Re: Chargeback Accounting

[[e-mail]]

> From:[e-mail]
> Date: 03 Feb 94 13:13:36 EST

Hi Hank,

> 		Looking for information on CHARGEBACK in terms of:
> 
> 		1. successful implementations
> 		2. approaches
> 		3. methodologies
> 		4. tools or products
> 		5. howegrown chargeback appliations
> 	
> 		The target environement will be primarily TCP/IP.

Since you included "products" in your request, I assume you'll accept
feedback from a vendor with a commericial (i.e., $$$) solution!  :-)

American Computer has been providing accounting and billing (including
chargeback) solutions for large users (e.g., telcos, govt agencies)
for almost three decades.  We are now in the midst of re-packaging
our network mgmt product family--NetPlus (tm)--to address smaller
organizations (in addition to the larger ones) and to support voice,
data, and integrated voice/data requirements.  (And that is one of
the main reasons we are very interested in the success of this
working group...we would like to help formulate and intend to 
comply with appropriate open standards for the accounting management
functions.)

We have many successful implementations behind us...describing them
here would be too much of an advertisement...and we've had a few
troublesome implementations too...describing them here would be too
much of an embarrassment!  :-)

Some of the key elements in the approaches/methodologies that we
have employed (and would expect to characterize any generic solution)
include:

	o  Highly reliable data collection (we sometimes use
	   special "hardware assists" for this).

	o  Highly flexible input definition (i.e., what
	   constitutes a chargeable event).

	o  Highly flexible, user-configurable rating.

	o  Virtually unlimited roll-up capabilities.

	o  Support for usage, equipment, and services categories.

	o  Support for discount, promotion, and taxing algorithms.

	o  Mapping to budgets and accounts payable, where required.

	o  Highly flexible output geneartion (e.g., hardcopy,
	   e-mail, dbms transactions, data feeds to financial
	   software packages, etc.).

	o Integration with other "network operations support
	  system" components (e.g., trouble tickets, work orders,
	  inventory, purchasing, etc.).

Well I hope that's a valid start on an answer to your query.  If you
want to pursue this WRT our commercial product offerings, please send
a message to "[e-mail]".

> 	Hank Pronk
> 	Ottawa, Canada

Best wishes,

BobN
________________________________________________________________
Bob Natale            | American Computer     | 301-258-9850 [v]
Director              | 209 Perry Pkwy        | 301-921-0434 [f]
Network Mgmt Products | Gaithersburg MD 20877 | [e-mail]