Metered Items on Varying Hour Shifts

This article will walk you through configuring your rate engine and item records to accommodate metered items running on varying shift lengths (8 hours, 16 hours, 24 hours, etc.). To do this, you'll need to create multiple Base Rate engines for each shift and assign each engine to an item record. 

Topics included in this article

• Creating a Base Rate Engine

• Assigning a Base Rate to Items

• Using Metered Shifts on a Contract

• Applying the Rate Engine to a Contract (Whole Contract)

• Verification by Counter Staff (when applying Rate Engine to contract)

Creating a Base Rate Engine
 

As mentioned above, you'll need to create multiple base rate engines, one for each shift length. Please note this process requires the use of Base Rate Engines. For more information, please see our article, Base Rate Engine.

How to get there

Expert: Program Menu > Configurations > System Configurations > Rate Engine
Elite: Gear icon > App configurations > System Configurations > Rate Engine

1. Select the Add button.
    
   
   
2. Enter a name and set the Type to Base Rate.
    
   
   
3. Set up the period rates.
   
   Each shift will have different rates. For example:
   
   
   • Single Shift would be 24 hrs - 1x, 168 hrs - 3x, 672 hrs - 9x
   • Double Shift would be 24 hrs - 1.5x, 168 hrs - 4.5x, 672 hrs - 13.5x
   • Triple Shift would be 24 hrs - 2x, 168 hrs, 6x, 672 hrs - 18x
     
     
4. Configure the Overtime and Clock Overtime area. For information, see our article Base Rate Engine.
   
5. Set up the Meter Overtime area:
   
   
   • In the Hours in a Day field, enter the number of hours the shift will be before it goes to overtime (8 hours, 16 hours, 24 hours, etc.).
   • Enter the Days in a week and Weeks in a month.
   • Enter a "% charge for a meter overtime". This sets the percentage of hour meter overtime charged to the bill. An entry of 50% would only charge half of the normal overtime rate for hour meter usage.
     
     
6. Press OK to save.
   
   
   
7. Repeat steps 1-5 until a rate engine is created for each shift.

Assigning a Base Rate to Items

After creating a base rate engine for each shift, you'll need to assign them to item records. You can also do this at the header level, so you don't have to update each serialized item individually. You can update the rate engine by following the below path for your product.

• In Expert: Program Menue > File Maintenance > Item File > search and select the item > Options tab
• In Elite: Gear Icon > File Maintenance (under Core Options) > Item File > search and select the item > Options tab
  
  

The Base Rate will automatically populate into the item record (which would be the Daily Rate) when saving the record.

Using Metered Shifts on a Contract

To use metered shifts you should MANUALLY set the Double or Triple shift on the line item on the contract using Special Rates. This can be done at any point; when adding the contract, when open, or upon closing. It's common for users to forget about this until the contract charges a huge amount of overtime and then they remember to change the rate to Triple Shift.

Follow the steps below:

1. To change the rate on the line item, you can do that by right-clicking on the line item of the contract.
   
   
2. Click on Set Special Rate.
   
   
   
3. Under the Special Rate area, you can choose the Rate Engine that you need.
   
   
   
4. Press OK when you are done.

 Applying the Rate Engine to a Contract (Whole Contract)

1. To change the contract Rate Engine, go to the Information Tab on the contract.

2. Change the Rate Engine to the appropriate time frame that you need.
 

Remind your Counterstaff to Confirm the Item Rate Engine 

It is recommended that you create a contract question to remind counter people that they will need to verify the Rate Engine.

How to get there

Expert: Program Menu > File Maintenance > Item File > Functions > Contract Questions

Elite: Configuration Gear > File Maintenance > Item File > Functions > Contract Questions
 

Enter the question you want to verify with your counter staff, then press OK.