Chargeback workflow overview

Chargeback workflow helps you group together and run similar chargeback steps in a specified order each month.

Chargeback workflow facts

  • Models the logical steps involved with calculating bills and distributing costs.
  • Assigns workflow steps to calculated bill and split bill versions.
  • Provides visible steps and is easy to undo.
  • Is visible by everyone. You can only process a workflow when you have permission to the accounts and meters.
  • Shows information about created bills.

Steps to create a chargeback workflow

You can model your current chargeback process in UtilityManagement by creating and arranging processes into workflow steps.

  1. Create a new workflow, for example, Campus Chargebacks or Tenant Unit Billing.
  2. In the new workflow, create each workflow step, provide a unique (per workflow) name, add a description, and choose whether the step is a split step or calculation step.
  3. To assign chargeback accounts and meters to a workflow step use the application or setup spreadsheets.

Example 1

In this example the workflow and steps are created first and are available during the version setup of the account or meter.

  1. Create the workflow and workflow steps.
  2. Configure the chargeback.
    1. On the properties tab of the meter (bill calculation) or account (bill split), start a new chargeback.
    2. Configure the version. Accept Original as the name or update the version name as needed. A descriptive name is useful to distinguish between version revisions.
    3. Assign a workflow step by selecting from the drop-down.
  3. Set the effective date for this version, the end billing period is optional.
  4. Save the version.
  5. Finish configuring the Bill Calculation or Bill Split details.

Example 2

In this example the workflow steps have not yet been created. The meters and accounts are created first and the version can be updated later.

  1. Configure the chargeback meters and accounts, leave the workflow step unassigned during version creation.
    1. On the properties tab of the meter (bill calculation) or account (bill split) start a new chargeback.
    2. Create a version name, a descriptive name is useful to distinguish between version revisions.
  2. Set the effective date for this version, the end billing period is optional.
  3. Save the version.
  4. Create the workflow and workflow steps.
  5. Edit each chargeback version, assign a workflow step by selecting from the drop-down.

Edit a workflow

Reasons to edit a workflow:

  • Reorder steps.
  • Add or delete steps. Steps cannot be deleted if they are assigned to a version.
  • Edit step name or description.
  • Delete a workflow (if all the steps are eligible for deletion).

Run a workflow

Run each step of the workflow process.

  1. In the Chargebacks module.
  2. Choose a workflow.
  3. Set the billing period, by default the chargeback processor displays the prior month.
  4. Review information for each step. Is the step ready to process? For example, are all the submeter readings entered? Are all the vendor bills entered?
  5. Process the step.
  6. Review the results.
  7. Reverse the step if needed.

workflow steps

Review steps

Review the results after each workflow step. Are there missing bills? Do bills seem reasonable?

You can sort on any column to quickly see abnormal results.

  • Negative, zero, or abnormally high or low use or cost
  • No bill
  • Multiple bills
  • Abnormal unit cost
  • Variance from previous month and same month from previous year

Sort on any column

Click any column header to sort.

column header is used to sort

Missing bills for a meter

chargeback steps

Undo a chargeback workflow step

Undo and rerun steps as needed. For a bill split, the source bill is marked not split and the destination bills are either marked void or deleted. Calculated bills can be marked as void or deleted.

Based on the meters in each workflow step, you may need to undo workflow steps in a particular order, starting at the last step processed and proceeding backwards in the workflow. For example, when an incorrect submeter bill is created in step 2 and split in step 4, undo the steps starting at step 4, then step 3, and then step 2.

Module menu

Click Allow editing batch and bill header data when running chargebacks, to include required bill header data when you process chargeback bills.

The chargeback options depend on what you have set in Bill header data for manual entry section. While most of the information is extra bill header information, configuring the start and end dates affects bill calculations.