UTILITY BILLING AND COLLECTIONS SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS

CUSTOMER FILES:

The Utility Customer information is maintained to include: Account Number, Customer Name (Minimum of 35 Characters), Route/Sequence Number, Service Address Street Number (Minimum of 10 Characters), Service Address Street Name (Minimum of 30 Characters), Main Billing Address Line #1 (Minimum of 50 Characters), Main Billing Address Line #2 (Minimum of 50 Characters), City (Minimum of 25 Characters), State, Zip + 4 digit code, International Zip Code, Country Code, Main or Alternate Address Billing Flag (for Billing to Main or Alternate Billing Address), Phone Number (Home), Phone Number (Work), Employer Name, Social Security Number, Driver License Number, Property Pin Number, Service Start Date, Deposit Date, Deposit Amount,  Deposit Amount Applied to Billing Date Applied, Deposit Refund Date, Deposit Refund Amount, Refund Check Number, Bank Draft Information, Meter Serial Number, Last Reading Date, Current and Previous Readings,  Rate Table Information,  Category of Customer (Residential, Commercial, Industrial), Zone Location Code, Demographics Code, # Units, Cycle Code, Late Fee Code, Cash Only Code, Bad Debt Code, Equal Payment Flag, Account Hold Flag,  Account No Bill Flag, No Cutoff Code (ie Customer's on a Life Support System), Mail Carrier Route Number, Landlord Number and Landlord Name.

Provides ability to enter up to five (5) metered services and seven (7) flat rate services per account.

The Utility system has the ability to identify compound meters.

The system has an option to have the system automatically assign new customer account numbers.

The system has the ability to cross-reference based on Social Security Number and/or Drivers License Number a new Customer's Account with the Current Customer File and the Write-off File to check for outstanding bills from a previous connection.

If previous bills are owed by a new Customer, the following will display for each unpaid bill: Account Number, Account Name, Service Address and Amount Owed.

When entering a new customer or maintaining a current customer, the following fields offer a "pop-up" window showing codes and descriptions available for the following fields: Rate Tables, Category Codes, Zone Codes, Demographic Code,  Bank Code (for Bank Drafts) and Landlord Code.

The customer account can be located by name, account number, route/sequence number or service address.

The system has the ability to transfer a Customer account to another service address, while retaining customer  balances,  deposit and payment history.

Automatic transfer of finalized customer to inactive Accounts Receivable file.

System will automatically create a Vacant record for service address after finalized customer is transferred to inactive file, and retain usage history for the service address.

Maintains a separate New Customer file with the ability to post a deposit for the new customer prior to the current customer having been finalized or moved out.

The system transfers the new customer and deposit information to the location when the requested start date has occurred, and retains usage history for service address.

Ability to maintain a security deposit for either or both the service customer or the landlord.

Maintain information on customer deposits with the ability to automatically apply the deposit to the final bill.

Ability to automatically transfer any overpayments or deposit overage for a finalized customer to the Accounts Payable system and have the system print the refund check without additional input.

Allows application of the security deposit against a customer's bill if the City would choose to credit deposit after a user-specified period of good credit.

System allows user to change the "user-specified period of time" to credit the deposit without the need of a programmer.

System allows user to determine the basis for refunding active customers' deposits by late fees applied, or by disconnection of service.

All deposit and refund activity will create individual transactions that display the transaction date, amount, reference code and operator that created the transaction.

Current and past due transactions are maintained in the open accounts receivable file and can be viewed or printed by customer.

User controls the transfer of completed transactions from the current accounts receivable file to the history file.

Ability to set up a Budget Payment plan for individual customers using one rate charge or all rate charges.

Late fees and cutoffs for customers on a budget plan are determined by payment of budgeted amount only.

Customers on budget payment are noted as EPP ACCOUNT in the Customer File and Payment Screen.

System allows the user to go directly from the current open transaction screen to all the customer history screens without going through additional menus.

Customer transaction account history can be displayed for previously paid transactions based on a date entered by the operator.  Customer history transactions are to be maintained on the system for a user defined period of time.

System allows user to go directly from the customer's history transaction screen to all the consumption history screens without going through additional menus.

System allows user to go directly from the meter consumption history screen to the meter file without going through additional menus.

System allows the user to maintain the transaction history based on transaction dates and to purge transactions based on a date  (ie purge all transaction that are older than three (3) years).

Transaction history includes: month/year, transaction type, date, transaction number, amount and adjustment description, if applicable.

System maintains twenty-four months of consumption history, billing date per period, days in billing period, source input code and average monthly consumption for each year for each of the five (5) metered services for each customer. The information can be displayed to the terminal for inquiry or printed by account.

System maintains separate usage history for each meter identified as part of a compound meter.

Customer Note Pad:

System has the ability to have a customer comment file associated with each account and provide the ability for the operator to record multiple comment entries by date.  Upon account inquiry, the system will display a message to indicate that notes are present for the account.

System maintains number of returned checks for each customer and the date of the last returned check.

Customers with returned checks can be automatically noted by the system and the account can be flagged for CASH ONLY payments.  CASH ONLY will print on the customer's bill.

For CASH ONLY customers the payment entry screen will flash "CASH ONLY" to alert the operator to accept CASH ONLY from this customer.

System maintains number of times a customer has had a late fee applied, and the date the late fee was assessed.

System maintains number of times a customer has been on the Cut-Off List and the date the customer last appeared on this report.

System allows user to determine the number of days that must elapse before late fee and cutoff data is cleared from the customer's file.  When customer goes this length of time without having a late fee applied, or being on the cutoff list, the system will clear those fields.

System allows Cut-off Report to be printed without updating to the Customer History each time it is printed.

If a customer appears on the Cut-Off Report for a user specified number of times, the system automatically turns on the customer's BAD DEBT FLAG and the customer will appear on the Bad Debt Report.

System will automatically turn the BAD DEBT FLAG off if the customer has not appeared on the Cut Off List for one year.

System has the ability to manually flag an account as a Bad Debt Account.

System has the ability to allow the user to run a "what if" Rate Comparison Report based on the Customer billing file.  Report will allow the user to select a new rate table and compare the actual billing for one rate to the billing of the new selected rate.  The report will show the difference for each customer and the total difference for all customers.

System can be interfaced to a Service Work Order System to automatically update New Customer Files and Final Customer Information.

REPORTS GENERATED FROM CUSTOMER FILES:

The system provides flexible Master file listings in alphabetic, route, service address, or account number sequence by the following: All Accounts or a Range of Accounts; All customers, Active or Inactive Accounts; All customers or a specific category of customer; All Zones or a specific Zone; All customer cycles or a specific cycle;  All customers or a specific rate code;  All customers or those with the 'No Bill' flag; All customers or those exempt from Late Fees and/or Cutoff.

The file listings can be printed in detail or in brief form.

The system has the ability to print Rolodex File cards for Customers in alphabetic, route, service address, or account number order by the following: All accounts or a Range of Accounts; All customers, Active or Inactive Accounts; All customers or a specific category of customer; All Zones or a specific Zone and All customer cycles or a specific cycle.

The system has the ability to print customer-mailing labels as follows: By Name, Customer Number or Print Bill Method; Single label per customer, or a multiples (3 or 6);  With or without customer number; Labels one (1) across or three (3) across; All customers, Active or Inactive;  All customers or a specific type of customer; All Zones or a specific Zone; All customer cycles or a specific cycle; All customers, or a specific rate code;  Ability to skip vacant accounts and ability to print labels randomly for accounts.

The system has the ability to print a customer usage history report for one or a range of customers by Account Number or Route/Sequence, with the option of including transaction history.

The system has the ability to print a separate listing of transaction history for a single customer, or a range of customers from a specified billing date.

The system has the ability to print the usage and transaction history for one or for all customers.

The system has the ability to print the Current Transactions and Activity in detail or summary for a single customer, range of customers, or all customers.

Ability to list deposit activity for a single customer, a range of customers, or all customers including amounts applied and refunded to finalized customers.

Option to list deposits of New Customers separately with a grand total of all customer
deposits.

Ability to print listings from the New Customer File by Route, Service Address or Name for a single new customer, a range of new customers, or all new customers in brief or detail, with the ability to select by date of deposit.

Prints a Multiple Unit Account Listing with: Account/Route/Sequence #, Account Name, Service Address and  Number of units (i.e. 2, 4, 8).

The Utility system has the ability to print a Usage Analysis Report for: One Route or a Range of Routes, One Service Type or All Types, One Category of Customers or All
Categories, One Zone or All Zones and For a Specific Month.

The Usage Analysis Report provides the following: Route/Seq #, Meter #, Customer Name,  Current Month's Usage, Prev. Month's Usage, Variance %, Same Month Last Year, Variance %, Average Usage Last Three Months and Variance %.

Ability to print a Customer and Units Report by Category, Type and Rate Table with the following: Customer Category Code, Type of Service (water or Sewer), Rate Code and Description, Number of Units for this Group,  Number of Customers for this Group, Total Units for all Categories and Total Customers for all Categories.

BILLING:

The system has the ability to print either postcard size bill or an 8 ½ by 11-statement bill.

The Billing Program is interfaced with General Ledger.

The system has the ability to input meter reading data via CRT or hand held meter reading devices.

The system has the ability to bill residential customers on an equalized payment plan and keep track of actual usage and charges.

The system has the ability to bill a single customer or route using estimated usage.

The system has an option to update current reading for single estimated customer or leave reading the same as previous reading.

The system supports multiple billing cycles with multiple routes per cycle.

The system has the ability to handle compound meters, keeping separate readings and usage for each meter, and calculating the total usage for billing purposes.

The system has the ability to handle meter rollovers.

The system is designed to allow both gallon and/or cubic feet meters.  The system can handle both types within a single route.

The system allows user the option of billing a new customer for minimum usage if the customer has been at a service address less than user specified days.

The system allows user to automatically charge new customers a connection fee on their first bill.

The system allows user to change the minimum number of days to send a bill without the need of a programmer.

The system allows for Bank Draft Credit for customers on bank drafting.

The user can select the rate and General Ledger revenue account to which the draft credit is to be applied. The system allows for the user to apply load control credits to customer's bill.

The user can select the General Ledger revenue accounts to which the load control credits are to be applied.

The system has the ability to override either or both the usage or charges for a customer.

The system has the ability to temporarily change the number of units used to calculate a charge on a customer bill.

The system has the ability to change the previous reading, and reflect the change in the Customer File after update.

The system warns when current usage is out of normal range.

The system has the ability to add a message to an individual customer's bill.

The system has the ability to enter replaced meter data, and have the system calculate the correct usage.  Updated information for replaced meter is reflected in both the Customer File and the Meter File after the update.

The system has the ability to flag a bill as a Transfer or Final bill, and have the system automatically move the record to either the new address for a transferred customer, or to an inactive route if the customer was finalized.

The system has the ability to print a listing of all current billing records for a specific rate showing readings and usage for each record, and total usage for all records.

The system prints a preliminary billing register to verify input prior to printing the bills.

The Billing Register includes usage and billing totals for each rate type by rate number and customer category.

The system generates a Reread report for all customers whose usage falls outside their average usage.

The system generates a report listing accounts with the NO BILL flag set that have usage.

The system generates a report listing all accounts whose bill is over a dollar amount entered by the user.

The system prints a report listing demand readings out of normal usage range for customer.

The final billing register to be printed in detail with or without listing customers with no readings entered.

Prints the customer bills in zip code/route and sequence order, route order, carrier route or alphabetic order.

Option to print the bills for Draft customers separately from the bills for customers who are not on draft.

System prints Utility Billing Totals Report with consumption and dollar charges by: Route by Rate and Grand totals for all Routes by Rate.

System prints a Utility Bill Count Report by Route and Zip Code.

The system has the ability to process drafts and print a bank draft form in addition to a bill if customer is on bank draft.

Utility Bill shall include: Customer number, name and mailing address, Service address, Billing date and due date, Previous and Current reading dates and number of days, Usage/Charge by Utility Service,  Other Charges Description/Dollar Amount, Total Due (Billed Amount or EPP Amount Due), Amount Due if Paid After Due Date, Date Bank Account will be drafted,  Miscellaneous Message (Minimum of 30 Characters), Bar Code of Account

Number and Amount and Postal Net Barcode.

During Billing Update the system will automatically apply any overpayments in a Customer Account to the billing charges, Customers who will be receiving a final bill will have any outstanding deposits applied to open charges.

As required, this system can print new route sheet data for meter reading department.

System can be interfaced to a Service Work Order System to correctly calculate usage with replaced meters, and automatically finalize or transfer a customer.

COLLECTIONS:

Ability to have multiple cash drawers attached to a single workstation that automatically open based on operator code.

Payment receipts are posted and controlled by access code with transaction register printing for each access code.

Transaction Register can be printed in account or keypunch order.
   
Distributes the customer payments received based on a user defined payment schedule.  The operator can override the payment distribution if required.

When posting a payment to an account, the system will optionally calculate any change due and print a receipt.

Payment screen will display EPP ACCOUNT and the amount due if Customer is on Budget Payment.

Payment screen will display CASH ONLY if the flag in the Customer File is set.

The following information is to print on the receipt: the transaction date, receipt number, access code, customer account number, amount due, amount paid, and any balance due.

The system has the ability to handle customer overpayments and post to the General Ledger as a Liability rather than Revenue.

When overpayment is applied to a billed amount, system will automatically reduce the General Ledger Liability amount and reduce the Accounts Receivable amount.

The system is to allow payment receipts to be entered by reading the barcode printed on the customer bill.

The system has the ability to receive and post new customer deposits and connection fees.

Interfaced to the General Ledger system, so that the daily transactions automatically update to journals after reports are verified.

When an operator "closes out" for the day, the system will ask if there is an overage or shortage and allow the operator to enter the amount.  The entered amount will then be posted to the General Ledger.

The system allows a customer to be set up on a bank draft for payment of utility bill.

The system allows pre-note information to be entered for a customer who is on a bank draft.

If a customer uses bank drafting and changes banks the Pre-note information for the first bank is automatically deleted.

For a customer on a bank draft, at "final" billing, system will prompt for a final address,
automatically delete the draft information, and send the final bill to the customer for
payment.

Creates a bank draft file that can be used to send to the bank via magnetic media or
computer communications.
                                                           
The system holds bank draft information in a file that user can delete a specific draft that did not "clear" the bank.

The system allows user to automatically apply draft payments to the customers' accounts instead of manually entering each draft payment.

The user can elect to waive late fee for customers who have not been late in paying their bill in the last year.

Late fee calculation can be either a flat charge or a percentage of the total amount past due and can be billed on a cycle or route basis with the user having the ability to set a maximum or minimum amount for the late fee.

The system allows user to set a dollar amount that the customer must owe before a late fee is automatically charged.

The user has the ability of applying fees on total due or only on billed amounts (ignore prior late fee amounts).

The system automatically prints the Cut-Off Report for all past due accounts.

The system allows Cut Off Report to be printed without causing customer account to be charged for cutoff each time it is printed.

The system has the ability to flag customers who appear on the Cut-Off report who have not been late in the past year, and to print courtesy mailer.

Reconnect fee can be a flat rate or a percentage of the balance due with the users having the ability to set a minimum or maximum amount for the reconnect fee.

The system allows user to set a dollar amount that the customer must owe before a
reconnect fee is automatically charged.

The user can elect to assess reconnect fees on a blanket basis, or manually apply the fee.

The user determines the number of days to reset the Cut-Off Count total if the customer has not appeared on the Cut Off List, and also turn off the BAD DEBT flag.

Second notice is automatically printed for all past due accounts over a designated minimum, with an option to print for customers that have been finalized.

RATE FILES:

The Utility rate table file is maintained by the user so that service rates can be changed or added without a re-programming charge.

The Flat Rate services are chargeable by frequency and allow for fixed amount or amount times number of units (i.e. charge for garbage containers for a location).

Each customer may be billed services from a metered table, a flat rate table or both.

Two of the flat rate services can be charged to a limit, and when the limit is reached, the charges will automatically stop.

Each rate table can have it's own minimum charge.

The system has the ability to calculate sales tax on a per rate basis.

The system has the ability to calculate demand charges for a specific rate and add charge to usage.

Each metered rate can have a user specified range check which notifies the user when a customer's usage falls below or above this range.

Ability to print a Rate Table Report listing all information per rate.

METER FILES:

The Meter file should include: Meter #, Meter Type, Date Installed,  Service Address, Meter Location, Cut-On Date, Cut-Off Date, Meter Size, Meter Number,  Master Meter #, Multiplier, # of Zeros, Last Work Order #,  Previous Work Order #, Current Customer #, Three Previous Customers, Tap Fee Date, Amount, Receipt #.  Impact Fee Date, Amount, and Receipt # and Style and Brand.

The meter files interface with the Customer Master File so that changes to customer meter records are reflected.

The system has the ability to maintain a meter file associated with a service location.

The system can be interfaced with Work Orders when meters are installed or removed.

The system has the ability to change meter numbers without losing usage history for the service address.

The system has the ability to print a meter report by Route/Sequence Number or by
Installation Year.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The system has Alternate Billing Mail Address that includes Alternate Billing Address Line # 1(Minimum of 50 Characters), Alternate Billing Address Line #2 (Minimum of 50 Characters), Alternated City (Minimum of 25 Characters), Alternate State, Alternate Zip + 4 Code, Alternate Country Code, Alternate International Zip Code and Alternate Carrier Route Code.

The system has the ability to have a Reference ie Guarantor  file that is associated with a customer with the following information: Name, Address, City, State,  Zip and  Phone Number.

The system has the ability to have a landlord file that is associated with a service location.

The Landlord file will include the following: Number, Name and Address, Carrier/Route #, Employer,  Work Phone #, Home Phone #, Social Security #, Driver's License #, Customer Type Code and Management Company Information.

The system has the ability to have a Management Company associated with a Landlord Account.

The Management Company file will include the following: Number, Name and Address, Carrier/Route #, Work Phone #, Emergency Phone #,  Fax #, Federal Tax I.D. #, State Tax I.D. #, Privilege License # and  Real Estate License #.

The system has the ability to maintain a Write-off File for accounts that have been "charged" off the system with the following information: Account Number, Service Address, Billing Address, City, State, Zip, Country Code, International Zip Code, Phone Number (Home), Phone Number (Work), Employer, Social Security Number, Drivers License Number, Category Code, Zone Code, Demographic Code, Service Start Date, Last Reading Date, Last Bill Date, Write-off Date, Write-off Balance, For each Write-off Charge Type: Charge Description, Charge Type Code, and Charge Amount.

The user can purge the Write-off File base on date of transactions.

The system will allow user to maintain an "Un-refunded" Deposits/Overpayments file (i.e. for Deposits that can not be refunded because customer could not be located) with the following information: Name, Address, City, State,  Zip Code, Country Code, International Zip Code, Phone Number (Home), Phone Number (Work), Social Security Number, Drivers License Number, Water/Sewer Deposit Un-refunded Amount, Electrical Deposit Un-refunded Amount, Overpayment Un-refunded Amount, Date Refund Attempted and Date Declared
Un-refundable.

The system has the ability to have multiple containers for each service address.
Each container record for a service address includes Container Serial Number, Route and Sequence Number, Customer Name, Service Address, Date Received and Container Type Code (i.e. Garbage, Recycle, Yard), Owner Status  (i.e. Own, Rent, Municipality), Previous Route/Sequence, Previous Route/Sequence Address, Date Last Serviced,   Service Count and Date Last Updated.

REPORTS:

The System provides the following Printed Reports: Customer Master File Report in the following sequences: Customer Name,  Account Number, Route and Service Address; EPP Participation Report; New Customer Report; Customer History Report (both usage and transactions); Customer Deposit Report;  Deposit Refund Report;  Over-Payment Refund Report; EPP Over-payment Refund Report; Meter Reading Sheets; Utility Rate Table Listing; Still Meter Report - Zero Usage; Late Fee Report; Cut-off List (Customer Past Due); Vacant Usage (Vacant and No Bill accounts with usage);  Bad Debt Report; Multiple Units Listing; High/Low Usage (Re-Read List); Landlord Master File List; Landlord Deposit Report; Monthly Trial Balance (To disk or paper); Top Number of Users Report; Usage Analysis (Compares customer's usage to past month, year, and average past three months) and printed by One route, range of routes, or all routes, One rate or all rates; One Category or all Customer types
and One Zone or all zones; Container File Listing by Route/Sequence Number, Container Serial Number and Single Route, Range of Routes or All Routes; Customer Billing; Second Notice; Preliminary or Final Billing Register with Route Totals; Billing Records by Rate; Daily Transaction Register by Access Code; General Ledger Distribution Report;  Bank Draft Report; Customer Category Count and Units Report;  Inactive Customer Report; Meter Inventory Listing By Route or By Date Installed; Billing Records By Rate Report and Billing Rate Comparison Report ("what if" report).