Single Bill Generation V2 (BX01US04)

Generate Bill - User Story Document

1. Problem Statement

User Role: Billing Specialist

• Manual bill generation is time-consuming and prone to errors
• Difficulty in handling complex billing scenarios with multiple meters and utility types
• Challenges in applying correct tariff structures and consumption tiers
• Inefficient process for including outstanding balances and applicable fees
• Limited visibility into consumption patterns when generating bills

User Role: Billing Manager

• Lack of streamlined process for generating bills outside regular billing cycles
• Difficulty in managing billing exceptions and special cases
• Challenges in ensuring billing accuracy across different account types
• Limited ability to track and audit individual bill generation
• Inefficient oversight of the billing process across the organization

Core Problem: The utility billing process lacks a streamlined, error-proof method for generating accurate bills that incorporate multiple utilities, variable rate structures, outstanding balances, and consumption data, causing inefficiencies, revenue delays, and customer satisfaction issues.

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

Billing Specialist:

• Responsible for day-to-day bill generation and processing
• Handles billing exceptions, adjustments, and special cases
• Works directly with account data, meter readings, and tariff structures
• Processes billing for multiple utility types (water, electric, gas)
• Must ensure accurate application of rates, fees, and credits

Billing Manager:

• Oversees the entire billing cycle and ensures timely bill delivery
• Manages billing policies, rate implementations, and exception handling
• Coordinates with other departments regarding billing issues
• Responsible for billing accuracy and compliance with regulations
• Monitors billing performance metrics and revenue collection

Both roles should have access to the bill generation feature, with the Billing Manager having additional oversight capabilities.

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Billing Specialist:

• When I need to generate a bill for a consumer, But I have to navigate through multiple systems and manually calculate charges for different utilities, Help me process bills through a single streamlined flow that automatically calculates all charges, So that I can generate accurate bills in less time with fewer errors.
• When I need to include outstanding balances and late fees in a bill, But I struggle to correctly calculate and apply these amounts, Help me automatically include previous balances, fees, and credits with clear visibility, So that I can ensure billing accuracy and improve revenue collection.
• When I need to handle billing exceptions for accounts with multiple meters, But I find it difficult to manage complex tariff structures and consumption tiers, Help me easily view and validate meter readings with automatic rate application, So that I can ensure billing accuracy even for complex accounts.

For Billing Manager:

• When I need to generate bills outside the regular billing cycle, But I lack a standardized process for these exceptions, Help me create consistent off-cycle bills that maintain the same quality standards as regular bills, So that I can resolve billing disputes and address special cases promptly.
• When I need to oversee billing accuracy across different account types, But I lack visibility into individual bill generation details, Help me access comprehensive bill summaries and approval workflows, So that I can ensure compliance with billing policies and regulatory requirements.
• When I need to track billing metrics and performance, But I struggle to collect data on individual bill generation, Help me capture structured data on bill generation activities and outcomes, So that I can identify improvement opportunities and optimize the billing process.

4. Solution

The Generate Bill feature provides a comprehensive, step-by-step workflow for creating and issuing bills for utility consumers. The solution addresses the key challenges faced by billing personnel through the following capability areas:

Consumer Selection and Filtering

• Advanced search functionality to quickly locate consumers by name, account number, or premise
• Billing period selection with clear date range controls
• Bill template selection to accommodate different billing scenarios
• Filter options to identify accounts requiring immediate billing

Account Information Management

• Consolidated view of consumer account details including registered utilities
• Clear visibility of outstanding amounts and payment status
• Automated calculation and application of late fees
• Credit balance management with inclusion options
• Visual indicators for account status and billing delays

Meter Reading and Consumption Management

• Organized display of multiple meters by utility type
• Automatic retrieval of previous and current readings
• Status indicators for reading validation
• Consumption calculation with trend analysis
• Ability to include/exclude specific meters from billing

Tariff and Rate Application

• Automated application of appropriate tariff structures
• Clear display of rate plans with effective dates
• Tiered consumption pricing calculation
• Visual indicators for tariff changes and obsolete charges
• Support for multiple utility types with different rate structures

Payment Integration and Adjustment

• Outstanding balance inclusion with detailed breakdown
• Late fee calculation with waiver option
• Credit application management
• Payment history display for context
• Adjustment capabilities for special circumstances

Bill Review and Approval

• Comprehensive bill summary with all charges itemized
• Visual verification of all billing components
• Multiple notification options for bill delivery
• Preview, download, and print capabilities
• Final approval workflow with audit trail

Billing Documentation and Tracking

• Automatic bill number generation and issuance date assignment
• Due date calculation based on billing policies
• Period documentation for reference and reporting
• Status tracking throughout the bill lifecycle
• Integration with payment and collection systems

5. Major Steps Involved

For Billing Specialist:

1. Consumer Selection (Screen 1)
   • Navigate to the Generate Bill function
   • Set the billing period start and end dates using the date pickers
   • Select the appropriate bill template from the dropdown
   • Use the search field to find the consumer by name, account number
   • Review the consumer list showing utility types, outstanding amounts, and last bill dates
   • Select the consumer by clicking on their entry
   • Click the "Continue" button to proceed
2. Account Overview (Screen 2)
   • Review the account information section showing consumer details and account status
   • Verify the outstanding amount displayed and decide whether to include late fees
   • Toggle the "Include" switch for late fees if applicable
   • Review available credit balance and toggle the "Include" switch if applicable
   • Expand the meter information section to review all meters
   • Verify meter status for each utility type
   • Toggle the "Include" switch for each meter to include in the bill
   • Expand the plan & tariff details section to review current plans
   • Note any tariff changes or obsolete charges
   • Click "Confirm & Proceed" to continue
3. Readings & Payments (Screen 3)
   • Review the meter readings and consumption section
   • Verify the last reading date and value for each meter
   • Enter or confirm the current reading for each meter
   • Select the current reading date using the date picker
   • Verify the consumption calculation is correct
   • Review the payment summary section
   • Confirm the outstanding amount is correct
   • Decide whether to waive late fees by toggling the switch
   • Confirm whether to include available credit by toggling the switch
   • Click "Confirm All Data & Proceed" to continue
4. Review & Generate (Screen 4)
   • Review the complete bill summary showing all consumer information
   • Verify bill details including bill number, issue date, and due date
   • Review the billing period and ensure it's correct
   • Check the charges breakdown section for accuracy
   • Confirm notification options by selecting the appropriate checkboxes
   • Review the total amount due
   • Click "Preview" to see the formatted bill
   • Click "Download" or "Print" if needed
   • Click "Approve Bill" to finalize and generate the bill

For Billing Manager:

1. Bill Verification Process
   • Access the bill generation queue or individual bill records
   • Review bills awaiting approval, particularly those flagged for review
   • Examine the bill details, focusing on exceptional cases
   • Review meter readings and consumption calculations for accuracy
   • Verify correct application of tariffs and rates
   • Check for proper handling of outstanding balances and fees
   • Approve bills that meet all validation criteria or return for correction

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

General Rules

1. Bills can only be generated for active consumer accounts
2. Bill generation requires both a billing period start and end date
3. Current meter readings must be greater than or equal to previous readings
4. Bills must include at least one active meter with valid readings
5. Bill templates must be selected from pre-approved options
6. Outstanding balances must include all unpaid amounts from previous bills
7. Late fees are calculated based on the outstanding balance and days overdue
8. Credit balances can be applied to the current bill amount if the "Include" option is selected
9. Bills must be in "Draft" status until approved
10. At least one notification method must be selected before bill approval

Reading and Consumption Rules

1. Consumption is calculated as (Current Reading - Previous Reading) for each meter
2. Current reading date must be within the billing period
3. Consumption units must match the meter type (KL for water, kWh for electric)
4. Consumption tiers are applied based on the total consumption amount

Payment and Fee Rules

1. Late fees can be waived by toggling the "Waive" switch, which requires manager approval
2. Credit balances are applied to the current bill before calculating the final amount due
3. Service charges are applied based on predefined service schedules
4. The final bill amount cannot be negative; excess credits are carried forward
5. Partial payments are applied to the oldest charges first

Approval and Notification Rules

1. All bills must be reviewed and approved before sending to consumers
2. Bills can be previewed, downloaded, or printed prior to approval
3. Notification options include SMS, Email, and App notifications
4. Bills with reading anomalies or tariff changes require additional verification
5. Approved bills cannot be modified; corrections require a new bill or adjustment
6. Bill approval creates an audit trail with user ID and timestamp

Generate Bill

Page Header

• Title "Generate Bill" clearly identifies the function
• Subtitle explains purpose: "Create and issue bills for consumers using this streamlined billing flow"
• Sets expectations for the billing process workflow

Step Indicator

• Visual workflow progression showing four sequential steps:
  • Step 1: Consumer Selection (active, blue circle)
  • Step 2: Account Overview (awaiting completion)
  • Step 3: Readings & Payments (awaiting completion)
  • Step 4: Review & Generate (awaiting completion)
• Shows current position in the billing process
• Provides navigation context and process transparency

Search & Filter Section

• Title "Search & Filter" identifies the control panel
• Search Field: Filter consumers by name, account, or premise
• Enables quick location of specific accounts for billing

Billing Period Controls

• Billing Period Start: Date picker for billing cycle beginning
  • Shows selected date (May 5th, 2025)
  • Required field for defining billing timeframe
• Billing Period End: Date picker for billing cycle end
  • Shows selected date (May 5th, 2025)
  • Required field for defining billing timeframe
• Critical for establishing the billing date range

Bill Template Selector

• Dropdown for selecting the template of generated bills

Consumer List Section

• Title "Consumer List" identifies the main data area
• Displays consumers matching the search/filter criteria
• Each consumer represented as a card with key information

Consumer Cards

• Consumer Name: Full name of the account holder
• Account: Unique identifier with format ACC#####
• Premise: Physical location code with format PRE####
• Utilities: Services the consumer receives (Water, Gas, Electric)
• Outstanding: Current unpaid balance in currency format
• Last Bill: Date of most recently issued bill
• Status Indicator:
  • Active: Green checkmark for operational accounts
  • Inactive: Yellow warning triangle for suspended accounts
• Cards provide comprehensive account overview for selection

Consumer Status Rules

• Active: Accounts eligible for bill generation
• Inactive: Accounts that may require special handling or review
• Visual indicators help identify accounts requiring attention

Action Button

• Continue: Blue button to proceed to next step (Account Overview)
• Only enabled when at least one consumer is selected
• Controls workflow progression

Data Relationships

• Consumers may have multiple utilities (Maria Garcia has Water, Gas, Electric)
• Outstanding balances vary by consumer based on previous billing
• Last bill dates indicate billing history and potential cycle alignment
• Premise link consumers to physical service locations
• Account numbers provide unique identifiers for the billing system

Account Overview Page

Step Indicator

• Visual workflow progression showing current position at step 2:
  • Step 1: Consumer Selection (completed)
  • Step 2: Account Overview (active, blue circle)
  • Step 3: Readings & Payments (awaiting completion)
  • Step 4: Review & Generate (awaiting completion)
• Provides navigation context in the multi-step billing process

Account Information Section

• Collapsible panel with essential consumer details:
  • Consumer Name: Full name of the account holder
  • Account No: Unique identifier with format ACC##### (ACC10001)
  • Premise ID: Physical location code with format PRE#### (PRE5001)
  • Registered Utilities: Services subscribed (Water, Electric)
  • Last Billing Date: Most recent bill generation date
  • Days Since Last Bill: Count of days since previous bill with status indicator
    • Delayed: Yellow warning if billing cycle is overdue (155 days)
• Status tag showing account is Active
• Forms the core identification section for the billing record

Financial Controls

• Outstanding Amount: Current unpaid balance in currency format (₹1050)
  • Editable field for adjustments if needed
• Late Fee: Penalty for overdue payment in currency format (₹50)
  • Editable field with toggle to include/exclude from bill
• Credit Balance: Prepaid amount in currency format (₹100)
  • Editable field with toggle to include/exclude from bill
• Controls for financial elements to include in the current bill

Meter Information Section

• Collapsible panel displaying all meters associated with the account
• Badge showing total meter count (2 Meters)
• Meters grouped by utility type (Water Meters, Electric Meters)

Meters Table

• Tabular display of water metering devices:
  • Meter ID: Unique identifier (M1001)
  • Type: Technology classification (Standard)
  • Last Reading: Most recent consumption value (5240)
  • Last Date: Date of most recent reading (Dec 1, 2024)
  • Status: Operational state with visual indicator (active)
  • Include: Toggle switch to include/exclude meter from billing
• Critical for water consumption billing

Plan & Tariff Details Section

• Collapsible panel showing billing rate structures
• Same as plan view from onboarding

Navigation Controls

• Back: Return to Consumer Selection step
• Confirm & Proceed: Save changes and advance to Readings & Payments step
• Controls workflow progression through the billing process

Readings & Payments Page

Step Indicator

• Visual workflow progression showing current position at step 3:
  • Step 1: Consumer Selection (completed)
  • Step 2: Account Overview (completed)
  • Step 3: Readings & Payments (active, blue circle)
  • Step 4: Review & Generate (awaiting completion)
• Provides navigation context in the multi-step billing process

Meter Readings & Consumption Section

• Table displaying reading data for all meters associated with the account
• Comprehensive view of both historical and current reading information
• Critical for consumption calculation and bill generation

Meter Reading Columns

• Meter ID: Unique identifier for each metering device (M1001, M1002)
• Utility: Type of service being measured (Water, Electric)
• Last Reading: Previous meter reading value (5240, 8720)
• Prev Status: Validation status of previous reading (dropdown with "Normal" selected)
• Last Date: Date of previous reading (Dec 1, 2024)
• Current Reading: Latest meter reading value (editable field, same as last reading), autoftched if the data is available, input if not
• Curr Status: Validation status of current reading (dropdown with "Normal" selected), autoftched if the data is available, input if not
• Current Date: Date of current reading (May 5, 2025, with calendar picker), autoftched if the data is available, input if not
• Consumption: Calculated usage between readings (0 KL, 0 kWh)

Zero Consumption Scenario

• Both meters show identical readings for last and current dates
• Results in zero consumption calculation (0 KL, 0 kWh)
• Indicates either no usage during period or potentially missing new readings

Payment Summary & Credit Section

• Displays financial information related to the account
• Shows historical billing data and current balances
• Critical for determining amount to be billed

Historical Payment Data

• Last Bill Date: Date of previous bill generation (Dec 1, 2024)
• Last Bill Amount: Value of previous bill (₹520)
• Last Payment Date: Date payment was received (Jan 10, 2025)
• Last Payment Amount: Value of payment received (₹500)
• Provides context for current billing cycle

Current Financial Status

• Outstanding Amount: Current unpaid balance (₹1050)
  • Read-only field displaying amount carried forward
• Late Fee: Penalty for overdue payment (₹50)
  • With "Waive" toggle to remove fee if needed
• Available Credit: Prepaid amount (₹100)
  • With "Include" toggle to apply credit to current bill
• Financial controls for adjusting the final bill amount

Navigation Controls

• Back: Return to Account Overview step
• Confirm All Data & Proceed: Save changes and advance to Review & Generate step
• Controls workflow progression through the billing process

Review & Generate Page

Step Indicator

• Visual workflow progression showing current position at final step:
  • Step 1: Consumer Selection (completed)
  • Step 2: Account Overview (completed)
  • Step 3: Readings & Payments (completed)
  • Step 4: Review & Generate (active, blue circle)
• Provides complete navigation context in the billing process

Bill Summary Section

• Header with instructional text: "Review and generate the bill. Please verify all details before approval"
• Final verification stage before bill generation and distribution

Consumer Info Panel

• Contains account holder information:
  • Name: Full name of consumer (John Smith)
  • Account No: Unique identifier (ACC10001)
  • Status: Account operational state (Active) with green indicator
  • Utilities: Services subscribed (Water, Electric)
• Reference information for bill recipient

Bill Details Panel

• Contains billing document information:
  • Bill No: Unique bill identifier (BILL-C10001-250505)
  • Issue Date: Bill generation date (May 5th, 2025)
  • Billing Period: Usage timeframe (December 1st, 2024 - May 5th, 2025)
  • Status: Current bill state (Draft)
• Core billing record information

Charges Breakdown Panel

• Itemized financial elements of the bill:
  • Outstanding Balance: Previous unpaid amount (₹1,050)
  • Late Fees: Penalty for overdue payment (₹50)
  • Discounts/Subsidies: Reductions applied to bill (₹-20)
  • Service Charges: Additional non-consumption fees (₹50)
• Transparent breakdown of all charges

Notification Options

• Selection of delivery methods for bill notification:
  • SMS: Mobile text message notification (selected)
  • Email: Electronic mail notification (selected)
  • App: Mobile application notification (selected)
• Controls how consumer will be notified of new bill

Amount Due Section

• Prominently displayed total bill amount (₹1,130)
• Calculated sum of all charges minus discounts
• Final amount consumer must pay

Action Buttons

• Previous Step: Return to Readings & Payments screen
• Preview: View bill as it will appear to consumer
• Download: Save bill as document file
• Print: Generate physical copy of bill
• Approve Bill: Finalize and issue the bill (primary blue button)
• Controls for bill review and processing

Meter Readings Section

• Detailed table of all meter reading data included in bill:
  • Utility Type: Service category (Water, Electric)
  • Meter Number / Device ID: Primary and secondary identifiers (M1001/MD5001, M1002/ED5001)
  • Meter Type: Technology classification (Standard, Smart)
  • Previous Reading: Last cycle reading with date (5240 - 1 Dec, 2024)
  • Previous Status: Validation state of prior reading (Normal)
  • Current Reading: This cycle reading with date (5240 - 5 May, 2025)
  • Current Status: Validation state of current reading (Normal)
  • Consumption (Units): Calculated usage (0 for both meters)
  • Applied Rate (₹/unit): Tariff used for calculation (₹3 for both meters)
• Comprehensive view of all consumption data

System Behavior

• Bill status remains "Draft" until approved
• Notification will be sent via all selected channels upon approval

Data Verification Flow

• All details should be verified before approval
• Once approved, bill transitions from "Draft" to "Issued" status
• Finalized bill cannot be modified after approval
• Bill will be delivered to customer via selected notification methods

8. Sample Data

Consumer Data

Meter Data

Tariff Data

Bill Data

9. Acceptance Criteria

1. The system must allow selection of a consumer using name, account number, or premise ID search
2. The system must display account status and only allow bill generation for active accounts
3. The system must pre-populate billing period fields based on the last bill date
4. The system must display all registered utilities for the selected consumer
5. The system must show outstanding balance and days since last bill with visual indicators for delayed billing
6. The system must allow inclusion or exclusion of late fees with appropriate controls
7. The system must display all meters associated with the account with their status and last readings
8. The system must allow individual selection of meters to include in the bill
9. The system must display current tariff plans with visual indicators for changes or obsolete charges
10. The system must allow entry or confirmation of current meter readings with validation
11. The system must calculate consumption automatically based on previous and current readings
12. The system must display payment history including last bill amount and payment date
13. The system must allow waiving of late fees with appropriate controls
14. The system must provide a comprehensive bill summary showing all consumer and billing details
15. The system must generate a unique bill number following the specified format
16. The system must calculate the due date based on the issue date according to business rules
17. The system must provide multiple notification options with at least one required
18. The system must allow preview, download, and printing of the bill before approval
19. The system must require explicit approval before finalizing the bill
20. The system must apply the correct tariff rates based on consumption tiers

10. Process Changes

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

12. User Behavior Tracking

Billing Specialist

Questions Answered:

• Which bill generation steps take the longest to complete?
• What types of errors are most common during bill generation?
• How often are late fees waived and for what reasons?
• Which consumer accounts require the most time to bill?
• What search patterns are most effective for finding consumers?

Billing Manager

Questions Answered:

• What percentage of bills require management intervention?
• What are the most common reasons for bill rejection?
• How do configuration changes impact billing efficiency?
• Which exception types are increasing or decreasing over time?
• How does bill approval time vary by bill complexity?

Wireframes

Wireframe: Link

Reference: Link