Billing Command Center Workflow

Billing Command Center Workflow

The Billing Command Center is new with v6.20 of Advantage and is more closely integrated with Billing Approvals. You'll find that it replaces many of the older applications available in previous versions. This guide includes several tools, including a guide to finding the processes that you're accustomed to using: Summary Workflow Guide Detailed Workflow Guide Getting to the Billing Processes you are familiar with. Please review the Billing Command Center Users Guide (a separate document) for complete instructions and more details on using the Billing Command Center. This guide is designed to provide Workflow and limited instructions on how to get started.

Summary Workflow Production Flow Webvantage Billing Approval Approve jobs by client Bundle clients into a single batch based on approver. Separate batches are not needed. Billing Command Center Selection Select by Billing Approval Batch or other Billing Command Center Summary Review Review job summary including all totals Review billing approval instructions Billing Command Center Actions Reconcile or recognize income on advance bill jobs in groups. Bill Hold (add and remove) at job level only Detail bill holds may be removed here. Both temp and permanent Bill Hold is available here. Process Control (any status change) Export Summary - Refreshes screen and adds Excel Icon to Toolbar for exporting. Other Actions - Outside of the Billing Cmd Center Adjustments and Transfers - includes Job and Detail level bill hold options. Limit by BCC sel. Advance Billing - Adding New Records Advance Billing - Interim Reconciliations at the DETAIL level only. All others can be done within the Billing Command Center. Billing Command Center Actions Billing Selection Print Billing Selection Report NA Media Flow Billing Command Center Selection Select all or unbilled orders Billing Command Center Summary Review Review order summary Billing Command Center Actions Export Summary - Refreshes screen and adds Excel Icon to Toolbar for exporting. NA Billing Command Center Actions Billing Selection Print Billing Selection Report Billing Command Center Process Invoices (Production & Media combined) Review & adjust coop invoices if needed. Print Draft (pre-selected). Assign Invoices If option is selected, tax is added at this stage. Print Final (pre-selected). Finish (leave selected) or Finish and Delete the Billing Command Center selection. Optionally finish the Billing Approval Batch when selected. Leave selected to take other actions like closing jobs, reconciling or recognizing income on advance bills or other actions. If finished, choose the option to deselect.

Document Manager Upload invoices automatically for each invoice. Notes: Use Maintenance/Billing/Billing Settings to set the default window (Production Selection, Media Selection or Process Invoices). Set tax option in Agency Maintenance. Open windows can be accessed using the Windows menu.

Detailed Workflow Billing Settings - From Maintenance/Billing/Billing Setting Select preferences for the Webvantage Billing Approval display. Select the default window to display when you first access the Billing Command Center. Options are Production Selection, Media Selection or Process Invoices. The default setting is Production Selection. Webvantage Billing Approval - Approve Jobs Online. Review job details at function and item level. Indicate job holds at the job/component level. Provide advance billing instructions at the job/component level. Enter approved amount at either the job/component level or by function. Indicate amount to progress or advance bill by function. Enter approval comments at the job/component level or by function. Indicate actual items to reconcile/recognize at the item level (drill down from function) if the job was previously advance billed. Note that hold, transfer and adjust instructions at the item level are used to update the 'approved amount' at the function level (only) in this version and do not carry over to other areas of the system. Billing Approval Batches flow through the billing process for review, adjustment and processing. Billing Approval Batches may be finished automatically through the Billing Command Center when selected. Otherwise, Finish batches that have been processed in billing. Billing Command Center (Production) PRODUCTION SELECTION - Make selections so that jobs can be reviewed, without first selecting them for billing. This allows for processing of holds and adjustments, billing selection, invoice processing, advance reconciliation and even job closings, through a single selection. Select by approved Billing Approval Batch or by Client/AE/Job, etc. Selecting by Billing Approval Batch is the recommended method as it allows for a streamlined process based on the batch of jobs approved electronically. o When selecting by Billing Approval Batch, criteria is pre-filled based on the batch criteria. Otherwise, select the options desired. o Open Jobs with Unbilled and Other Records - Includes jobs that have unbilled records OR were advance billed that have an approved estimate or open purchase orders. This allows for various actions that may need to be taken on these jobs. This is the default option. o Open Jobs with Unbilled Records Only - Includes only jobs that have unbilled or un-reconciled records. This option does not allow for a wide view of all jobs that may need to be manipulated by one of the actions

available, but does narrow the selection to jobs that have unbilled records or un-reconciled actuals when advance billed. o Advance Bill Jobs Only - Narrows the selection to only jobs that have been advance billed so that charges can be easily reconciled/recognized. o All Open Jobs - This is a wide view of all open jobs so that actions may be taken (including mass job closing). o Click on SAVE to save the selection. Click on the Binoculars icon to display selected jobs. PRODUCTION SUMMARY - Jobs may be reviewed at a summary level (detail will be available in a future version) where decisions may be made. Columns displayed are User Definable using the toolbar icon "Include Columns". o View Billing Approval instructions. o Job Level Comments o Bill Hold Instructions o Advance Bill Instructions o Production - Review jobs and take action as needed. o Jobs with unbilled records - determine what to adjust and bill. o Jobs that have been advance billed that have un-recognized actual charges. o Jobs that have been advance billed that need to be final reconciled. o Other Jobs that need attention such as jobs that have an approved estimate but have not been billed yet. o The Bill Status indicates if a job is Progress, Advance or On Hold. ACTIONS RECONCILE/RECOGNIZE - Recognize Income on Advance Bill Jobs. Final Reconcile Advance Bill Jobs. Select option and click on SAVE to process the reconciliations. Select jobs for billing and process to finalize reconciliation invoices. Note that zero invoices will be processed for interim reconciliations and income recognitions. BILL HOLD - Place Jobs on Hold at the job level (not detail). Remove Holds at either job or detail level. Review and accept instructions from Billing Approval or manually set the bill hold status. Both temporary and permanent bill hold options are available. Click on SAVE to process the selected bill hold actions. BILLNG SELECTION (Production) - Select Jobs or Billing. All rows are 'marked' by default. Click on SAVE to select. Or use marking tools to deselect and/or select rows. Print Production Billing Selection Report.

EXPORT TO EXCEL - Production Summary Screen. Refreshes screen and adds Excel Icon to Toolbar for exporting. PROCESS CONTROL - Without deselecting jobs, close jobs that qualify immediately after final billing, or change the Job Processing Control as needed. Click on SAVE to save the selected status. Other Actions - Prior to Selection - Outside of the Billing Command Center Advance Billing Application (Production) - Advance Bill Setup (Adding Advance Bill records to jobs). Process individual invoice as an option. Advance Billing Application (Production) - Advance Bill Interim Reconciliation at the DETAIL level can only be done from this application. All other types of reconciliation can be done from the Billing Command Center. Process individual invoice as an option. Adjustments and Transfers (Production) o Select by Billing Command Center Selection, Selected Billing or by Client/AE/Job, etc. o Make adjustments, viewing Billing Approval Records. o Place Jobs on Hold or Hold Job Detail. This replaces the original Bill Hold application. Billing Command Center (Media) MEDIA SELECTION - Make selections so that orders can be reviewed, without first selecting them for billing. Select by Client/Order/Line, etc. By default, only unbilled orders are selected, but all orders may be displayed as an option, for review. o Click on SAVE to save the selection. Click on the Binoculars icon to display selected orders. MEDIA SUMMARY - Orders may be reviewed at a summary level where decisions may be made. The Bill Status will indicate if the order is pre-bill or post-bill. The AP Posted Amount is included. Each order displays the unbilled total. ACTIONS BILLNG SELECTION (Media) - Select Media Orders for Billing. All rows are 'marked' by default. Click on SAVE to select. Or use marking tools to deselect and/or select rows. Print Media Billing Selection Report. EXPORT TO EXCEL - Media Summary Screen. Refreshes screen and adds Excel Icon to Toolbar for exporting.

Billing Command Center - Continue with selected Batches PROCESS INVOICES (Production and Media). Click on the Process icon OR use buttons available on the screen. o Co-op Distribution - Display and edit coop invoices. o Draft Invoices - Print a Draft Standard or Custom Invoice. o Assign Invoices - Assign invoice numbers. You can assign invoices numbers for all jobs and/or media orders at once time. This includes batch processing of all Advance Bill and Reconciliation records. o Print Invoices - Print Standard or Custom Invoices, Email to Clients. o Finish Automatically finish the Billing Approval Batch when selected (option). o Finish and Delete (Billing Command Center record) Automatically finish the Billing Approval Batch when selected (option). Automatically delete the billing command center record. PRODUCTION and MEDIA SELECTION - DESELECT o Selection keeps jobs together until all actions, including closings, are complete by default. o Deselect Billing Command Center Selections when all actions are complete. o The "Finish and Delete" option in Process Invoices allows you to delete the Billing Command Center batch at the end of invoice processing, if desired.

Getting to the Billing Processes you are familiar with... With version 6.20, several older billing applications will no longer be available on the menu but are available within Billing Command Center. These include Billing Selection, Assign Invoices and Finish Invoices. Bill Hold is now done through Adjustments and Transfers but the menu item remains so that security can be granted for Bill Hold only. The old Billing Selection will be available on the Navigator for a short period of time (for transition). Below is a guide on how to find the processes you are familiar with. Access the Billing Command Center from the Advantage/Billing/Process Billing menu. When you first enter the Billing Command Center, you'll select one of three options (they are in this order on the toolbar): o Production Selection o Media Selection o Process Invoices Select and process production and media, then process invoices.

When you select Production, you'll find options similar to the original Billing Selection application. o Some additional options are available to help you narrow down jobs to select. o Make your selections and click on the SEARCH (binoculars) icon. The Production Summary displays many details about the jobs you have selected. Use the options on the toolbar to continue. View estimate, schedule and approval information at a summary level. o Click on "Include Columns" to determine what to see on this grid. It is completely user-definable. o Click on "Sort By" to sort the jobs differently, based on your choice. o Click on "Actions" to do one of the following: Reconcile or Recognize jobs that have been advance billed jobs. Place jobs on hold or remove job holds. Change the Process Control of jobs. Billing Selection Export the grid to Excel - Refreshes screen and adds Excel Icon to Toolbar for exporting. Follow the Summary Workflow Guide and take necessary actions to process jobs.

Select Billing using the Action icon. In Billing Selection, all rows are marked by default. Use the "All" check box to deselect or select all progress, advance or service jobs by type. Or deselect and select individually. Click on "SAVE" to complete your selection and enter the invoice date and posting period. Only jobs with qualified records will be saved. Print the Billing Selection Report from this screen. Click on Process Invoices (see separate instructions below) to complete the process for Production, or select Media first, then move to Process Invoices (see below for Media Selection).

When you select Media, you'll find options similar to the original Billing Selection application. o Some additional options are available to help you make selections. o Use the "All" check box to check or uncheck all media types. Make your selections and click on the SEARCH (binoculars) icon.

The Media Summary displays many details about the orders you have selected. Use the options on the toolbar to continue. View order details, billed and unbilled amounts, and AP amount posted. Broadcast is summarized by Order/Month/Year for viewing AP details by default, unless selected by Order/Line. o Columns are not user definable in this view. o Click on "Actions" to do one of the following: Billing Selection Export the grid to Excel - Refreshes screen and adds Excel Icon to Toolbar for exporting. Select Billing using the Action icon. In Billing Selection, all rows are marked by default. Use the "All" check box to deselect or select all progress, advance or service jobs by type. Or deselect and select individually. Click on "SAVE" to complete your selection and enter the invoice date and posting period. Only orders with qualified records will be selected. Print the Billing Selection Report from this screen. Click on Process Invoices (see separate instructions below) to complete the process for Media, or select Production first, then move to Process Invoices.

Process Invoices is available from various screens within the Billing Command Center: o Main application page o Production Summary o Production Billing Selection o Media Summary o Media Billing Selection From within this application, you select or edit the Invoice Date and Posting Period. Select the "Process" icon to reveal the following actions, or select from the form buttons: o Print Draft Invoices [Invoices are selected automatically] o Assign Invoices o Print Invoices [Invoices are selected automatically] o Finish o Finish and Delete When finishing, if a Billing Approval Batch was used to select billing, you will be prompted to optionally finish it during this process. After finishing, you will return to the blank Billing Command Center screen where you can access Production or Media selection and navigate to the desired window from there. Use the Summary or Detail Workflow Guides to understand the workflow of the Billing Command Center in this version and to become familiar with some of the new features it contains that allow you process jobs in mass. In Phase III of the Billing Command Center which will be released in 2011, you'll find the remaining applications are replaced and centralized here. As this process is completed, we will incorporate the enhancements you've requested.