(2024.2) Service Desk - Charges
- David Engblom
Charges
The 'Charges' tab keeps track of expenses that accumulate over the course of the service process. The Charges tab provides the User access to manually control how each Service is billed. When the configuration option MODIFY_CHARGES_WITHOUT_SERVICE_DESK is enabled, this tab allows for adding and editing Recurring and Non-Recurring Charges associated with each Service.
For Services and Equipment that are not marked as Billable Charges, Charges can still be added since the Service or Equipment can be made Billable as part of any Service Desk Action. However, if the Billable status is not set when a User attempts to Finalize the Service Desk Action, the system will prevent the Finalization attempt because Charges can not be added to a non-Billable Service/Equipment.
Below the Charges Grid on Service Desk Items, the application estimates the billing for all unbilled Monthly Recurring and Non-Recurring Charges. Charges that are being Stopped as a result of that Service Desk Item are not included in these totals.
Add
To add a Charge to a Service Order, select the 'Charges' tab and click the button located on the Grid Toolbar above the Charges Grid. Clicking the button causes the 'Add New Service Desk Charges' form to open. From here, the User can select the Charge Catalog and the Override GLA. The charge amount auto-fills based on the charge for the given Catalog. These Charges can come from any number of sources including equipment, labor, or a service, only non-recurring charges may be added directly to a Service Order. Any monthly recurring charges must be added to a service on an action. The user must then define the charge's specific amount for the charge to be applied. Users can also identify the charge as Prorated by checking the 'Prorate' box beside the 'Description' box above when BILL_MRC_CHANGE_FORCE_PRORATE is set to false. Sometimes there is an option for a Charge Override Amount based on the Charge Catalog. A description is highly recommended for tracking. The user can select to prorate the charges or not based on billing needs.
However, when adding Charges to the Order, only Non-Recurring Charges can be applied, Monthly, Quarterly Semi-Annual, and Annual Recurring Charges are not allowed. Charges added to Equipment and Services as a part of Actions, use the Action's Finalization Date as the Start Date for the Charge.
Applying an Alternate Recurring Charge
When an Alternate Recurring Charge (Quarterly, Semi-Annual, or Annual Recurring) Catalog is selected to be added to a Service or piece of Equipment, the Add New Service Desk Charges form has an additional field for the Alternate Recurring Cycle Date. Users can use this field to specify the recurring cycle for these types of Charges. The Finalization Date will become the Start Date for these types of Charges.
For example, if a Charge is set to start on September 1st, but reoccurs each year on your Organization's fiscal date of July 1st, then enter 7/1 into the Alternate Recurring Cycle Date field and specify 9/1 as the Finalization Date. If the Alternate Recurring Cycle Date is specified in the future the charge will not Bill until that date.
The Finalization Date (Start Date) specified for the Charge must be greater than or equal to the Alternate Recurring Cycle Date.
If the Alternate Recurring Cycle Date is not entered by a User, then the Charge will use the Finalization Date to determine the date the Charge should recur on.
Deleting
It is sometimes necessary to manually delete a Charge. In Service Desk, deleting a Charge does not remove the Charge from the Service or Equipment. It removes the Charge from being visible on Service Desk. To delete a Charge from the data entry form, select the Charge and click the button. Deleting Service Desk Charges will not stop Charges on the linked Service or Equipment, but it does remove the Charge from the Service Desk item to prevent unintended Charge changes.
Stopping
To Stop a Charge, select "Stop" from the Charge Action dropdown.
Charges are not billed after stopping and choosing a stop date for a Service or Equipment. The Finalization Date selected when Finalizing the Service Desk Item will also be the Stop Date. When the Service Desk item is Finalized, the Charges on Services and Equipment will stop. Deleting Service Desk Charges will not stop Charges on the linked Service or Equipment, but it does remove the Charge from the Service Desk item to prevent unintended Charge changes.
Labor Charges
Creating Billable Labor on the Labor tab will automatically create Labor Charges on the Charges tab. The automatically generated Labor is created using the Labor Flat Rate or calculated from the Workgroup Worker's Rates.
Custom Labor Type Usage
When using custom-defined Labor Type values, it is important to remember that Custom Labor Types will always generate Charges using a Workgroup's Default Rate. If the Rate is not set, this will generate a $0 Charge.
Labor Type Workgroup Rate Defaulting
When a Worker has a Rate assigned for a Workgroup, and the Rate is set to $0, selecting that Labor Type will cause the Labor Type to default to using the Workgroup Rate. For example, if the Worker's Overtime Rate = $0 and Workgroup Default Rate = $50, then selecting Overtime on the Labor form will use Workgroup's Default Rate of $50 for the Charge.