TheBill provides all the key features needed for effective I.S. cost management, that is:
• Access to a wide range of data sources to allow full capture of resource usage.
• Account structure to nine levels, for flexible and detailed cost centre definitions.
• Rate definitions for each billing unit - to support a variety of cost recovery strategies.
• Shift/zone definitions - to cater for mixed operations and holiday periods.
• Overhead allocations - to equitably distribute shared overhead resource usage.
• Adjustments/rebates - for re-runs, disputed charges and fixed recurrent charges.
• Proration - to equitably distribute unaccountable resource usage.
• Budget setting - for comparison with actual expenditures.
• Inclusion of I.S. support services - to consolidate all I.S. charges onto one invoice.
• On line Administration and Enquiry - to allow TheBill to be run by non-technical people.
• Comprehensive set of standard invoicing and reporting - to meet most user requirements.
• General ledger interface - to allow I.S. usage costs to be debited directly to user departments.

Wide Range of Data Sources
The main source of data for TheBill is the SAS-based MXG performance/workload database, which collects data from a wide range of system monitors (as listed in Appendix A) to meet the requirements of most sites. Data from databases not supported by MXG and flat files with manually entered data can also be input to TheBill. The frequency and content of data loading can be defined and controlled, to minimise processing time and disk storage requirements. Using MXG also avoids additional processing of SMF and other monitor files.

MXG is used at most MVS sites for capacity management. It is a reliable, low cost facility and is frequently updated as new monitors become available. MXG also provides a consistent and uniform set of data for capacity planning, performance analysis, management reporting and resource accounting.

Accounting Structures
TheBill accommodates up to nine levels of accounting structures to support normal accounting hierarchies. Data can be captured and accumulated at any accounting levels to provide a detailed level of financial control.

Account codes may be related to the organisation's financial structure or defined at the project or user level. Account code validation may be performed by the user.

Rate Definitions
TheBill provides for a wide range of charging rates to be set, allowing much flexibility in cost recovery strategies. Different rates may be set for each billing unit (CPU time, disk usage, tape mounts, lines printed etc.) and each shift, cost centre, priority, job class etc. Discounts can also be applied by providing separate rates for specified users and cost centres.

Differential Shift Charging
Differential charging is a mechanism for charging lower rates over periods of lower system usage, to better utilise spare capacity and to encourage users to avoid peak periods. TheBill has a comprehensive shift definition capability to support differential charging. Three standard methods of shift definition may be used, the mid point method, a preferred shift method or a set shift range. Shifts can be defined across the twenty four hour period and weekends and holidays defined separately. This is also a table driven function and may be maintained on-line.

Overhead Allocations
Certain overheads such as operating system resource usage cannot be accurately identified with the various system workloads. TheBill provides for overhead resource usage to be shared equitably amongst cost centres, by applying the specified percentages of overheads to be allocated to specified cost centres.

Adjustments/Rebates
Overcharges, re-runs and errors do occur and can be significant. Provision is made for these to be identified and corrected. Fixed charges that occur on a regular basis can be added easily. Both raw units and dollar values are allowed for.

Proration
Proration is the process of assigning the costs associated with a particular cost centre, to another cost centre or to split those costs over several other cost centres at pre-determined percentages. TheBill provides this facility to enable such costs to be spread over a number of cost centres.

Budgets
Budget estimates of resource usage costs may be input and used to show actual usage and costs against these pre-determined amounts, for management reporting and control. Resource usage can be expressed and set in either dollars or units of resource and at any cost centre or cost centre/resource level.

Project Accounting
Resource and cost information on I.S. support activities may be input to TheBill for project level accounting, to complete the overall I.S. service costs for each user department.

Business Unit/Transaction Based Accounting
Relating I.S. resource usage costs to business transactions or activities, such as cheques processed, policies sold, etc. rather than to computer measurements such as CPU seconds will enable user departments to relate more closely to the activities which are generating those costs. This will assist users in determining business unit costs and in forecasting future I.S. resource related costs. TheBill will support the establishment and use of the business/usage conversion factors.

On-line Administration and Enquiry
TheBill contains an optional on-line facility for use by non-technical staff to set up the various control parameters (cost centres, rates etc.) and to operate the system. Thus, the chargeback system can be managed by administrative or accounting staff without the need for extensive training, and changes to system parameters can be made quickly and easily. An on-line enquiry facility is being developed for the automatic production of a range of reports on resource usage and transaction volumes, rates and charges by account or user for the month or year-to-date. This feature will avoid time and effort in setting up programs to extract data and will provide management information instantly.

Menu Panels
The main menu shown below is a reproduction of the actual screen display.




There are over thirty menu panels.
The following is an overview of the functions of the main sub-menus:

Menu 1 - Parameter Definitions

Cost Centre Parameters (number of levels, USERID and JOBNAME levels and names)
Rounding values (for billing units, rates and costs) at detail or daily summarised levels and other User defined Variables to be retained
Billing Periods and Detail Data Retention Parameters
Control Parameters for daily detail runs
Reporting Parameters and budget data levels

Menu 2 - Cost Centre Definitions

Add, Review, Modify and Delete Cost Centre definitions

Menu 3 - Data Source Definitions

Add, Review, Modify and Delete Data Sources
Data Source Parameters, Cost Centre Assignments and Billing Units

Menu 4 - Control Definitions

Define Calendar, Holidays and Days of Week for Daily Detail Run
Shift Definitions
Prorate Definitions

Invoicing and Reporting
Standard invoice formats are provided and can be quickly customised to suite the user organisation's particular needs. A variety of standard reports are also provided to show such information as usage and costs by source and account. Appendix A contains a list of these reports, which are continually being expanded.

The structure and storage of data is such that customised reports can be easily designed and produced at the required frequency. Native SAS can be used if preferred.

General Ledger Interface
An interface can be provided for the most common General Ledger packages, to enable data to be easily downloaded to the organisations financial system. The interface will create journal entries for direct loading into the General Ledger to ensure speed and accuracy.

SAS Based
TheBill is written entirely in SAS, consequently all source code is supplied. TheBill runs on the current release of SAS but will execute on earlier versions. TheBill may be operated with only base SAS but some of the optional on line facilities currently require SAS/FSP. It will also run on PC/SAS.

As the source code is supplied the user has complete control over the environment, thus avoiding the "Black Box" syndrome and providing the ability to add extra features.

Integration with Other Software
Although TheBill has been designed to use MXG as the major source of data, MICS or any other SAS based SMF utility can be used. Also, output from TheBill can be fed into any mainframe or PC based reporting or graphics package.

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