This article outlines the basic configuration that needs to be setup in a fresh installation of LogiSense Billing. There are a few prerequisites that need to be set up before you can create your first product (package with services in the product catalog) and then “assign” or sell that product to an account. The steps below also contain the minimum configuration to include usage based services in your catalog.
The outline below is the minimum configuration required to setup the system, it is not a comprehensive list of all available configurations.
Base System Configuration Process
1 - Setup Countries and States/Provinces
Countries UI Location: Setup → Regional Setting → Countries
Countries and States are required when populating an address, such as an address on an account contact (e.g. address of an account’s billing contact.
At least one country must be configured, and a province/state if applicable.
2 - Setup Currencies
Currencies: Setup → Users & Accounts → Owners → Financial Setting
Currencies are required in order to set the currency of an account and also the currency on packages in the product catalog.
Currency Exchange: Setup → Finance → Currency Exchange
Currency Exchanges permit you to define currency exchange rates when you have more than once currency configured. At least one currency exchange must be setup for bill runs to know what exchange rates to use.
3 - Setup SMTP Settings
SMTP Settings: Setup → Extensibility → SMTP Settings
SMTP Settings are required to send emails to users of the system as well as account contacts.
For LogiSense Billing system users these include emails to new users so that they can setup their password, reset password emails and emails for other notifications which you can configure (e.g. email notification that a system event has occurred, such as a bill run starting or finishing).
For account contacts emails can be sent in order to deliver an invoice or on certain events that you configure (e.g. a welcome email sent to a billing contact when a new account is activated).
4 - Setup Accounts Receivable Terms
Payment Terms: Setup → Finance → Dunning Process → Payment Terms
AR Terms: Setup → Finance → Dunning Process → AR Terms
Accounts receivable terms determine when payment is due (using configured payment terms) and what actions are executed when payment has not been received (using dunning rules).
AR Terms are required to configure accounts.
5 - Setup Email and Invoice Templates (Optional)
Email Template: Setup → Extensibility → Templates → Email
Email templates are only required if you will be sending invoices by email, sending dunning alerts to account billing contacts or emailing system users about system events (bill run has started, finished, etc.).
Invoice Template: Setup → Extensibility → Templates → Templates
Invoice templates are only required if you will be generating invoices and sending them to account contacts (a sample template is included with a new installation, so this configuration does not need to be performed immediately). From the invoice template screen you can also create Credit Notes.
Invoice Delivery: Setup → Finance → Invoicing
Invoice delivery defines how invoices are sent (via email, offline) and which invoice template to use.
6 - Setup General Ledger Codes (Optional)
GL Codes: Setup → Finance → Billing → GL Codes
GL Codes can be associated with services (charges) as well as tax rates. If you do not use GL Codes you can skip this configuration step.
7 - Setup Bill Groups
Bill Groups: Setup → Finance → Billing → Bill Group
Bill Groups define how accounts are billed. In order to setup an account in the system you must have a bill group to assign to the account.
8 - Setup Bill Runs
Bill Runs: Setup → Finance → Billing → Bill Runs
Bill runs are configured to bill accounts. The can also trigger invoicing and payment collection actions and execution of contract and accounts receivable terms (dunning rules). Bill runs are associated with bill groups in order to specify which accounts to bill.
9 - Setup Usage Billing Elements (Optional)
Class Type: Setup → Usage Rating → Rate Types → Class Type
Class types are optional elements that allow you to categorize classes.
Classes: Setup → Usage Rating → Rate Types → Classes
Classes define the type of usage (e.g. data, sms, etc.)
Rate Group: Setup → Usage Rating → Usage Rates → Groups
Rate groups are used to contain one or more rates.
Rates: Setup → Usage Rating → Usage Rates → Rates
Rates define the charge for various types of usage.
Rate Plan: Setup → Usage Rating → Usage Rates → Plans
Rate plans can be attached to various entities in the system (accounts, packages, services, etc.) and contain the rates that are used to determine how to charge for usage.
Base Bucket: Setup → Usage Rating → Buckets & Share Plans → Base Buckets
Base buckets define the usage characteristics of buckets, such as the unit type that is being consumed (data, count, time).
Buckets UI: Setup → Usage Rating → Buckets & Share Plans → Usage Buckets
Usage buckets are attached to services and other entities in order to provide included usage and usage tiers.
10 - Setup the Product Catalog
Service Types: Setup → Product Catalog → Services → Service Types
Service types provide a means to categorize services within the system. Services cannot be configured without first configuring service types.
Service Status: Setup → Product Catalog → Services → Service Status
Service statuses are used to setup the service states you require, for instance 'Preactive', 'Active', 'Suspended'. Service Statuses are required in order to configure packages.
Service Transitions: Setup → Product Catalog → Services → Service Transitions
Service transitions define which statuses a service can transition to. For instance, a transition called 'Suspend' could be setup which enables the ability to switch from an active service status to a suspended service status. Service transitions only need to be setup if you are charging fees when a service transitions from one status to another.
Package Status: Setup → Product Catalog → Packages → Package Status
Service statuses are used to setup the service states you require, for instance 'Active', 'Suspended'. These statuses define if a package is billable or not, based on how you configure them. A package status must be specified in order to add a package to an account.
Service: Setup → Product Catalog → Service
Services are chargeable elements in the system (for instance an access service, device, license, etc.). Services represent the individual line items that when bundled together as a package become the offering that is sold and added to accounts. Services are required to setup packages.
Package: Setup → Product Catalog → Package
Packages are containers for services which have prices associated with them. E.g. a package could contain 'Monthly Service A' with a $50.00 price and 'Monthly Service B' with a $25.00 price resulting in a monthly package charge of $75.00. Services by themselves cannot be added to an account directly, they are always contained in a package.
Package Frequency: Setup → Product Catalog → Package → + on the Package to add the Package Frequency
Package frequencies allow you to configure packages with as many billing frequencies as you require (monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.). Recurring, one-time and tiered prices are configured on services and service transitions that are setup on package frequencies.
Adding a Package to an Account
At this point a package can be added to an account (sold).
1 - Create an Account
New Account: Account → New
Accounts typically represent customers or partners. Accounts contain contacts, packages, invoices and other account/billing specific settings and information.
An account will require at least one contact if you wish to deliver invoices. By default the system will require that you add a billing contact to an account (but this requirement can be disabled).
2 - Add a Package to the Account
Add Package: Account → Profile → Packages → + Account Package
Packages are products/offerings that are added to accounts and billed. When you add a package to an account it will indicate when it will next be billed by showing a ‘Next Bill Date’ value.
Billing an Account and Generating an Invoice
Now that an account package is in place it can be billed and an invoice generated which contains the package charges.
1 - Bill a Package on an Account
Bill Account: Account → Profile → Packages → $ Bill Account
On the packages screen there is an option to bill packages (the
action button). This will allow you to bill the account package added in the step above. Provided the bill run date range is configured to bill over the package’s ‘Next Bill Date’ and the options on the bill run are set to bill packages, run invoices and render invoices.
2 - View the Invoice Generated by the Bill Run
Invoices: Account → Billing → Invoices
The UI will pop-up messages when a bill run starts and when it finishes. When a bill run finishes it will generate an invoice (provided run & render invoices was set on the bill run, and there were charges on the account to bill). After the bill run finishes you can load the Invoices screen to view the invoice details (transactions on it, taxes applied, etc.). To view the invoice you can download it as a pdf on the same Invoices screen (using the action button).