Billing Serial Switchings

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1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................4
1.1. Objective ...................................................................................................................4
1.2. What Is a Serial Switching? ......................................................................................4
1.3. How Are Serial Switchings Mapped in IS-U?............................................................5
1.3.1. Functional Overview .............................................................................................5
1.3.2. Large Serial Switchings and Performance............................................................7
1.3.2.1. Register Relationship 02.....................................................................................7
1.3.2.2. Rate Solution ......................................................................................................7
1.3.2.3. Optimization Options for Large Installation Structures .......................................7
1.3.2.4. Installation Groups..............................................................................................8
1.3.2.5. Summary ............................................................................................................8
2. Register Relationship 02..................................................................................................8
2.1. Validations.................................................................................................................8
2.2. Billing with Standard Rates .......................................................................................9
2.3. Complex Installation Structures ............................................................................. 10
2.4. Recommendation ................................................................................................... 10
3. Rate Solution ................................................................................................................ 10
3.1. Calculating the Consumption Value Difference ..................................................... 10
3.2. Duplicated Installation and Extrapolation ............................................................... 11
3.3. Complex Installation Structures ............................................................................. 11
4. Installation Groups........................................................................................................ 12
5. Billing with Estimated Meter Reading Results and Backbilling..................................... 12
5.1. Scenario I ............................................................................................................... 13
5.2. Scenario II .............................................................................................................. 13
5.3. Scenario III ............................................................................................................. 14
5.4. Scenario IV............................................................................................................. 15
6. User-Defined Register Relationship ............................................................................. 15
6.1. Dependent Validations ........................................................................................... 16
1. Introduction
1.1. Objective
This cookbook provides information on how to map and bill serial switchings in SAP
IS-U. You have various options, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
This document will help you to find the solution that meets your requirements.

1.2. What Is a Serial Switching?

A serial switching indicates a special relationship between registers. It consists of a
primary register and one or more secondary registers.

Example

450m3

100m3 120m3 110m3 70m3

V1 V2 V3 V4 V5
50m3 100m3 120m3 110m3 70m3

This example shows a primary register and four secondary registers. They measure
the water consumption from five consumers, V1 to V5. The primary register
measured a consumption of, for example, 450m3 within a certain period. In the same
period, the four secondary registers measured
100m3 + 120m3 + 110m3 + 70m3 = 400m3.
The primary register consumption minus the total consumption from the four
secondary registers is called the consumption value difference:
450m3 400m3 = 50m3.
When billing the utility installation for consumer V2, you must only consider the
secondary register with 100m3. The same applies for consumers V3, V4 and V5. For
consumer V1, however, it is not sufficient to know the consumption of 450m3, which
was measured by the primary register. To be able to calculate the consumption value
difference of 50m3, you must also take into account the consumption from the
secondary registers. This makes billing serial switches more time-consuming than
billing more simple installation structures.
Further complications are possible.
 It is possible, that the consumption value difference (in this case 50m3) is not paid by
one consumer, but is distributed between several consumers.
There are multilevel serial switchings (a secondary register is also the primary register
for other secondary registers).
Inaccuracies in the measuring can lead to negative consumption value difference. This
must then be handled according to different rules.
The number of secondary registers can be very large.

1.3. How Are Serial Switchings Mapped in IS-U?

In SAP IS-U, you have three possible methods for mapping and billing serial
switchings in the system:
The special register relationship with the register relationship type 02 Serial
Switching Relationship.
Mapping using rates (rate solution)
Mapping using installation groups.
Installation groups are available as of SAP IS-U Release 4.72.
Each of these methods has strengths and restrictions. The following two sections
provide you with an overview of the functional possibilities and performance aspects
of each individual solution.
1.3.1. Functional Overview
Overview

Register Rate Installati

Relationship Soluti on
02 on Groups
Only Install Secondary Register in Secondary - - ++
Installation
Read Primary and Secondary Registers on Different - - ++
Days
Independent Billing Cycles for Primary and Secondary ++ ++ -
Installations
Only Standard Rates are Required ++ - -
Dependent Validations ++ + +
More than One Primary Register Permitted - ++ ++
Negative Consumption Value Difference Permitted - ++ ++
Bill Primary Installation, Despite Missing Secondary +/++ +/++ ++
Register Reading Results
Possible to Distribute Consumption and Amounts to - - ++
Secondary Installations
Multilevel Serial Switchings ++ + +
Budget Billing Simulation ++ ++ -
Key:
- Not supported
+ Supported, but very time-consuming
++ Supported

Only Install Secondary Register in Secondary Installation

Only with installation groups is it possible to do without the billing-relevant
installation of all secondary registers, even in the installation with the primary
registers.
Read Primary and Secondary Registers on Different Days
Both register relationship 02 and the rate solution require that all secondary registers
are read on the same day when billing the primary installation. In the case of
installation groups, deviations are permitted within a predefined period.
Independent Billing Cycles for Primary and Secondary Installations
For installation groups, primary and secondary installations can no longer be billed
independently of one another. The billing cycles must be consistent with each other.
Only Standard Rates are Required
For register relationship 02, the system automatically determines the consumption
value difference. You can use the same rates as for utility installations without serial
switching. In other the other solutions, special rates and rate steps are necessary.
Dependent Validations
SAP provides register relationship 02 together with a dependent validation. With the
rate solution and installation groups, you can use dependent validations, but only at
extra expense (customer enhancements).
More than One Primary Register Permitted
Register relationship type 02 only allows one primary register.
Negative Consumption Value Difference Permitted
Register relationship type 02 does not permit negative consumption value difference.
Bill Primary Installation, Despite Missing Secondary Register Reading Results
In the case of installation groups, you can use dynamic period control (DPC) to bill
secondary installations. The DPC automatically estimates missing meter reading
results, and corrects the estimation error as soon as the actual meter reading results are
available.
In the rate solution and the register relationship, you can only use the DPC for serial
switchings with a small number of secondary registers. In the case of large serial
switchings, which are billed using the rate solution or register relationship, you must
maintain the estimated meter reading results manually.
Reestimation-based backbilling (RBB) offers an alternative to dynamic period
control. You can use this function for projects as of SAP IS-U Release 4.72.
Reestimation-based billing makes it possible to automatically maintain estimated
meter reading results, even for large serial switchings.
Note
See the section on Billing with Estimated Meter Reading Results and
Backbilling.
Possible to Distribute Consumption and Amounts to Secondary Installations
The distribution of consumption value difference or amounts among secondary
installations is only supported using installation groups.
Multilevel Serial Switchings
The register relationship fully supports multilevel serial switchings (secondary
register is also the primary register for other secondary registers). Mapping is also
possible for the other solutions, but is more time-consuming.
Budget Billing Simulation
Only a restricted version of budget billing simulation is possible for installation
groups. You can either not use budget billing plans, or can only use them under
certain conditions.
1.3.2. Large Serial Switchings and Performance
When mapping large serial switchings, performance aspects in the foreground are
important. In practice, several hundred registers can be connected in one serial
switching. Of course, processes for a serial switching of this size have a considerably
longer runtime than those concerning simple utility installations. When selecting the
method, you should consider both functional and performance aspects.
1.3.2.1. Register Relationship 02
When it comes to performance, register relationship 02 is the least suitable method.
Register relationship 02 requires additional processing steps for many programs
(order creation, device replacement, and so on). These steps considerably increase the
runtime. As register relationship 02 does not provide any options that are not provided
by the other solutions, we recommend against using this solution for large serial
switchings.
1.3.2.2. Rate Solution
The largest disadvantage of the rate solution, compared to the installation groups, is
that you must install all secondary registers in the utility installation of the primary
register. This results in one utility installation with a very large installation structure.
All processes that process or change the installation structure (device replacement,
rate maintenance, and so on) have a relatively long runtime. However, the runtimes
are not so serious, that you should rule out the rate solution from the outset. In the
case of large serial switchings, you should not combine the rate solution with a
customer-specific register relationship.
1.3.2.3. Optimization Options for Large Installation Structures
Both the rate solution and the register relationship 02 require a billing-related
installation of all secondary registers in the primary registers installation. In the case
of large serial switchings, this leads to an extensive installation structure. As the size
of the installation structure increases, so does the length of the runtime for some
programs. If several hundred devices are installed in one installation, you must reckon
with considerable runtimes for processes such as device replacement and rate
maintenance.
You can use settings in a system table to reduce the runtime for some programs. You
can find this table in Customizing for the utilities industry, under Device Management
### Installation ### Basic Settings ### Define System Parameters for
Installation/Removal/Replacement.
Include the following parameters in the system table:
EG70_HISTO Rate data: Do not include history
EG72_HISTO Device allocation: Do not include history
EG75_HISTO Register relationship: Do not include history
EG70_HIBUT Rate data: History button in access screen
EG72_HIBUT Device allocation: History button in access screen
EG75_HIBUT Register relationship: History button in access screen
By including these parameters, the system provides and preassigns the Without
History indicator in the access screen during rate data maintenance, device allocation,
and when maintaining the register relationship. If you set the indicator, then the
system only offers the time slice for maintenance, which was selected using the key
date. In most cases, this is not sufficient. The transaction must not process the
complete history, which considerably reduces the runtime. If required, the complete
maintenance of the history is still available. To implement this, remove the indicator
in the Without History field.
1.3.2.4. Installation Groups
Installation groups do not require a duplicated installation of secondary registers. This
means that there are no problems with a large installation structure. You can use
installation groups for large serial switchings. Regarding the performance of the
billing program, the installation groups are comparable to the rate solution.
1.3.2.5. Summary
Use the rate solution or installation groups for large serial switchings. You can use
both methods. We recommend that you carry out tests with the largest serial
switchings as soon as possible. Compare the two solutions when necessary.
2. Register Relationship 02
You can find register relationship 02 in the menu, under SAP Utilities ? Device
Management ? Installation ? Installation Structure ? Register Relationships.
Note
See the online documentation for the Operation Code: Role of Register in a
Relationship field. At the end of the documentation, you find a link to further
information, under Restrictions when Processing Register Relationships. This
document contains the section Special Restrictions for Serial Switching
Relationship 02.
As mentioned in the overview, register relationship 02 requires a billing-related
installation of all secondary registers in the utility installation with the primary
register. To do this, you must set the Register Not Relevant to Billing indicator.

2.1. Validations
You can allocate SAPs special, dependent validation 03 Serial Switching to a register
relationship from category 02. See the section on dependent validations in the
Customizing for the SAP Utilities, under Device Management ### Meter Reading ###
Validation Checks ### Dependent Validations.
The dependent validation is carried out when meter reading results that have passed
the independent validation checks exist for all primary and secondary registers. The
system calculates the consumption value difference (consumption of primary register
minus consumption of secondary registers). The dependent validation is passed if the
consumption value difference is positive, or if the negative value does not exceed the
limit that is predefined by the value in the Maximum deviation of primary meter from
secondary meter field.
Dependent validation 03 means that each time an entry is made for a secondary
register, the system analyzes whether or not all meter reading results for the serial
switching are now available, thus making it possible to check the consumption value
difference. This results in a very long runtime for serial switchings with many
registers. For this reason, you should only use the validation for serial switchings with
a small number of registers. For more information, see SAP note 545550.
We recommend that you only use independent validations for the primary and
secondary registers in large serial switchings. In most cases, this should be sufficient
to identify incorrect meter reading results. The system recognizes a negative
difference during billing anyway, and issues a corresponding error message.
2.2. Billing with Standard Rates
The greatest advantage of register relationship 02 is that it does not require any
special steps in the rate structure in order to calculate the consumption value
difference. You can bill the primary register of a utility installation using a normal
rate, which is also suitable for utility installations without serial switching. The billing
program recognizes the serial switching and automatically supplies the register rate
with the consumption value difference. The billing program automatically generates
special information bill lines with the consumption from the primary register and
secondary registers.

Example
You bill an installation, in which one primary register and several secondary registers
are installed. Register relationship 02 exists between the registers. The register rate for
the primary register contains a rate step with variant program QUANTI01 for
assessing the consumption. The variant program generates information lines, in
accordance with the fine-tuned variant control. This rate step generates the following
bill lines:
A bill line with the fixed document line type MREG
This is not relevant for posting, and contains the consumption for the primary
register without deducting the consumption for the secondary registers.
Bill lines with the fixed document type SREG
These are not relevant for posting, and contain the consumption for the
secondary registers.
A posting-relevant bill line with a document line type that is predefined by the
rate
This contains the consumption value difference (= billing-relevant
consumption).
A posting-relevant bill line with the calculated consumption value difference
and a document line type that is predefined by the rate.
More than one meter reading result can exist for the primary register within the billing
period. These can be interim meter readings or meter reading results that, for example,
must be estimated internally due to a price change. The system calculates the
consumption value difference separately for each meter reading result (real or
estimated) for the primary register.
Register relationship 02 checks whether the consumption value difference determined
is negative. A negative consumption value difference results in an error message and
the termination of the billing program. This also applies if interim meter readings or
prorations mean that the consumption value difference is only negative for part of the
billing period. Register relationship 02 does not provide a control option for allowing
negative consumption value difference. In practice, there are serial switchings, in
which the sum of the consumption for the secondary registers always corresponds
approximately with the consumption for the primary register. We advise against using
register relationship 02 in such cases.
In rare cases, negative consumption value difference can result from the consumption
for the primary register being larger or the same as the sum of the consumption for the
secondary registers.

Example
 In a billing period, the primary register has a consumption of 1000 units.
The secondary registers also have a consumption of 1000 units.
The consumption for the registers must be prorated, due to a price change in
the billing period. The result of the proration for the primary register is 800 +
200 = 1000 units. The result of the proration (with necessary rounding of
meter readings) for the secondary registers is a consumption of 798 + 202 =
1000 units.
Result: The system cancels the billing and issues an error message. This is
because there is a period with a negative consumption value difference (200
202 = -2 units).
You can avoid the system canceling billing by entering a suitable interim meter
reading result on the proration date. You would require an interim meter reading
result for the primary register, which gives the consumption for the primary register as
798 + 202 = 1000 units. For more information, see SAP note 710866.

2.3. Complex Installation Structures

You can include a register in more than one register relationship. You can use a
register, which is a secondary register in a register relationship from the category 02,
as a primary register in another register relationship from category 02. This way,
register relationship 02 allows you to structure multilevel serial switchings.
However, register relationship 02 only allows one primary register. You cannot form
installation structures with more than one primary register.

2.4. Recommendation
The major advantage of register relationship 02 over the rate solution is that you can
use standard rates. However, this makes it less flexible. For this reason, we
recommend that you only use register relationship 02 if the following prerequisites are
met:
Negative consumption value differences are not permitted, and lead to the billing being
cancelled.
You cannot install additional primary registers.
The additional rate steps required by the rate solution result are very time-consuming
(for example, because you must adjust many standard rates).
The register relationship is only comprised of a small number of registers.
If one of these conditions is not met, then you should use the rate solution or
installation groups.
3. Rate Solution
3.1. Calculating the Consumption Value Difference
The rate solution also requires a billing-related installation of all secondary registers
in the primary registers utility installation. Unlike with register relationship 02,
however, the system does not automatically calculate the consumption value
difference. You must create suitable rates for this purpose. However, this is relatively
simple.

Example
 For the billing-related installation of secondary registers in the primary registers utility
installation, use a register rate that uses variant program QUANTI14 to update the
consumption for the secondary registers.
You allocate a register rate to the primary register. This rate also uses variant program
QUANTI14 to update the consumption. In doing this you use a different operand.
In a further rate step you use variant program QUANTI02 to form the difference from
the primary register consumption and the secondary register consumption. The result is
updated in subsequent steps, which give the consumption value difference a price.
In variant program QUANTI02 you can use the fine-tuned variant control to define
how the system is to deal with negative consumption value differences:
It is possible to update negative consumption value difference in exactly the same way
as positive consumption. Credit bill lines can be generated during the calculation.
You can define that the value for a negative consumption value difference be updated
to 0. This suppresses negative values.
You can define that the billing program is cancelled and an error message is output in
the case of a negative consumption value difference.
If negative consumption value difference is not permitted, then you can outsort the
billing, as an alternative to canceling it. Define your own outsorting check in
Customizing for SAP Utilities, under Tools ### System Modifications ### User-
Defined Enhancements for Billing ### Define Check List for Billing. Generate an
information line with the consumption difference value in a billing scheme, and
indicate the line with a specific document line type. You use the document line type in
the outsorting check to identify this information line. In the case of a negative value,
the system outsorts the consumption. The advantage of the outsorting over a
cancellation is that the agent can use the billing document as an additional information
source. There are also cases, in which negative consumption value difference can be
accepted.

3.2. Duplicated Installation and Extrapolation

For both register relationship 02 and the rate solution, you must install the secondary
registers for billing in two installations. This duplicated installation can affect the
extrapolation.
For a billing-related installation of secondary registers in the primary installation, we
recommend that you use a rate type, for which the indicator Ignore Contract
Allocation of Register During Extrapolation is set. This indicator means that a
consumption of zero is estimated for the secondary register in periods, in which no
contract is allocated to the corresponding secondary installation.
Read the online documentation for this field when maintaining rate types in
Customizing for SAP Utilities, under Contract Billing ### Billing Master Data ###
Rate Structure ### Define Rate Types.

3.3. Complex Installation Structures

The rate solution allows you to bill multilevel serial switchings, or serial switchings
with more than one primary register. Observe the following basic rules in the rate
structure:
Allocate registers, whose consumption is to be billed identically, to the same register
rate.
Allocate registers, whose consumption is to be handled differently, to different register
rates. The system uses different operands when updating the consumption.

Example
For a serial switching with two primary registers, simply allocate both primary
registers to the same register rate.
4. Installation Groups
As of SAP IS-U Release 4.72, you can group together utility installations in an
installation group. The most important function of installation groups is that they
support a new form of multiple-installation billing. When primary installations are
billed, you can access billing data from secondary installations. When secondary
installations are billed, you can also access billing data from primary installations.
You can use this technique, for example, to bill serial switchings:
Define the utility installation with the primary meter as the primary installation.
Define utility installations with secondary meters as secondary installations.
When you bill the primary installation, use the data exchange from the secondary
installations to the primary installation to access consumption values in the secondary
installations.
Use the data exchange from the primary installation to the secondary installations to
distribute consumption value difference (consumption from primary meters minus total
consumption from secondary meters) among the secondary installations.
This is an alternative way of billing serial switchings. Previously, all secondary
meters had to be installed in the secondary installations as well as in the primary
installation. If you use installation groups, you no longer have to install large numbers
of meters in the primary installation. In addition to this, you do not have to read all
meters on the same day. This procedure also enables you to distribute consumption
value difference. However, if you use installation groups, all secondary installations -
within certain intervals - have to be billed together with the primary installation.
For a more detailed description, see the Installation Groups document, under
http://service.sap.com/utilities Product Information IS-U/CCS
Billing/Invoicing Cookbooks&Guidelines. This explains which Customizing is
necessary, how the data exchange functions, and which billing forms are supported.
You can also find examples of various serial switching scenarios.
5. Billing with Estimated Meter Reading Results
and Backbilling
With serial switchings, the problem often arises, that meter reading results are not
available for all registers on the planned billing date. The larger the number of
secondary installations, the more likely it is that not all meter reading results can be
entered on time. If it is not possible to postpone the billing, then the only possible
solution is to base the billing on an estimated meter reading result. Before the billing
with a report for meter reading orders, for which no meter reading result is yet
available, you can use a report to execute an estimation and can enter the estimated
meter reading results. A normal billing is then possible.
There are special billing methods, which allow you to handle missing meter reading
results more simply, and which use backbilling to correct an estimation error. It is
particularly important that the estimated meter reading result is corrected if an actual
meter reading result has a lower meter reading that the estimated meter reading result.
These cases do not occur very regularly, but if they are not corrected, then they result
in a meter overflow and thus an incorrect billing.
Billing using estimated meter reading results is, however, possible with register
relationship 02. Estimated meter reading results do, however, increase the danger of
negative consumption value differences occurring, which lead to a termination in
register relationship 02. This is not the case in the rate solution and for installation
groups.
The following scenarios describe how these billing methods can be combined with
different methods for billing serial switchings.

5.1. Scenario I
Overview
Mapping of serial switching: Rate solution or register relationship
Billing method for secondary installation: DPC
Billing method for primary installation: DPC
In this scenario, the rate solution or the register relationship 02 is used to map the
serial switching. The primary and secondary installations are billed using the Dynamic
Period Control (DPC). The DPC is a technology for billing with estimated meter
reading results. For more information, see the Dynamic Period Control cookbook,
under http://service.sap.com/utilities Product Information
IS-U/CCS Billing/Invoicing Cookbooks&Guidelines. You can use both the DPC
variant, in which the estimated meter reading results are saved in the database (DPC
I), and the variant, in which the meter reading results are not saved (DPC II). It his
important that you set the same DPC variant for the primary installation and all
secondary installations. Billing with DPC I runs as follows:
Estimate the missing meter reading results before executing billing. The meter reading
results are saved in the database.
You use a DPC billing scheme to bill the secondary installations. If an actual meter
reading result exists for a secondary installation, periods that had been already been
billed using an estimated meter reading result are backbilled. In this way, the actual
periodic meter reading result is used to get an improved estimated value for the
previous periods. The estimated meter reading result in the database is not changed.
You then bill the primary installation. If an actual meter reading result exists for the
primary register and all secondary registers, the previous periods are backbilled. The
backbilling is executed up until the point at which meter reading results are available for
all registers.

Caution
This scenario is only suitable for serial switchings with a small number of
secondary registers.
In the primary installation, backbilling occurs for periods that are billed using meter
reading results that are partially estimated. The backbilling only takes place if an
actual meter reading result is available for all registers at the same time. The danger in
large serial switchings is that at least one register must always be estimated when
many billings follow one another. In this case, a backbilling is only possible after a
long time. For this reason, you should only use scenario one for serial switchings with
a small number of secondary registers.

5.2. Scenario II
Overview
Mapping of serial switching: Rate solution or register relationship
Billing method for secondary installation RBB
Billing method for primary installation N-period backbilling
An alternative to DPC is billing secondary installations with reestimation-based
backbilling (RBB) in combination with N-period backbilling for the primary
installation. The billing runs as follows:
Estimate the missing meter reading results before executing billing. The meter reading
results are saved in the database.
You use RBB to bill a secondary installation. If an actual meter reading result exists for
a secondary installation, periods that had been already been billed using an estimated
meter reading result are backbilled. In this way, the system (as in DPC billing) uses the
actual periodic meter reading result to get an improved estimated value for the previous
period. In RBB, the billing program corrects the estimated meter reading result in the
database.
You use N-period backbilling to bill the primary installation. The consumption
determination for the secondary registers uses real, estimated, or corrected meter
reading results. If a meter reading result for a secondary register had already been
corrected when billing the secondary installation, then the corrected value is also used
when billing the primary installation.
The consumption value difference of the previous period is calculated more accurately
by using N-period backbilling for the primary installation. You can also use this
scenario for large serial switchings with a lot of secondary registers.
Caution
RBB is only available as a sample solution as of IS-U Release 4.72. To use RBB
in SAP IS-U Release 4.72, you must install this sample solution as an additional
packet, activate it, and modify it to meet your requirements. Contact SAP for
further information.

5.3. Scenario III

Overview
Mapping of serial switching Installation Groups
Billing method for secondary installation DPC II
Billing method for primary installation N-period backbilling
This scenario uses installation groups. The secondary installations are billed using
DPC, whereas the primary installations are billed using N-period backbilling. We
recommend using the DPC variant, in which the estimated meter reading results are
not saved in the database (DPC II).
The billing runs as follows:
Before executing billing, use a report to check the meter reading results for all
secondary installations. For missing periodic meter reading results, the billing order is
marked automatically. If the actual meter reading date for the secondary installation
differs greatly from the actual meter reading date for the primary installation, the system
converts the periodic meter reading result for the secondary installation to an interim
meter reading result. The billing order is also marked.
You then bill the secondary installations. For the marked billing orders, the system
estimates the missing meter reading result during billing. The estimated meter reading
result is not saved. If an actual meter reading result exists, then previous periods are
backbilled where necessary.
You then bill the primary installation. The system uses a special data exchange from
the billing documents for the secondary installations to determine the consumption for
the secondary registers. If a backbilling exists for a secondary installation, the corrected
consumption is processed according to the periods.

Note
The consumption value difference of the previous period is calculated more
accurately by using N-period backbilling for the primary installation. You can
 also use this billing method for large serial switchings. However, this scenario is
not suitable for distributing consumption value differences to secondary
installations.
You can also bill secondary installations using the DPC variant, in which the
estimated meter reading results are saved in the database (DPC I). In this variant,
however, there is no automatic conversion of meter reading results for secondary
installations, whose meter reading dates differ too greatly from those of the primary
installation. For further information, see the Installation Groups document, under
http://service.sap.com/utilities Product Information IS-U/CCS
Billing/Invoicing Cookbooks&Guidelines.

5.4. Scenario IV
Overview
Mapping of serial switching Installation Groups
Billing method for secondary installation DPC II
Billing method for primary installation Normal billing
This scenario is similar to scenario III, but has no backbilling when billing the
primary installation. The billing runs as follows:
As in scenario III, before executing the billing, check the meter reading results for the
secondary installations and mark the billing orders.
You then bill the secondary installations. For the marked billing orders, the system
estimates the missing meter reading result during billing. The meter reading result is
not saved. If an actual meter reading result exists, the system backbills previous
periods where necessary. The system uses special rate steps to update the
consumption correction of previous periods in the current periodic billing period.
You then bill the primary installation. The system uses a special data exchange from
the billing documents for the secondary installations to determine the consumption for
the secondary registers. When calculating the consumption value difference, the
current consumption and consumption corrections of the previous periods from the
secondary installations are included.
This scenario is not completely historically correct when calculating the consumption
value difference. However, by doing without the backbilling for primary installations,
the scenario is suitable for distributing consumption value differences to secondary
installations. For further information, see the Installation Groups document, under
http://service.sap.com/utilities Product Information IS-U/CCS
Billing/Invoicing Cookbooks&Guidelines.

6. User-Defined Register Relationship

One advantage of using register relationship 02 to bill serial switchings is that the
register relationship displays the technical meaning of the register within the serial
switching. You can easily distinguish between primary registers and secondary
registers. In the rate solution and installation groups, the meaning of the registers can
only be understood indirectly, using the rate structure or the installation role.
If necessary, you can also add a register relationship to the rate solution and the
installation groups, if you want to display the registers technical meaning. To do this
you must define a user-defined register relationship. Read the section User-Defined
Enhancements for Register Relationships in Customizing for the Utilities Industry,
under Tools ### System Modifications ### User-Defined Enhancements for Register
Relationships.
In this section you can define a register relationship that, as the standard SAP register
relationship 02, allows you to identify registers as primary registers and secondary
registers (to do this, use your own operation codes). A user-defined register
relationship offers the following options:
The register relationship informs the agent which role a register has within a serial
switching.
You can use a function module to define your own consistency checks, which are
automatically executed when maintaining the register relationship.
You can define user-defined, dependent validations, and allocated them to your register
relationships.
Adding a user-defined register relationship to the installation structure also has some
disadvantages.
A user-defined register relationship causes additional implementation costs. You should
only combine the rate structure with a user-defined register relationship if you cannot
use the SAP default register relationship 02 (for example, due to negative consumption
value differences).
User-defined register relationships do not affect the billing program. This means that a
user-defined register relationship does not alter the fact that you must define a suitable
rate for billing a serial switching. A user-defined register relationship does not assist
you when calculating the consumption value difference.
Register relationships make additional operational steps necessary for some processes
(for example, during device installation).
In other processes, additional processing steps are necessary internally, which can
considerably increase the runtime. If you want to use register relationships for a
hundred, or hundreds of registers, then you should carry out comprehensive tests to
establish whether the performance disadvantages are bearable.

6.1. Dependent Validations

You can also use a user-defined register relationship to execute additional user-
defined, dependent validations for registers. You can find the settings for user-
defined, dependent validations in Customizing for SAP Utilities, under Tools ###
System Modifications ### User-Defined Validations ### User-Defined Dependent
Validations.
From a performance point of view, the same restrictions apply for user-defined,
dependent validations as for the dependent validations provided by SAP. We
recommend that you do without dependent validations for large serial switchings.
Instead, use independent validations for primary and secondary registers. You can
also execute the additional check for negative consumption value differences during
billing.