.. include:: aliases.rst UMS Overview ============ Utility Management Solution (UMS) is the latest technology in Customer Information Systems and Utility Billing applications. It is comprehensive enough to be used for practically any service or group of services such as water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, storm water, refuse and more. With the easy-to-use interface, you can quickly perform the following tasks: - Create and manage customers with details such as contact information and location(s), recurring payments, payment plans, and any notes or exceptions - Create and manage information for specific locations such as services provided and devices present (meters, transmitters, remotes, etc.) - Create and manage work orders and meter tasks - Manage administrative details such as billing schedules/rates, usage variances, security settings, category codes, etc. - Process bills and payments, including miscellaneous fees, NSF, penalties, corrections, and other adjustments - Create templates and generate reports Glossary -------- The following table provides a glossary of commonly used terminology throughout the training sessions and within the UMS applications. +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Term** | **Description** | +=========================+======================================================================================================================================================================+ | CUSI | Continental Utility Solutions, Inc. | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | UMS | Utility Management Solution software package | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Company | Highest-level entity in the UMS hierarchy, generally the utility company using the system | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Community | Logical grouping of locations or divisions which constitute sub-units of a Company in UMS | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Active Company | Company that is currently open in the system | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Customer | Individual, group, or business receiving the service being managed | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Location | Physical location (home, business, or other) where the service is being provided | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Route | Series of locations within a community with a common reason to be associated, grouped together to form more manageable subsets, usually for meter reading purposes | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Cycles | Series of locations within a community with a common reason to be associated, grouped together to form more manageable subsets, usually for billing purposes | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Bill Group | Feature which allows one group statement for multiple locations | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Limit Options | Filtering options which may be used in creating custom forms or reports | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Code Filters | Filtering options which narrow search results for data or transactions | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | UDC | User-Defined Codes; Codes which may be customized for specific requirements | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Service | Any utility (Water, Sewer, Trash, Electricity, Gas, etc.) associated with a particular Location | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Posting | Process of committing transactions to the history files | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Move In | Assignment of a Customer to a Location within the system | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Move Out | Removing a Customer from a Location within the system | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | RUBS | **R**\ atio **U**\ tility **B**\ illing; Module which allows usage from a single meter to be divided among several customers | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Account Control Panel | Main window from which most UMS functions may be easily accomplished or reached | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | CASS | Coding Accuracy Support Systems | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | AMS Interface | Advanced Messaging System interface | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | IVR | Interactive Voice Response | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | UMS Workspace | UMS desktop area where all functions are performed | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Account | Unique combination of a Customer and a Location within UMS | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Delinquency | Consequence associated with unpaid Accounts, including penalties or interest (late fees), shut-off, liens, bad debts | +-------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ System Login ------------ You may access the application from the Program group on your computer, or by using the icon placed on your desktop at the time of installation. Note: If Active Directory is enabled for your company, you will not need to log in to use UMS. To log in, either click **Start > All Programs > UMS Client > UMS Client** or double-click the UMS desktop icon. Once the UMS login dialog box appears, enter your assigned User ID and the corresponding password, and click **Login.** |image2| Figure 1: UMS Login Screen Once you have successfully logged in, the UMS Workspace will appear: |UMS workspace.png| Figure 2: UMS Workspace UMS Workspace Features ---------------------- Workspace ~~~~~~~~~ Most UMS tasks are performed from windows and menus opened onto the gray workspace of the application main screen. The Workspace itself, however, contains several important features which help you navigate and manage these tasks. |image4| Figure 3: Major Features of the UMS Workspace The window at the center of the Workspace is the Account Control Panel, which will be described later. Other windows will open for the various tasks that follow in your use of UMS. Active Company ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All work in UMS is organized by Company. More than one Company may be set up in a given system, but only one Company may be active at a time. If multiple Companies are set up in your system, you can switch to another Company at any time without having to exit the UMS application. Select the Company you need from the drop-down menu in the upper right corner of the screen. When you change companies, a confirmation box will appear. Click **Yes** to indicate that you really do want to change companies. System Menus ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Like all Windows applications, all UMS tasks are accessed through the system menus at the top of the UMS workspace. The system menu bar is customizable, and can be made role-specific for your company. The standard menu bar is described in more detail in the next section. System Toolbars ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These quick access buttons provide easy access to common UMS tasks. These buttons pull up UMS task windows for the process, bypassing the pull-down menus for ready access to common tasks. The system toolbar is customizable, and can be made role-specific for your company’s users. Quick Launch Search Button ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Quick Launch search bar is a feature that can be used to quickly access all the various functions of UMS. This enables the user to bypass the menus and screens for immediate access to specific tasks. This feature can be opened by Ctrl-Q keystroke or by clicking on the unlabeled button (three short parallel lines) just above the **calendar on the scheduling sidebar**. Note that users must have the appropriate permissions assigned in order to use this search function. Scheduling and Task List Sidebar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UMS offers a built-in calendar with a task list and on-screen reminders. The calendar and task list are always visible, in a sidebar on the right side of the main UMS screen. Each event may be specified to display for a specific user role and/or individual users. More advanced features such as making events inactive or including attachments are also available but not mandatory for day-to day operation. Scheduled events will show up as flags under the calendar, color-coded by priority: Red for High, Orange for Normal, and Blue for Low. Pop-up reminders will display on-screen within the UMS system. You can determine when they appear, and they will stay open until dismissed. The scheduling sidebar also has a personal task list that allows users to create and check off tasks and personal reminders. Unlike calendar events, these entries are visible only to the user who creates them. |image5| Figure 4 Scheduling and Task List Sidebar My Tasks ^^^^^^^^ Type a short note into the box at the top of the My Task window and hit Enter. The typed text then appears as a list item with a check box next to it. Items will appear in the order they were entered, and a scroll bar will appear if the list is longer than the window. After a box is checked, that task will remain until you log out of the system. It will no longer be listed on your next login. If the box remains unchecked, the task/reminder will reappear at each login until checked. Scheduling Events and Reminders ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In order to add, edit, or delete an event in UMS, select the appropriate date on the calendar in the scheduling sidebar, and use the icons beneath the calendar. When you add a new event the Add Event window opens. |image6| Figure 5: Adding a Calendar Event You must enter both a subject and a note into the Info tab in order to save an event. Event timing, recurrence, and priority are entered in the lower half of the screen. This is sufficient to create an event, but additional tabs provide more advanced options. Event reminders will automatically pop up as UMS windows. The default reminder time that comes up when the window is opened may be edited by separately clicking/entering new hour and minute values. |image7| Figure 6: Pop-Up Reminder Window Note that the reminder window will appear on top of whatever tasks are open, but will then behave as the other windows in the foreground or background of the workspace. The reminder window will stay open until dismissed. System Menus ------------ File Menu ~~~~~~~~~ The **File** menu provides access to the main functions of the system and contains the following options: - **New.** From **File > New**, you can add a New Company, Add a State, Create a Miscellaneous charge or Create an Adjustment. - **Change Password.** This option launches the **Reset Password** dialog box. |image8| Figure 7: Reset Password Enter your old password, and then your new password twice, then click Save to apply the new password. Note: The Change Password option will not be available if your system logs you in using your Windows network password. - **Logoff.** This option logs the current user out of the system without closing the program. A confirmation window will open. If you confirm the **Logoff**, the system will close your session and return to the login screen, ready for the next User. - **Exit**. This option closes the main window and exits the system. A confirmation window will open. If you confirm the **Exit**, the system will log you out of UMS and completely exit the system. Edit Menu ~~~~~~~~~ The **Edit** menu provides the basic Windows Edit functions (Cut, Copy, Paste), which function as in other Windows applications. Tools Menu ~~~~~~~~~~ Email ^^^^^ UMS will allow you to open your email program and create a new message while working within the UMS application. When you select this option, a blank message from your email program opens. Compose and send as you normally would. Note: UMS is based on Microsoft technology, and it is therefore highly recommended that Outlook be used. Using other email systems may create conflicts. Options ^^^^^^^ This menu allows you to set preferences for appearance, interfaces, and configurations. When you select this option, the **Client Configuration** dialog box opens. It has four tabs: *Options*, *Interfaces*, *Printers*, and *Paths*. - **Options**. The *Options* tab allows you to enable/disable notification of changes, set the name of the local machine, hide/show the task pane, and change the appearance of UMS. - **Interfaces**. The *Interfaces* tab allows you to set and configure **AMS Interface**, **AMR Direct**, and the **Document Management Interface.** - **Printers**. The *Printers* tab allows you to set the document/receipt printers and configure cash drawers. - **Paths**. The *Paths* tab allows you to set default paths for data, import, and export. Customize ^^^^^^^^^ This selection allows creation of user-specific UMS menus and toolbars. The standard UMS menus and standard toolbar buttons are listed at the top of the workspace unless they have been replaced by customized setups. These customized menus and tools may be different for the various User levels you set up for your employees. Selecting the **Customize** function opens a dialog box with a drop-down selection list and five tabs: *Menu bar*, *Toolbar*, *Roles*, Roles, *Users*, and *Options*. When the software is installed, the selection box is populated with two options, Standard UMS and Classic CBSW. These schemes cannot be modified, and thus the tools are grayed out. However, to the right of the selection box are three icons (**Add**, **Clone and** **Delete**) which allow the User to create, name, edit, and define customizable menu and toolbar schemes. Once a User scheme is created, the tools in the five tabs become accessible, and all of the listed options may be customized. Note: Search boxes are provided below the function windows to make customization easier. |image9| Figure 8: Customize Menus and Toolbars Setup (Application Setup) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **Setup** is not a drop-down menu. When you select **Setup**, the **Application Setup** window opens. This tool is mainly used by Administrators in configuring the application. Note: The Setup menu item will only be visible if the User has been granted access to this function. Permissions settings will also restrict which functions will appear within the menus for Users who have access to the menu. |image10| Figure 9: Application Setup Control Panel The setup items fall into three categories: System, Company, and Lookup. These are listed to the left of the option box, and the list of selectable options will change, depending on which category is selected. Note: The System, Company, and Lookup buttons are independent toggles, and therefore more than one list can be selected at once. A search box is also provided for quick access to setup items. Some of the items in each list may be grayed out, depending upon which modules are licensed to your particular system. In order to set up any listed item, either double-click on the item itself or select it and click the **Configure** button at the bottom of the screen. For each configurable item, a different dialog window will open for you to enter setup details. Also, the User has the option of adding documents or notes for each setup item. The tools on the right side of the window allow the user to upload or manually add relevant information. Editable notes may be added as text boxes or check-box lists. When the **Add** (|image11|) button is clicked, a window will pop up, asking if you want a note box or a check-box note item. Management Menu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Management Menu provides access to key functions within the UMS program. Each of the 15 sections of this menu allows different tasks to be easily accessed from the main screen. Function-specific settings dialog boxes will open when these options are selected. Options from this menu include: +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **Service Orders** |    **Account Wizard** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **Work Order Interface** |    **Final Bill Wizard** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **Inventory** |    **Mass Change of Service Status** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **Backflow Test Results Control Panel** |    **Mass Add of Service** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **CASS** |    **Inactivate Locations** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **Community Management** |    **Manage Broadcast** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **Mass Change of Rate Codes** |    **Route Change Wizard** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **Control Panel** (Account Control Panel) | **Automated File Exchange** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ |    **Service Request Management** | **Import Customers To Twilio** | +------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ Details for each of these options are listed later in this document. Billing Menu ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This menu provides ready access to meter reading and bill generation options and tasks, including deposit and delinquency processing. From here, you can Prepare for Meter Readings and Import Meter Reads, process Billing, create Statements, process Delinquencies, manage Conservation, and manage Account Level Budgets. Refer to Billing Management for further information. Payment Menu ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Payment Menu includes the primary tools necessary for payment processing and management. The options include batch and manual payment processing, payment wizard, and reconciliation reports. Refer to Payment Management for further information. Miscellaneous Menu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This menu lists a series of tasks that are not covered in the other menu items. Refer to Miscellaneous Transactions for details on each function listed. Addins ^^^^^^ Addins are custom modules created for specific clients or optionally licensed components available to all clients. Once implemented in the client's environment, the add-in module is available from **Miscellaneous > Addins**. Only the optional licensed modules available to all clients are described in more detail. Because custom modules are built to customer specifications, with their own set of instructions; they are not described in detail in this manual. Please contact the UMS Administrator or CUSI Technical Support for a copy of any custom module user guides. Note: If you do not have a particular Addin installed, it will not show up under the Addins section. Furthermore, there must be at least one Addin in order for the Addins section to be displayed. The **Payment Setup Wizard** is the only mandatory Addin, and it is included in every installation. This wizard was designed to simplify configuration of your UMS system to handle credit card payments. Adjustments ^^^^^^^^^^^ This function allows modification of existing transactions. This task may also be accessed through the **File > New > Adjustment** function. An adjustment may also be processed by selecting a specific payment from the **Transaction History** section of the **Account Control Panel** (*History* tab) and clicking on the **Adjust** button at the bottom of the window. Miscellaneous Fees ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This function enables management of miscellaneous fees for a specific account and/or location. There are several other ways to open this function. It is available from the **File > New > Miscellaneous**, the **Miscellaneous Fees** button on the standard toolbar, the **Account Control Panel** toolbar, or the **Account Wizard** or **Final Bill Wizard**. NSFs ^^^^ Selecting this option opens the **NSF Wizard** for managing accounts for which the payment has been returned as non-sufficient funds (NSF). An NSF event may also be processed by selecting a specific payment from the **Transaction History** section of the **Account Control Panel** (*History* tab) and clicking on the **NSF** button at the bottom of the window. Reversals ^^^^^^^^^ Selecting this option opens the **Reversals Wizard** for managing reversals of payments due to NSF or other reason, such as user error. A reversal may also be processed by selecting a specific payment(s) from the **Transaction History** section of the **Account Control Panel** (*History* tab) and clicking on the **Reverse** button at the bottom of the window. Refunds ^^^^^^^ This function allows refunds to be created on customer accounts within UMS and should not be confused with reversals. Refunds are issued for any credit balances on an account and for deposit payments that are being returned to a customer. Most refunds are initiated through the **Refund Wizard**. Refund Process ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This option opens the **Refund Process Wizard**, for managing the disposition of credit balances within customer accounts. This wizard replaces the individual functions which were all previously available in different locations throughout UMS. Reinstate Bad Debt ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This function allows UMS users to reinstate a bad debt that has been previously written off. This could happen when a final customer leaves the service area with an uncollectable outstanding balance, then later returns to the area requesting new service. The previous debt can be reinstated and applied to the new account. Refund Check ^^^^^^^^^^^^ This module can be used to generate refund checks for individuals with credit balances or returnable deposits. In order to process a refund check, a refund must first be issued and posted to the account. Convert SOC to OC ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This function allows the user to change a service open credit (SOC) to an open credit (OC) so that it may be applied to services other than the one where the credit originated. Transfer Balance ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A balance may be transferred from one Account to another using this option. Customer Contact Wizard ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This wizard allows the user to contact customers using standard limit options via email. Transaction Reversal ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The transaction reversal wizard allows users to create reversing entries for transactions created in error. After the transaction reversal is created and posted, it will be displayed in the customer's history. All meter readings will be restored to their state prior to billing and, if UMS is licensed for Advanced Accounting Interface, general ledger transactions will be created. To access the Transaction Reversal Wizard, users must have Delete permission on the Transaction Reversal activity in the Transactions group from the Security Control Panel. Posting Menu ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This menu provides windows that allow the user to perform transaction posting tasks and statement preparation and generation. Specifically, this menu is home to the **Post Transactions**, **Generate Statements**, and **Export GL Transactions** functions. Stock Menu ~~~~~~~~~~ The **Stock Menu** is only available if the Stock Module has been licensed to your system. If present, the menu will allow you to access **Proxy Voting**, **Stock Report**, **Mailing Labels**, and **Count Shares Functions**. Reporting Menu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The **Reporting Menu** provides efficient access to key reporting functions. This menu is divided into several sections, each with several sub-sections. This allows many different reporting tasks to be easily accessed from the main menu. Each selection opens a window with function-specific options. As installed, the categories listed will include the following: - **Exception Reports** - **Financial Reports** - **History Reports** - **List Reports** - **Meter Reports** - **Notices** - **Register** Additional categories such as those below may be available if enabled in your setup: - **RUBS** - **Custom Reports** (if any have been created) Windows Menu ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Windows menu is primarily a navigation tool. It allows a User to quickly move between open windows and/or close windows that are no longer needed. Also included in this menu is an option that allows the User to select the appearance/functionality of the main screen. Using the Menu Profile option, the User may select either Classic CBSW or Standard UMS format for the main UMS workspace, or may choose any available customized (see **Tools>Customize**) workspace theme. Help Menu ~~~~~~~~~ This menu provides several options for finding assistance with the UMS system. The options include both a built-in help index and contact information for more specific or extensive assistance. Common Functions ---------------- Throughout the UMS application, many functions operate in same manner from task to task. The following is a guide summarizing the way the major functions work. Customer / Location Numbers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Data is generally retrieved by account, which means the account number must be selected. In most cases, this will be done by first retrieving the customer account by name or number, and then selecting the applicable location for that customer. On the Account Control Panel, this information can be found/entered in the Customer and Location Information Cards, in the top part of the window (also called the **Dashboard**). Other UMS functions may have slightly different search areas or windows, but for all tasks involving individual customers, applicable Customer/Location information will need to be selected. |image12| Figure 10: Customer and Location Information Cards Customer numbers may or may not be the same as Location numbers, depending on your Company processes. Only one Customer may be associated with a Location, but multiple locations may be associated with a Customer. Note: Each unique Customer-Location pairing constitutes an Account. This applies also to Customers associated with multiple Locations. Search ~~~~~~ Searches in UMS are generally conducted from search windows. Searches may be performed on either full or partial information, and the results usually may be further refined if too many items are returned. If full or partial information is available, you can enter it into the appropriate field and hit Enter. If only one record exists for that information, the field will be populated. If no information is entered or if multiple records are present, a search window will appear. |image13| Figure 11: Example of UMS Search Feature Filters are available for all searches. In general, almost any information field can be used as a filter, but for efficiency, only relevant filters are available for specific search windows. If your desired record appears in the search window, you can open it by double-clicking that record or by selecting it and clicking **OK**. - Once a search has been performed, the parameters are retained until cleared. The next time a search window is opened, the search will default to the last terms used. - Leading zeroes are not needed for searches. - Date searches default to the current date. - The Search window results can be sorted by column, ascending or descending, by clicking on the column header. If the search yielded no results or too many entries, you can edit/refine the search: - **You can edit the search term to be more or less restrictive.** For instance, you can add/remove a digit from a number or a word from a name or address. - **You can select a different filter.** Using a different filter will allow you to search using other known associated information. For instance, using the Full Location Address filter can help you quickly locate unknown Account or Location numbers for a known (or partially known) address. - **You can enter wildcard parameters.** By default, the wildcard in effect when you begin the search will be Contains. You can change this to Matches, Starts With, or Ends With from the option box that opens when you click the **Search options** button just below the filter menu. An optional limit field is also available to further refine the search. - **You can search within the displayed results.** A limiting filter box appears at the bottom of the window when search results are returned. Select a filter from the menu below the results table and enter a refining term in the text box to the right. You do not need to re-click on the search icon for the results to be refined. Edit ~~~~ In most cases, any records added to the system can be edited. Open the appropriate function dialog box, and click the **Edit** button. The applicable **Edit** dialog box is then displayed, and the appropriate changes can be made. Note that any field that cannot be edited is grayed out. Once the edits are saved, **they are applied immediately throughout the system**. Forms that are open when the edit is made will not show the change until they are refreshed. Delete ~~~~~~ All deletions are permission-based to protect the integrity of the system database. Even if you have permission to delete an item, this action cannot be performed if the item is referenced elsewhere in the system. This is because a historical record of all UMS activity is maintained for audit purposes, and data which has been used must be kept. Dates ~~~~~ Dates within UMS can be selected either by typing a specific date in the field provided or by choosing the date from the pop-up calendar that opens when the arrow prompt is clicked. The pop-up calendar has navigation features that allow you to quickly find dates. |image14| Figure 12: UMS Calendar Features By default, the calendar interval will be Month. The current month is displayed, and the current date is highlighted within the month. Use the left/right arrows at the top of the calendar to scroll forward or backward through the months. At any point, you can click the **Today** button at the bottom of whichever calendar view is open, to return to the current month and date. The calendar interval can be changed for broader searches by clicking on the header. Clicking once expands the calendar to the current year, and the scroll arrows will move forward or backward through years instead of months. Clicking again will further expand the range to the current decade, and clicking once more will expand the range to a century (or partial century). |UMS Calendar Intervals| Figure 13: UMS Calendar Intervals As each expanded interval is selected, the calendar will automatically skip to the next-shorter interval for you to narrow the date search. Buttons and Icons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Most UMS screen contain buttons or shortcut keys. Some of these are labeled with text, but others are graphic-only icons. The following examples are some of the more common buttons you will find: +------------+----+----+------------------------+----+ | Add | | | Send Message | | +============+====+====+========================+====+ | Edit | | | Print Preview | | +------------+----+----+------------------------+----+ | Clone | | | Print | | +------------+----+----+------------------------+----+ | Delete | | | Select All | | +------------+----+----+------------------------+----+ | Refresh | | | Deselect All | | +------------+----+----+------------------------+----+ | Browse | | | Select/Deselect Item | | +------------+----+----+------------------------+----+ | Search | | | Move item Up/Down | | +------------+----+----+------------------------+----+ | Open Map | | | Collapse and Expand | | +------------+----+----+------------------------+----+ Limit options ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Any time you want to retrieve data or perform other tasks which require you to choose or query a subset of the available information, data limit options will be available. For example, most reporting functions allow you to define the scope of the report by selecting specific groups or sets of information. |image16| Figure 14: Limit Options Menu The same six limits are available wherever this function appears, and the choices within each limit are consistent throughout the system. Note that these options are not exclusive, any or all may be used for the same query. The use of these options may be divided into three groups: Active Company ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There are no limit fields to select within this option. All reporting tasks or actions you perform are applied to the selected Company. Cycles, Routes, and Communities ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Limiting by Cycles, Routes, and Communities all follow one procedure. When one of these is selected from the drop-down menu, a new display appears below the menu. Each gives a **Select** button, a **Clear** button, and a window where the selected items will be displayed. The **Select** button (**Select Cycles**, **Select Routes**, or **Select Communities**) opens a pop-up window containing all of the available groupings and check boxes for selection. When all selections are finished, click **OK**. The newly made selections will then appear in the limit details window. The **Clear** button will remove all previously selected cycles from the list. |image17| Figure 15: Cycles (and Routes and Communities) Limit Option Location/Customer and Bill Group ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ These two filters are both search-based. Selecting the Bill Group option brings up a single selection box. Selecting Location/Customer brings up two selection boxes, Location and Customer. As in other screens, entering a value in one of these boxes brings up the linked information in both. |image18| Figure 16: Location/Customer (and Bill Group) Limit Option Code Filters ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Like limit options, code filters are a way of narrowing search results for reports or other tasks involving data retrieval. Code filters are divided into four different groups: Customer, Locations, Services and Rates, and Revenue Class. The process of selecting code filters is very similar for each of the code groups and for all tasks in the UMS system. Wherever code filters are applicable, a box like the one below will be part of your task window. |image19| Figure 17: Code Filters Selection Box The first step in using code filters is to click the **Add** button. At that point, a window with four tabs will open, one tab for each code filter category. Click each tab and make the desired selections based upon the requirements for your specific report or transaction. Note: It is not necessary to make selections in every tab, or in every window within the tabs. Use only the codes which are applicable to your task. Customer Code Filters ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In the Customer category tab, you can select Current, Final, and/or Waiting Customers, and you can also apply any User Defined Codes (UDC) that have been previously defined. |image20| Figure 18: Customer Code Filters Selection Tab Location Code Filters ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Location tab allows you to select various Location UDCs, and the appropriate UDC codes within them. Again, inclusion/exclusion criteria are applied independently to each selected code, and several may be selected. |image21| Figure 19: Location Code Filters Selection Tab Service and Rates Code Filters ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In the Service and Rates tab provides slightly more complex options. A list of available services is shown at the left and applicable rate codes for each service are displayed on the right, as each service is selected. Likewise, service dates may be used as filters, if the **Filter By Date** box is selected. Note: By default, all rate codes are selected for each service, and therefore the check boxes are not automatically available. In order to filter instead by specific rate code(s), The Filter By Rate box needs to be checked. |image22| Figure 20: Service and Rates Code Filters Selection Tab Revenue Class Code Filters ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Customer revenue classification can be used as another filter. All revenue classes that have been set up for your company are available for selection in the Revenue Class tab. Any number of boxes may be checked in this category. |image23| Figure 21: Revenue Class Code Filters Selection Box The selections made in each of the above categories will be shown within the window in the lower part of the tab. Once you click **OK**, all selections from all tabs will be displayed in the Code Filters box on the main task screen. These may be edited by deleting items (**Delete** or **Delete All** buttons) and/or by re-opening the selection tabs (**Add**). |image24| Figure 22: Code Filters Selection Box After Selection of Codes Output Options ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are several options for handling system output, and these apply to any function within UMS. You can preview the results (**Print Preview**), send to a specified printer (**Print**), or export the generated information (**Export**) into another file type such as Crystal Reports, MS Excel, Adobe PDF, etc., for use by some other system. Print Preview ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The **Print Preview** option is available for all printing tasks, such as report generation and printing of statements and receipts. When you select **Preview**, UMS will create a Crystal Reports document that can either be saved for editing or printed to either a printer or PDF file (as available on your workstation). This preview will allow you to verify that the chosen parameters and format are as needed before printing or exporting. Print ^^^^^ When the **Print** button is clicked, the generated information is sent directly to the default UMS printer. If no default printer is setup in the **Client Configuration**, the report will open the Windows print dialog box, where you can select your printer (or program) and print options, just as for any other application. |image25| Figure 23: Print Options Export to File ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Selecting **Export** will open a **Report Export Options** window, which provides multiple options for saving and sending the report output electronically. |image26| Figure 24: Report Export Options The options in this window will allow you to specify how you want the output to look, and where you want it to be saved and/or sent. - **Export as**. Select from the drop-down menu how the results should be grouped. - **Single file.** This option will result in one file with all the results, organized as specified in the report options sections. - **Separate file for each group.** This option will yield the same results, but separated into multiple files. This allows you to take a larger data set and divide it out by specified criteria without running multiple reports. *If this option is selected*, clicking **OK** will open the Export Grouping Selection box, allowing you to select and order the grouping criteria for the export files. |image27| Figure 25: Report Grouping Selection Move the item(s) by which you need to group results from the list on the left to the box on the right. Highlight the items in question and use the left/right arrows to move them back and forth between the boxes. Use the up/down arrows next to re-order the selected criteria. - **Export format**. Select the applicable format from the drop-down menu. The available file types include: +--------------------------------------+-----------------------------+ | o Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) | o Rich Text Format (.rtf) | +======================================+=============================+ | o Microsoft Excel (.xls) | o Crystal Report (.rpt) | +--------------------------------------+-----------------------------+ | o Microsoft Excel Data Only (.xls) | o XML (.xml) | +--------------------------------------+-----------------------------+ | o Microsoft Word (.doc) | o CSV (.csv)  | +--------------------------------------+-----------------------------+ - **Export file path.** Either type the location for the file or click **Browse** to open an Explorer window to enter the correct location. You may select an existing location/folder or you can create a new one. - **Email as attachment.** If this box is checked on, clicking **OK** will open a new message in your e-mail program, with the created file(s) attached. You can then enter the recipient(s) for the file, and send the message as you normally would. Note that this is **in addition to** creating the files in the specified location.