This article outlines the basic configuration that needs to be setup in a fresh installation of LogiSense Billing. Following this guide you will be able to configure the system to the point where you can:
Create products (packages)
Create accounts
Add the package to the account, bill it and generate an invoice
Actions which you do not need to perform/do not need to perform immediately are noted as ‘Optional’ below.
This guide contains the minimum configuration steps required to setup the system, it is not a comprehensive list of all available configurations.
Base System Configuration Process
1 - Configure Countries and States/Provinces
Countries UI Location: Setup → Regional Setting → Countries
Required: Accounts cannot be created without countries and states defined.
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.
Regional Setting Configuration Example
2 - Configure Owner Settings
Financial Settings: Setup → Users & Accounts → Owners → Financial Setting
Required: if you wish to change the default currency or delete currencies configured you must do so before the currencies are in use (configured on a package, on exchange rates or an account). Once currencies are in use they cannot be deleted and the default currency cannot be modified.
Financial Settings Configuration Example
Password Policy: Setup→ Users & Accounts → Owners → Password Policy
Optional: system defaults are provided.
Password policy settings govern the password requirements for users that log into the LogiSense Billing application.
Password Policy Configuration Example
Branding: Setup→ Users & Accounts → Owners → Branding
Optional: branding settings change the logos displayed within the LogiSense Billing Application.
Branding Configuration Example
Automatic Naming: Setup→ Users & Accounts → Owners → Automatic Naming
Optional: Automatic naming schemes allows you to define Invoice numbers and/or credit note numbers.
Automatic Naming Configuration Example
Locales: Setup→ Users & Accounts → Owners → Locales
Optional: Locales allow you to define translations for product names in multiple languages. Locales are attached to invoice templates so that the translations are presented on the invoice.
Payment Types: Setup→ Users & Accounts → Owners → Payment Types
Optional: Payment types are the methods that an account is permitted to use to make payments (credit cards, ACH, etc.). The payment methods that a payment gateway supports will be automatically populated when the gateway is configured in LogiSense Billing, you do not need to manually add them.
Payment Types Configuration Example
Payment Gateways: Setup→ Users & Accounts → Owners → Payment Gateways
Optional: Payment Gateways are used to process manual and automatic payments for the payment types that the gateway supports (credit cards, ACH).
Payment Gateway Configuration Example
3 - Configure SMTP Settings
SMTP Settings: Setup → Extensibility → SMTP Settings
Optional: SMTP settings are used to send emails to users of the system as well as account contacts. If SMTP Settings are not configured new system users will be unable receive the email that allows them to setup their password. This step does not need to be performed initially but must be performed before system users are setup.
4 - Configure Users and Roles
Role Groups: Setup → Users & Accounts → Users → Role Groups
Optional: Role Groups allow you to define specific screen permissions that can be configured on roles in the LogiSense Billing application. Roles are then assigned to users to determine what the user can see and do in the system.
Role Group Configuration Example
Roles: Setup → Users & Accounts → Users → Roles
Optional: Roles are assigned one or more role groups to determine the permissions that a role is granted. Once roles are set up they can be assigned to users in order to impart the needed permissions to that user.
Users: Setup → Users & Accounts → Users → Users
Optional: Users can log into the LogiSense billing system and access screens/features of the system based on the role they are configured with
5 - Configure Account Settings
Account Types: Setup → Users & Accounts → Accounts → Account Types
Required: Account types are used to classify accounts (partner, enterprise, etc.). An account type is required to create accounts.
Account Types Configuration Example
Account Status Types: Setup → Users & Accounts → Accounts → Account Status Types
Required: Account status types allow you to define what statuses an account can be in (Pre-Active, Active, Suspended, etc.). At least one Account Status Type is required to create accounts.
Account Status Types Configuration Example
Contact Types: Setup → Users & Accounts → Accounts → Contact Types
Optional: Contact types are setup in order to configure certain types of contacts on accounts (a billing contact, administrative contact, site contact, etc.). Contact types contain contact points which are configured to store contact related data (email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers, text, etc.).
Contacts are important depending on what system functionality you are using. E.g. if you are emailing invoices then you will need a billing contact on an account with a valid email address. If you are applying taxes to charges you will need a service or billing contact on an account so that the contact’s physical address can be used to determine which taxes apply to the charge.
Contact Types Configuration Example
6 - Configure Currency Exchange Settings
Currency Exchange: Setup → Finance → Currency Exchange
Required: Currency Exchanges 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 when billing.
Currency Exchange Configuration Example
7 - Configure Templates and Invoice Delivery Settings
Email Template: Setup → Extensibility → Templates → Email
Optional: Email templates are used to notify account contacts and users when system events such as dunning, billing and invoicing activities occur (e.g. an email sent when payment is overdue).
Dunning/Payment Overdue Email Template Example
Invoice Template: Setup → Extensibility → Templates → Templates
Optional: 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 Note templates.
Invoice Template Configuration Example
Invoice Delivery: Setup → Finance → Invoicing
Required: Invoice delivery defines how invoices are sent (via email or offline) and which invoice template to use. Invoice delivery settings are attached to bill groups to define how to invoice the accounts under the bill group (e.g. email deliver invoices to the ‘corporate’ bill group and use the invoice template ‘corporate’).
Invoice Delivery Configuration Example
8 - Configure Billing Settings
Bill Groups: Setup → Finance → Billing → Bill Group
Required: 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.
Bill Group Configuration Example
Bill Runs: Setup → Finance → Billing → Bill Runs
Optional: Bill runs are configured to bill accounts. They can also trigger invoicing and payment collection actions and execution of contract and accounts receivable terms (dunning rules). Bill runs can be configured at a later time if desired (e.g. when you have created an account and are ready to bill it).
Bill Run Configuration Example
GL Codes: Setup → Finance → Billing → GL Codes
Optional: 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.
General Ledger (GL) Code Configuration Example
9 - Configure Usage Billing Elements (Optional)
Optional: If you are not charging for or providing usage with your offering and only billing using a subscription model you can skip this section.
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 - Configure the Product Catalog
Service Types: Setup → Product Catalog → Services → Service Types
Required: Service types provide a means to categorize services within the system. Services cannot be configured without first configuring service types.
Service Type Configuration Example
Service Status: Setup → Product Catalog → Services → Service Status
Required: 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 Status Configuration Example
Service Transitions: Setup → Product Catalog → Services → Service Transitions
Optional: Service transitions are setup to permit charges to be applied when a service is switched from one status to another (e.g. an activation fee). Service transitions only need to be setup if you wish to charge fees when a service transitions from one status to another.
Service Transitions Configuration Example
Service: Setup → Product Catalog → Service
Required: 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 Status: Setup → Product Catalog → Packages → Package Status
Required: 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.
Package Status Configuration Example
Package: Setup → Product Catalog → Package
Required: Packages are containers for services which have services associated with them (e.g. 'Monthly Service A' and 'Monthly Service B'). 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
Required: Package frequencies allow you to configure packages with as many billing frequencies as you require (monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.). Service pricing and other charges are also defined at the package frequency level.
Package and Package Frequency Configuration Example
11 - Configure Accounts Receivable Terms
Payment Terms: Setup → Finance → Dunning Process → Payment Terms
Required: Payment terms allow you to define how invoice due dates are set and are required in order to setup accounts receivable terms (AR terms).
Payment Terms Configuration Example
Dunning Rules: Setup → Finance → Dunning Process → Dunning Rules
Optional: Dunning rules allow you to define the events which are triggered when account invoices become overdue (send emails, apply fees, suspend an account). Dunning rules execute during bill runs, but only if the 'Run Dunning Process' setting is enabled on the bill run.
Dunning Rules Configuration Example
AR Terms: Setup → Finance → Dunning Process → AR Terms
Required: 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 in order to create accounts.
Accounts Receivable Configuration Example
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
Required: 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).
Creating Child Accounts (Optional): Account → Account Tree Icon → account
Optional: Child accounts are created under a parent account and by default will be configured to roll up invoice subscription charges and usage charges to their parent account (although a child account can be setup to receive its own invoice if desired).
Child Account Creation Example
2 - Add a Package to the Account
Add Package: Account → Profile → Packages → Account Package
Required: 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.
Account Package Configuration Example
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 and Generate an Invoice
Bill Account: Account → Profile → Packages → Bill Account
Required: On the packages screen there is an option to bill packages (theaction 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. If you have not yet configured a bill run see the Bill Run Configuration Example.