Work Flow Manager Toolbar

The Work Flow Manager contains a number of shortcut tools to access work flow functions.

Accessing the Work Flow Manager

1. On the navigation bar, select the Accounting module.

2. Click the Work Flow Manager icon . The Work Flow Manager appears.
   
   

Work Flow Manager Description and Options

The Work Flow Manager (Accounting>Work Flow Manager) is used to manage bills that have been added to the database, including:

• Keyed bills
• Imported bills
• Split bills
• Virtual bills

The Work Flow Manager allows you to:

• View bills and their properties

• Approve bills

• Create current or historical bills

• Edit existing bills

• Create bill batches

• View error messages associated with the EDI Processor and Virtual Bill Processor

The Work Flow Manager workspace is divided into three panes except when viewing the Channels, EDI Processor, and Virtual Bill Processor folders when it is divided into two panes:

Hierarchy Pane The hierarchy of bill folders is displayed similarly to the Windows Explorer display of folders and files. Click to navigate the folders. Choose WHICH folders to display by clicking the Options button from the Title bar and selecting the Folders tab.

View Panes You can sort the lists by clicking a column heading. Sort the lists in reverse order by clicking the column heading once more.

Top Pane

• Bill and Batches folders - Lists bills by account, vendor, period, year, start date, end date, cost, cost per day, creation date, created by creation, and the number days in the bill period.

• Channels folder - Lists problems by device, commodity, observation type, unit, interval, and description.

• EDI Processor folder - Lists problem bills by account and kickout code.

• Virtual Bill Processor folder - Lists problem bills by account, year, period, and status.

Bottom Pane

• Bill and Batches folders - Lists the messages associated with the bill listed by severity, status, message key, and message.

1. Select Accounting >Work Flow Manager. The Work Flow Manager appears.
2. From the Work Flow Manager title bar, select the Options button to configure the Work Flow Manager for the current user. The Work Flow Options window appears.
3. Click to select the General tab. 
   
   

• In the Green Folder displays: drop-down list, select the desired calendar period. Only bills associated with the period selected will be displayed in the bill list.

  • Since Yesterday - Bills entered since the previous calendar day that are not a problem bill, unapproved, or waiting for export.

  • Within Last Week - Bills entered within the last seven days that are not a problem bill, unapproved, or waiting for export.

  • Within Last Two Weeks - Bills entered within the last fourteen days that are not a problem bill, unapproved, or waiting for export.

  • Within Last Thirty Days - Bills entered within the last thirty days that are not a problem bill, unapproved, or waiting for export.

  • In Last and Current Years - Bills entered in this calendar year and the previous calendar year will be displayed.

  • In current Year - Bills entered in the current year will be displayed.

  • All Bills - Alls bills entered will be displayed.

• Hide bills ... checkbox: Click/check to hide bills that have passed their audit(s).

• Show only my bills ...: Click/check to show only bills associated with the current EnergyCAP user.

• Show Only Bills in Batch: Click/check to view a single batch. When checked, the batch name can be selected from the drop-down list.

• Show only Bills in Place Group: Click/check to show bills associated only with the selected Place Group (click the drop-down arrow to select the desired group). One valuable application of this feature is to allow specific users to manage bill approval and problem resolution processes.  For example, you can create Place Groups for eastern and western regions and assign each building accordingly.  Then, designate one analyst to review bills in the Problem folder that are for eastern region buildings while another analyst handles western region bills.

• Show only Bills in Meter Group: Click/check to show bills associated only with the selected Meter Group (click the drop-down arrow to select the desired group).

1. Click to select the Bill Entry tab.

    

• In the Data Entry section, select the Use auto decimal check box to automatically place a decimal point before the last two numbers entered. 
  
  Example: Entering 12345 becomes 123.45. If this option is not selected, entering 12345 becomes 12345.00. 
• In the Display section, select the Display line item values and costs in color check box to display the status of line items in color, black=credit, red=debit, and green=ignore.
• This is an excellent tool to immediately visualize the affect of a line item on a bill.
• In the Keyboard Navigation section, select any of the following options:
• Click/check to use the ENTER key to advance to next field during bill entry.
• Click/check to use the TAB key to advance to next field during bill entry.
• In the Bill splits section, click/check the ask to split option if the bill entry operator should be prompted to split relevant bills during the bill entry process.

1. Click to select the Folders tab to display a list of available Work Flow Manager folders. 
   
   
   
   Click/check all folders that should be displayed.
2. After making your selections, click OK. To ensure that the workflow changes have taken effect, restart EnergyCAP.

The purpose of the Work Flow Wizard is to define a series of specific steps in the bill entry process. The Work Flow Wizard assists in the configuration of appropriate verification and audit procedures to ensure that the billing data being entered is accurate.

Through the Wizard it is possible to enable a bill approval process that channels bills into an "Unapproved" folder in the Work Flow Manager interface (Accounting > Work Flow Manager). Unapproved bills can then be reviewed and checked for accuracy. It is also possible to run additional audits at this point to ensure data integrity.

The Wizard also enables audits that may shunt problem bills into a "Problem" folder in the Work Flow Manager.

If EnergyCAP is interfacing with an organization A/P system, the Work Flow Wizard can also enable automated export of bills that have successfully passed through the work flow analyses.

It is possible to export bills to a flat file if that option has been enabled in the Wizard.

Using the Work Flow Wizard

It is recommended that all additional users log out of the application prior to using the Work Flow Wizard. Any selections made during the Work Flow Wizard process will not affect users currently logged into the application.

The Work Flow Wizard walks you through the process of:

• Determining how bills are entered

• Selecting bill approval procedures

• Specifying bill header information

• Adding bill messages

• Enabling the bill export process

You can access the Work Flow Wizard at any time to modify any previous bill process options selected.

Depending on the options you select, various pages appear.  For assistance in any of the pages, use the F1 key to access the help topic for that page.

1. On the navigation bar, select the Accounting module.

2. From the Tools menu, select Work Flow Wizard. The Work Flow Wizard-Welcome window appears and displays an introduction to the process.
   
   

3. Read the introduction, then click Next. You now begin the process of selecting work flow options.

   • Use the Back button to return to a previous Work Flow Wizard page.

   • Use the Next button after making your selections to proceed to the next Work Flow Wizard page.

   • When done, click the Finish button.

Below is an overview of the configuration options provided for each window of the Work Flow Wizard. Click any of the links below to view additional information for each Work Flow Wizard window:

Work Flow Wizard Batch Window:

• Batch mode on -- Every bill is assigned to a data entry batch.  Aids in verification using control totals (number of transactions and dollar amount total) and in processing bills by batch (auditing, approving, exporting, reporting)
• Batch mode off – batch code field is not used (null)

Work Flow Wizard Approval Window

• Bill Approval mode on -- Every bill must be approved.  Bills can be automatically approved by passing an approval audit group, or can be manually approved by an operator.
• Bill Approval mode off – All bills are set to “approved” when created.
• Audit group – Allows selection of previously-defined audit group to be run upon saving the bill.
• Severity level of xxx or better approves bill – Defines audit severity parameter for automatic approval
• Confirm edit/delete of approved bills – Will provide a caution window before approved bills are edited or deleted.

Work Flow Wizard Header Window

• Optional Bill Header Fields – A number of bill tracking fields are optional. Each field may be displayed or hidden, and CONTENT for each may be required or not required during bill entry.

  -  Batch Number

  -  Statement Date

  -  Due date

  -  Statement date

  -  Next reading date

  -  Control Code (often used for image file name when images are attached to bill records)

  -  Invoice number

  -  Account Period (In addition to billing period, an optional “accounting” month/year can be tracked. This is often used as the budget or payment month.)

  -  Account Year (the Accounting Year)

  -  Show vendor remit address (will display vendor address information)

  -  Show 'Estimated' flag (provides option for indicating if the bill is estimated (can report on estimated bills)

Work Flow Wizard Message Window

• Optional messages which can be inserted. These message templates are designed to save time in the bill entry process.

Work Flow Wizard Export Window

• Export mode on -- Every bill is exported to an A/P interface file.  The file format is configurable.  Each bill is flagged with the export date when it is exported.  Export process can be automated.
• Export mode off—Bills can be copied to external systems (spreadsheets, data files) but bills are not flagged with export date.
• Confirm edit/delete of exported bills--Will provide a caution window before exported bills are edited or deleted.

G/L Export Mode –

• Export mode on -- Every bill is exported to a G/L interface file.  The file format is configurable.  Each bill is flagged with the export date when it is exported.  Export process can be automated.  The G/L export is identical to the A/P export; it allows bills to be exported in two different formats on two different schedules to two different accounting systems.  G/L exports are usually used for campus chargebacks and accruals, transactions that don’t hit Accounts Payable.
• Export mode off -- Bills can be copied to external systems (spreadsheets, data files) but bills are not flagged with export date.

Bill Entry Audits – Audits are run to spot problems on bills.  There are about fifty different audits, each with configurable settings for sensitivity and other variables.  Audits can be configured to be run:

-  Upon saving a bill

-  Upon completion of a batch

-  Automated based on bill create date

-  By Meter Group, Account or other bill attribute

Entering bills in batches is recommended. Batch mode order entry increases efficiency in tracking export errors. It provides for the use of control totals that can be very valuable in catching data entry mistakes. Batch mode data entry is also useful for grouping and reporting purposes when entering a large stack of bills from multiple accounts.

Note: Only one batch per user can be open at a time and only that user can close the batch.

The Use quick check audit option enables selection of an audit group that is run automatically for a bill each time it is saved.

Note: The Use quick check audit option cannot be set in the Work Flow Wizard when only one audit group exists in the dataset. Having more than one audit group in the dataset enables selection of the desired group using the drop-down Audit group: box.

1. Select the Enter bills in batches option to enter bills into a batch folder in Energy CAP Enterprise.

• Select the Confirm edit/delete of bills in closed batches  box to have a confirmation message window appear when users attempt to modify or delete bills in closed batches.

2. Select the Use quick check audit option to run audits automatically against bills when they are saved in the system.

• Select an audit group from the drop-down list. Audit groups are folders containing sets of audits that you can execute simultaneously against your data.

3. After making selections, click Next. The Work Flow Wizard Approval page appears.

The Work Flow Wizard Approval window sets the work flow preferences for what happens after a bill is saved. If the Use bill approval system checkbox is checked, saved bills will automatically be 'routed' to an "Unapproved" folder that is visible in the Work Flow Manager.

NOTE: If electronic bill import is used, the Work Flow Manager provides a Waiting to Verify folder as a holding area until the integrity of imported data can also be verified.

1. If desired, select the Use bill approval system option to 'route newly-entered bills to an "Unapproved" folder of the Work Flow Manager following bill entry.  Bills in this folder of the Work Flow Manager can then be verified by appropriate supervisory personnel.  If the Use bill approval system option is not used, bills are immediately given a status of "Approved" upon entry.

2. If desired, select the Enable automatic approval process option to set up an automatic bill verification procedure. When auto-approval is enabled, the user is recorded as SYSTEM to indicate that the bill was automatically approved.

   1. Select the audit group from the drop-down list.

   2. Select the minimum severity level required to approve the bill.

   3. Select when the audit should automatically execute.

      1. After Entry- Audits are performed after bills are entered and saved.

      2. After Batch- Audits are performed after batches are closed.

      3. Never- Audits are not performed automatically.

3. If desired, select the Confirm edit/delete of approved bills check box to have a confirmation message window appear when users attempt to modify or delete approved bills.
   
   !Modifying or deleting approved bills can create discrepancies in data. EnergyCAP Enterprise recommends selecting this option for security and data integrity purposes!
4. After making your selections, click Next. The Work Flow Wizard Header page appears.

Bill headers are useful for capturing information not appearing on the bill entry template. The header fields also provide additional options for searching and reporting purposes. In some cases, VB scripts can be used in these fields to automate aspects of the bill entry process (see below).

1. Select the Enable bill headers option to display additional fields during bill entry.

   • Field Name- Specified data described by the Field Name (i.e. "DueDate") will be added from the Bill Entry window.

   • Use Field- Select this option to indicate whether or not the field is displayed on the bill entry window.

   • Require- Select this option to indicate whether or not the field must be completed during bill entry in order to save the bill.

   • Generate Default- Enter the specific data to be populated automatically into the desired bill entry field.

2. Select the Show vendor remit address option to display the vendor's billing address in the bill entry or bill view window.

3. Select the Show 'Estimated' flag option to have a radio button appear on the bill entry window. Select this option in the bill entry window to indicate that the bill values are not actual values.

4. After making selections, click Next. The Work Flow Wizard Message page appears.

Fields

Automating Batch Numbers and Control Codes

The Work Flow Wizard provides a way to set default values for bill headers through the use of VB Script formulas.  This topic focuses on two popular headers - Batch Number and Control Code.  This information will be valuable to those who want to store bill image files in subdirectories within their bill image path as well as those who want to identify batches using a standard naming convention.

Fields available in the Header window of the Work Flow Wizard can be used to enter the Visual Basic (VB) formulas for batch number and control code.

The formulas accommodated by EnergyCAP are VB Script-based formulas which use functions defined in Microsoft’s VB Script reference guide (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/script56/html/ddfa5183-d458-41bc-a489-070296ced968.asp) as well as EnergyCAP constants and functions (such as AutoInc and BatchNumber--se below for usage) . Here are the formulas in their entirety, with a brief example of their output.

For Batch Number:
=(cstr(month(date())&"-"&day(date())&"-"&year(date())&"_"&CSTR(AutoInc)))

This results in the format: mm-dd-yyyy_1234  (where 1234 is an internally incremented number guaranteeing a unique name for each batch that is created)

This next example provides an automatically-incrementing batch number.
=lastbatchnumber + 1

NOTE: This function only works for all-numeric batch numbers. Once an initial Batch has been created with a Batch Number, subsequent Batches will have their Batch Number calculated, based on the ‘Generate Default’ equation entered into the Work Flow Wizard.

For Control Code:
=("\2007\"&Cstr(BatchNumber))

This results in the format: \2007\BatchNumber  (where BatchNumber is the actual number of the batch)

Here is another Control Code example:  
=("\"&CSTR(year(date()))&"\"&CSTR(BatchNumber))

This formula auto-populates the year based on "today's" year which results in \2007\BatchNumber

These are only examples.  Other EnergyCAP constants and functions and VB Script functions may be used.

NOTE: After the Work Flow Wizard setup is complete, it is necessary to restart EnergyCAP for the settings to take effect.  Also, any open batches must be closed.  The new settings will apply to batches created AFTER the work flow settings have been updated in the Work Flow Wizard.

The following images demonstrate how EnergyCAP interprets the formulas in the Batch Creation and bill entry.

The Batch Number formula in the following screenshot has been interpreted to be ‘4-25-2007_1234’.  The Control Code will be interpreted at time of bill entry.

The Control Code formula is calculated here at time of bill entry.  The Batch Number is also displayed below to demonstrate how the Control Code is being populated automatically at time of bill entry based on the formula in the Work Flow Wizard:

window allows you to add/remove pre-defined custom messages that can be inserted as a bill message during bill entry.

These pre-defined messages can be associated with a bill using the Bill Message icon from the Bill Entry window.

Using pre-defined messages can enhance efficient communication and quality control in the work flow process.

The primary purpose of these messages is to tag specific bills as problems. Adjusting the severity of the bill message can remove the bill from the normal work flow and direct it into the Problems workflow. For example, a message such as "needs supervisor attention" can be defined with an audit severity of Fail. This will ensure attention at a point in the work flow proces,since the bill will fail the audit and appear in the Problem folder in the Work Flow Manager.

Adding a new Bill Message to the pre-defined list:

The Work Flow Wizard Message page displays the current predefined bill messages by:

• Severity
• Message key
• Message text

Sort the lists by clicking a column heading. Reverse the sort by clicking the column heading once more.

It is possible to create, modify, or delete bill messages.

1. Create a new bill message by clicking .  A new message line appears.

   1. Click in the Severity field to select the level from the drop-down list.

   2. In the Message Key field, enter the key. You are limited to two characters.

   3. In the Message Text field, enter the text to be displayed. You are limited to 255 characters.

2. Modify a predefined bill message text by clicking in the appropriate message field and making the necessary text changes.

3. Modify a predefined bill message severity level by clicking in the appropriate message field and selecting the new severity level from the drop-down list.

4. Delete a bill message by clicking in the Severity field of the applicable message.  Then click .  The Confirm window appears.

   • Select Yes to delete the message.

   • Select No to cancel the operation.

5. After making selections, click Next. The Work Flow Wizard Export page appears.

Bills in either the Unapproved, Waiting to Verify, or Hold for Export folders will not be exported. 

1. Select the Enable bill export process option to allow EnergyCAP Enterprise to export bills.

2. Select when to export bills from the drop-down list.

   • Never- Bills are not tagged for export.

   • After Entry- Bills are tagged as available for export after they are entered and saved.

   • After Batch- Bills are tagged as available for export after batches are closed.

   • Approval- Bills are tagged as available for export after approval.

3. Select the Confirm edit/delete of exported bills check box to have a confirmation message window appear when users attempt to modify or delete exported bills.

4. After making your selections, click Next. The Work Flow Wizard Finish page appears.

IMPORTANT: Changes to work flow via the Work Flow Wizard are NOT SAVED until the Finish button from the Work Flow Wizard-Finished window is clicked.
 

1. To review Wizard changes before saving, use the Back button to return to a previous Work Flow Wizard page.
2. Use the Next button to proceed to through the Work Flow Wizard until reaching the Work Flow Wizard Finish page.
3. To save Work Flow settings, click Finish. The message window appears.
4. Click OK.