Opening of Proposals - Utility Billing System - North Star Utilities Solutions - Part 1

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�sV�4 r III%# IPNI• NorthStar provides multiple data points for all premises. Standard information such as service address is supplemented by system defined and user defined fields to contain any required premise -related data. This could include technical data such as GIS coordinates or transformer location as well as service related information such as impervious area or dwelling type. The unique premise identifier is used as a foreign key in most critical tables to support relationships between the premise and premise specific information (e.g. meter location notes). NorthStar's integrated security allows a system administrator to assign View/Add/Edit/Delete privileges to users or user groups as necessary which maintains data integrity. Service Management NorthStar can bill for up to 26 different services and will maintain balance, status, and critical dates for each. In NorthStar, each service is a unique entity that can be configured in isolation from other services on the account. Categories, or classes, of customer are defined at the service level, and each service maintains its own associated rate. Other items defined at the service level include SIC or NAICS code, billing frequency, number of units, exemptions (e.g. late fees or disconnect), and Collection status. Service -specific reports are available, and many of NorthStar's batch functions can filter accounts based on the service type. Because each service is a separate entity, NorthStar also has the ability to inactivate one service without inactivating the entire account. With a seasonal customer who wants to turn off their water and phone but leave their electricity connected, for example, the utility is not required to final bill the customer and then recreate the account when the customer returns. They can simply inactivate those two services and reactivate them at the appropriate time. Billing Management NorthStar's billing process is comprised of four steps: calculate, verify, print and post. Pre -billing activities include verifying and correcting meter reads to ensure that the reported consumption is valid. Bills are calculated and anomalies identified through standard reports. Accounts can be corrected and the batch recalculated as often as required until the biller is satisfied with the results. Bills can be printed locally or sent to file for transfer to another location. Multiple sorting options are available including zip + four order, or grouping based on common criteria such as ACH accounts, or master billing for customers with multiple accounts. NorthStar also has the ability to hold bills based on a common customer number to allow the utility to send all their bills together at a predefined time of the month. Each batch of bills results in a billing journal or register which details each account and its charges as well as summary information; the latter includes statistics such as counts of the types of bills generated, and a summary of the G/L transactions for the batch. The post process updates relevant information on each account - balance history, read history, collection dates, and current balances. NorthStar is able to include multiple bill types and frequencies within one batch; this is typically based on utility business processes and the characteristics of the accounts in each cycle. Financial Management The cashiering module in NorthStar provides the utility with the ability to take payments from multiple sources. Electronic files and ACH files are batch processed as are payments from the web and IVR. Counter payments can be assigned a user -defined payment method with an associated description for display in the balance history. Rapid entry of payments received through mail or drop box is facilitated through specifically designed screens which are completely keyboard/keypad driven. Adjustment types are defined by the utility, and dollar values can be defaulted to avoid keying errors and improve efficiency when processing. Adjustments are entered into a journal and can be reviewed prior to posting to ensure accuracy. Refunds in NorthStar are automated through a journal process that allows a user to create a refund transaction for a single account or for multiple accounts based on the criteria they enter. Once posted, a file can be generated that will interface with the utility's AP system to enable a check to be issued. All financial transactions in NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana