Billing Contracts

From the Service menu, select Bill Contracts to open the Contract Billing window.
Note: If the Auto populate checkbox is checked, e-automate opens the Contract Billing window with a list of all contracts that meet the billing criteria for the date specified in the Billing Cutoff Date field. This means that all Active, non-terminated, non-expired contracts with a base bill date or an overage bill date on or before the billing cutoff date are displayed as potentially billable contracts. e-automate can also display contracts with pending adjustments on the Contracts tab. When the Contract Billing window opens, it sets the Billing Cutoff Date field to the current date. You can roll the date forward to bill in advance as necessary.

In the Billing cutoff date field, use the drop down menu to select an appropriate date to identify contracts that you want to bill and click [Go]. If you leave the date, the current date, e-automate displays all contracts that are eligible to bill based on the current date.
Note: This list is designed to show you which contracts should be billed based on the billing cutoff date as well as which contracts have adjustments that need billed. You should not have an excessive amount of contracts in this list that you are selectively not billing. If necessary you can roll the date forward to bill contracts that are dated in the future. Be careful to not bill too far as to cause meters to not be within the billing meter tolerance.

To filter the list of contracts (e.g., by contract base cycle, bill group, etc.), do one the following:

Do one of the following:

To select all the contracts displayed to bill, click [Check All] to check all the contracts in the list.
Note: If you selected all the contracts in error, click [UnCheck All] to unselect all the contracts.

To select individual contracts to be billed, check the box(es) to the left of the contract(s) in the Bill column.

Click [Move to Queue] to move the checked contracts to the Billing Queue tab.
Note: The Billing queue tab is a list of contracts that are in the process for billing. When contracts are added to the Billing queue tab, e-automate confirms that the necessary components are in place to generate an invoice in e-automate. The system then unchecks the contracts on the Contracts tab and lists contracts added to the Billing queue tab with status in the Billing status column of In Process; the user who placed the contracts in the billing queue is listed in the User column. Once contracts are on the Billing queue tab, you cannot check and uncheck them on the Contracts tab. If you have enabled the Skip billing queue option in your client settings, contracts that are validated move directly to the Ready to invoice/propose tab and do not stop on the Billing queue tab. For more information on client settings, see the Setting Personal Client Settings topic.

To remove contracts from the billing process, click [Clear]. This button is only available to users with appropriate rights in e-automate. Use this button to remove contracts from the billing queue when the employee who placed them in the queue is not present to remove them.

Click the Billing Queue tab to bring it forward and display a list of contracts in the billing queue that have been through the validation process.
Note: The Billing queue tab is composed of two views, the Contract view and the Meter view. The Contract view displays the contracts that are in the billing queue for billing and indicates in the Message column whether or not they are Validated and ready for the Ready to invoice/propose tab. The Meter view shows the meters associated with the equipment in the Contracts view and shows whether or not they are ready to be billed. When a contract does not validate because it is missing meter(s), you can use the Meter view to determine which meters for a piece of equipment(s) are missing and keeping the contract from validating.
Note: If the contracts have a Validated value in the Status column they are ready to move to the Ready to invoice / propose tab. If you have contracts in the billing queue that did not validate and display no reason, click [Validate] to identify if these contracts are ready to move on or not. If the contracts did not validate, e-automate displays a message explaining why the contract did not validate in the Message column. Some examples of these messages are:
***Begin meter is more than a month before the overage from date
***Begin meter is more than a month after the overage from date
***Begin meter is more than a XX days from the overage from date
***Begin meter is not the previous billed meter
***Begin meter is greater than the end meter
***Begin meter is the same as the end meter
***Meter usage exceeds the average billed monthly volume of X by over Y%
***Begin meter is a web-suspect reading
***End meter is a web-suspect reading
*** Missing Base Billing Cycle
*** Missing Overage Billing Cycle
*** This contract has expired
*** This contract has expired and the final overages have been billed
*** This contract's overages cannot be billed until the overages are billed on contract: XX
*** This contract is part of a billing group that has not been fully validated
For additional information on these warnings, see the Additional Info - Contract Billing Warnings and Additional Info - Contract Meter Billing Warnings topics.

If a contract or any contract has a Validated value in the Status column click [Move to Ready] to move validated contracts to Ready to invoice/propose tab.
Note: Before e-automate allows non-validated contracts to move to the Ready to invoice/propose tab, the message for each contract must be resolved and the contract validated. Contracts not validated are not allowed to move to the Ready to invoice/propose tab. The following is an explanation of how to resolve possible messages so contracts can be invoiced.

If ***Missing Meter displays in the Message column for a contract, do one of the following:

Run the Billing Meter Audit Report.

Click [Billing Meter Audit] to run the report.
Note: Once you have moved all the validated contracts to the Ready to invoice/propose tab, you use the billing meter audit report, to identify metered equipment that are currently in the contract billing queue that have missing meters. The billing meter audit report offers you a choice to order the report by contact name, customer number, customer name, contract numbers, or equipment number. You can use this list to make calls or otherwise secure meter readings for contract billing.

Contact meter contacts and obtain meters for billing or use other method to obtain meters.

Enter meters. See next bullet for instructions. 

Once meters have been entered, click [Refresh meters] to update the billing queue with all meters entered.

Enter an appropriate meters by doing the following:

On the Billing queue tab, select the Meter view radio button.

Ascertain the meter reading for the equipment.

Double-click on the equipment for the meter you want to enter.
Note: You can also right-click to access the Enter meter reading menu option.

In the New Meter Reading window, do the following to enter a meter for contract billing:

In the Date field, use the drop down menu to select the date you acquired the meter.
Note: The Date field is automatically populated with the contract overage cycle ending date. If you are missing a beginning meter you will need to change the Date to the beginning of the overage cycle. Contract overage dates are identified on the yellow attention banner in the New Meter Reading window. You can modify the date as necessary as long as the date used is within the billing meter tolerance configured by your system administrator. For additional information on the billing meter tolerance, see Billing Meter Tolerance Rules in this topic or see Setting Service Contract Options in the contracts section. You can also contact your system administrator.
Note: As necessary you can enter a different date for contract billing in the Override billing date field. e-automate requires that the date identified in the Override billing date field meet the criteria identified by your system administrator. For additional information see Setting Service Contract Options.

In the Meter source, field use the lookup icon and select an appropriate meter source.
Note: If you want to type in an estimated meter, be sure the meter source is Estimated.

In the Meter type field, use the lookup to select the meter type for the meter you want to enter.

In the Meter display field, type in the meter reading for the identified meter.
Note: If you want to enter an estimate, click [Estimate] to direct e-automate to estimate the meter, if possible. To see the meter estimate calculation, click [More info].

Click [Update].
Note: If the equipment has multiple meters, e-automate attempts to select the next meter for which you may want to enter a reading or estimate.

If equipment is multiple metered, repeat steps iii – v until you have entered all the meters for the equipment.

Click [OK] to save your meter.
Note: If you must enter both a Missing Beginning Meter and a Missing End Meter, you must click [OK] for one meter and go into the New Meter Reading window a second time to enter the additional meter. For more information, see the Recording a Meter Reading topic.

Click [Refresh Meters] to update the contracts in the billing queue with the meter information. If the meters are within the billing meter tolerance the contracts validate.

If your system administrator has enabled the bulk meter estimate functionality you can use e-automate to bulk estimate meters for eligible contracts by doing the following:

On the Billing queue tab, select the Meter view radio button.

If necessary, use the QuickSearch on the list of contracts to filter for contracts which you want to estimate meter readings.

Click [Estimate Meters] to open the Estimate Missing Meter Readings in Billing Queue window.
Note: Settings displayed in this window are set by your e-automate system administrator. For more information, see the Setting Service Contract Options topic. If necessary, you can change these settings as appropriate to accommodate different rules for different cycle contracts.

To preview the estimates calculated and those not capable of being estimated click [Preview].

If you do not want to insert the calculated estimates displayed in the Meter Reading Estimate Preview, click [Cancel] to close the Estimate Missing Meter Readings in Billing Queue window. To insert the estimated meters, click [OK].

If you are sure, in the e-automate window, click [Yes] to insert the meters. To cancel the estimated meter insert, click [No] to return to the Estimate Missing Meter Readings in Billing Queue window.

Remove the overage cycle from the contracts in the billing queue by doing the following:

If necessary, use the QuickSearch on the list of contracts to filter for contracts which you want to remove overages.

On the Billing queue tab and with the Contract view selected, click [Remove Overages].

If you are sure you want to remove overages from this batch of contracts, click [Yes]. If you are not sure, click [No].

Contract overages are removed and eligible contracts are set to the status, Validated.

If you have errors that are not simple missing meter related, you should remove the contract from the billing queue, make changes to resolve the error and return the contract to the billing queue. For more information on contract billing warnings, see the Additional Info - Contract Billing Warnings and Additional Info - Contract Meter Billing Warnings topics. Generally do the following:

Right-click on the contract and use the drop-down menu to select Delete from Queue to remove the contract from the billing queue.
Note: You can remove all contracts from the billing queue by clicking [Clear Billing Queue]. When you use right-click you remove a single contract.

Make the necessary corrections to the service contract or meters using the meter reading console.

With the problem resolved, repeat Steps 2 through 8 to move the contract to the Billing Queue tab and bring the status to Validated.

When the contract is validated on the Billing queue tab, you can click [Move to Ready] to move validated contracts to the Ready To Invoice tab.
Note: You can move one contract at a time to the Ready To Invoice tab by right-clicking on the contract and selecting Move to Ready. You can move all contracts that are validated by clicking [Move to Ready].

When contracts are validated but have some risk associated with the billing information, e-automate displays a warning in the Message column. You can override the warning messages if appropriate. You should investigate warnings prior to billing and understand each message before overriding the message prior to billing. One you understand and are okay with the warning, click [Override Warning] to force the contracts to the Ready to invoice/propose tab.

Click the Ready to invoice/propose tab to see a list of contracts that have been validated and are ready to be invoiced or proposed.

To audit the list prior to generating invoices, click [Audit billings]. e-automate opens the report window and displays the Prebilling Audit Detail which is a list of contracts in the queue with their applicable charges, associated overage charges, miscellaneous charges, taxes, lease, and invoice totals.
Note: Overage and base totals are displayed in the columns on the Ready to invoice/Propose tab.

If a contract has a billing error in the Prebilling Audit Detail report, do the following:

Right-click on the contract with the billing error and use the drop-down menu to select Delete from queue. e-automate removes the contract from the Ready to invoice/propose tab.

Click the Contracts tab to bring it forward and display the contracts available for billing.
Note: Typically, the contract just removed from the queue is displayed unless you have changed the filter criteria or the Billing cutoff date.

Double-click on the contract to open the Edit Contract window.
Note: If you need to make changes that are not on the service contract, go to the appropriate place and make the necessary changes. For example if you need to modify a Base distribution code or taxing information, go to the appropriate place and make modifications.

Make the necessary changes.

Repeat steps on the Billing queue tab to move the contract with the corrected billing information to the Ready to invoice/propose tab.

If you want to return all the contracts on the Ready to invoice/propose tab to the Billing queue tab, click [Return to queue].
Note: You can individually return contracts to the Billing queue tab by using the right-click menu.
Note: If you return all contracts to the Billing queue tab, return to step 1 on the Billing queue tab.

Do one of the following:

To create contract invoices, do the following:

Click [Create invoices] to create contract invoices for all contracts displayed on the Ready to invoice/propose tab. e-automate opens the Create Service Contract Invoices window.
Note: You can only create contract invoices for contracts with appropriate contract statuses. If a contract has a proposed type status, you cannot create an invoice. You can only create proposals.

In the Invoice date field, use the drop-down calendar to select the contract invoice posting date.
Note: This is the date that is displayed on the contract invoice and is the posting date in e-automate.

In the Batch field, verify the batch number.
Note: e-automate generates a batch number automatically for each contract billing batch. You can accept the assigned batch number (which is assigned by date with a dash and the number of contract billing batches that have occurred that day) or you can enter your own batch number, it must be unique.

To print the contract invoices included in this batch, check Print invoices and identify the appropriate number of additional copies.

Click [OK] to create and post the contract invoices.

To create contract proposals, do the following:

Click [Create proposals] to create contract proposals for all Ready to invoice/propose contracts with the appropriate Pending Proposal status. e-automate opens the Create Service Contract Proposal window.
Note: You can only create contract proposals for contracts with a Pending Proposal status.

In the Proposal date field, use the drop-down calendar to select the contract proposal date.

In the Batch field, verify the batch number.
Note: e-automate generates a batch number automatically for each contract billing/proposal batch. You can accept the assigned batch number (which is assigned by date with a dash and the number of contract billing batches that have occurred that day) or you can enter your own batch number, it must be unique.

To print the contract proposals included in this batch, check Print proposals and identify the appropriate number of additional copies.

Click [OK] to create the contract proposals.

To use the Invoice/proposal tab, do one or more of the following:

To print or view the contract invoices/proposals, click Invoice/Proposals tab to bring the tab forward.

To view an invoice, right-click on the invoice and select View Invoice. You can also view a large list of invoices by defining an appropriate QuickSearch and clicking [View Invoices].

To print an invoice, right-click on the invoice and select Print Invoice. You can also print a large list of invoices by defining an appropriate QuickSearch and clicking [Print Invoices].

To void and reset an invoice, right-click on the invoice and select [Void and Reset Invoice]. Acknowledge the void warning and click [Yes] to void the invoice.
Note: E-automate voids the invoice and resets the contract by rolling the cycles back and other contract settings back as appropriate.

To void an invoice, right-click on the invoice and select [Void Invoice]. Acknowledge the void warning and click [Yes] to void the invoice.
Note: Voiding a contract does not reset any contract settings. Best practice recommendation is to always void and reset.

To create a contract invoice from a pending proposal, select the Proposals radio button to display contract proposals. Right-click on the pending proposal and select Create invoice and set contract to pending payment or Create invoice and set contract to Active.
Note: Accounts receivable personnel can also receive a payment for a contract proposal, convert the proposal to an invoice, and apply the payment all in the Record Customer Payment window. For more information, see the Recording Customer Payments topic.