Overview
This article guides users on how to use Emersion's billing objects to build the plan structure required for Microsoft CSP services. It is written for users who are undertaking a plan build for this service type. This article assumes the user has completed Packages and Plans Training from the Product Training for Onboarding Clients Program..
These services are ordered in Emersion and provisioned automatically via the Rhipe platform.
Service Plans
As stated in the Terminology section here, a tenant in Rhipe = a service in Emersion. Therefore, in Emersion, to create a service for your customer's tenant, a new service subscription must be created.
In order to so that, a service plan for the tenant must exist.
Do not create service plans for each licence. This is the wrong plan structure.
Product Rate Card
Next step is to make sure you have product rates set for the appropriate Microsoft CSP products as retrieved from approved Rhipe invoices.
In order to enter product rates:
- Create the first service and activate it (instructions below).
- Contact Emersion.
- Emersion will run a process that will return your price book and populate the product rate card with RRP pricing.
- Go onto the product rate card and enter your licence costs (product rates).
The product rate card that is associated with the service plan must contain your product rates.
If the prices are not present, the records will fall into Misc Quarantine.
Creating Licence Costs Manually
This is done by entering a product rate against a product rate card as covered in the Packages and Plans session of the Product Training for Onboarding Clients program.
Importing Licence Costs Into Emersion
Use the Product Rate Import tool to import your licence costs in bulk.
Arrears and Advance Billing
It is possible to bill services associated with this service type in arrears or in advance. Please ensure you read the following information carefully to understand your configuration requirements.
Billing In Arrears
In this scenario, the customer is billed when the invoice is issued from Rhipe to the service provider. Individual lines are produced for each billable use of a subscription.
If the customer changes license quantities during the invoice period, they will see line items for each change at the end of the month.
For example
| License | Qty | Price | Days in month | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office 365 Student Edition – 1st – 10th | 8 | $5 | 31 | 10/31 * 5 * 8 |
| Office 365 Student Edition – 10th – 20th | 10 | $5 | 31 | 10/31 * 5 * 10 |
| Office 365 Student Edition – 20th – 31st | 12 | $5 | 31 | 11/31 * 5 * 12 |
Configure for In Arrears Billing
Ensure your Package Plan is set to bill in arrears.
Billing In Advance
Emersion has implemented an advanced billing mode which will look at the start of the period and charge based on the state of the subscription counts at that time. This is a predictive measure.
| License | Qty | Price | Days in month | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office 365 Student Edition – 1st – 31st | 8 | $5 | 31 | 31/31 * 5 * 8 |
At the end of the period when the Rhipe invoice is generated, the system will compare the charges generated for the individual Rhipe subscription against the snapshot taken at the start of the period. If a difference is found:
the initial charge is reversed and a full credit is generated.
Usage will be reprocessed and the new charges will then be generated so it matches with the Rhipe invoice.
Configure for Advanced Billing
In order to implement advanced billing, follow the steps below.
Enable the Billing In Advance Flag
NAV: Packages and Plans > Service Plans.
- Open your BUY plan and click the Properties tab.
- Enable the Rhipe Advanced Billing flag on the service plan.
- Save and close the plan.
Do this step for every BUY service plan for the Microsoft CSP - Rhipe service type where billing in advance is required.
Disable Mid-Cycle Migrations
Users will need to disable the ability to perform mid-cycle package subscription migrations as they are not supported in Rhipe. This needs to be done on the SELL plan.
NAV: Packages and Plans > Service Plans.
- Open your SELL plan.
- Put the plan into EDIT mode.
- Ensure the Disable Migrations during Period checkbox is ticked.
- Save and close the plan.
Do this step for every SELL service plan for the Microsoft CSP - Rhipe service type where billing in advance is required.
