Setting Up Bill Segment Types

To set up bill segment types, open Admin > Billing > Bill Segment Type > Add.

Description of Page

Enter an easily recognizable Bill Segment Type and Description for every type of bill segment.

For each bill segment type, define the Create Algorithm. The logic embedded in this algorithm creates the bill segment. Refer to Designing Your Bill Segment Types for examples.

If you haven't done so already, you must set up this algorithm in the system. To do this:

  • Create a new algorithm (refer to Setting Up Algorithms ).
  • On this algorithm, reference an Algorithm Type that creates a bill segment in the appropriate manner.
Warning:

The BS Create Algorithm is a very important field as it controls how the system creates bill segments. There are some restrictions in respect of the values of certain fields on the SA type and the bill segment algorithm used on a SA type. Refer to Require Total Amount Switch versus Bill Segment Creation Algorithm, Allow Recurring Charge Switch versus Bill Segment Creation Algorithm, and Rate Required Switch versus Bill Segment Creation Algorithm for more information.

For each bill segment type, define the Financial Algorithm. The logic embedded in this algorithm constructs the financial transaction associated with the bill segment. Refer to Designing Your Bill Segment Types for examples.

If you haven't done so already, you must set up this algorithm in the system. To do this:

  • Create a new algorithm (refer to Setting Up Algorithms ).
  • On this algorithm, reference an Algorithm Type that constructs the bill segment financial transaction in the appropriate manner.
Fastpath:

For more information about current and payoff amounts, refer to Current Amount versus Payoff Amount .

If the bill segment requires consumption (e.g., meter reads) to be retrieved, define the Get Consumption Algorithm. The logic embedded in this algorithm retrieves the consumption that is billed on the bill segment. Refer to Designing Your Bill Segment Types for examples.

If you haven't done so already, you must set up this algorithm in the system. To do this:

  • Create a new algorithm (refer to Setting Up Algorithms).
  • On this algorithm, reference an Algorithm Type that retrieves consumption in the appropriate manner.

The Auto Cancel Algorithm is used by the system when it detects that a prior bill segment contains an estimated read that meets certain conditions when a non-estimated read is used on the current bill.

Examples include:

  • The prior bill segment contains a bad estimated read (by "bad" we mean that the current bill has a non-estimated reading that is less than the estimated end read on the prior bill segment).
  • The prior bill segment contains an estimated read (there may be situations where you want to cancel an estimated bill segment when a non-estimated read is also higher than the end read on the prior bill segment. For example, when tiered rates may cause a customer to be penalized by consumption being charged at a higher rate).

For detecting a bad estimated read on the prior bill segment, if you haven't done so already, you must set up this algorithm in the system. To do this:

  • Create a new algorithm (refer to Setting Up Algorithms).
  • On this algorithm, reference an Algorithm Type that cancels bill segments that contain poorly estimated consumption.

For detecting an estimated read on the prior bill segment, if you haven’t done so already, you must set up this algorithm in the system and configure a feature configuration option. To do this:

  • Create a new algorithm for the Auto Cancel Algorithm.
  • On this algorithm, reference an Algorithm Type that cancels bill segments that contain estimated consumption (refer to Setting Up Algorithms).
  • Configure the Always Call Auto Cancel option type on the Financial Transactions Option feature configuration and set the option type value to 'Y'. For more information about Feature Configurations, see Defining Feature Configurations.
Note that the Auto Cancel Algorithm is not used when Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing and Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management applications are integrated. This is because the reads are recorded in the Meter Data Management application which is responsible for validating reads used in billing.The following features replace the algorithm:
  • Usage Transaction Correction Processor

    • This is created during IMD processing when an anomaly is detected in the reads used in usage calculation.  It sets the stage for sending the corrected read notification

    • The Usage Transaction Correction Processor monitor job (D1-UTCRN) must be scheduled after all IMD processing batch jobs.

  • Corrected Reads Notification

    • The application may be configured to automatically process all corrected read notifications by submitting the Corrected Reads Notification monitor job (C1-TCRNB).  Refer to the configuration guideline below for automating this process.

    • If manual rebill is preferred, billing user may navigate to the off cycle generator portal to search for a customer’s corrected read notification, review and rebill them one at a time starting from the oldest bill segment.

  • Final Measurement Replacement — It is recommended that this VEE rule be configured for IMD processing. It is used to reject small changes in reads, which in turn prevents the creation and sending corrected reads notification and subsequent re-bill that would have resulted to small net differences in charges.

The Bill Segment Information Algorithm is used by the system to format the bill segment information that appears throughout the system. If the information you'd like displayed differs for bill segment types, you must set up this algorithm in the system. To do this: