Direct Invoice Entry

The overall process is like any other transaction, except that you will need to perform some additional steps when assembling, reviewing, modifying and/or completing a direct invoicing transaction.

Note:

Orange color scheme for banners, buttons, etc… transitions to blue with version 22.12 and later.

Start

Use a properly configured starting block (Start As = Direct Invoice) to begin a direct invoice transaction. When starting block functionality is enabled the NEW button in Orders is re-labeled START.

Clicking START displays the dialog for selecting the starting block. It lists any starting blocks that you’ve configured in the Product Catalog web module that fall within the start/end dates set on each block. You can browse through the list using the forward (>) and backward (<) buttons or enter a string to search on (for example direct).

Selecting a direct invoice starting block displays the Basic Information page similar to initiating an order or cart transaction, except that the page is labeled to indicate that you’re starting a New Direct Invoice transaction.

As with other transaction types, you need to specify the Customer. Order Type may or may not be auto-populated based on the starting block configuration.

Saving the basic information displays the Details page for assembling the transaction. The page is appropriately labeled to indicate you’re working with a direct invoice transaction.

Assembly

This is where you select one or more direct invoice items for the transaction (items configured to allow direct invoicing). You can also do the following on an optional basis as needed:

• Apply discounts

• Change the tax jurisdiction for an item

• View, Edit or Delete an item that’s been added to the transaction

• Add notes to an item

Adding Direct Invoice Items

On the Details page, click the Add Item button.

Choose to add account- and/or service-level items. Then search for direct invoice Items using the description: Note that direct invoice items can be serialized or non-serialized. Note that retail items can be serialized or non-serialized. You’ll need to enter serial numbers for serialized items before adding them to the transaction.

Note:

All labeling is consistent with a direct invoicing user experience.

If you’re on version 22.7 or later, the item details view will have additional fields for adding notes to the item.

Clicking in the field expands it to let you enter up to 4000 characters.

Note:

Although the Notes field can handle 4000 characters, be cautious of how much room the notes will take up on the direct invoice.

Checking the Display on Direct Invoice check box displays the notes on the direct invoice on its own line under the item’s Description. Clicking the information icon (!) displays text to let you know the entire note will display on the invoice if checked and caution you to be aware of space limitations.

• When unchecked, the note is for internal viewing only. It will remain on the direct invoice item and will be displayed whenever the order is being viewed, up to and after completion of the order. Once the order is completed, the notes are read-only and cannot be edited.

• When checked, the notes will be displayed on the invoice.

  Note:

  No further setup is required if you have the Default Direct Invoice template selected in your Direct Invoice settings in Orders. If you want to use a different template, you’ll need to contact IDI for assistance.

When you’re finished with the item(s), click ADD TO DIRECT INVOICE. Or if you need to apply discounts or change tax jurisdiction, select the applicable option from the View drop-down menu.

Applying a Discount on a Direct Invoice Item

The Discount view lets you apply one or more discounts on-the-fly.

To do this:

• Click the + icon. This displays fields for entering the discount details.

  

• Enter a Description

• Select a Reason.

• Select either Amount or Percentage as the Type

• Enter the Amount

  

• Click the + icon to add another Discount. To remove an added Discount, click the   icon.

• Click ADD TO DIRECT INVOICE to apply the discount or change the View to continue configuring this item.

Note:

If a Retail Promotion has been configured for the direct invoice item and the eligibility conditions are met, the system will automatically apply the Retail Promotion-driven discount.

Changing Tax Jurisdiction on a Direct Invoice Item

If you need to establish a tax jurisdiction other than the configured default for a specific direct invoice item, use the Tax Information view. You can select from any of the following options:

• Default Taxing Method – Uses the Tax Jurisdiction for the configured default address (MANAGE -> Settings). This is the default selection when you open this view.

• Primary Customer Contact – Uses the Tax Jurisdiction from the account’s Primary Customer Contact. Selecting this option displays this contact’s address information (as shown below).

• Service Address – Uses the Tax jurisdiction from the selected Service Address. Selecting this option displays a drop-down menu for choosing an existing Service Address on the account

• Service Contact– Uses the Tax jurisdiction from the selected Service Contact. Selecting this option displays a drop-down menu for choosing an existing Service Contact on the account. Or you can click the + icon to add another Service Contact (using Customer Care)

Click ADD TO DIRECT INVOICE to apply the tax information or change the view to continue configuring this direct invoice item.

Review and Bill to Account

When you’re ready to move from Assembling to the Review phase, click Review Direct Invoice.

This displays the Summary view.

Note:

If you leave the Detail page in assembly phase without clicking Review Direct Invoice, and then return to the transaction via the Direct Invoice OmniSearch, the Summary view will not be as described below. It will not show the TAX & TOTALS tab and will have a COMPLETE DIRECT INVOICE button (rather than SUBMIT DIRECT INVOICE). In this case, you must click the COMPLETE button to proceed to the Summary with TAX & TOTALS.

If you proceed to the summary directly from the Details view by clicking Review Direct Invoice, the Summary page will have a TAX & TOTALS tab that shows a subtotal, tax, and total amounts stemming from all charges related to the direct invoicing items on the transaction.

This tab lets you view the generated direct invoice and/or add a line for the amount to be Billed to Account (BTA).

• To view the invoice, click the View Invoice icon. Note: This icon is only available on the TAX & TOTALS tab.

This displays the invoice (per the configured invoice template). If done prior to adding BTA (see next steps), the invoice will indicate a total is due.

If you’ve added notes and selected to display them on the invoice, you can see the notes in the Description column under the SKU/Description.

• To add a BTA line, click the +NEW button on the TAX & TOTALS tab.

  

This displays the Type and Amount fields.

• Type defaults to the BTA (Bill-to-Account) tender. Only tenders configured with a base tender type of BTA are supported.

• Amount defaults to the total amount due for all direct invoice (retail) items for this transaction.

Note:

The system will not let you submit the direct invoice unless the Amount is equal to the total amount due for the direct invoice items. Attempting to submit prematurely will display an error message to alert you of this condition.

If you edit this amount (for an amount less than the total due), the system will prompt for another Type and Amount entry.

• Click SAVE. This adds a line (or lines) for the Type (BTA) and Amount under the Total.

  

• Now, if you display the invoice, you’ll see the BTA information.

  

At this point you can either return to the Details view to add more items or submit the Direct Invoice.

Submit

When you’re ready, click SUBMIT DIRECT INVOICE. This results in the following:

• The indicated amount tendered to BTA will be immediately billed to the account and be an unposted adjustment on the customer’s account balance.

• An invoice (that overwrites any existing invoice) is stored in Document Storage. This is only done for direct invoice transactions. No invoice is generated for non-direct Invoice transactions.

• Any workflow(s) associated with the Order Type are started. If the workflow includes steps that allow for you to pause the direct invoice order, you can add more or edit Items on the transaction for any unlocked services.

Creating the Bill-To-Account Adjustment at Submit

Creating the BTA Adjustment uses the Workflow Action – Process BTA Adjustments.

Note:

This action is available to be used when configuring a Workflow Trigger.

On submitting, the Process BTA Adjustments Action does the following:

• Finds all open or authorized tender information items in the transaction with a BASE tender type = BTA

• Creates an adjustment for each BTA-based tender on the transaction.

  Note:

  It uses Customer web service CreateAdustment operation to create the adjustment

• The Adjustment can be blocked or not (based on Workflow configuration, if applicable)

• Adjustment Type is based upon the Debit (positive) or Credit (negative) Adjustment Type configured on the specific BTA-based Tender Type

The description of the created BTA Adjustment on the Account Balance is <Adjustment Type Description> [BTA for Transaction <.Receipt Number>].

If/when the Billing System Update runs after this action is completed, the system will recognize the already-created adjustment and will not create a duplicate.

Note:

You cannot edit any BTA tenders that have already been captured or completed.