Approved = The Approver has completed the approval process for all jobs in the batch
Red = Finished - The batch is finished / has been Billed
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Billing Approval displays batches that have been created for the Approver signed in. A Billing Approval employee code and password are required. The Approver will select a batch and review billing approval records for each client which can contain any number of job/components. Billing approvals are created by reviewing individual job/components and all related details down to the item level, entering approval instructions and comments, and saving.
Individual job approvals are available for the biller to process but an 'approved' option at the batch level allows the Approver to communicate with the biller electronically when all job/components in the batch have been approved and are ready for billing. Using this method, the biller can make appropriate adjustments and then select completed batches for billing and bill all the approved jobs/components at once.
A job/component may have multiple, unbilled approval records. Billing approval records may be created in advance (if desired) and used for reporting, forecasting, and billing purposes. The only restriction is that a job can only be part of one unfinished batch at a time.
Billing Approval Employee Codes and Passwords are setup in the Advantage | Security | Billing Apprv Password application.
Important: The Advantage version of Billing Approval can continue to be used in its original state but job/components approved in the Webvantage version of Billing Approval will be unavailable for processing from within this application.
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Select the Billing button on the Main Menu.
Select the Billing Approval button from the menu. On the Billing Approval Login screen, select or manually enter the Employee code and enter the Password and click OK. To save the Billing Approval Employee, click the Remember checkbox prior to clicking OK. If the cache/cookies are cleared in the browser, this information will need to be re-entered.
To cancel the Billing Approval Login, click Cancel. Once logged in, the Billing Approval screen will display.
The Billing Approval Login is based on the Assigned Employee for the batch, not the User logged into Webvantage.
On the Billing Approval - Batch Selection screen, search for batches by:
Month / Year - Select the Month/Year for the batches to view and click the Refresh button. The following information is displayed:
Each section can be collapsed / expanded by clicking on the section headers.
Click on the column heading to sort.
View Details - Click on the View Details to view the details of the selected batch and to add Billing Approval records.
Batch ID - System generated batch number.
Batch Description - Description of the batch.
Batch Date - Date entered for the batch.
Created By - User who created the batch.
Assigned Employee - The employee assigned to the batch as the 'Approver'. Only batches assigned to the employee logged-in (based on employee code and billing approval password) will display.
Job Count - Displays a list of job/components (hover) currently selected as part of the batch. If the batch is Finished, the job count will display the number of jobs within the batch that were approved. This is for historical purposes.
Status - Identifies the current status of the Batch based on the order of processing listed below. The highest status achieved will be displayed.
Pending - The Batch has been created without Billing Approval records added.
In Progress - The Batch has been created and at least one Billing Approval record has been added to the batch.
Approved - The Approver has reviewed and approved all of the jobs within the Batch and has marked the Batch as Approved from the Billing Approval application.
Finished - The Batch has been marked as Finished from within the Billing Approval Batch application and the selected jobs are now available for selection on a new batch.
Partially Billed - The Batch has been Finished and at least one approved Job/Component related to the batch has been billed. This indicates that the billing process has begun.
Billed - The Batch has been Finished and all approved Job/Components related to the batch have been billed.
Batch Completion Status (color coded icon) - The colored icons can be used to quickly determine if a Batch is in progress or finished. Since jobs cannot be added to new batches while part of an active batch, it is important to spot batches that are not marked 'finished'.
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Green = The batch is Pending Approval / In Progress |
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Approved = The Approver has completed the approval process for all jobs in the batch |
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Red = Finished - The batch is finished / has been Billed |
Alerts (color coded icon) - Alerts are also color coded to determine if an alert has been sent. Clicking on the Alert icon will display the Alerts for the batch.
If an Alert has been sent, the ability to drill down to view the Alerts is available. All Alerts that have been sent for this batch will be displayed. Select the Alert to view by clicking on the Magnifying Glass or on the Subject link.
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Green = Alerts have been sent |
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Red = Alerts have not been sent |
On the Billing Approval - Batch Selection screen, click on the View Details to view the Batch Record and to begin the process of approving job/components for billing. The Billing Approval View lists all existing billing approval records associated with the selected batch and is where new ones are created.
Batch information is displayed in the top section of the screen. Information displayed includes the current status and alert status. By placing the cursor over links on the Batch ID and Job List labels, details about the batch selection criteria and jobs selected are displayed.
Batch ID - To view the Batch selection criteria, hover the mouse over the Batch ID link.
Batch Description - Description of the batch that was entered in the Billing Approval Batch application.
Batch Date - Date entered for the batch in the Billing Approval Batch application.
Job List - To view all jobs that have met the Batch selection criteria, hover the mouse over the Job List link. If the batch is Finished, the job count will display the number of jobs within the batch that were approved. This is for historical purposes.
Click on the column heading to sort.
View - Click the View Details icon to view existing billing approval records that are included in the batch.
BA ID - System-generated billing approval number.
Client - Client code and name assigned to the billing approval record.
Billing Approval Description - Description of the billing approval record.
New - Click the New button to create a new billing approval record for a selected client. This option can be used to re-create approval records after deletion.
Create Approvals - Click the Create Approvals button to automatically create Approvals for all Client(s). This option can be used to re-create approval records after deletion
Approve - Click the Approve button when approvals for all related clients and job/components is complete. All job/components must be individually approved prior to marking the batch as Approved.
Un-Approve - If a batch has been Approved, click on the Approved button again to reverse the process. This is the process of Un-approving the batch. Un-approving a batch may be necessary if a change needs to be made to the billing approval record.
Alert - Click the Alert button to send an Alert to the biller or members of an Alert Group notifying up that the Billing Approval is complete. On the Alert message, enter any additional information in the 'Body' section and click the Send button. To cancel the Alert, click Close.
The Alert and the Alert Email Notification will include a link to the Billing Approval. Click the link to navigate to Billing Approval.
Current Status - Indicates the current status for the Batch.
Alert Status - Indicates if an alert has been sent for Batch.
Billing Approval records are automatically created by client when first enter the screen. Each billing approval record added to the batch is limited to one client. Billing approvals for any number of different clients may be done in the same batch. By creating billing approvals by client, related job/components are easily grouped together for review while other billing processes and reporting are possible using approval information. When you delete the billing approval record for one or more clients, to recreate, use either the New or Create Approvals options described below.
To create a new Billing Approval record for one client at a time, click on the New button. To create new Billing Approvals for all clients in the batch, click on the Create Approvals button. If new clients have been added to the batch after the initial creation, click again to add just the new ones. All required information is entered automatically.
To enter a previously created billing approval by client, select the view details option beside of the Batch ID.
The following information can be updated on the Billing Approval Entry/Edit screen:
Client (Required) - Enter the Client, or use the hyper link to select from a list of available Clients designated in the Batch. If only one client is part of the batch, it will be the default selection.
Batch ID - System-generated billing identification number.
Billing Approval ID - System-generated billing approval number.
Description - Enter a description for the Billing Approval. The client name is the default value which can be modified. This describes the group of job/components being approved and will likely be for all job/components for the selected client. The description can be automatically prefilled with the Client name. This option is setup in Advantage | Maintenance | Billing | Billing Settings.
Date (Required) - Enter a date for the Billing Approval. Single click in the date field (automatically inputs the current date) or click on the calendar widget. This is used to establish when the approval was started.
Optional fields are available to store information about the billing approval record if a client's approval on the proposed billing or are required to create a purchase order requested in advance of actual billing. This section can be used to track and store the date sent, date approved and the client PO number provided by the client along with the Client Contact.
The Optional Information section may not be initially display, as the section is 'collapsed'. This is due to Billing Settings setup in Advantage Maintenance (Advantage | Maintenance | Billing | Billing Settings). To display the Optional Information, click on the Optional Information section header to expand the section.
Date Sent - Enter the Date the billing approval record was sent to the client for approval. Single clicking in the date field (automatically inputs the current date) or click on the calendar widget.
Date Approved - Enter the Date the billing approval record was approved by the client. Single clicking in the date field (automatically inputs the current date) or click on the calendar widget.
Client PO - Enter the Client Purchase Order number. This does not carry over to individual jobs but can be printed on custom invoices if desired.
Client Contact - Click on the Client Contact hyperlink to assign a contact to the Billing Approval record. The contact selected will be printed in the 'Bill To' section of the printed billing approval record and will override the 'Attention Line' in the selected address block.
Once completed, click the Save button to create the new billing approval record.
Once the record is saved, qualifying job/components for the selected client are displayed and are ready for review and approval in the Details section.
To delete a Billing Approval record for a client, click on the X Delete icon. Only Billing Approval records without any approved jobs may be deleted. Billing approval records can be recreated using the New Approvals option.
Once the billing approval record for the selected client is saved, the list of qualifying job/components are displayed. Each can be reviewed and added to the approval records. Jobs that were closed after the Billing Approval Batch was created are still available for review and final approval.
The tools and options available for the process of approving are detailed below in the 'Billing Approval by Job Component' section.
Save - Click on the Save button to create the new billing approval record. Once the record is saved, qualifying job/components for the selected client are displayed and are ready for review and approval.
Delete - Click on the Delete approval button to delete a billing approval record that does not contains individual job/component approvals. Billing approval records that contain individual job/component approvals cannot be deleted.
Print - Click on the Print button to print a report of the entire billing approval record listing job/components and their approved amounts.
Use the optional Job Filter to narrow the list of jobs displayed. Simple commands, as listed below, can be used to select more than one job at a time. All components for the select job will display.
Enter the Job Filter criteria and click the Refresh icon.
' - ' (dash) - Defines a range of jobs. Example: 57 - 59
' < ' (less than) - Includes jobs less than or equal to the job entered. Example: <57
' > ' (greater than) - Includes jobs greater than or equal to the job entered. Example: >57
Job/Components are grouped into two sections: Approved and Pending
Click on the column heading to sort.
Approved - Job/components in this section have been saved to the billing approval record and are considered to be approved.
Pending - Job/components in this section have not been saved to the billing approval record. It is not a requirement that every job/component listed be saved as 'approved'. They are listed because they meet the batch criteria entered but may not be ready for billing and/or may not require approval.
Status - Displays a Red 'lock' icon when the job has been finished or the record has been placed into a state that disallows editing (Adjusted, Billed, etc.). This indicates that the batch is non-editable due to the current status. .
View (icon) - Click on the View Details to open the job/component to be reviewed and/or approved for billing.
Job/Component - Job Number, Component Number, Job Description and Component Description.
Division - Division Code.
Product - Product Code.
Adjusted Status - Displays the adjustment and subsequent billing status of each job component that is part of the approved billing record. The adjusted and billing status directly relate to the billing approval record.
Pending - The job/component has not been adjusted or billed and may or may not have been saved to the billing approval record.
Adjusted - The job/component has been adjusted for the billing approval record. The user executing billing adjustments has access to all billing approval instructions and comments and marks the job/component for the billing approval record as 'adjusted' when instructions have been completed. Red 'lock' icon will be displayed indicating that edits are no longer allowed by the Approver.
Once the job/component has been marked adjusted, the billing approval record can no longer be modified (Review Only).
Selected - The job/component has been selected in the Billing Command Center. Red 'lock' icon will be displayed indicating that edits are no longer allowed by the Approver.
Billed - The job/component has been billed for the billing approval. When billing is processed, the corresponding invoice number assigned to the job/component is recorded for the billing approval record. By associating the invoice number generated to the billing approval record, client comments may be printed on the invoice and instructions stored with the final results.
Once the job/component has been marked billed, the billing approval record can no longer be modified (Review Only).
The Approver can completely design client billing by using header or detail-level approval options that include:
Entering header-level comments (Approval Comments and Client Comments) and approved job/component totals.
Indicating if the job/component should be advance billed or not.
Indicating if the job/component should be placed on or off hold.
Entering function-level comments and approved amounts.
Entering unbilled function detail-level billing instructions (on individual actual charges) and entering comments.
Click on a Job / Component row to use the quick access to other applications / processes using the Unity Menu.
Billing approval is memo-based and the Approver is not executing the actual billing. Instructions made by the Approver may be reviewed and executed by the biller in other areas of the system.
To view a Billing Approval by Job Component, click on the View Details button for the Job to view.
On the Billing Approval by Job Component screen, the options available for reviewing and approval are as follows:
The job/component must be saved to activate most toolbar options.
Client - Displays the Client code and description.
Division - Displays the Division code and description.
Product - Displays the Product code and description.
Campaign - Displays the Campaign code and description.
Job - Displays the Job number and description.
Component - Displays the Component number and description.
Account Executive - Displays the Account Executive assigned to the job/component.
Contact - Displays the Contact assigned to the job/component.
Billing Approval ID - Displays the billing approval number and description to which this job/component will be added.
Client PO - Displays the Purchase Order for the job/component.
Process Control - Displays the current Process Control for the Job Component.
Invoice Number - Once the job/component has been billed, the associated invoice number will appear in this field along with the invoice date. Job/components are eventually billed and the association of the invoice number to the related billing approval record allows for client comments entered to appear on the final invoice. It allows for a complete review of approval instructions entered as compared to the end result in the invoice generated.
The Approval Information section may not be initially displayed, as the section is 'collapsed'. This is due to Billing Settings setup in Advantage Maintenance (Advantage | Maintenance | Billing | Billing Settings). To display the Approval Information, click on the Approval Information section header to expand the section.
Advance Bill and Instructions - Indicates if the job/component is or should be advance billed and what method is or should be used.
If the job/component has already been advance billed, these options will not be enabled and cannot be modified.
If the job/component has not already been advance billed, these setting can be used to indicate that advance billing is appropriate. Select a basic advance billing method to use. This information is displayed for the biller later where it can be used to expedite the advance billing process.
To Quote % - Enter the percentage (0 - 100) and click on the Calculator icon to populate the Approved Amounts automatically based on the approved quote.
Check the Exclude Non Billable check box to not include non billable amounts in the Approved Amount and Net Approved Amount.
Manual Based on Approval Amount - Indicates that the advance amounts are entered manually instead of being populated based on the approved quote.
If the job/component has already been advanced billed, this option is displayed with the method used (view only).
Hold Job/Component - Indicates if the job/component is or should be on hold. If the Hold Job/Component option is set, the Approved Amount is set to zero automatically and cannot be modified. This option is disabled if the job/component is set as Advance Billed.
If the job/component has already been placed on hold, this option may be used to toggle that status based on the current approval.
If the job/component has not already been placed on hold, use this option to indicate that the entire job/component should be placed on hold. This information is displayed for the biller.
If the job is currently on hold, this information is displayed.
The Comments section may not be initially displayed, as the section is 'collapsed'. This is due to Billing Settings setup in Advantage Maintenance (Advantage | Maintenance | Billing | Billing Settings). To display the Comments, click on the Comments section header to expand the section.
Approval Comments - Comments at the job/component level intended for the biller.
Client Comments - Comments at the job/component level intended for the client.
The Details section may not be initially displayed, as the section is 'collapsed'. This is due to Billing Settings setup in Advantage Maintenance (Advantage | Maintenance | Billing | Billing Settings). To display the Details, click on the Details section header to expand the section.
Approved Total - Total amount approved for the job/component. (Editable)
Unbilled Advance - Displays the total advance amount unbilled on the job/component.
Advance Billed - Displays the total amount advance billed to date on the job/component.
Reconciled/Billed - Displays the total amount that has been reconciled or billed for the job/component.
Actual Less Billed - Displays the amount calculated from the Actual Amount minus the Billed Amount (from the grid).
Flat Income Recognized - Displays the flat income amount recognized through advance billing on the job/component.
Functions that are included in the job are listed in a grid sorted by Function Type. Use the Group By option to sort and group functions in the grid by Function Code, Function Type or Function Header. For job/components containing many functions, use the option to collapse or expand groups of functions by the Group By section. The grid contains many columns making it very wide when all options are used. Optionally hide details, comments and rates using options found on the screen. Use the Clear icon to clear approved amount fields as needed.
New Row - Click on the New Row button to add a new function to the job/component for billing approval purposes. This option can be used if a particular function should be billed but does not currently exist for the job/component. The function description can be modified, net and gross approved amounts may be entered and comment may be entered.
When a new row is added, the entry of a valid function code is required. Double click in the Function Code text box, located in the New Row, to select a function code from the lookup. Invalid entries will not be saved.
Double click in the Function text box to select a function.
Only one of each function code may be added to each job/component. Duplicates are deleted upon save.
After selecting the function, click the Save button to add the new row to the function details list. On the new row, input the applicable rate, quantities, amount, markup or comments.
Delete Row - To delete a row that has been manually added to the job/component, select the check box for the function and click on the Delete Row button.
Only rows that have been entered manually, using the New Row process, can be deleted
Group By - Select the grouping for the Functions using the dropdown and selecting Function Code, Function Type or Function Heading.
Collapse / Expand All - To display just the Function Type, click on the Collapse All link. To display all function details associated with the Function Type, click the Expand All link. To collapse an individual Function Type, click on the Collapse group button. To Expand an individual Function Type, click on the Expand group button.
Clear Approved Amounts - Click on the Clear approved amount icon to clear the Net Approved Amount and Approved Amount fields.
Approve Through - This option automatically updates the Net and Total Approved amounts using a cutoff date for Employee Time, Income Only or Vendor records. Enter the date or use the calendar widget, select which type of functions (Employee, Income Only and/or Vendor) and hit Apply to set the amount. The amount is based on the entry date (for time) or invoice date (for income only and vendor charges), adding up the amounts through the cutoff date entered.
The column headings will remain static when scrolling within the grid.
The following columns can optionally be display and can be customized by right clicking on the Column Preference icon to select which columns to display:
| Quote Net Amount | Non-Billable/Fee | Bill Hold | Open PO | Quantity |
| Rate | Net Approved Amount | Markup Percent | Markup Amount | Tax Code |
| Tax Amount | Approved Amount | Approval Comments | Client Comments |
Function Code - The function code is displayed with an underline (link) on the label. Click on the link to display the Unbilled Function Detail (Editable). If instructions have been entered at the unbilled function detail level, a This function has item level records icon will be displayed at the end of the row. The Billing Approval record must be saved before drill-down to detail can occur.
Function Description - Description of the function as entered in function maintenance. This description may be modified to print differently on the client invoices.
Quote Qty/Hours - Quote quantity or hours.
Quote Net Amount - Net Quote amount including markup and tax. Contingency is not included.
Quote Amount - Quote amount including markup and tax. Contingency is not included.
Actual Qty/Hours - Actual quantity or hours.
Actual Billable Amount - Actual amount including markup and tax.
Non Billable / Fee - Non billable or fee time amount including markup and tax.
Bill Hold - Amount on hold including markup and tax.
Open PO - Amount of open purchase orders at net.
Billed - Amount billed or interim reconciled (interim reconciled through advance billing) including markup and tax.
Unbilled/Recognized - Amount unbilled including markup and tax.
Net Approved Amount (Editable) - Net amount approved. This number is automatically calculated based on either the net quote or the unbilled net but can be overridden manually. This amount is used later if using the option to automatically create an advance bill record based on billing approval.
If the Job is not set to Advance Bill, the Approved Net Amount defaults to the unbilled net amount.
If the Job is set to Advance Bill, the To Quote % option can be used to populate the Approved Net Amount.
If the Function Detail level is used, the Approved Net Amount at the Function level defaults to the Net Amount of items set to 'Bill/Reconcile' at the Function Detail Level. The option to 'Update Function Approved Amount' must be on.
If Net Amount is entered manually, the gross Approved Amount is calculated automatically based on rates and taxes in the Billing Rate Hierarchy.
The Net Approved Amount can be set to the amount of the actuals posted 'through' a date specified using the Approve Through option. Use this feature to enforce a cut-off date for approvals.
Approved Amount (Editable)- Gross amount approved. This number is automatically calculated based on either the quote or the unbilled amount (including markup and tax) but can be overridden manually. This is the total approved amount for the function.
If the Job is not set to Advance Bill, the Approved Amount defaults to the unbilled amount.
If the job is set to Advance Bill, the To Quote % option can be used to populate the Approved Amount.
If the Function Detail level is used, the Approved Amount at the Function level defaults to the Approved Amount of items approved at the Function Detail Level. The option to Update Function Approved Amount must be on.
The Approved Amount can be set to the amount of the actuals posted 'through' a date specified using the Approve Through option. Use this feature to enforce a cut-off date for approvals.
Net and Approved Amounts in Forecasting - Use the Net Amount Approved, Markup and Amount Approved (gross) to approve current and future billing with gross profit margin. These numbers may be used in Client Budgets and other programs to forecast gross income.
Approval Comments (Editable) - Comments at the function level intended for the biller.
Client Comments (Editable) - Comments at the function level intended for the client.
Comment View - Click on the Comment View icon to enter or view all comments for the function.
Line Level - If a This function has item level records icon is present on a line, it indicates that the function has been modified using the Unbilled Function Detail level.
Non Billable Flag - If a red flag is present on a line, it indicates that the function is marked as non-billable.
Click on the Function Code link to display the Unbilled Function Detail. Actual unbilled charges and open Purchase Orders that are part of the selected job/component/function will be displayed for review but may also be considered individually for approval. The job/component must be saved to the billing approval record before the unbilled function detail may be displayed.
If the Hold Job/Component option is set to Yes, the Approved Amounts are disabled.
At the Unbilled Function Detail level, the ability to individually mark actual charges to bill/reconcile specifically as part of the current billing approval record is available. When this option is used, the actual charges are associated with the billing approval record. As records are marked, they appear in a section based on availability. When charges for this job/component are marked on this or a different billing approval record, the charges are organized into sections based on the billing approval record they've been associated with.
Name - Description of the item displayed
Employee Time - Displays the Employee name.
Income Only - Displays Income only description entered through the Income Only application.
Vendor Charges - Displays the Vendor name.
Purchase Order - Displays PO's Vendor name.
Item Date - Date of the actual item posted.
Invoice/PO Nbr - The invoice number or purchase order/line number for the actual item posted. The Invoice number will display as a link if an AP Invoice has been uploaded from Document Manager. Click on the Invoice hyperlink to view the AP Invoice document.
Ver. ID and Description - Displays the Version ID and Description when time has been imported. These fields are hidden unless the option is activated in Billing Settings.
Comments - Comments entered along with the actual item entered.
Employee Time - Employee time comments entered through the Timesheet application.
Income Only - Income only comment entered through the Income Only application.
Vendor Charges - Detail comments entered through A/P Production.
Purchase Order - Purchase order line-level description entered through the purchase order application.
Qty/Hours - The quantity or number of hours associated with the actual charge.
Net - The net amount of the actual charge.
Markup - The markup amount of the actual charge.
Vendor Tax - The vendor tax amount of the actual charge.
Resale Tax - The resale tax amount of the actual charge.
Total - The total amount of the actual charge.
Billing Instruction - Ability to mark each individual actual charge with billing instructions, specifically as part of the current billing approval record. When this option is used, the actual charges are associated with this billing approval record. As records are marked, they appear in a section based on availability. When charges for the job/component are marked on this or a different billing approval record, the charges are organized into sections based on the billing approval record they've been associated with.
Billing instructions may also be set for all or selected charges automatically by using the Mark All or Mark Checked options. Open Purchase Orders are not considered actual charges and are for review purposes only (entry fields are disabled).
Bill/Reconcile
Used in the Billing Command Center to automatically bill the approved amounts for progress bill or reconcile the amounts for advance bill for just the approved details. This option also allows the user to set the function-level approval amount by selectively approving individual detail items.
Mark the record 'Bill/Reconcile' to associate the actual charge with this billing approval record specifically. The Approved Amount defaults to the gross amount of the actual charge being approved and cannot be modified. This allows for the Approver to indicate to the Biller which items are to be recognized on an Advance Billed Job.
Advance Billing - Automatically reconcile actual records marked bill/reconcile based on the selected billing approval record. This allows Approvers to review and determine which charges can be reconciled and allows billers to accept those directions without re-keying.
Adjust - Used in conjunction with the approval comments to indicate if the amount should be marked up or down, billing rate adjusted, tax amounts added or removed, etc.
Transfer - Used in conjunction with the approval comments to indicate if the amount should be transferred to another job or function.
Hold - To indicate if the amount should be placed on bill hold. Optionally use the comments to notate reason or indicate whether it is permanent or temporary bill hold.
Net Approved Amount - The Approved Amount can be added using one of two methods: Select the Bill/Reconcile instruction or enter the amount approved manually. When the approved amount is entered here at the Unbilled Function Detail level, it can be used to build the total Approved Amount by Function in Billing Approval by Job Component.
Bill/Reconcile - When using this instruction, the Approved Amount defaults to the amount of the unbilled charge and cannot be modified.
Approval Comments - Comments at the actual charge level intended for the biller.
Save - Click on the Save button to save instructions made at this level, update the approved amount for the function and close the window.
Mark All, Mark Checked - Select a billing instruction from the list box and click the Mark All or Mark Checked button to update selected actual charges automatically. Use the check box to mark individual charges.
In order to change the Billing Instruction, the Details button on the Billing Approval By Job Component must be selected. If it is not, then the Billing Instructions will be disabled.
Show Version (if activated in Billing Settings) - Click on Show Versions button to display the Job Version ID and description for time entries that have been imported. The Version information can be automatically set to not display. See Billing Settings setup in Advantage Maintenance (Advantage | Maintenance | Billing | Billing Settings).
Use the X in the upper right-hand corner to close the window without saving changes and updating or refreshing the grid.
Save - Click on the Save button to save the job/component approval details to the billing approval record. The job/component must be saved before most toolbar options can be used. The Status will now display as Approved.
Details (Header) - Click on the Details button to toggle between using the detail or header-level approval methods.
Detail is the default and allows billing approval instructions to be set at the header, function and unbilled function detail levels.
When Detail is not activated, only header-level approval is allowed. Header-level approval is limited to:
Hold Job/Component
Approval Comments
Client Comments
Approved Total - The total amount approved for the job/component is entered here.
Delete Approval - Click on the Delete Approval button to delete a billing approval record that contains no individual job/component approvals. Billing approval records that contain individual job/component approvals or Batch Approved cannot be deleted.
Rate Details - Click on the Rate Details button to reveal quantity, rate, markup and tax fields used to calculate the net amounts and approved amounts based on billing rate hierarchy defaults. This feature may be used if creating the billing approval record on a job that does not include an estimate or actual charges to use as a guide. The quantity and rate are used to calculate the approved amounts and are both stored with the approval record.
To use the Rate Details information to calculate the Approved Amount for each function, each line will need to be manually updated. This is done by tabbing through each field for the function.
Quantity - Enter a quantity to automatically calculate the Net Approved Amount (Quantity times Rate).
Rate - Enter a rate to automatically calculate the Net Approved Amount (Quantity times Rate). If a rate does not exist for the function, it will back-calculate the rate based on the Net Approved Amount and Quantity.
Markup Percent - Enter a markup percent to automatically calculate the Approved Amount (Net Approved Amount plus Markup Amount plus Vendor Tax Amount plus the Resale Tax Amount). The Markup Amount will also calculate (Net Approved Amount times Markup Percent).
Markup Amount - Enter a markup amount to automatically calculate the Approved Amount (Net Approved Amount plus Markup Amount plus Vendor Tax Amount plus the Resale Tax Amount). The Markup Percent will also calculate (Markup Amount divided by Net Approved Amount).
Tax Code (Non-Editable) - Default tax code.
Tax Amount (Non-Editable) - Calculated total of Vendor and Resale Tax.
Refresh - Click on the Refresh button to update the display based on the most current system information. Includes display of actual charges that are posted (that meet the batch date and period criteria) that should be included on the job.
Next/Previous (Right and Left Arrow) - Click on the Next or Previous buttons to move from job/component to job/component without going back to the Billing Approval Entry/Edit screen to select. Job/components will be displayed in order based on how they appear in the previous screen. The Job Filter is applied.
Job/components are not saved automatically when using this option, changes that are made to the job must be saved by clicking Save.
# of # Job(s) - Indicates which Job in the batch is being viewed out of total number of Jobs.
Status - The current status displays an overall status for the selected job/component including the status based on the state of the batch. Status is based on the order or processing listed below. Modifications to the job/component approval records are controlled by this status.
In Progress - The job is saved to the billing approval record but the Approver has not completed (approved) the entire batch of jobs/components.
Batch Approved - All jobs in the batch have been reviewed and approved. Edits are not allowed.
Batch Finished - The batch has been marked Finished from within the Billing Approval Batch application by the biller. Edits are not allowed.
Job/Component Adjusted - The job/component has been adjusted for this billing approval record through the Adjustments and Transfers application. Edits are not allowed.
Job/Component Billed - The job/component has been billed for this billing approval record. Edits are not allowed.
View Rollup - Click on the View Rollup button to display all charges by Job Number (all components for the Job) or by Campaign (all Jobs and Components associated with the Campaign). On the Billing Approval Summary select to roll up by Job or Campaign.
By Job - Displays function detail for the Job (all Components for the Job).
By Campaign - Displays function detail for the selected Job's Campaign (all Jobs/Components associated with the Campaign).
Group By - Select to group the functions by Function Code, Function Type or Function Heading.
Export - To export a report for the displayed information, click the Excel icon.
Displays: Quote details (Quote Qty/Hrs and Quote Amount), Actual Details (Actual Qty/Hrs and Actual Billable Amount), Non Billable/Fee amount, Bill Hold amount, Open Purchase Order amount, Amount Billed, Unbilled Amount, Quantity, Net details (Net Approved Amount, Net Quote Amount and Net Unbilled Amount), Markup details (Markup Amount and Unbilled Markup Amount), Tax details (Approved Tax Amount and Unbilled Tax Amount) and Approved Amount.
The billing approval record and individual job/component approvals can be modified or deleted depending on the batch, billing approval and individual job/component status. Regardless of the status, all billing approval records and individual job/component approvals may be reviewed.
On the Billing Approval - Batch Selection screen, select the month and year containing batches to review. A list of batches will be displayed along with their current status and color indicator. Select the Billing Approval record to continue.
On the Billing Approval Entry/Edit screen, individual job/components that make up the billing approval record are displayed along with the adjusted status for each. Job/components that are in the status of Pending may be modified or deleted. If the job/component status is adjusted or billed, it may not be modified or deleted.
When viewing job/components from the Billing Approval Entry/Edit screen, a red lock icon indicates that the job/component has been adjusted or billed. This job/component cannot be modified, but can be viewed.
Alert - Click the Alert button to send an Alert to the biller or members of an Alert Group notifying up that the Billing Approval is complete. On the Alert message, enter any additional information in the 'Body' section and click the Send button. To cancel the Alert, click Close.
Billing Approval records may be printed from the Billing Approval Entry/Edit screen. The report may be used internally or may be sent to clients for the purpose of requesting a purchase order for the items included in the billing approval record.
Resale Tax will be listed separately on the report.
Approval Comments are not included in the Billing Approval Print.
On the Billing Approval Edit/Entry screen, click the Print button. Select the print options from the Print Billing Approval screen.
Output Options
Template - select the report template to use. Several templates (formats) are available.
000 - Default Report
001 - Function Heading/Component - displays grouped by Function Heading
If the function hours is 0.00, the hours will not be displayed.
002 - Component/Function Heading - displays grouped by Component
003 - Job Only - displays grouped by Job Number
004 - Campaign Component - displays grouped by Campaign
Company Location
Select the location to determine the name, address and logo information for your company that will display on the report. (Location is configured in Advantage under the Advantage | Maintenance | General | Locations application).
Printing Options
Report Title - Enter a title to print on the report. Default title is 'Billing Approval Report'.
Print Zero Lines - Select the Print Zero Lines check box to include functions with an Approved Amounts of $0.00.
If the batch only has jobs that have zero $ lines or does not have any actuals - it does not display the Batch ID, Date, Job/Component Number or Descriptions on the report, regardless if the Print Zero Lines is selected or not.
Address Options - Select the level from which to print the attention line and address on the report. If more than one division, or division/product are included on the approval from the selected client, the system will use a common level available regardless of the selection made. If a Client Contact has been selected and saved with the Billing Approval Record, it will be printed in the 'Bill To' section instead of the name found in the address block/attention line for the selected level.
Client Address (default) The Client Address uses the Client's Billing Address that is setup in Advantage | Maintenance | Client | Client.
Division Address
Product Address
Client Contact Address
Print Division Name - Check to include the Division Name on the report.
Print Product Description - Check to include the Product Description on the report.
When completed, click Print button to print the report as a PDF file.
Security and
Setup
