CITC Internal Billing

Controls Document

Version 1.1
August 2000

Sonia E. Harden
(EDP)

Table of Contents

Introduction CITI Internal Billing Controls..................................................................................... iv

Objective......................................................................................................................................... v

Conventions Used in this Book..................................................................................................... vi

1. Billing Roles and Responsibilities........................................................................................... 1

1.1. Technology Management Roles and Responsibilities.................................................... 2

1.2. EDS/GTE roles and Responsibilities............................................................................... 2

1.3. CFC Roles and Responsibilities....................................................................................... 3

1.4. CITI Application roles and Responsibilities...................................................................... 4

1.5. Production Support roles and Responsibilities................................................................ 5

2. NTICE Billing Process............................................................................................................... 8

2.1. Overview............................................................................................................................... 8

2.2. Feeder Preparation............................................................................................................. 8

2.3. NTICE Preprocessing........................................................................................................ 10

2.3.1... Process Description Overview................................................................. 10

2.3.2. NTICE Preprocessing Instructions........................................................... 11

2.3.3. Preparations for NTICE Close.................................................................. 13

2.3.4. Preparation for Mid Month......................................................................... 14

2.4. Global Changes.................................................................................................................. 15

2.4.1. Process Description Overview................................................................. 18

2.4.2. Distribution List........................................................................................... 18

2.4.3. Email Instructions........................................................................................ 19

2.4.4. Handling Changes....................................................................................... 20

2.4.5. Converting Organizational Codes.............................................................. 20

2.4.6. Converting Billing Object............................................................................. 20

2.4.7. Applying Global Changes............................................................................ 21

2.5. Preparing for Processing..................................................................................................... 21

2.5.1. Processing Feeders Instructions................................................................ 23

2.5.2. Processing Timing........................................................................................ 28

2.6. Multi-Tasking.......................................................................................................................... 28

2.7. NTICE Close Overview......................................................................................................... 32

2.7.1. Close Procedure........................................................................................... 33

2.7.2. Timing..............................................................................................................35

2.8. NTICE Contingency Plan...................................................................................................... 35

2.9 Handling Adjustments........................................................................................................... 37

3. CCABS......................................................................................................................................... 21

3.1. CCABS Processing.............................................................................................................. 22

3.2. CCABS Contingency Plan................................................................................................... 23

4. Common Billing System (CBS)................................................................................................. 41

4.1. Production Support Processing.......................................................................................... 42

4.1.1. Job Submission............................................................................................ 42

4.1.2. Job Monitoring.............................................................................................. 42

4.1.3. Job Priority.................................................................................................... 43

4.1.4. Job Documentation...................................................................................... 43

4.1.5. CBS Jobs not Scheduled in CA7............................................................... 44

4.1.6. Jobs that need to be scheduled in CA7..................................................... 44

4.1.7. Eliminated Jobs............................................................................................ 44

4.2. CBS Contingency Plan........................................................................................................ 45

4.2.1. CBS Failure.................................................................................................. 45

4.2.2. A Special Close........................................................................................... 45

4.2.3. External Billing.............................................................................................. 45

4.3. CBS Reporting..................................................................................................................... 46

4.4. CBS Other Reporting Tools................................................................................................ 46

4.4.1... Billing Communication Plan........................................................................ 47

4.4.2... Job Monitoring.............................................................................................. 47

4.4.3... Accessing the Web...................................................................................... 47

4.4.4... Job Problem Resolution.............................................................................. 48

4.4.5... Job Priority.................................................................................................... 48

4.4.6... Job Documentation...................................................................................... 49

4.4.7... CBS Jobs not scheduled in CA7................................................................ 49

4.4.8... Jobs that need to be scheduled in CA7..................................................... 49

4.4.9... Eliminated Jobs............................................................................................ 50

4.4.10. CBS Failure.................................................................................................. 50

4.4.11. A Special Close........................................................................................... 50

4.4.12. External Billing.............................................................................................. 51

Appendices:

A. Glossary of Terms........................................................................................................... 53

B. InterCompany Billing Process...................................................................................... 54

C. Billing Timeline................................................................................................................ 55

D. Billing Feeders Spreadsheet........................................................................................ 56

CITC Internal Billing Controls

Objective

The objective of this document is to document the various process steps taken to ensure reliable and timely intercompany billing of CITC products. The billing process encompasses steps taken from feeder processing through the processing of intercompany charges by the receiving OPCO. In the event there is a problem with any of the systems involved, a contingency plan is also included. This is to prevent major billing problems and ensure the continued processing of CITC billing data.

Conventions Used in this Book

This booklet uses different typefaces to differentiate between instructional steps and regular English text, and to help you identify important concepts.

Text that you type and text that should appear on your screen is presented in CG Omega type.

Example:

It will look like this to mimic the way text looks on your screen.

Placeholders for variables and expressions appear in CG Omega italic font. You should replace the placeholder with the specific value it represents.

Example:

[Drive]:\[pathname]\[filename]

! A Note presents interesting pieces of information related to the surrounding discussion.

U A Tip offers advice or teaches an easier way to do something.

M A Caution advises you about potential problems that help you steer clear of disaster.

r The Enter/Return Key icon shows when you must enter the keystroke command Enter or Return.

ä The Down Arrow shows that you should go to the next step in the procedure.

NEW TERM New Term icons provide clear definitions of new, essential terms. The term appears in Italics.

OUTPUT Output icon highlights the output produced by running the procedure, step or program. It usually appears after the last step in a procedure.

ANALYSIS The Analysis icon alerts you evaluation of the Output.

Communication Communications icon alerts you to examples of interdepartmental messages.

Section One: Billing Roles and Responsibilities Overview

1. Technology Management Roles and Responsibilities

Figure 1: Technology Management Organizational Chart

Product Management owns the CITC intercompany billing process from feeder creation through CBS processing. They are not responsible for the Operating Company (OPCO) receiving the charges and how those charges are distributed once received.

It is the role of CITC Product Management to decide what products and services are billable to their partners and what the rate for those services or products will be.

1.1. Technology Management

The Billing team within Technology Management Billing Team (TMBT) is responsible for NTICE Pre-processing and NTICE Close each month.

1.2. EDS/GTE Roles and Responsibilities

EDS in partnership with GTE, is one of many CITC Alliance partners providing services to Chevron. They provide many services that impact CITC’s intercompany billing process. Rather than misstate their role, if specific details are needed as to the services provided, it is recommended that the contract be reviewed to ensure accurate understanding.

On the 27th of each month, EDS's Metrics and Consulting Team will provide CITC with:

A transaction level detail billing feeder file

An audit summary report of the billing feeder file by billing element (i.e. MVS Batch CPU Offshift, DB2 Getpages Offshift, Print-Laser)

A suspense file of transactions that do not have valid charge codes

A summary report of the suspense file by billing element and original accounting month

EDS and CITC will jointly work to clear and bill the suspense file transactions within 100 days.

EDS/GTE credits are currently processed through Vantive.

1.3. CFC Roles and Responsibilities

1.3.1. Intercompany Billing Team (ICB)

The ICB team partners with CITC product management to:

Produces service company billings in a timely, accurate and cost effective manner

Controls and process billing system data

Maintains billing and time capture system reports

Ensures that new products and services are incorporated into the billing system.

Ensures that the data feeding the billing systems are complete and accurate and meet customer needs.

Assesses the potential client impact of proposed changes in billing systems.

Works with programmers, CITC Finance, and OPCO clients to resolve complex billing system and feeder problems and understand the intercompany data requirements.

Drafts programming specifications for billing system maintenance and enhancements developed for testing plans and verifying test results.

Ensures billing systems have adequate internal controls, system security and documentation.

Provides accounting support, e.g. compiling monthly customer invoices and associated reports.

Reconciles SAP suspense accounts for all billing systems.

Analyzes and records billing adjustments; take appropriate actions to prevent future errors and communicate issues and problems to suppliers.

1.3.2 Intercompany Accounting

Processes incoming and outgoing intercompany transmittals.

Analyzes nature and assesses reasonableness of intercompany charges and credits.

Records relevant entries to the proper intercompany general ledger accounts.

Clarifies and prepares supporting documentation.

Responds to inquiries from various OPCO customers.

Reconciles and settles intercompany balances with affiliated companies.

Traces OPCOs for issue resolution.

1.4. CITC Application Roles and Responsibilities

The CITC Application team delivers applications for CITC’s own use. The group develops and supports the billing applications discussed throughout this document. The CITI application team provides expertise in the various technologies used including Powerbuilder, Oracle, Nomad, Coolgen, DB2 etc. As changes or enhancements are needed to the applications, this group will develop, test and implement code following standard CITC practices. Analytical work is carried out to design enhancements to investigate and find solutions to problems when they arise. Programmer/analysts are available at critical times during the monthly processing cycle to fix errors and/or exceptions in the shortest possible time.

The group still does some monitoring of applications (VM, UNIX and PC applications are not (yet) supported by Production Support) to ensure the processing completes satisfactorily. In addition some set up of the systems has to be carried out by this group; for example: annual rollover.

1.5. Production Support Roles and Responsibilities

Production Support, or as it used be known CP&SS (Computer Processing and Support Services) submits and monitors in excess of 65,000 jobs per month for distributed platform applications. They have strict standards for the workload they monitor with rigorous documentation requirements all necessary to allow a smooth operation of our applications.

They are responsible for running, monitoring and performing first level support for all the job streams that make up the CBS application (as of December 1999). If a job failure occurs they will attempt to make the appropriate correction (according to the documentation supplied) and rerun the job. If they are unable to do this satisfactorily they will contact the programming support person from the CITC Applications team. The two support functions will work together to get the production system to process to completion.

Production Support will also work with the CITC Applications staff to implement new jobs and make changes to existing jobs as necessary for the continued operation of the application They prepare standard JCL and set up job schedules in CA7 NTICE Billing Processing.

1.6. Interdepartmental Communication

Approximately one week prior to the start of billing close (15^th), the Technology Management Billing Team sends an E-Mail reminder to the individuals responsible for preparing the feeder data. Below is sample text of the reminder notice:

Communication Example

"To all NTICE Feeder Processors:

Your feeders are due at 8AM on Monday, October 18th, 1999. It will be your responsibility to do what needs to be done to get your feeder in on the scheduled date. If you cannot meet your scheduled deadline, please call me at 842-3010 and/or leave a message before 3:30 PM on Friday, October 15, 1999.

NTICE will start closing the morning of the 18th and turn the datasets over to the CFC Billing Team at 8 AM on the 19th.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated."

Figure 2: Example Email

! The date feeders are due typically the first business day after the billing close. There is a grace period between the time NTICE processes the feeders and when the CFC requires the data. However, this grace period is typically used for resolving exception conditions. In some cases, the grace period has been used to resolve major problems and reverse the data that has already been processed through NTICE. The deadline date given to the persons sending the feeders should allow for adequate problem resolution and time to resubmit feeders as needed.

! EDS does not send the mainframe billing feeder (AMIS replacement) to the CFC until the 27^th of each month. This feeder is the last feeder into CBS. CFC will process all the other feeders while waiting. The CFC must turnover CBS billing data to SAP by the 28^th of the month.

END

Contact: Sonia E Harden Lemke
sonitadiva@yahoo.com