Printing and Distribution (BX06US01)

1. Problem Statement

For Billing Manager:

• Lack of real-time visibility into printing and distribution status of bills across multiple billing cycles
• Inability to track progress of bills from printing initiation to final delivery to consumers
• Difficulty in identifying delayed billing cycles and proactively escalating issues before deadlines
• Limited oversight of external printing vendor performance and compliance with service level agreements
• Challenges in managing multi-channel distribution (email, SMS, WhatsApp, paper) with unified tracking
• Time-consuming manual processes to coordinate between printing completion and distribution initiation

For Printing Vendor (External Partner):

• Absence of streamlined interface to update printing status and communicate progress back to the utility
• Difficulty in providing accurate completion estimates and managing expectation alignment
• Limited visibility into priority levels and deadline urgency for different billing cycles
• Challenges in documenting delays, issues, or special requirements during the printing process

For System Admin:

• Lack of comprehensive analytics to monitor printing and distribution performance trends
• Difficulty in ensuring data security and access control for external vendor interactions
• Limited ability to configure automated alerts and escalation workflows for delayed cycles

Core Problem:

The current billing system lacks a comprehensive printing and distribution management interface that provides real-time visibility, enables proactive monitoring, and facilitates seamless coordination between internal billing teams and external printing vendors. This results in missed deadlines, poor consumer experience, and inefficient resource allocation across the billing operation.

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

Billing Manager:

• Oversees the entire billing cycle from meter data import to bill delivery
• Ensures accurate implementation of rate structures and billing rules
• Manages billing exception processes and adjustments
• Develops bill formats and customer communications
• Reports on revenue and billing performance metrics
• Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements for billing

Printing Vendor (External Partner):

• Receives electronic billing files from SMART360 system
• Formats data according to bill template specifications
• Produces physical bills according to quality standards
• Manages insert materials and promotional content
• Ensures timely processing and mailing of statements
• Provides tracking and confirmation of bill production

System Admin (IT Director):

• Oversees all IT infrastructure supporting SMART360 and other utility systems
• Manages cybersecurity protocols and ensures compliance with industry standards
• Monitors system health, performance, and availability metrics
• Reviews and approves vendor invoices for technology services

Utility Administrator:

• Serves as primary SMART360 system administrator for the utility
• Configures system settings to align with utility business processes
• Manages master data including rate structures and service area definitions
• Sets up workflows and approval hierarchies within the system

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Billing Manager:

• When I need to monitor the printing and distribution status of all billing cycles in real-time, But I lack a centralized dashboard with comprehensive visibility across all stages, Help me access a unified dashboard showing printing progress, distribution status, and performance metrics, So that I can proactively identify delays and ensure timely bill delivery to consumers.
• When I need to track individual billing cycle progress from printing to consumer delivery, But I cannot drill down into specific cycle details or consumer-level distribution status, Help me access detailed views showing cycle-specific metrics and consumer-level delivery tracking across all channels, So that I can identify bottlenecks and resolve delivery issues quickly.
• When I need to manage printing vendor performance and ensure compliance with deadlines, But I have limited visibility into vendor progress and no structured way to track delays, Help me monitor vendor performance metrics, lapsed days, and escalation triggers with automated alerts, So that I can ensure service level agreement compliance and maintain billing timeline adherence.
• When I need to coordinate multi-channel bill distribution efficiently, But I struggle to manage and track delivery across email, SMS, WhatsApp, and paper channels simultaneously, Help me access unified distribution management with channel-specific success rates and failure tracking, So that I can optimize delivery methods and ensure maximum customer reach.

For Printing Vendor (External Partner):

• When I need to update printing status and communicate progress to the utility, But I lack direct access to update job status in their system, Help me access a vendor portal or interface to update printing progress, report delays, and communicate completion status, So that I can maintain transparency and enable the utility to track progress in real-time.
• When I need to prioritize printing jobs based on deadlines and urgency, But I cannot see lapsed days or priority indicators in my workflow, Help me access job prioritization information and deadline visibility, So that I can optimize my production schedule and meet critical deadlines first.

For System Admin:

• When I need to ensure secure data exchange between internal systems and external printing vendors, But I lack visibility into data transfer security and access controls, Help me monitor secure file transfers, vendor access patterns, and data protection compliance, So that I can maintain system security while enabling efficient vendor collaboration.
• When I need to track system performance and identify optimization opportunities, But I cannot analyze printing and distribution workflow efficiency, Help me access performance analytics and bottleneck identification tools, So that I can optimize system configurations and improve overall billing operation efficiency.

4. Solution

The Printing & Distribution Management system provides a comprehensive solution for monitoring, tracking, and coordinating bill printing and distribution operations:

Key Capability Areas:

1. Printing Dashboard Overview
   • Real-time status cards showing pending print start, printing in progress, printed today counts
   • Average processing time calculation and delayed print alerts
   • Tabbed interface separating printing and distribution views
   • Quick access to key performance indicators and trends
2. Billing Cycle Management
   • Comprehensive table view of all billing cycles with key details
   • Status tracking from pending through completion with visual indicators
   • Lapsed days calculation and highlighting for overdue cycles
   • Print date scheduling and completion date tracking
3. Status Update and Workflow Management
   • Inline status editing with modal interface for detailed updates
   • Status progression workflow (Pending → Started → Completed)
   • Vendor assignment and tracking capabilities
   • Automated lapsed days calculation based on print date vs current date
4. Distribution Channel Management
   • Multi-channel distribution tracking (Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Paper, Notification)
   • Channel-specific success/failure metrics with detailed counts
   • Distribution success rate calculation and monitoring
   • Missing contact information identification and resolution
5. Consumer-Level Distribution Tracking
   • Individual consumer delivery status across all channels
   • Comprehensive delivery matrix showing sent/delivered/read/failed status
   • Consumer contact information completeness verification
   • Failed delivery identification and retry coordination
6. Geographic Distribution Management
   • Area and sub-area based distribution assignment
   • Premises and bill count tracking by geographic zones
   • Progress monitoring with visual progress bars
   • Bulk assignment capabilities for efficient resource allocation
7. Vendor and Resource Assignment
   • Flexible assignment options for in-house employees or external services
   • Bulk assignment functionality for multiple areas simultaneously
   • Courier/postal service name tracking and management
   • Optional dispatch date scheduling for coordinated delivery
8. Performance Analytics and Reporting
   • Success rate calculations and trend analysis
   • Delay identification and escalation triggers
   • Resource utilization and efficiency metrics
   • Vendor performance tracking and SLA compliance monitoring

5. Major Steps Involved

For Billing Manager using the Printing & Distribution Management feature:

1. Access Printing Dashboard
   • Navigate to the Billing module in SMART360
   • Select "Printing & Distribution" from the navigation menu
   • View overview dashboard with printing status cards (Pending Print Start: 5, Printing in Progress: 3, Printed Today: 12)
   • Review Average Processing Time (2.5 days) and Delayed Print Alerts (2)
2. Monitor Billing Cycle Status
   • Review billing cycle table showing all active cycles
   • Identify cycles with status indicators (Pending, In Progress, Completed)
   • Check "Lapsed Days" column to identify overdue cycles (131 days, 105 days, 167 days shown)
   • Use search functionality to locate specific billing cycles
3. Update Printing Status
   • Click the edit icon in the Actions column for a specific cycle
   • Modal opens titled "Edit Printing Status" for selected cycle (e.g., January 2025)
   • Update Print Date field if needed (currently showing 05 Feb 2025)
   • Change Status using button selection (Pending, Started, Completed)
   • Update Vendor assignment from "Unassigned" to specific vendor
   • Review Lapsed Days calculation (automatically calculated as 131 days)
   • Click "Save Changes" to update the record
4. Track Distribution Progress
   • Click on "Distribution" tab to switch from Printing view
   • Review distribution metrics: Pending Dispatch (4), Delivery Failures (12), Distribution Success Rate (95%)
   • Monitor Missing Contact Info (8) and Dispatch Delayed (2) alerts
   • Review channel-specific distribution data in the billing cycle table
5. Analyze Consumer-Level Distribution
   • Click on a specific billing cycle to drill down to consumer details
   • View consumer distribution summary: Total Consumers (1250), Fully Delivered (1150), At Least One Delivered (1200)
   • Review failure metrics: Failed All (50), Missing Contact (25)
   • Examine individual consumer records with channel-specific delivery status
   • Use channel icons to identify which delivery methods succeeded/failed for each consumer
6. Manage Paper Bill Distribution
   • Switch to "Paper Bill Distribution" tab
   • Review paper distribution dashboard: Total Bills (705), Assigned Bills (325), Successfully Distributed (250)
   • Monitor Issues/Pending count (0 in current example)
   • Review Areas & Sub-Areas Distribution table showing geographic assignment
7. Assign Distribution Resources
   • Select unassigned areas using checkboxes in the distribution table
   • Click "Bulk Assign (1)" button for selected areas
   • In assignment modal, choose Assignment Type: "In-house Employee" or "External Service"
   • For external service, enter "Courier/Postal Service Name"
   • Set optional "Dispatch Date" using date picker
   • Click "Assign" to complete the assignment
8. Monitor Performance and Take Action
   • Use Sort, Field, Filter, and Export options to analyze data
   • Identify cycles with high lapsed days for immediate attention
   • Review vendor performance across different billing cycles
   • Generate reports for management review and vendor performance evaluation
   • Set up alerts for cycles approaching critical deadlines
9. Coordinate with External Vendors
   • Review vendor assignments and performance in the system
   • Monitor external service provider progress and completion rates
   • Use the interface to track communication and status updates from vendors
   • Escalate issues when vendor performance falls below SLA requirements

For Printing Vendor updating status:

1. Access Vendor Interface
   • Log into assigned vendor portal section of SMART360
   • View assigned billing cycles and current status
   • Review priority and lapsed days information for job prioritization
2. Update Job Progress
   • Select assigned billing cycle requiring status update
   • Update status from "Pending" to "Started" when beginning production
   • Update to "Completed" when printing job is finished
   • Add notes or comments regarding any issues or delays encountered
3. Communicate Delays or Issues
   • Use status update interface to report any production delays
   • Provide estimated completion dates when jobs are behind schedule
   • Document any quality issues or special requirements that arise

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

General

Dashboard Rules:

1. AllSummary billing cycles must have a Print Date assigned before printing can be initiated
2. Status progression must follow the sequence: Pending → Started → Completed (no backward progression allowed)
3. Lapsed Days calculation is based on current date minus Print Date for all non-completed cycles
4. Only users with Billing Manager or System Admin roles can modify printing status
5. Vendor assignments can only be made to pre-approved external partners in the system
6. All status changes must be logged with user identification and timestamp
7. Distribution cannot begin until printing status is marked as "Completed"

Printing Status Rules:

1. Cards

   Pending Print StartStart: count5 = Sum

   • Count of all billing cycles withready statusfor "Pending"printing but not yet initiated
   • Yellow/orange color indicates items waiting for action
   • Triggers workflow to begin print job execution

   Printing inIn ProgressProgress: count3 = Sum

   • Number of all billing cycles withcurrently being printed
   • Blue color shows active processing status "Started"
   • Represents work-in-progress for capacity planning

   Printed TodayToday: count12 = Sum

   • Count of all billing cycles completed printing on current date
   • Green color indicates successful completion
   • Daily productivity metric for print operations

   Average Processing TimeTime: 2.5 days

   • Mean =duration Averagefrom ofprint (Completionstart Dateto -completion Printacross Date)all jobs
   • Performance benchmark for allprint completedoperation cycles in current periodefficiency
   • Used for scheduling and resource allocation planning

   Delayed Print AlertsAlerts: count2

   • Count of print jobs exceeding expected completion timeframes
   • Red color flags urgent attention required
   • Exception management for operational issues

   Main Data Table Fields

   Billing Cycle Name

   • January 2025 | February 2025 | December 2024
   • Identifies specific billing period for print job
   • Links print operations to corresponding billing cycles

   Billing Period

   • 01/01/2025 - 31/01/2025 | 01/02/2025 - 28/02/2025 | 01/12/2024 - 31/12/2024
   • Date range for billing cycle being printed
   • Defines scope of customer bills included in print job

   Total Bills

   • 1250 | 1300 | 1200
   • Number of individual customer bills in the print job
   • Determines print volume and resource requirements

   Print Date

   • 05 Feb 2025 | 05 Mar 2025 | 05 Jan 2025
   • Scheduled or actual date when printing was initiated
   • Critical for tracking print schedule adherence

   Completion Date

   • "-" (indicates not completed)
   • Actual date when printing finished
   • Empty values show pending/in-progress status

   Status Options

   • Pending: Job queued but not started (gray badge)
   • In Progress: Currently being printed (blue badge)
   • Started: Print job initiated but processing
   • Completed: Print job finished successfully

   Print By

   • Unassigned | Vendor A
   • Resource assignment for print job execution
   • "Unassigned" = needs resource allocation
   • "Vendor A" = specific vendor assigned to job

   Lapsed Days

   • 131 days | 105 days | 167 days
   • Time elapsed since billing cycle completion to current date
   • Orange color indicates aging of unprinted bills
   • Higher values suggest service delivery delays

   Edit Printing Status Modal Fields

   Modal Title: "Edit Printing Status"

   • Shows which billing cycle is being updated (January 2025)
   • Context for status modification

   Print Date: 05 Feb 2025

   • Editable field showing when printing was scheduled/started
   • Can be modified to reschedule print jobs

   Status Radio Buttons

   • Pending =(currently Countselected ofwith cyclesblue where Lapsed Days > defined thresholdhighlight)
   • Started (appearsavailable option)
   • Completed (available option)
   • Single-select options controlling workflow state

   Vendor Dropdown

   • Currently shows "Unassigned"
   • Selectable field to assign print job to specific vendor
   • Controls resource allocation and accountability

   Lapsed Days: 131 days

   • Read-only calculated field
   • Automatically computed based on billing cycle completion date
   • Cannot be manually edited

   Action Buttons

   • Cancel: Discards changes and closes modal
   • Save Changes: Commits modifications to database

   Table Action Icons

   • Edit Icon: Opens status modification modal
   • Refresh Icon: Updates job status from external systems
   • Print Icon: Initiates immediate print job (visible for In Progress items)
   • View Icon: Opens detailed print job information

   Tip Section

   "Prioritize printing cycles with statusthe "Pending"highest number of lapsed days to minimize delays"

   • Business rule guidance displayed to users
   • Helps optimize print queue management
   • Suggests focusing on oldest pending bills first

   Search and LapsedFilter DaysControls

   Search >Box

   • Free-text 100)
   • Printsearch Date cannot be set to a future date beyond currentacross billing cycle requirementsnames and periods
   • CompletionEnables Datequick islocation automaticallyof setspecific whenprint statusjobs

   Sort changesDropdown

   • Organizes table data by different field criteria
   • Default sorting likely by lapsed days or print date

   Field Dropdown

   • Selects which columns to "Completed"display in table view
   • CyclesCustomizes withdata "Unassigned"presentation vendorbased cannoton beuser markedneeds

   Filter asButton

   • Opens "Started"advanced filtering options

Allows filtering by status, vendor, date ranges

Export Button

• Downloads table data in various formats
• Enables external reporting and analysis

Based on the Distribution Channeltab Rules:

1. Emailscreenshot, channelhere format:are Showsall attempted/deliveredthe countsdynamic (e.g.,fields "950/0/0"and =their 950specific attempted, 0 delivered, 0 read)
2. SMS channel format: Shows attempted/delivered counts (e.g., "800/0/0")
3. WhatsApp channel format: Shows attempted/delivered counts (e.g., "650/0/0")
4. Paper channel format: Shows attempted/delivered counts (e.g., "450/0/0")
5. Notification channel format: Shows attempted/delivered counts (e.g., "350/0/0")
6. functions:

   Distribution SuccessSummary RateCards = (Total successful deliveries across all channels / Total attempted deliveries) × 100

7. Pending DispatchDispatch: count4 = Number

   • Count of billing cycles ready for distribution but not yet dispatched
   • Yellow/orange color indicates items awaiting dispatch initiation
   • Represents work queued for distribution teams

   Delivery FailuresFailures: count12

   • Number = Totalof failed delivery attempts across all distribution channels
   • Red color flags critical delivery issues requiring attention
   • Includes undelivered emails, SMS, physical mail, etc.

   Distribution Success Rate: 95%

   • Percentage of successful deliveries across all channels
   • Green color indicates healthy delivery performance
   • Calculated as (successful deliveries ÷ total delivery attempts) × 100

   Missing Contact InfoInfo: count8

   • Count =of customer records lacking required contact information
   • Yellow/orange color indicates data quality issues
   • Prevents delivery through digital channels (email, SMS, WhatsApp)

   Dispatch Delayed: 2

   • Number of consumersdistribution withoutjobs validexceeding contactexpected informationdispatch timeframes
   • Red color flags urgent attention for anydelayed channeldispatches
   • DispatchException Delayedmanagement count = Number of cycles where dispatch date has passed butfor distribution notworkflow completedissues

Consumer-Level

Distribution Rules:

Channels Table

Billing Cycle Column

• January 2025 | February 2025 | December 2024
• Identifies specific billing period for distribution tracking
• Links distribution operations to corresponding billing cycles

Period Column

• 01/01/2025 - 31/01/2025 | 01/02/2025 - 28/02/2025 | 01/12/2024 - 31/12/2024
• Date range defining billing cycle scope
• Determines customer bill population for distribution

Total ConsumersColumn

• 1250 =| 1300 | 1200
• Total number of consumersbills to be distributed for each cycle
• Base number for calculating distribution channel allocations

Dispatch Date Column

• February 5th, 2025 | March 5th, 2025 | January 5th, 2025
• Scheduled or actual date when distribution was initiated
• Blue color with calendar icon indicates editable dispatch scheduling

Distribution Channel Metrics

Email Column (Blue)

• 950/0/0 | 980/0/0 | 920/700/50
• Format: Delivered/Failed/Pending
• Tracks email delivery success, failures, and queue status
• Blue color represents digital email channel

SMS Column (Green)

• 800/0/0 | 820/0/0 | 780/600/40
• Format: Delivered/Failed/Pending
• Monitors SMS delivery performance across customer base
• Green color represents mobile SMS channel

WhatsApp Column (Teal)

• 650/0/0 | 670/0/0 | 620/550/30
• Format: Delivered/Failed/Pending
• Tracks WhatsApp message delivery status
• Teal color represents WhatsApp messaging channel

Paper Column (Orange)

• 450/0/0 | 470/0/0 | 420/350/40
• Format: Delivered/Failed/Pending
• Physical mail delivery tracking (print and postal)
• Orange color represents traditional paper delivery

Notification Column (Purple)

• 350/0/0 | 370/0/0 | 320/250/20
• Format: Delivered/Failed/Pending
• Push notifications or other notification methods
• Purple color represents notification channel

Status Column

• Pending: Distribution not yet started (gray badge)
• In Progress: Currently distributing bills (blue badge)
• Shows current state of distribution workflow

Lapsed Days Column

• "-" (for pending items)
• "3-day delay" (for December 2024)
• Time elapsed since expected dispatch date
• Orange badge indicates delayed distribution requiring attention

Channel Delivery Metrics Format

Each channel uses the three-number format:

• First Number (Delivered): Successfully delivered bills
• Second Number (Failed): Failed delivery attempts
• Third Number (Pending): Bills still in delivery queue

Example Analysis for December 2024:

• Email: 920 delivered, 700 failed, 50 pending
• SMS: 780 delivered, 600 failed, 40 pending
• WhatsApp: 620 delivered, 550 failed, 30 pending
• Paper: 420 delivered, 350 failed, 40 pending
• Notification: 320 delivered, 250 failed, 20 pending

Action Icons

• Calendar Icon: Edit dispatch date
• Refresh Icon: Update distribution status
• Download Icon: Export distribution report
• View Icon: Detailed distribution breakdown

Tip Section

"Click a cycle to manage consumer distribution. Use Actions for editing dispatch date or jumping to ZIP download."

• Provides user guidance for distribution management
• Explains how to access detailed consumer-level distribution data
• Mentions ZIP download functionality for bulk distribution files

Business Rules Implied

• Multiple distribution channels operate simultaneously
• Each channel has independent success/failure tracking
• Failed deliveries require retry mechanisms
• Distribution performance is measured across all channels
• Consumer contact information quality impacts delivery success
• Physical dispatch timing affects overall distribution efficiency

Consumer Distribution Summary Cards

Total Consumers: 1250

• Complete count of customers in the billing cycle
• Base number for distribution calculations and coverage metrics
• Represents entire customer population requiring bill delivery

Fully DeliveredDelivered: 1150

• Count =of Consumersconsumers who received bills through ALL opted channels
• Green color indicates successful multi-channel delivery
• Shows customers with complete delivery coverage across all their preferred methods

At Least One Delivered: 1200

• Count of consumers who received bills through at least one channel successfully
• Blue color represents partial delivery success
• Includes customers who may have failed delivery on some channels but succeeded on others

AtFailed LeastAll: One50

• Count of consumers who failed delivery across ALL attempted channels
• Red color flags critical delivery failures requiring immediate attention
• Represents customers who received no bill through any method

Missing Contact: 25

• Count of consumers lacking required contact information for delivery
• Orange color indicates data quality issues preventing delivery attempts
• Requires customer data updates before delivery can be attempted

Consumer List Table Fields

Consumer Name

• John Smith | Alice Johnson | Bob Williams | Carol Davis
• Individual customer identification for delivery tracking
• Links to specific customer records and contact information

Consumer ID

• CS001 | CS002 | CS003 | CS004
• Unique customer identifier in sequential format
• Primary key for customer account management and delivery tracking

Bill Number

• BN2025010001 | BN2025010002 | BN2025010003 | BN2025010004
• Unique bill identifier with year/sequence format (BN + Year + Sequential)
• Links specific bills to delivery attempts and customer accounts

Bill Amount

• $120.50 | $85.75 | $150.25 | $95.00
• Individual customer bill value for current cycle
• Used for revenue tracking and customer account management

Opted Channels

• Shows icons for delivery methods each customer has selected
• Email (envelope icon) | SMS (phone icon) | Paper (document icon)
• Defines which delivery methods should be attempted per customer

Sent

• Shows icons for channels where delivery was attempted
• Matches opted channels where system initiated delivery process
• Confirms delivery attempts were made according to customer preferences

Delivered

• Shows =icons Consumers who hadfor successful delivery via any single channelconfirmations
• Subset of sent channels with confirmed successful delivery
• Blue icons indicate successful delivery completion

Read

• Shows icons for channels where customer opened/viewed the bill
• Blue envelope icon indicates email was opened by customer
• Engagement metric showing customer interaction with delivered bills

Failed All

• Shows =icons Consumersfor channels where alldelivery failed
• Bob Williams shows failed SMS and Paper delivery channels(red failedhighlighting)
• MissingIdentifies Contact = Consumers without any valid contact information in the system
• Consumerspecific delivery statusissues iconsrequiring indicate:retry Emailor (envelope),alternative SMS (phone), WhatsApp (WhatsApp icon), Paper (document), Notification (bell)methods
• Delivery status progression: Sent → Delivered → Read (where applicable)
• Failed deliveries are marked with "-" in the respective channel columns

Paper Bill Distribution Rules:

1. Summary Cards

   Total BillsBills: 705

   • Complete = Sumcount of all bills requiring physical/paper delivery
   • Subset of total consumer population who opted for paper delivery
   • Base number for paper distribution planning and resource allocation

   Assigned BillsBills: 325 = Number

   • Count of paper bills assigned to delivery personnel or services
   • Blue color indicates bills in distribution personnelworkflow
   • Shows bills with designated delivery resources

   Successfully DistributedDistributed: 250 = Number

   • Count of paper bills confirmed as delivered to customers
   • Green color indicates successful physical delivery completion
   • Represents completed distribution transactions

   Issues/PendingPending: 0

   • Count =of Billspaper bills with distributiondelivery problems or awaitingstill resolutionpending
   • Gray color shows no current issues (ideal state)
   • Would flag bills requiring attention or follow-up

   Areas & Sub-Areas Distribution Table

   Area Column

   • Central District | North Zone | South Zone
   • Primary geographic service territories
   • Top-level organizational structure for distribution management

   Sub-Area Column

   • Central-A | Central-B | Central-C | North-A | North-B | South-A
   • Secondary geographic subdivisions within each area
   • Granular territory assignment for delivery route optimization

   Premises countColumn

   • 105 is| calculated88 as| the87 number| 92 | 93 | 75
   • Number of individualphysical locations/addresses in each sub-area
   • Infrastructure count for delivery planning and resource estimation

   Bills countColumn

   • 120 represents| the100 number| 100 | 105 | 105 | 85
   • Number of bills to be distributeddelivered in each sub-area
   • Work volume for assignment and capacity planning

   Status Options

   • Assigned (In-house): Green dot with internal employee assignment
   • Assigned (External): Blue dot with external service provider
   • Unassigned: Gray dot indicating no delivery resource assigned

   Assigned To Column

   • John Smith (In-house) | India Post (External) | Alice Johnson (In-house)
   • Specific person or service provider responsible for delivery
   • Shows resource allocation and accountability assignment

   Progress Column

   • 45/120 | 100/100 | 105/105
   • Format: Completed/Total bills
   • Real-time tracking of delivery completion status
   • Progress bars show percentage completion (38% | 100% | 100%)

   Updated By Column

   • Admin User | System Admin | Manager
   • User who last modified the assignment or status
   • Audit trail for assignment changes and updates

   Updated On Column

   • 2025-01-15 14:30 | 2025-01-14 16:45 | 2025-01-13 10:20
   • Timestamp of last modification
   • Tracks recency of assignment updates and activity

   Bulk Assign Distribution Modal

   Modal Title: "Bulk Assign Distribution"

   • Shows number of selected sub-areas (1 selected sub-areas)
   • Context for bulk operation scope

   Assignment Type Dropdown

   • In-house Employee 
   • ProgressExternal percentageService =
   • Determines whether assignment goes to internal staff or external vendor

   Select Employee Dropdown

   • "Choose employee" placeholder
   • Populates with available internal staff for assignment
   • Only appears when "In-house Employee" is selected

   Courier/Postal Service Name Field

   • "Enter service provider name" text input
   • Free-text field for external service provider identification
   • Only appears when "External Service" is selected

   Dispatch Date (DistributedOptional) billsField

   • Date /picker Totalwith bills)"dd-mm-yyyy" ×format
   • Calendar 100icon for date selection
   • Optional scheduling for future dispatch dates

   Action Buttons

   • Cancel: Discards bulk assignment and closes modal
   • Assign: Commits bulk assignment to selected sub-areas

   Checkbox Selection System

   • Individual checkboxes for each sub-area
   • Areas must have valid premise counts before bills can be assigned
   • Assignment can be made to "In-house Employee" or "External Service" only
   • External service assignments require a "Courier/Postal Service Name"
   • Dispatch Date is optional but recommended for scheduling coordinationrow
   • UpdatedBulk ByAssign (0) and Updated On fields are automatically populated when assignments are made

Area Assignment Rules:

1. Multiple areas can be selected for bulk assignment using checkboxes
2. Bulk assign button shows count of selected areas: "Bulk Assign (n)"items
3. AssignmentEnables Type dropdown has two options: "In-house Employee" and "External Service"
4. When "External Service" is selected, "Courier/Postal Service Name" field becomes mandatory
5. Dispatch Date field accepts format "dd-mm-yyyy" and is optional
6. Areas with "Unassigned" status can be assigned; already assigned areas require reassignment confirmation
7. Progress tracking begins only after assignment is completed
8. System automatically updates "Updated By" field with current user name
9. System automatically updates "Updated On" field with current timestamp

Validation and Error Handling Rules:

1. Print Date validation prevents dates more than 30 days in the past or future
2. Status changes require confirmation if they affect downstream processes
3. Vendor assignment changes trigger notification to affected parties
4. Distribution assignment failures generate alerts for manual resolution
5. Missing contact information triggers automated data enrichment workflows where possible
6. Failed distribution attempts are retried automatically up to 3 times before manual intervention
7. Bulkmass assignment operations validateacross multiple territories

Business Rules Implied

• Geographic hierarchy: Area → Sub-Area → Premises → Bills
• Assignment flexibility: Internal employees vs external services
• Progress tracking: Real-time completion monitoring
• Resource management: Workload distribution across territories
• Audit capability: User and timestamp tracking for all selected areas before processingchanges
• ExternalBulk serviceoperations: providerEfficiency namesfor mustlarge-scale exist in the approved vendor directoryassignments

8. Sample Data

Printing Dashboard Metrics:

• Dashboard Summary: Pending Print Start: 5, Printing in Progress: 3, Printed Today: 12, Average Processing Time: 2.5 days, Delayed Print Alerts: 2

Billing Cycle Details:

1. January 2025
   • Billing Period: 01/01/2025 - 31/01/2025
   • Total Bills: 1250
   • Print Date: 05 Feb 2025
   • Completion Date: - (not completed)
   • Status: Pending
   • Print By: Unassigned
   • Lapsed Days: 131 days
2. February 2025
   • Billing Period: 01/02/2025 - 28/02/2025
   • Total Bills: 1300
   • Print Date: 05 Mar 2025
   • Completion Date: - (not completed)
   • Status: Pending
   • Print By: Unassigned
   • Lapsed Days: 105 days
3. December 2024
   • Billing Period: 01/12/2024 - 31/12/2024
   • Total Bills: 1200
   • Print Date: 05 Jan 2025
   • Completion Date: - (not completed)
   • Status: In Progress
   • Print By: Vendor A
   • Lapsed Days: 167 days

Distribution Channel Data:

• Email: 950/0/0 (Attempted/Delivered/Read)
• SMS: 800/0/0
• WhatsApp: 650/0/0
• Paper: 450/0/0
• Notification: 350/0/0

Consumer Distribution Summary:

• Total Consumers: 1250
• Fully Delivered: 1150 (92%)
• At Least One Delivered: 1200 (96%)
• Failed All: 50 (4%)
• Missing Contact: 25 (2%)

Individual Consumer Examples:

1. John Smith (CS001, BN2025010001, $120.50)
   • Opted Channels: Email, SMS, Paper
   • Sent: Email, SMS, Paper
   • Delivered: Email, Paper
   • Read: Email
   • Failed: - (none)
2. Alice Johnson (CS002, BN2025010002, $85.75)
   • Opted Channels: Email, WhatsApp
   • Sent: Email, WhatsApp
   • Delivered: Email, WhatsApp
   • Read: WhatsApp
   • Failed: - (none)
3. Bob Williams (CS003, BN2025010003, $150.25)
   • Opted Channels: SMS, Paper
   • Sent: - (none)
   • Delivered: - (none)
   • Read: - (none)
   • Failed: SMS, Paper

Paper Distribution Area Data:

1. Central District - Central-A
   • Premises: 280 premises, 320 bills
   • Sub-Area Bills: 105 premises, 120 bills
   • Status: Assigned (In-house)
   • Assigned To: John Smith (In-house)
   • Progress: 45/120 (38%)
   • Updated By: Admin User
   • Updated On: 2025-01-15 14:30
2. Central District - Central-B
   • Premises: 280 premises, 320 bills
   • Sub-Area Bills: 88 premises, 100 bills
   • Status: Assigned (External)
   • Assigned To: India Post (External)
   • Progress: 100/100 (100%)
   • Updated By: System Admin
   • Updated On: 2025-01-14 16:45
3. North Zone - North-A
   • Premises: 185 premises, 210 bills
   • Sub-Area Bills: 92 premises, 105 bills
   • Status: Assigned (In-house)
   • Assigned To: Alice Johnson (In-house)
   • Progress: 105/105 (100%)
   • Updated By: Manager
   • Updated On: 2025-01-13 10:20

9. Acceptance Criteria

1. The system must display accurate real-time counts for Pending Print Start, Printing in Progress, and Printed Today metrics
2. The system must calculate Average Processing Time based on completed cycles within the current reporting period
3. The system must identify and count Delayed Print Alerts based on configurable lapsed days threshold
4. The system must allow users to update printing status through a modal interface with Print Date, Status, Vendor, and Lapsed Days fields
5. The system must automatically calculate Lapsed Days as the difference between current date and Print Date for non-completed cycles
6. The system must enforce status progression workflow preventing backward status changes (Pending → Started → Completed)
7. The system must provide tabbed interface switching between Printing and Distribution views
8. The system must display distribution channel metrics with attempted/delivered/read counts in specified format
9. The system must calculate Distribution Success Rate as percentage of successful deliveries across all channels
10. The system must provide consumer-level drill-down showing individual delivery status across all channels
11. The system must support bulk assignment of distribution areas with checkbox selection
12. The system must provide Assignment Type dropdown with "In-house Employee" and "External Service" options
13. The system must require Courier/Postal Service Name when External Service assignment type is selected
14. The system must allow optional Dispatch Date selection with date picker in dd-mm-yyyy format
15. The system must automatically populate Updated By and Updated On fields when assignments are made
16. The system must display progress bars showing distribution completion percentage for each assigned area
17. The system must provide search, sort, filter, and export functionality for all data tables
18. The system must log all status changes and assignments with user identification and timestamp
19. The system must prevent vendor assignment modifications without appropriate user permissions
20. The system must validate all form inputs and provide clear error messages for invalid data entries

10. Process Changes

Current Process	New Process	Impact
Manual tracking of printing status through email/phone communication with vendors	Real-time printing status updates through integrated dashboard interface	85% reduction in communication overhead; immediate visibility into printing progress
Separate spreadsheet-based tracking of billing cycle deadlines	Automated lapsed days calculation with visual alerts for overdue cycles	90% improvement in deadline management accuracy; proactive identification of delays
Vendor performance evaluation through periodic manual review	Continuous vendor performance monitoring with metrics and SLA tracking	75% improvement in vendor accountability; data-driven vendor management decisions
Distribution coordination through multiple disconnected systems	Unified multi-channel distribution management with single interface	70% reduction in coordination effort; unified view of all distribution channels
Consumer delivery issues identified reactively through customer complaints	Proactive consumer-level delivery tracking with failure identification	60% reduction in customer complaints; 80% faster issue resolution
Manual assignment of paper distribution routes	Geographic area-based bulk assignment with progress tracking	50% reduction in assignment time; improved resource utilization
Limited visibility into external service provider performance	Real-time tracking of external distribution partner progress and completion	65% improvement in external partner management; enhanced SLA compliance
Ad-hoc reporting and analytics generation	Automated dashboard metrics with real-time performance indicators	80% reduction in manual reporting effort; instant access to performance insights

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

Metric	Improvement Impact
Bill Delivery Timeliness	95% of bills delivered within SLA deadlines (improvement from 70%)
Printing Vendor SLA Compliance	90% improvement in vendor deadline adherence through proactive monitoring
Consumer Complaint Reduction	60% decrease in delivery-related customer complaints
Multi-channel Distribution Efficiency	40% improvement in successful delivery rates across all channels
Operational Visibility	100% real-time visibility into printing and distribution status
Resource Allocation Efficiency	35% improvement in distribution resource utilization through geographic optimization
Process Automation	75% reduction in manual tracking and coordination activities
Vendor Management Effectiveness	50% improvement in vendor performance through data-driven management
Consumer Experience	25% increase in customer satisfaction related to bill delivery
Cost Reduction	30% reduction in operational costs through process optimization and automation
Data-Driven Decision Making	90% of distribution decisions based on real-time analytics versus historical guesswork
Issue Resolution Speed	70% faster identification and resolution of distribution problems

12. User Behavior Tracking

Event	Properties	Metrics	Insights
Dashboard_View	user_id, tab_viewed, session_duration	Daily active users, Tab preference, Time spent on dashboard	Which aspects of printing/distribution require most attention? How frequently do users monitor progress?
Status_Update	cycle_id, old_status, new_status, vendor_assigned, user_id	Status change frequency, Time between status changes, Vendor assignment patterns	How quickly do cycles progress through statuses? Which vendors are most frequently assigned?
Lapsed_Days_Alert	cycle_id, lapsed_days, user_id, action_taken	Alert frequency, Response time to alerts, Action completion rate	How effective are lapsed day alerts in driving action? What threshold generates optimal response?
Distribution_Channel_View	cycle_id, channel_type, success_rate_viewed	Channel preference analysis, Success rate awareness	Which distribution channels receive most attention? How does success rate visibility affect channel strategy?
Consumer_Drill_Down	cycle_id, consumer_id, channels_reviewed, time_spent	Drill-down frequency, Investigation depth, Issue identification rate	How thoroughly are consumer-level issues investigated? Which delivery patterns trigger deeper analysis?
Bulk_Assignment	area_count, assignment_type, service_provider, user_id	Assignment efficiency, Resource allocation patterns, Provider preferences	How effectively are bulk assignments used? What factors influence in-house vs external decisions?
Vendor_Performance_Review	vendor_id, metrics_reviewed, time_spent, action_taken	Vendor monitoring frequency, Performance evaluation depth, Corrective action rate	How actively are vendor relationships managed? What performance metrics drive vendor decisions?
Export_Report	report_type, data_range, user_id, export_format	Report generation frequency, Data consumption patterns, Format preferences	What insights are being shared externally? How is performance data being communicated?
Search_Filter_Usage	search_term, filter_criteria, results_count, user_id	Search effectiveness, Filter utilization, Data discovery patterns	How are users finding specific information? What search patterns indicate system usability?
Alert_Response	alert_type, response_time, action_taken, resolution_success	Alert effectiveness, Response timeliness, Resolution success rate	Which alerts drive the most effective responses? How can alert systems be optimized?
Distribution_Assignment	area_id, assignment_type, dispatch_date_set, completion_time	Assignment patterns, Planning effectiveness, Resource optimization	How are distribution resources being allocated? What factors improve assignment success?
Progress_Monitoring	area_id, progress_checked, current_completion, time_since_assignment	Monitoring frequency, Progress tracking effectiveness, Bottleneck identification	How actively is progress monitored? Where do distribution bottlenecks commonly occur?

Questions answered by tracking:

1. What is the average time from printing initiation to consumer delivery across different channels?
2. Which vendors consistently meet deadlines and which require additional management attention?
3. How does consumer contact information completeness affect successful multi-channel delivery?
4. What geographic patterns exist in distribution efficiency and resource requirements?
5. Which billing cycles consistently experience delays and what are the root causes?
6. How effective are automated alerts in driving proactive management action?
7. What is the optimal balance between in-house and external distribution resources?
8. How does real-time visibility impact overall billing operation efficiency and customer satisfaction?

Wireframe

Wireframe: Link

Reference: Link