When starting service, the system creates a start service process flow and assigns it a customer service request type. The process flow type (start service process) and customer service request type (start service request type or request type) are determined from the action method with Action Method Role of Start Service. See Action Method for more information about setting up action methods. The customer service (start service) request parent and child business objects are defined on the request type.

The system is delivered with the following objects that are used to start service

The start service process can be initiated via BPA script (refer to script C1StaActMtdR).

The start service process contains four steps or panels. The logic that is enabled is defined in the request type. The following overview of the four panels assumes the request type has enabled the described functionality. This is meant to illustrate the full features provided with the start service process. The request type can be configured to accommodate your business rules.

Move-to Premise Address. This panel is used to search for the starting premise. This is the first step to ensure that the new or existing customer’s Move-to Premise Address exists and is in your service territory.

Customer Identification. This panel is used to create a new person and/or account or ensure a person’s existing account is eligible for service. If the start service process began without an existing person in context, a person search is provided to ensure the person is in fact not in your system to help prevent creating duplicate person records. If no person is found, the information used to search for the person such as their name, phone number, or ID is used to create a new person. If an existing person is found, the start process then continues as if the person was provided when the process began.

Regardless if an existing person is being used or a new person is being added, the start process determines if a credit or ID check needs to be performed and if it does, performs it. It then checks to see if the person has accounts that are eligible for service. For example, accounts used for bankruptcy or accounts that have been dormant for too long might not be eligible for service. A control determines if a new account can be created even if an existing account is eligible for service. This is useful to prevent duplicate accounts for the same person, unless your business rules allow it. The start process then uses the previous information to determine if a deposit is required. For more information, please see Verifying Identity, Checking Credit and Requiring Deposits when Starting Service.

Before transitioning to the next panel, this panel interacts with the start service request to create person and account records. When a new person or account is added, their record will exist in the system after this point, even if this process is not completed.

Services to Start. On this panel the services to start are selected. After inputting a start date, the panel displays services to start in three different groupings.

If a deposit is required, the first sections is shown. The start process defaults the deposit service agreement request type, calls the deposit calculation plug-in spot on deposit class, and defaults installments information amounts if configured on the request type. The start process enforces rules pertaining to installment amounts. While not common, additional deposit SAs can be added.

The next section shows the eligible services to start at the premise. This is based on the premise’s SPs. This section is built by calling the algorithm in configured in the Determine Services to Start plug-in spot defined on the request type. It returns the default SA Type(s) for each service point based on the existing or prior service or the initial services defined on the SP Type if this is the first service at this SP. The start SA box is usually checked by default and can be unchecked to start only some of the eligible services at the premise. In rare cases, the start SA box is unchecked by default if some services are on and some services are off at the premise. This is done to replicate the current service at the premise by default. Entries cannot be removed or added to this collection of eligible services to start. Field service notes can be entered for the premise or service point.

The third service section is where additional services such as charity can be started. Additional services can default from the request type or be added. The search is designed to exclude deposit and SP-based services shown in the prior sections.

At the end of the panel, premise attributes such as indicating if life support equipment is at the premise or if there are specific field warnings relevant to the premise.

Person and Account Details. This panel is where all other person and account information is gathered. This includes all person contact information, other names, other person identifies, alternate mailing address, paperless billing and autopay enrollment, other person on the account and more.

When the start process is finished, a Summary is shown. The start service information is copied to the start service parent and child requests. The start service process is completed, and the start service request takes over.

The start service request lifecycle is comprised of this logic: