Configuring Usage Calculation Rules
This portal is used to display and maintain a usage calculation rule.
You can access the portal by selecting Admin, then Usage, then Usage Calculation Rule. You are brought to a query portal with options for searching. Once your record has been selected you are brought to the maintenance portal to view and maintain the selected record.
The following zones may appear as part of the portal's Main tab page:
• Usage Calculation Rule: Defines the usage calculation rule, including parameters used when executing the rule
• Eligibility Criteria List: Lists the eligibility criteria defined for the rule
Pre-Calculation Usage Calculation Rules
The following is a list of the pre-calculation usage calculation rules provided as part of base product. For more information on how each rule executes and can be configured, follow the link provided on the rule.
Usage Calculation Rule Name
Applicable Data Type(s)
Purpose
Interval or Scalar
This rule can be used to handle two main needs:
1) aligns all measuring components for a Usage Subscription to the same date (whether on the same device or separate devices)
2) delays the usage transaction until the end of the retry window based on the quality of available data and other configured parameters.
Interval or Scalar
This rule checks for the existence of a device installed on the Usage Subscription's Service Point for the usage period. In the case of multi-items this rule also checks that they are effective for the usage period.
Calculation Usage Calculation Rules
The following is a list of the calculation usage calculation rules provided as part of base product. For more information on how each rule executes and can be configured, follow the link provided on the rule.
Usage Calculation Rule Name
Applicable Data Type(s)
Purpose
Interval
This rule is used to perform calculations on interval data and stores the results in the usage transaction's service quantities. A variety of options are available on this rule that include defining the calculation type, variables to use, as well as the equation to use (math functions and expressions).
This rule provides aggregated usage for all selected interval measuring components (filter by TOU, SQI & UOM) associated to a usage subscription.
This rule can also multiply total usage by a factor using a custom formula.
Scalar
This rule is used to calculate usage of daily scalar measuring components installed in the Service Points associated with a Usage Subscription for the specified usage period. It creates bill determinants by taking the difference between the beginning and ending reading for the bill period.
This rule can also be used to provide register readings by measuring component.
For consumption values, only the beginning and ending readings are exported
This rule supports date breaks (the normal Get Scalar Data rule does not).
Interval
This rule is used to get interval quantities from interval measuring components installed in the Service Points linked to the Usage Subscription for the specified 'Interval' usage period.
This rule retrieves the interval data for measuring components associated to a usage subscription by TOU, SQI and UOM.
This rule converts the interval data to another interval length or unit of measure.
Interval or Scalar
This rule finds item-based and multi-item-based Service Points linked to the Usage Subscription for the current usage transaction, summarizes the item counts by item type and Service Point, and calculates item-based consumption.
Scalar
This rule is used to get usage from scalar measuring components installed in the Service Points linked to the Usage Subscription for the specified 'Scalar' usage period.
This rule creates bill determinants by summing all scalar readings for the bill period. This rule can also be used to provide register readings by measuring component. All readings are exported by this rule.
Note: This rule is used for traditional monthly read meters.
Get Subtractive Interval Details
This rule is used to get interval quantities from subtractive interval measuring components installed on the service points linked to the usage subscription for the specified 'interval' usage period.
It also identifies the start and stop readings for each usage period using subtractive interval readings.
Interval
This rule is used to get time of use quantities from interval measuring components for devices installed at the Service Points linked to the Usage Subscription for the specified 'Interval' usage period.
Interval
This rule calculates the difference between a source and reference vector.
This rule loops through each tier that is configured and calculates the imbalance amount associated to that tier level.
This rule breaks down that difference into one to many positive or negative tiers, and create a service quantity for each tier calculated.
Interval
This rule is used to manipulate a customer's interval data by adding other vectors to it. Those other vectors are derived from a list of profile factors and corresponding characteristic values stored in a list on the usage transaction.
Interval or Scalar
This rule copies identified source and target Service Quantities and inserts these as Service Quantities that are rounded and adjusted.
Interval
This rule is designed to facilitate configuration of complex vector calculations. It is based on a series of underlying services with vectors configured as input to the calculations.
Typical uses:
Perform math using interval data, e.g., take the difference between two curves, find max values, find coincident peaks, multiply a curve by a value, apply TOU maps, etc.
Define complex formulas using various interval curves, profile factor values or calculated service quantities (bill determinant values).
Support math functions: sin, cos, square root, etc.
Store derived curves in memory that can be used in subsequent calculations
Please note, this rule is not as efficient as other rules.
Post-Calculation Usage Calculation Rules
Below is a list of the post-calculation usage calculation rules provided as part of base product. For more information on how each rule executes and can be configured, follow the link provided on the rule.
Usage Calculation Rule Name
Applicable Data Type(s)
Purpose
Interval or Scalar
This rule compares the Service Quantities of the Usage Transaction to historical values. If the current value is too high or too low compared to historical data then an exception is thrown.
Interval or Scalar
This rule is used to validate the calculated usage against a tolerance value. The tolerance value may either come from the specified value or tolerance factor defined in the usage calculation rule.
Interval or Scalar
This rule can stop a usage transaction from proceeding when there have been business flags for the applicable service points. The hold can either be indefinite or set to expire a configurable amount of time prior to the calculation window ending.
Decision-Making Usage Calculation Rules
There are usage calculation rules delivered as part of the base product that help with decision-making when executing running the usage calculation process. For more information on how each rule executes and can be configured, follow the link provided on the rule.
Usage Calculation Rule Name
Purpose
This rule performs a call to execute a separate usage calculation group which includes execution of all usage calculation rules within that group.
This rule is used to terminate execution of the usage processor if exception count criteria specified in the rule is met.
Advanced Aside: Using Factors For Variables
A situation common in some implementations involves converting one unit of measure (UOM) to another. However, the conversion factor used in conversions of this can differ based on many different types of criteria, such as the location of the service point or other characteristics. This sort of calculation can be implemented as a usage calculation rule that accumulates consumption for one UOM and converts the consumption to a different UOM by applying a factor to it.
Factors used for this purpose have a Factor Class of "Number," and use some unique rules:
• Number factors reference a characteristic type (with pre-defined values).
• Number factors reference an algorithm that retrieves or derives the value of the characteristic type at runtime.
Factor values for a Number factor are effective-dated pairings of a characteristic value and a corresponding value. Because these pairings are effective-dated, the value returned from the factor can change over time for each characteristic value. At run time, the rule retrieves / derives the characteristic value for the factor's characteristic type and then finds the value associated with the respective characteristic value. Factors can be related to any real or dynamic attribute, so rules of this type are very flexible. For example:
• Real Attribute: you could create a rule that retrieves a specific value based on the location of a service point.
• Dynamic Attribute: you could create a rule that retrieves a percentage value based on the amount the customer conserved as compared to the same period in the prior year, returning one value if the amount conserved is between 5% and 10%, another value if the amount conserved is between 10% and 20%, and yet a third value if the amount conserved is greater than 20%. The amount conserved is dynamically calculated at execution time and is compared to the characteristic values defined for the factor, and returns the appropriate value. In this example, if the amount conserved was anything less than 5%, no percentage value would be returned.