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Smart360 Disconnection Request Management - FAQ's

Getting Started & Dashboard Overview

Q: How do I access the Disconnection Request module in Smart360? A: To access Disconnection Request Management:

  1. Navigate to the Disconnection module from the main dashboard
  2. View KPI cards showing Pending Disconnection, Completed Disconnection, Pending Connection, and Completed Connection
  3. Access Current Requests tab for active requests or Request History tab for closed/completed requests
  4. Use search bar to find specific requests by request ID, name, or account number
  5. Apply filters by status, type, date, or priority as needed

Q: What information is displayed on the Disconnection Dashboard? A: The dashboard shows key metrics including:

  • Pending Disconnection: Requests awaiting processing or completion
  • Completed Disconnection: Successfully completed disconnection requests
  • Pending Connection: Reconnection requests in progress
  • Completed Connection: Successfully completed reconnection requests
  • Search Functionality: Find requests by request ID, customer name, or account number
  • Filter Options: Status, type, date, and priority filters for refined viewing

Q: How do I create a new disconnection request? A: To create a disconnection request:

  1. Click "Create Request" or navigate to disconnection request form
  2. Search and select customer by name, account number, or phone
  3. System automatically determines request type (Disconnection/Reconnection based on customer status)
  4. Select reason for disconnection from dropdown
  5. Choose preferred date and time slot
  6. Add optional notes (max 250 characters)
  7. Review details and submit request

Customer Search & Verification

Q: How do I search for a customer when creating a disconnection request? A: Customer search functionality:

  • Search Options: Enter customer name, account number, or phone number
  • Partial Matching: System supports partial matches for all search criteria
  • Profile Locking: Customer profile automatically locks during request creation to prevent changes
  • Auto-fill: System populates customer name, account number, service address, contact info, and category
  • Verification: Verify customer identity with required documents

Q: What happens after I select a customer? A: After customer selection:

  • Profile Lock: Customer profile gets locked to prevent changes during request creation
  • Auto-population: System fills customer name, account number, service address, contact information, and category
  • Request Type Determination: System automatically determines if it's a disconnection (active customer) or reconnection (inactive customer) request
  • Status Validation: Ensures customer is eligible for the requested action

Request Types & Reasons

Q: How does the system determine if it's a disconnection or reconnection request? A: Request type determination:

  • Disconnection Request: Automatically selected if customer status is active or any status other than inactive
  • Reconnection Request: Automatically selected if customer status is inactive
  • System Logic: Based on current customer account status in the system
  • User Confirmation: System displays determined request type for user confirmation

Q: How do I select the reason for disconnection? A: Disconnection reason selection:

  • Required Field: Must be selected from dropdown before proceeding
  • Source: Reasons populated from system settings > disconnection reasons
  • Reason Codes: Each reason has associated codes and priority levels
  • Examples: Non-payment of bills, customer request, safety concerns, meter tampering
  • Priority Assignment: System automatically assigns priority based on selected reason

Scheduling & Time Slots

Q: How do I schedule a preferred date and time for disconnection? A: Scheduling process:

  • Date Selection: Choose preferred date using date picker (cannot select past dates)
  • Time Slots: Select from admin-configured time slots (typically 2-hour blocks)
  • Availability: Only available time slots are displayed
  • Past Date Prevention: System prevents selection of dates in the past
  • Optional Field: If not specified, system will schedule based on availability

Q: What are the time slot options available? A: Time slot configuration:

  • Admin-Configured: Time slots are set up by system administrators
  • Standard Blocks: Typically offered in 2-hour blocks (e.g., 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
  • Business Hours: Usually aligned with utility business hours
  • Availability-Based: Only slots with available resources are shown
  • Examples: Morning (8-10 AM), Mid-Morning (10-12 PM), Afternoon (2-4 PM), etc.

Status Management & SLA Tracking

Q: What are the different request statuses and what do they mean? A: Request status lifecycle:

  • Pending: Newly created request awaiting acknowledgment
  • In Progress: Request has been acknowledged and is being worked on
  • On Hold: Request temporarily paused (can be resumed)
  • Completed: Request successfully completed
  • Closed: Request closed with specific reason (issue resolved, cancelled, etc.)

Q: How does SLA tracking work for disconnection requests? A: SLA monitoring includes:

  • SLA Due Date: Calculated from creation date plus defined resolution time
  • Time Remaining: Current time minus target resolution time
  • SLA Status: Shows "On Track" if within SLA rules, "Breached" if exceeded
  • Automatic Alerts: System provides notifications when SLA thresholds are approached
  • Real-time Updates: SLA status updates continuously based on current time

Q: How do I acknowledge a disconnection request? A: Request acknowledgment process:

  1. Open the disconnection request detail view
  2. Click the "Acknowledgement" button to change status to In Progress
  3. Button changes to "Put on Hold" once acknowledged
  4. Use "Put on Hold" to pause request (status becomes On Hold)
  5. Use "Resume" button to return request to In Progress status

Financial Settlement

Q: How do I view and manage financial settlement for a disconnection? A: Financial settlement management:

  1. Navigate to "Settlement" tab in the request detail view
  2. Review outstanding balance (auto-calculated from billing ledger)
  3. Check security deposit information and toggle "Use in bill" option
  4. Review net settlement calculation showing final amount due or refund
  5. Generate final bill if settlement is agreed upon
  6. Process any remaining payments or refunds

Q: How does the security deposit application work? A: Security deposit handling:

  • Deposit Information: Shows original deposit amount and date
  • Use in Bill Toggle: Default ON if outstanding exists, OFF to retain deposit
  • Application: When ON, deposit reduces outstanding balance
  • Net Calculation: Outstanding Amount minus Security Deposit Applied
  • Refund Scenario: If result is negative, shows refund due to customer
  • Payment Scenario: If positive, shows amount payable by customer

Service Orders & Field Coordination

Q: How do I create a service order for disconnection? A: Service order creation:

  1. Navigate to "Service Order" tab in request detail view
  2. Select service order type from templates associated with consumer
  3. Choose scheduled date using date picker
  4. Add remarks in text box for special instructions
  5. Click "Add Service Order" button to create the order
  6. Service order links directly to disconnection request for tracking

Q: What information is displayed for existing service orders? A: Service order tracking shows:

  • SO Number: Unique service order identifier
  • SO Name: Service order description
  • SO Status: Current status of the service order
  • Schedule Date: Planned completion date
  • Created On/By: Creation date and user
  • Assigned To/On: Technician assignment details
  • Remarks: Special instructions or notes
  • Actions: View details and download report options

Meter Management & Disconnection

Q: What are the meter action options during disconnection? A: Two meter action options:

  • Unassign Meter Only: Meter remains physically installed but unlinked from consumer account, available for future assignment
  • Remove Meter Completely: Meter marked for physical removal from premises, inventory transaction created moving meter to warehouse
  • Selection Impact: Choice affects inventory management and future reconnection process

Q: How do I complete the disconnection process? A: Disconnection completion:

  1. Navigate to "Disconnect" tab in request detail
  2. Select meter action (Unassign or Remove)
  3. Enter valid SO ID and verify auto-populated service order details
  4. Complete Account Closure Checklist (minimum required items)
  5. Verify all required validations are met
  6. Click "Execute Disconnection" to complete the process
  7. System updates account status and logs completion

Q: What is the Account Closure Checklist? A: The checklist includes six validation items:

  • Final bill generated and sent: Invoice present and marked as sent
  • Final payment received: Net amount due should be zero
  • Equipment returned/retrieved: Applicable when meter is removed
  • Customer notified of closure: Closure notice sent and logged
  • Records archived: Consumer and billing data marked as archived
  • Account officially closed: Final status update in customer profile Minimum required items (configurable) must be completed to enable disconnection execution.

Communication & Documentation

Q: What Quick Actions are available from the disconnection request detail view? A: Quick Actions include:

  • Send Response to Consumer: Redirects to individual messaging in communication module
  • Create Service Order: Redirects to service order tab for field coordination
  • Add Internal Note: Redirects to communication tab for team notes
  • Generate Bill: Redirects to settlement tab for billing
  • Close Request: Opens dialog box to close request with reason and notes

Q: How do I close a disconnection request? A: Request closure process:

  1. Click "Close Request" from Quick Actions
  2. Select reason from dropdown options:
    • Issue resolved
    • Duplicate request
    • Cancelled by consumer
    • No consumer response
    • Other
  3. Add additional notes explaining closure
  4. Confirm closure - request status changes to "Closed"
  5. Closed requests appear in Request History tab

Search, Filters & Reporting

Q: How do I search for specific disconnection requests? A: Search functionality includes:

  • Search Fields: Request ID, customer name, account number
  • Real-time Results: Search updates as you type
  • Case-Insensitive: Search works regardless of letter case
  • Exact/Partial Match: Support for both exact and partial matching
  • Quick Access: Click results to open detailed request view

Q: What filtering options are available? A: Available filters include:

  • Status: Filter by request status (Pending, In Progress, Completed, etc.)
  • Type: Filter by Disconnection or Reconnection requests
  • Date: Filter by request creation date ranges
  • Priority: Filter by High, Medium, Low priority levels
  • Combined Filters: Use multiple filters simultaneously for precise results

Billing & Final Settlement

Q: How do I generate the final bill for a disconnection? A: Final billing process:

  1. Access Settlement tab from disconnection request
  2. Enter final meter readings for all utility services
  3. Validate meter numbers and device numbers
  4. Review calculated amounts and adjustments
  5. Generate invoice with auto-generated invoice number
  6. Apply security deposit if "Use in bill" toggle is enabled
  7. Calculate final amount due and approve bill
  8. Print or email bill to customer

Q: What information is included in the final bill? A: Final bill components:

  • Invoice Information: Auto-generated invoice number and billing period
  • Bill Details: Billed amount, outstanding amount, security deposit applied, final amount due
  • Meter Details: Meter numbers, device numbers, meter types, last readings, reading dates
  • Security Deposit Information: Original deposit, applied amount, usage status
  • Actions: Print bill, discard and regenerate, approve and send options

Troubleshooting & Common Issues

Q: Why can't I select a past date for disconnection scheduling? A: Date selection restrictions:

  • Past Date Prevention: System automatically prevents selection of dates before current date
  • Business Logic: Disconnections can only be scheduled for current or future dates
  • Validation Message: System displays "Cannot select past date" message
  • Alternative: Choose current date or future date for scheduling
  • Emergency Cases: Contact supervisor for same-day emergency disconnections

Q: What should I do if customer information is locked during request creation? A: Profile lock handling:

  • Automatic Lock: Customer profile locks when disconnection request is initiated
  • Purpose: Prevents concurrent modifications during request creation
  • Resolution: Complete current request or cancel to unlock profile
  • Multiple Requests: Cannot create multiple requests simultaneously for same customer
  • Emergency Access: Contact system administrator for emergency profile unlock

Q: Why is the "Execute Disconnection" button disabled? A: Button enabling requirements:

  • Valid SO ID: Must enter valid, open service order of type Disconnection
  • Checklist Completion: Minimum required checklist items must be marked complete
  • System Validation: All meter and account validations must pass
  • Authorization: User must have appropriate permissions for disconnection execution
  • Status Check: Request must be in appropriate status for completion

Q: How do I handle disconnection requests that need special approval? A: Special approval process:

  • Required Approval: System indicates "Yes" for requests needing approval based on internal rules
  • Examples: High-value accounts, VIP customers, legal disputes
  • Workflow: Request routed to appropriate supervisor or manager
  • Documentation: Add detailed notes explaining special circumstances
  • Tracking: Monitor approval status in request timeline
  • Communication: Keep customer informed of approval process timeline
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