Write-Off Reversals During Payment Collection" in BRM Managing Accounts Receivable. You can also modify the PCM_OP_AR_POL_REVERSE_WRITEOFF opcode. See "Customizing Write-Off Reversals" in BRM Managing Accounts Receivable.

Defaults for Maintaining an Audit Trail of BRM Activity

Table 2-10 lists the defaults for maintaining an audit trail of BRM activity.

Table 2-10 Maintaining Audit Trail of BRM Activity

Business Decision	Default Behavior	How to Customize
Specify the BRM activity for which you want to keep an audit trail.	Keeps an audit trail of changes to customer credit card numbers and credit card expiration dates, and changes to BRM price lists. For more detailed information, see "Fields Marked for Auditing by Default".	Enable or disable BRM object fields for auditing by using BRM Storable Class Editor. See "Enabling Auditing for a Field".