Describing the Convergent Invoicing Triggered Rating

With Enhancement Package 7, convergent invoicing has a lot of new features. Some new features are related to the business-to-business context.

To understand the master data we have a view in the following to B2B customers. All master data structures in the training system were created using the CRM system that is integrated with convergent invoicing.

Referring to the example from unit 1 and the lesson, Introduction to Billing for High Volume Industries.

The network element produces a consumption data record (CDR) that includes technical data such as user ID (phone number of caller), service ID, consumption date, number called, start date of consumption, end date of consumption and duration.

With the new feature data storage in convergent invoicing, the process can be started with storage of consumption items.

Example of a CDR before acquisition and chargin is #ZZ_TOTAL_DURAT; ZZ_CALLING_PARTY; ZZ_CALLED_PARTY; ZZ_START_DATE; ZZ_END_DATE; Service Identifier; User Identifier;

Consumption date: 0;017011;0177;01/06/2016 12:50:00;01/06/2016 12:55:00; VOI; 017011; 01/06/2016 12:50:00

Example of consumption item:

Consumption item class, consumption item type, consumption date, Rating_From, status, BP, provider contract, contract account, consumer ID, service identifier.

Consumption items are created when a customer consumes a service. Consumption items contain source information about this service. Rated consumption items lead to the creation of billable items.

The consumption item key consists of the ID type and the ID of the consumption item. Together with the ID type, the ID of the consumption item uniquely identifies a consumption item.

The ID type describes the business significance of the consumption item from the rating viewpoint as well as from an external system viewpoint. It also defines rules for how the consumption item ID is interpreted in follow-on processes.

The consumption item class determines the technical characteristics of consumption items. The concept is very similar to the concept of billable item classes.

The various statuses of consumption items are reflected on a technical level using different database tables. There is at least one database table for each status and consumption item class.

There is a separate database table for each month for the status Rated. From convergent invoicing, you can subject unrated consumption items to rating. The system accesses rated items during re-rating to rate the source information again.

Business Cases for Data Storage of Consumption Items:

• Rated consumption Items and billable Items can be linked together, and the consumption source is linked to the price that has to be paid.

• Show base of rating on customer invoice: keep all invoice relevant data in one system for consistency purpose.

• One more hierarchy level is available with referencing Consumption Items that are the source for billable items.

• One more option for aggregation is possible.

• Structured Consumption Item information on the invoice.

• Correction of consumption items in Convergent Invoicing Correction Workbench.

• Manual capturing of consumption in Convergent Invoicing.

• Aggregation of Consumption Items before Rating for reduction of Billable Item Volume.

For data storage functions in convergent invoicing, it is necessary to store provider contract master data in convergent Invoicing. The first step is to assign the consumption to provider contract. With enrichment of master data to the CDR, the data set is called Consumption Item and can be stored in convergent invoicing.

• Business partner is checked

• Contract account is checked

• Provider contract is checked

• CIT is checked: Consumption Item needs a reference to provider contract item, because the consumption date of CIT is checked against provider order item.

• Service ID and consumption ID are freely defined.

A provider contract relates to exactly one business partner. It consists of a contract header and contract items.

The header of the provider contract stores the following data:

• Number of the business partner who entered into the provider contract

• Contract start date

• Contract end date

Authorization group and company code for authorization checks

The header of each provider contract references the contract items, which contain the following data:

• Contract account and if applicable a prepaid account.

• ID of the product, to which the provider contract relates.

• Standard account assignment that the system uses for billable items, such as company code, business area, standard division, profit center, and segment.

• Each contract item contains a reference to a contract account and/or to a prepaid account. The contract items can be shown below each other in a hierarchy with a main item as the root node of the hierarchy. There must be a main item at every point in time from the contract start to the end of the contract.

• Contract items are valid for a limited time.

• Creation of consumption items checks if a provider contract item exists for the consumption-date.

• Master Data BP and Provider Contract Item are checked, and contract account is enriched.

You can get an overview of the provider contracts you have made with your customers.

The overview shows a list of the provider contracts that meet the selection criteria.

Provider contracts consist of a contract header and one or more contract items. There are multiple contract items in an agreement if the customer signed a contract concerning multiple products or services. By choosing either the List of Contracts or List of Contract Items radio button, you specify if the overview displays only contract headers (fewer entries in the overview) or the contract items (more entries in the overview). Regardless of which option you choose, the selections can relate to header data (in the Contract Data group box), to item data (in the Specifications for Contract Item group box), or to the IDs that are assigned to the contract items.

The system displays a contract header in the overview if the contract header meets the selection criteria for header fields and at least one contract item meets the other selection criteria.

In the overview, you can go directly to the display or change transaction for a selected provider contract.

The product is assigned to each provider contract position.