Cashiering
The Customer Service module facilitates customer account management. In addition to viewing account information, accounts are created and maintained within this module. The inquiry is comprised of over fifty different screens of information designed to present data as needed for various job functions. Examples of these include applicant/address, customer messages, accounts receivable detail, delinquent history, e-mail notifications subscription, account service history, location service history, service order history, usage history, meters, and transformers.
Key Features & Benefits of the Connect Cashiering Module
Unlimited Utility Defined Tender Types:
The tender types – cash, check, credit cards, money orders, gift certificates, etc. – accepted are based on utility defined setup. Each tender type can be recorded to the same GL account or to independent GL accounts.
Input Payment
Cash Drawer Management and Control:
The cash entry is managed via cash batches. Each physical cash drawer has its own cash batch. Payments are entered in a batch edit mode and are then subsequently updated. The payments are left in edit to ease the process of correcting payment keying errors and to maintain a complete audit trail of any changes made to payments entered in the batch. The update process creates the actual transactions on the account. Prior to the update process, the “pending” payments are reflected throughout the application. For example, the balance displayed in the inquiry is reduced by the amount of this pending payment. Also, all delinquency processes reflect pending payments. Once the payments are updated, an adjustment is required to correct any payment error. Connect provides the tools to maintain a complete audit trail in conjunction with any/all adjustments made.
Updates Cash Manager/General Ledger:
Cash can be posted to Cash Manager/General Ledger on a daily basis regardless of the open periods in either Connect or Insight. The period to post is determined by the date of the payment entry, regardless of the current open period at that time.
Payment Allocation:
Connect incorporates an open items system for balance tracking. Payments and adjustments are applied to outstanding balances based on setup parameters dictated by the utility’s business rules. These setup parameters permit designating the order in which the payment is applied to the respective balances. The payment allocation setup parameters permit the utility to define a multi-tiered payment allocation rule. The default payment allocation can be overwritten for an individual account provided the operator (e.g. supervisor) has proper security rights.
Cashiering also Delivers:
- Ability to accept credit cards and assess convenience fees
- Ability to look up an account by all the same methods as the inquiry
- Ability to select multiple accounts from the account lookup
- Ability to see the breakdown of charges
- Ability to print a receipt and endorse checks
- Retention of date and time payment was entered, as well as, the operator who accepted the payment
