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Introducing Cirrus Utility Billing

Welcome to Cirrus Utility Billing, Springbrook’s new browser-based Utility Billing solution. Cirrus UB offers the freedom and flexibility only available to a browser-based application. The entire UB experience has been enhanced, providing a modernized user interface designed with efficiency in mind.

The biggest improvement you’ll see in Cirrus UB is the completely redesigned Account Maintenance Overview window. This new Overview design provides:

• Extensive use of color to help users quickly understand any issues with the account. Indicators such as Active or Suspended quickly call attention to the account or service request status. Unique background colors help differentiate service balances and call attention to account settings that may need your attention.
• Key Account, Activity, and Billing information clearly highlighted, with links to the Account Maintenance tabs that are the sources of the displayed data. A simple click on the Expand   button takes you directly to the relevant tab, eliminating the need to spend time navigating through the Account tabs and improving work flow efficiency.
• A new, configurable line graph that provides a quick snapshot of billed consumption for each service.

While the Account Maintenance Overview window is the most important enhancement in Cirrus UB, there are a number of other updates designed to improve your UB experience:

• Access to the Account Master Search window directly from the main left navigation menu means fewer clicks to get into the account details and get to work.
• An expanded Account Maintenance History tab provides a more detailed view into historical account transactions.
• An enhanced Service Request Wizard, highlighting key information on steps related to devices.
• Improved importing functionality means no more navigating through complicated file structures to find your files. Simply drag your meter readings file from your desktop and drop it directly into the Import step.

To see a full list of the process enhancements available only in Springbrook Cirrus, please see the.

For a general tour of the new Springbrook Cirrus interface, please see the General Tour page.

Utility Billing Home

The Utility Billing Home page displays direct links to the primary UB processes. These processes can also be accessed via the main navigation menu to the left, along with maintenance, reporting, and utilities features. This help topic provides a general overview of the processes and features in the UB module.

Open, Create, or Final a UB customer account

The Account Master Search window (UB> Account Search) is used to open, create or final a Utility Billing module customer account. The window will display customer records with a UB module account and the UB customer accounts associated with each customer record. Enter information into the Search Criteria section and click the Search button   to filter the customers that display in the window. The customer records that are attached to a UB module account and that match the search criteria will load in the window. Click the Expand button next to each customer record to view the UB module accounts attached to a customer record. Highlight a UB customer account and click the Edit button in the data grid header to open the account in the Account Maintenance window.

You can modify the lot and customer record information associated with a UB customer account using the Account Maintenance window and the changes will update to the entire database. You can also modify a customer record using the Customer window (SS> Maintenance> Customer) or the Lot window (SS> Maintenance> Lot). Changes to the Customer or Lot window will update all UB customer accounts attached to the customer record or the lot.

Add New Account to launch the New Account Wizard. The New Account Wizard is used to create new UB module customer accounts.

Highlight a UB account and Final the Current Account to final the account. This will launch the Final Account Wizard and calculate the final billing on the UB customer account.

New Account Wizard – Create a new account

Utility Billing customer accounts are created using the New Account Wizard. The New Account Wizard can be launched from the Account Search window (UB> Account Search> Add New Account button), or from the Final Account Wizard when a customer is moving to a new lot. The New Account Wizard is used to select the connect date, the lot the customer is moving into, the services and service rates on the account, create any service requests to read or install devices on the account, and charge any fee codes such as deposits or connections charges. If the customer already has a UB customer account, a new UB customer account sequence number will be created. For example, if customer number 000001 already has UB customer account 000001-000, UB customer account 000001-001 will be created.

Depending on how the Utility Billing module is set up in the Setup window (UB> Utilities> Setup), information attached to the previous UB customer account on the lot will populate on the new UB customer account. For example, if the Copy All Services toggle is checked, the services and service rates attached to the previous account on the lot will copy to the new UB customer account on the lot.

An account template can be selected during the first step of the New Account Wizard. Account templates are used to add services, service rates, service requests or fee codes to a new customer account. This reduces data entry and helps ensure that customer accounts are created accurately because all of the standardized information on the account template will populate in the New Account Wizard. Many Springbrook users create an account template for each standard grouping of services/service rates (residential, commercial, industrial, or housing developments) that they generally add to new customer accounts. Account Templates are created and maintained using the Account Template Selection window (UB> Maintenance> Account Template).

Final Account Wizard

The Final Account Wizard is used to enter the final meter readings on a UB customer account, enter the forwarding address of the final billing statement, calculate the final billing on a UB customer account and change the status of the account to a Final status. The Final Account Wizard can be launched from the Account Search window (UB> Account Search> Final the Current Account button) or from the Final Billing process if you use final account service requests (UB> Final Billing> Final Accounts). UB customer accounts will only display in the Final Accounts window if a final account service request has been closed and committed on the UB customer account.

A final account service request is used to enter the final readings on the devices attached to the UB account and enter the forwarding address on the final billing. The meter readings and forwarding address entered on the final account service request will populate on the Final Account Wizard when the UB customer account is finaled. Committing the final account service request will not change the status of the UB account, it will only make the account available in the Final Accounts window and add the meter reading line items to the meter record. The UB customer account will change to a Final status after the customer account has been processed in the New Account Wizard.

Depending on how the Utility Billing module is set up (UB> Utilities> Setup), the final billing generated by the Final Account Wizard is either processed in UB> Final Billing or UB> New Billing. If the Bill Finals with cycle toggle is checked on the Setup window (UB> Utilities> Setup> Billing tab), the final billing for the account will be processed using the New Billings process (UB> New Billings) when the billing cycle of the finaled account is billed. If the Bill Finals with cycle toggle is not checked, the finaled account will be billed using the Final Billing process (UB> Final Billing).

Service Requests

Service requests are used to track the services performed on a UB customer account such as installing, removing or replacing a device on a UB customer account. Service requests are created using the Service Request Input Wizard which can be launched from the Account Maintenance window (UB> Maintenance> Account> Service Requests tab or Devices tab) or from the Service Requests window (UB> Service Requests> Input).

The Service Requests process is used to view, close, commit, or print service requests. The Service Request Input window (UB> Service Requests> Input) is used to create, view, modify, or close service requests.

The Door Hangers window (UB> Service Requests> Door Hangers) is used to create door hangers for service requests of a selected request date and service request code.

The Service Request Proof List Report (UB> Service Requests> Proof List) will display active and/or closed status service requests filtered by request date, service date, billing cycle and service request code. If closed status service requests are included on the report, both committed and uncommitted service requests will display on the report.

The Service Requests window (UB> Service Requests> Service Requests) is used to print a filtered list of active and/or closed status service requests. Service requests that have been committed (UB> Service Requests> Commit) will display on the report if you include closed status service requests. Each service request included in the report will display on a separate page with space for the technician to manually enter comments and information on the report. Service requests can also be printed during the last step of the Service Request Input Wizard.

The Commit step (UB> Service Requests> Commit) is used to commit closed service requests. Meter readings attached to service requests will post to the meter history when the service request is committed.

Meter/Device Overview

In order to create a meter or device, you must first create a device type. There is a separate maintenance window for each type of device that can be created in the Utility Billing module.

The device type determines the generic device information of a device, such as unit type, reading and consumption multipliers/divisors, number of usage periods, bill type, and default service request codes. Most Springbrook customers create a device type for each device model they install on UB customer accounts. The most important information on the device type is the bill type. The bill type attached to a meter determines the service rates used to bill the consumption on that meter.

After a device type has been created, a meter can be created using that device type from either the Device Maintenance window (UB> Maintenance> Device) or using a service request. Service requests are used to install, remove or read the meters on a customer account and are created using the Service Request Input Wizard. The Service Request Input Wizard allows you to create devices on the fly or select a device that has been created using the Device Maintenance window. Devices created using a service request will be in pending status until the service request has been committed. You will not be able to modify the information of a device in pending status. If the service request that created the device is deleted, the device record will be deleted.

Meter Management

The Meter Management palette (UB> Meter Management) is used to import or manually input the meter readings on devices. The Meter Management palette is generally used to enter the meter readings on an entire read route. If you would like to enter a meter reading on a single meter, you can enter it using either the Account Master Maintenance window (UB> Maintenance> Account> Devices tab> Consumption sub-tab) or by creating a read device service request using the Service Request Input Wizard.

The Input New (UB> Meter Management> Input New) and Edit (UB> Meter Management> Edit) selections are used to manually enter and edit meter readings. If you manually import meter readings using a handheld device, you probably will not use these palette options.

The Meter Management Proof List (UB> Meter Management> Proof List) is used to verify that the current meter readings have been input correctly on customer accounts. Run this report after meter reads have been manually input (UB> Meter Management> Input New) or imported (UB> Meter Management> Readings Import).

The Meter Change-Out Report (UB> Meter Management> Change Outs) displays a list of meters that have been replaced using a meter change-out service request. The report will display the device that has been removed and the new device that was installed on the customer account.

The Meter Misread Report (UB> Meter Management> Misread Reports) displays meters that have an unexpectedly high or low consumption level.  The report will compare the consumption on a current meter reading to the consumption of the meter reading of the same read period in the previous year and then calculate a variance percentage. If the variance percentage is greater than a user-defined amount, the device will display on the report.

The Unread Meters Report (UB> Meter Management> Unread Meters) displays a list of meters that were not read during a specific date range using the meter read date.

Meter Sheets Report (UB> Meter Management> Meter Sheets) is list of meters filtered by meter read route and is used to manually record meter readings. You probably will not use this report if meter readings are imported from handheld devices.

The Export window (UB> Meter Management> Readings Export) is used to export meter information from the application to a handheld device in order to enter meter readings. The Import window (UB> Meter Management> Readings Import) is used to import the meter readings from a handheld device into the application. You will only use these options if you enter meter readings using handheld devices.

Services, Service Rates, Bill Types

When charges are generated on UB customer accounts, the charges must be grouped onto a service. A service represents a unique balance on the customer account and the balance of each service will display separately on billing statements. For example, all water service charges are billed using the WATER service. Charges related to other services, such as ELECTRIC or CONNECTION, will display separately. Since the total balance of a UB customer account is divided into separate services, you can have a credit balance in one service and a debit balance in another. Use the Redistribute Credit Balances process (UB> Adjustments and Fees> Redistribute Credit) to redistribute a credit balance on a service to services with a debit balances.

Service rates are attached to customer accounts and determine the rate structure, winter average, taxes, bill type and prorating options of a billing. The service rate will calculate charges on the consumption on meters with the same bill type and the charges will be billed to the service attached to the service rate.

There are no units of measure (gallons, cubic feet, etc.) attached to the service rate. When a billing is generated the service rate will be applied to the consumption as it was read on the meter. For example, if there were 100 units of consumption read on the meter during the billing period, then the service rate will be applied to the 100 units regardless of the type of unit the meter was reading (gallon, cubic feet, etc.). If there are meters of multiple unit types in the same billing batch, or if the consumption should be converted to another unit type as the billing is being calculated, you can convert the consumption read on the devices to another unit type using the consumption conversion table (UB> Maintenance> Consumption Conversion).

Bill types are used to link the consumption on a meter to a service rate on an account. When a billing is generated the consumption on a meter will be billed using the service rates attached to the UB customer account with the same bill type. Bill types are attached to service rates (UB> Maintenance> Service Rates> General tab> Bill Type field) and device types (UB> Maintenance> Device Type> General tab> Bill Type field).

Bill a customer – New Billing

The New Billing process is used to calculate charges on UB customer accounts in a selected billing cycle and generate the billing statements.  The bills will be calculated based on the Billing tab of the UB Setup window (UB> Utilities> Setup> Billing tab), the service rates attached to the customer accounts in the batch, and the bill types attached to the meters on those accounts.

When new bills are generated (UB> New Billing> Generate), there is a Convert Consumption To drop-down menu that allows you to convert the consumption read on the meters to a different unit type. The consumption will be converted to the unit type using the conversion formula set up in the conversion table (UB> Maintenance> Consumption Conversion), and the service rate will be applied to the modified consumption on the meter. For example, if the consumption was read in cubic feet and changed to gallons, the consumption read on the meter (100) will be multiplied by the conversion amount (7.48000) and then the service rate will be applied to the modified consumption amount (748).

The statements generated by the New Billing process are created and maintained using the Statement Setup Maintenance window (UB> Utilities> Statement Setup). The billing address attached to the UB customer accounts being processed in the billing batch can be verified using the address certification process. The address certification process will verify the accuracy of the addresses in the batch and prepare the statements for a bulk mailing.

Final Billing

The Final Billing process is used to create the final billing statement for UB customer accounts that have been processed using the Final Account Wizard. This process also allows you to run the Final Account Wizard on UB customer accounts that have been processed using a final account service request.

The Final Billing process is an optional process and will only be used by organizations that do not process final bills in the New Billing palette. The final bills are set up to be processed in the New Billing batch using the Setup window (UB> Utilities> Setup> Billing tab> Bill finals with cycle toggle).

Adjustments and Fees

The Adjustments and Fees process is used to create adjustments, miscellaneous billings, and redistribute credit balances on customer accounts.

The Bill a Service Request window (UB> Adjustments and Fees> Bill Service Requests) is used to bill a UB customer account for a closed and committed service request. Some organizations charge for certain types of service requests such as the installation of a new device. To create a billable service request, create a service request code (UB> Maintenance> Service Request Code) that is attached to a fee code. The fee code will determine the billable amount and the general ledger accounts used to create the journal entry when the service request is billed. The fee code will also display on the billing statement line item as the description of the charge.

The Miscellaneous Charges window is used to create a billing on all Active status UB customer accounts within selected billing cycles based on an adjustment type code. The billing will default to the flat amount attached to the fee codes of the selected adjustment type, but you can modify the billing from the default amount.

Additional billings can be created on UB customer accounts using the Input Billings window (UB> Adjustments and Fees> Input). This window allows you to create billings using fee codes or the service rates attached to a UB customer account.

Past Dues and Collections

The Past Due process allows you to pull UB customer accounts into a Past Dues batch based on billing cycle, age of outstanding transactions and customer account status. Once customer accounts have been included in a Past Dues batch, penalties are assessed using an adjustment type code.

The Collections process is used to write off the balance of selected UB customer accounts and will create an adjustment type transaction on the accounts. The Generate step (UB> Collections> Generate) of the process is used to select the customer accounts to process in the batch. The balance of the customer accounts will be written off using the general ledger accounts attached to the service rates and fee codes being written off. The Collections adjustment type code (UB> Utilities> Setup> General tab> Collections Adjustment Type field) determines which general ledger accounts attached to the service rates and fee codes on the customer accounts will be used in the journal entry created by the Collections process. The collections adjustment type code will also display on the transaction line item created on the customer account.

Refunds

The Refunds process is used to refund the credit balance and/or deposit amounts on UB customer accounts. The Refunds process also allows you to factor interest on deposit amounts.

Winter Averaging

The Winter Averaging process is used to calculate an average consumption for UB customer accounts based on the consumption during selected meter read periods and meter reading dates. Depending on how the service rates attached to the UB customer accounts are set up, the calculated average consumption is billed instead of the actual consumption when bills are generated in the New Billing process (UB> New Billing). If there is a minimum amount or tax attached to a service rate included in the winter average, the minimum and tax amounts will bill as usual. The calculated winter average will only replace the billable consumption on the customer account.

Security

Security can be set up on the Utility Billing module using database or menu security.

Database security (SS> Security> DB Security) is application wide security placed on a specific field in the database. For example, if you would like to restrict access to the social security number on customer records, you can set up security on the SSN field of the Customer table. All windows that display the social security number will be affected by the security set up on that field.

Menu security (SS> Security> Menu Security) is security placed on a palette menu option. For example, if a user should have not have access to the Consumption Conversion Maintenance window (UB> Maintenance> Consumption Conversion), you can restrict a user from opening that window using menu security.