Contracts

Manual Contract Invoice - Unconsolidated Customer

Using a Manual Contract Invoice to bill any one machine on a contract for either fees or meters or both within the current billing period, will prevent a contract invoice from being raised at month end for that contract – for either fees, meters or both.

If any one machine on a contract is billed for fees and meters, none of the machines on that contract will bill at month end.
If any one fee is billed, none of the other machines fees will bill at month end (for that contract). Meters will still be billed.
If any one meter is billed, none of the other machines' meter charges will bill at month end (for that contract). Fees will still be billed.

It is important to understand that Manual Contract Invoices should only be used to fix a problem as a last resort. i.e.:

To re-invoice contract billing where a contract credit note was raised (without auto re-invoice option) for incorrect start reading / incorrect fee or meter charges.
For incorrect prior period billing. Raise a contract credit note (without auto re-invoice) and create a manual contract invoice with the correct readings / fee or meter charges.
To invoice the client where prior period billing was missed.

Do not use a Manual Contract Invoice to 'bill' a pro-rata amount at the start of a contract, if the manual contract invoice is being raised in the same billing period. This will mean your contract will not bill at the end of the month. Instead:

Either bill the pro-rata amount in the current billing period and set the contract to start billing in the following billing period, or
Create a Sales Invoice with an Internal Service configured to post to the same general ledger account codes as the contract fee /meter charges.

If you are using the Auto Debit Order Processing option on BPO, make sure that you print the Manual Contract Invoice(s) from the Print Queue.

The process is slightly different for Unconsolidated customers as compared to Consolidated customers. The process below documents Unconsolidated Customers.

Ribbon Access: Contract > Manual Contract Invoice

The Contract Invoices screen will be displayed.

Select the Site that you wish to work in.

In this image Durban has been selected.

By default, this screen will open in the New status. This does not need to be changed to add a new manual contract invoice.
Click on Add.

The Manual Contract Invoice : Add a new invoice screen will open.

Invoice Header Details

Customer Name: Click on the search button in this field.

The Select a customer for this Invoice screen will pop up.
Select the row of the customer for whom you wish to create a manual contract invoice.

Check for Unconsolidated Customer

You can check if a customer is unconsolidated by viewing the Is Consolidated check box in the Customer Maintenance screen.

Ribbon Access: Sales > Customers

The Customer Listing screen will be displayed.
Click on the row selector in front of the customer you wish to view.
Click on View.

The View Customer screen will be displayed.
Ensure that the Detail tab is selected.
Find the Is Consolidated check box in this screen.
In this image, the check box is un-ticked, meaning this customer is 'unconsolidated'.

Close the screen or use the
Open Windows functionality to return to the Manual Contract Invoice: Add a new invoice screen.

When you have navigated back to the Manual Contract Invoice: Add a new invoice screen, you will note that;

As the Customer Name field populates with the selected unconsolidated customer, the following financial fields will now auto populate based on the customer contract details that have originally been set up:
Invoice Currency, Tax Rate and Exchange Rate.
If there is a Salesman already linked to this contract then that Salesman name will populate this field.

Select Contract

Click on the search button in the Contract field.

The Select the Contract screen will pop up.
Select the row of the contract that you wish to raise a manual invoice against.
Click on Ok.

Contract Item Fees and Meters

As the Contract field populates with the selected contract, the
The Items data grid and The Meters data grid will now auto populate with the item(s) and meter(s) details that have originally been set up on the selected contract.

This screen lists both the Active and Inactive item or meter charges.

In the Status column this will display as either;

A -Active or I-Inactive

In the Is Active column this will display as either;

Yes -Active or No-Inactive

These inactive contract fees will remain on the list, so that you can back date a bill for that fee when it was still applicable.

Remove Inactive Lines

Click on the Remove Inactive Lines check box if you do not wish to see these items.
In this image you can now only view the Active fee and meter lines.

Note: Un-tick the checkbox if you wish to view both the Active and Inactive lines again.

Remove Charges

Ensure that you have the correct Fee and Meter charges listed. You can delete/remove the items that you do not wish to bill;

Select the row of the item or fee charge that you wish to remove.

In this image the Service charge has been selected.

Click on Delete Item.

A Confirm delete line message box will pop up asking;

Are you sure you want to remove this fee line from the contract invoice?

Click on Yes.

The selected line will now be removed from the frame.

Invoice Date/Time: These will be auto populated with the current date and time.
- Either type in or click on the drop-down arrow and use the calendar function to select an alternative date, if required.
- Either type in or use the directional arrows to select an alternative time, if required.
Order No: Type in a customer order number if required.
Billing Date: Ensure you have selected the correct billing date. This will adjust the meter reading date for the items on this invoice.

Invoice No.

Invoice No: When you save the details in this screen, the system will calculate the invoice number based on the selected contract configuration details set up.
Status: This field will auto populate with N - New.

Meter Readings

Opening Readings Type in or use the directional arrows to select the Opening Meter Readings for this invoice
Closing Readings Type in or use the directional arrows to select the Closing Meter Readings for this invoice.

Comments: Type in a comment relating to this invoice.

This field is mandatory [*].

Note on Aggregate Billing

If you click on Calculate Aggregate .
This will recalculate the aggregate billing charge.
The correct amount will be billed regardless, but this will give you the ability to view the charges before saving the manual contract invoice.

Note: Contracts cannot be configured for aggregate billing where the customer is consolidated.

Save Manual Invoice

When you have finished editing the Manual Contract Invoice screen, click on Save.

Invoice No. Allocation

You will return to the Contract Invoices screen where you can now view the new manual invoice which now has an invoice number allocated to it.

Print Manual Invoice

You can now Print the Contract Invoice (Print Queue).

A Select the option as desired pop up screen will appear.
Select the Print/Email method.

In this image, Print Invoice has been selected.

Click on Accept.

The Print Preview screen will be displayed.

Here you can see that only the selected contract linked to this customer has been invoiced as this is an unconsolidated customer.
From here you can View, Print, Export or Email the invoice.
Close the preview screen when you are done.