Setting Up a Billable Item Mapping

When a charge processes a chargeable item, it might generate an output transaction which is eventually billed by SAP Convergent Invoicing. SAP Convergent Charging and SAP Convergent Invoicing must have a common agreement about the data structure to exchange. SAP Convergent Invoicing takes the lead by defining a so called "Billable Item Class". SAP Convergent Charging creates its own local representation of that billable item class, which is called the "charged item class". It also creates a mapping between all fields of the billable item class and the charged item class, as illustrated in the following figure.

Let’s look into the details.

A billable item class describes the data fields that detail a billable item. Billable items are transactions charged to a customer account that are billed and invoiced to a customer or partner. Like consumption item classes, billable item classes are set up by:

1. Creating a new empty billable item class in SAP Convergent Invoicing.
2. Activating a set of standard interface components that provide certain functionalities, by adding specific fields to the billable item class.
3. Adding custom fields to the billable item class that are needed beyond the fields provided by the standard interface components.

Once the billable item class is configured properly, the class is made available to be used by SAP Convergent Charging.

Charged item classes describe the format of the output from the charging process of SAP Convergent Charging. Just like a billable item class, it contains a list of field names and their associated data type. When a charge creates an output transaction, it must refer to a charged item class. A new charged item is created which can contain all fields of the referred charged item class. Charged items are the output transactions that SAP Convergent Charging creates during its rating and charging process.

While the fields of a billable item class support all data types offered by SAP Convergent Invoicing, the fields of a charged item class only support the following data types:

• String
• Number
• Date
• Boolean

When a new billable item mapping is created in SAP Convergent Charging for a specific billable item class, the system automatically creates a corresponding charged item class as well.

Billable item mappings are the link between a billable item class on the one hand, and a corresponding charged item class on the other. For each field of a charged item class, it defines a target field in the corresponding billable item class.

When a charged item is created by SAP Convergent Charging with reference to a certain charged item class, SAP Convergent Charging executes the billable item mapping to convert the charged item into a billable item, before the billable item data is passed on to SAP Convergent Invoicing using its APIs.

The billable item mapping is not part of the master data and is not included in a pricing catalog. Instead, it is shared by all catalogs in the system.

Creating a new billable item mapping (and consequently a new charged item class) is a two-step process.

1. Define a new billable item class in SAP Convergent Invoicing:
   1. Define a new four-letter ID for the class.
   2. Activate all interface components needed. This will add more standard fields to the billable item class to provide dedicated standard functions such as support for SAP Convergent Charging in general, support for credit card payments, and so on.
   3. Add custom fields to the billable item class as needed beyond the fields of the selected standard interface components.
   4. Activate the new billable item class and generate all interfaces for it.
2. Create a new billable item mapping in SAP Convergent Charging by choosing File → New → Billable Item Mapping in the Core Tool. Select the billable item class to create a mapping for. The system will automatically create the charged item class and the billable item mapping.

Billable item classes can be extended as business needs change. When a new interface component is added, and as a result new fields are added to the class, these fields must be added to the corresponding charged item class as well, and thus also to the billable item mapping. The billable item mapping allows execution on an update by choosing the corresponding refresh button, as highlighted in the following figure:

When this button is chosen, SAP Convergent Charging reads the structure of the corresponding billable item class again and compares it with the corresponding local charged item class and billable item mapping. Any missing fields will be added to the list of fields.