fileSMART Tenant Invoices Setup and Use Guide

Overview

REST Professional Version 14.5 and fileSMART Version 7.0.2 introduces fileSMART Tenant Invoices, an enhancement to the existing fileSMART Creditor Disbursements feature.

Some key features of this enhancement:

  • Tenant water invoicing is incorporated seamlessly into the existing invoice processing workflow in fileSMART
  • Bulk processing of tenant water invoices in REST using REST Owner & Tenant Water Invoicing Workflow in fileSMART

Prerequisites

  • A minimum of REST Professional Version 14.5 and fileSMART Version 7.0.2 is required to use REST Tenant Water Invoices with fileSMART. Refer to Setting Up Enhanced Integration REST Professional and fileSMART for more information on setting up integration for the first time, or contact Rockend for assistance
  • The REST database must be configured to use Water Invoicing
  • fileSMART Creditor Disbursements must be activated in REST Professional
  • fileSMART Tenant Invoices must be activated in REST Professional

Processing fileSMART Tenant Water Invoices in REST Professional

Water invoices approved in fileSMART using REST Owner & Tenant Water Invoicing Workflow will be available to review and process in bulk in REST Professional from Transactions > fileSMART Integration > fileSMART Tenant Invoices.

There are four easy steps to processing fileSMART Tenant Invoices in REST:

  • Enter Tenant Water Invoice descriptions and other defaults in REST > Company details
  • Review the tenant water usage details sent via fileSMART Workflow
  • Process tenant water invoices in the fileSMART Tenant Water Invoice screen
  • Collate and send tenant water invoices with the water bill attached through fileSMART

Company Water Invoicing Defaults

The Water Usage tab in Company Details has been renamed Water Invoicing and the layout has been improved to include the following new features:

  • The ability to save a description and date range for tenant water charges that will automatically populate when tenant water invoices are created. The description and date range for will also display when approving tenant water invoices in REST Owner & Tenant Water Invoicing Workflow in fileSMART Archive
  • The ability to save a second water charge with a description and a date range. If configured, the details will automatically populate when tenant water invoices are created. The option to add a second water charge can also be managed at invoice level
  • Improved layout of the Water Rate Defaults

Creating the workflow in fileSMART Archive

The process of creating water invoice workflow for bulk tenant invoicing is an enhancement to the existing Invoice Processing Workflow functionality in fileSMART. When processing water invoices in fileSMART that also require the tenant to be charged, simply select the new option of REST Owner & Tenant Water Invoicing Workflow to assign tenant water usage data during workflow approval and make the water invoices available to review and process in bulk in REST Professional.

  • When sending an item from the Pending Queue to Workflow, a new option of REST Owner & Tenant Water Invoicing will be available when creating Workflow for databases configured to use Water Invoicing in REST.

  • When the workflow is approved, tenant water invoices can be processed in bulk in REST Professional using fileSMART Tenant Water Invoices.

fileSMART Tenant Invoice Screen in REST

Review the tenant water usage details sent via fileSMART Workflow

Select Transactions > fileSMART Integration > fileSMART Tenant Invoices to display all tenant water invoices approved in fileSMART via REST Owner & Tenant Water Invoicing Workflow. A quick-launch button labelled Load FSTI has also been added to the fileSMART Creditor Disbursements screen to provide easy access to fileSMART Tenant Invoices.

Selecting each row in the grid will display Tenant, Property and water usage details as well as the fileSMART Workflow History for the selected row.

The following options are available when selecting a row in the grid:

  • The View Tenant button will display the Tenant assigned to the selected invoice
  • The View Property button willdisplay the Property assigned to the selected invoice
  • The View Creditor button will display the Creditor assigned to the selected invoice
  • The View Invoice button will display the invoice in fileSMART Archive
  • The Print List button will produce a report of the invoices displayed in the grid


The following information can be edited directly in the grid:

  • Description*
  • Current Reading
  • Reading Date
  • Units Used
  • Allowance
  • Total Payable*
  • Date Due

*The Description and Total Payable can only be edited in the grid for invoices with a single water charge. Invoices made up of two water charges cannot be edited directly in the grid but can be edited by selecting the View icon at the end of the row to load details of the water invoice.

To view or change options for a selected invoice, select the View icon at the end of the row to load details of the water invoice.

The following additional invoice details can be viewed and changed by loading the individual water invoice:
 

  • Print invoice
  • Email invoice
  • Print global comment
  • Round to 5c (Australia) and Round to 10c (NZ)
  • GST Exempt
  • Create as GST Exclusive
  • Tax Invoice
  • Direct Debit
  • Management fee %
  • Pay to Owner/Agent
  • Withhold from Owner
  • Disable direct debit

Filtering and Sorting

The fileSMART Tenant Invoices screen allows sorting of each column by selecting the column header in the grid. Filters also assist in searching for specific invoices. The grid can be filtered to display invoices for a specific value or a combination of all filters.

To filter the list of invoices displayed in the grid:

  1. Enter the required filters in one or more of the following fields:

  • Tenant Alpha
  • Mgr
  • Property Alpha
  • Creditor Alpha
  • Charge Water
     

  1. Select the Filter button. The grid will display records filtered by your search criteria. Select the Clear button to restore the grid’s original results.
     

Useful Tip: Filtering the grid by Charge Water to Yes or No will allow you to easily identify which tenants are flagged in REST to pay for water charges. This could also be useful for determining which Tenant Details require updating.

Processing Tenant Water Invoices

REST will automatically create tenant water invoices for the selected rows in the grid. Printing and emailing of the invoices will occur as part of the process, based on the print and email options selected for each tenant water invoice. If default System Options have been configured for the printing and emailing of invoices, the relevant options will automatically be set for each invoice.

  1. Ensure the information in the grid has been reviewed.
     

  2. Ensure all rows ready for the creation of tenant water invoices are selected.

  • When using the Select All checkbox to check all rows, only valid rows will be included for processing.
  • To manually validate the invoice data for a row, simply select the checkbox for the specific row.

  1. When potential duplicate water invoices exist in the grid, only one of the duplicate invoices will be selected for processing and the remaining duplicate/s will not be selected.

  • When manually selecting a potential duplicate water invoice that has already been included, a warning will display with an option to exclude or include the invoice.
  • An invoice is considered a duplicate if all the following fields match: Property alpha, Tenant Alpha, Creditor Alpha, Description and Total Payable amount.
     
  1. To apply bulk print/email settings for all selected invoices; select the option Bulk print/email settings for all selected invoices. Selecting this option will override the tenant invoice distribution options set on each water invoice, and all invoices selected for processing will be distributed as per selections made when the Process button is selected.

  • When selecting the bulk print/email option, a selection of Print and/or Email must be made.
  • Print all Invoices will override individual invoice print and email options for all invoices selected for processing in the grid when the Process button is selected. All invoices will be sent to fileSMART PrintMail or the specified printer.
  • Email all Invoices will override individual invoice print and email options for all invoices selected for processing in the grid when the Process button is selected.
  • Add Global Statement will include the user defined Global Statement on all invoices selected for processing in the grid when the Process button is selected.

  1. Select the Process button to create, print and email the water invoices selected to include. A printer selector will display to allow you to select the invoice printer.

  1. The report selector screen will display when processing is complete, and a report of processed tenant water invoices will be available to preview, print or export.

Useful Tip: Prior to processing, select the Print List button to preview, print or export a report of the information displayed in the grid. The report will also display details of REST tenant invoices created during the session.

NOTE: When using fileSMART PrintMail as the invoice printer, the generated tenant water invoices will be automatically archived in fileSMART.

07/05/2016 9:24 am AEST

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