Setup procedures
2. Setup procedures
Before you can process pay in the Settlements application you must complete setup procedures in the following locations:
· The Settlements application
· The System Administration application
· The File Maintenance application
· The Rate Schedules application
· The TTS50.ini File
· The General Info Table
The following sections detail the steps you will need to accomplish when setting up the Settlements application.
Checklist of steps that occur prior to settlement 2.2
Specifying the mileage database to be used 2.3
Restricting the retrieval of orders in Settlements according to invoice requirements 2.4
Configuring Settlements to process payment only when an invoice exists 2.4
STLMUSTINV 2.5
SPLITMUSTINV 2.6
Disallowing settlement of an order based on invoice status 2.6
StlXInvStat 2.8
How Settlements handles orders that do not meet invoicingrequirements 2.9
Restricting the retrieval of orders in Settlements according to order status 2.9
STLMUSTORD 2.10
Overriding invoice requirements 2.11
STLMUSTOverride 2.11
Restricting the retrieval of orders in Settlements according to paperwork requirements 2.13
[Settlement] RequirePaperworktosettle 2.13
Displaying additional restriction fields in the Trips Ready To Settle queue 2.14
ShowStartDateRestriction INI 2.15
[Settlement] ShowStartDateRestriction 2.15
STL_RestrictByPTO GIT 2.15
Setting up and maintaining pay schedules and pay periods 2.16
Settlement dates and how they are used 2.16
Pay period date 2.17
Work period date 2.17
Check issuance date 2.18
Overriding the check issuance date for year-to-date totals 2.19
UsePayperiodForYTD 2.19
Configuring the system to use pay schedules 2.19
Creating a new pay schedule 2.20
Adding pay period dates to an existing pay schedule 2.22
Sorting pay schedules 2.24
[Settlement] payschsortid 2.24
Closing a pay period 2.26
Closing a pay schedule 2.27
Working without pay schedules 2.28
Adjusting the check issuance date 2.29
[Settlement] chkfrompayperiod 2.29
Showing notes in the header of the Trips Settlement Folder 2.31
Setting up the system to display notes 2.31
[Settlement] QuickNotesDisplayAll 2.31
Using the display all notes feature 2.32
Selecting your settlement sheet format(s) 2.33
Suppressing the Remove trip from queue message 2.33
[Settlement] SuppressMsgRemoveTripFromComputeQueue 2.34
Determining screen layouts 2.34
[Settlement] StlmntDetailGrid 2.35
[Settlement] FinalStlmntDetailGrid 2.35
Checklist of steps that occur prior to settlement
There are a number of preparatory steps you must complete before you begin to process pay. The steps are listed below in the order in which they should be performed.
What you must do / Where you do it / Notes /Establish pay-related resource classifications in the label file / System Administration / In the System Administration application,
· Use the Label File command under the Edit menu,
or
· Click the icon in the frame toolbar.
Note: For a list of pay-related resource classification labels, see the section Establishing pay-related labels in the "Setting up resource profiles" file in the PayRateBasics Folder.
Update resource profiles to include pay-related entries / File Maintenance / In the File Maintenance application, look up resource profiles (i.e., drivers, tractors, trailers, and/or carriers) and record the appropriate pay-related entries.
Note: For a list of pay-related resource classification fields, see the section Making pay-related entries in resource profiles in the "Setting up resource profiles" file in the PayRateBasics Folder.
Create all necessary pay types / Rate Schedules or Settlements / To access the Settlement Item Maintenance window,
· Select the Pay Types command under the Setup menu in Settlements,
or
· Choose the Pay Types command under the Edit menu in the Rate Schedules application.
Note: For details, see the "Setting up pay types" file in the PayRateBasics Folder.
Create pay rates / Rate Schedules / In the Rate Schedules application, use the Settlement Rate Schedules icon.
Note: For details on setting up rates, see the Pay Rates guide.
Assign resources to a pay rate / Settlements / In the Settlements application, use the Assign Settlement Rates command under the Setup menu.
Create deduction types (needed only if you use the deduction feature) / Settlements / In the Settlements application, use the Deduction Type Maintenance window, accessed via the Deduction Types command under the Setup menu.
Note: For details, see the "Introduction to standing deductions" file in the 1_DeductionBasics folder.
Assign standing deductions to resources (needed only if you use the deduction feature) / Settlements / In the Settlements application, use the Edit Standing Deduction window, accessed via the Standing Deductions command under the Setup menu.
Note: For details, see the "Assigning standing deductions to resources" file in the 1_DeductionBasics folder.
Specifying the mileage database to be used
It is very common to apply pay rates based on the mileage for a trip. Such a rate can have either or both of the following:
· A pay type that is based on $/mile.
· A rate table that is based on mileage ranges.
Mileage also comes into play when you apply a percent of revenue rate for a resource that was assigned to a split trip. When calculating pay, the system allocates the order's revenue based on the number of miles the resource drove. For example, if the resource drove 60% of the miles, his rate of pay is multiplied by 60% of the revenue amount.
In many cases, settlement miles are determined by miles calculated by a third-party mileage application to which TMWSuite has an interface. To find the mileage between two locations, TMWSuite first looks to its own mileage table. If it cannot find the mileage there, the system tries to find a match in a third-party mileage database. If the mileage is found, it is stored in TMWSuite's own mileage database for future reference.
TMWSuite places mileage figures in separate mileage buckets based on the type of interface used. For example, when looking up ALK Shortest miles, the system saves the mileage amounts to the “ALK Shortest bucket.” Similarly, for lookups of ALK Practical miles, the system places the mileage amounts in the “ALK Practical bucket.” During the rating process, these mileages subsequently can be adjusted for specific rating scenarios.
You must configure the system to use miles from the correct mileage interface when trips are rated. It is possible to use multiple mileage interfaces for pay purposes, or to enter mileage amounts manually.
For details on mileage setup, see:
Guide: Pay Rate Basics | Chapter: Specifying settlement miles
Restricting the retrieval of orders in Settlementsaccording to invoice requirements
In many companies, the settlement process for an order occurs after an invoice has been created. If this is the case at your company, you can configure the system to allow lookup of orders in Settlements only when invoicing requirements are met. The following General Info Table settings are used to set up the "settle must invoice" requirements:
· STLMUSTINV
This setting determines whether the system will require that an invoice be created before the order can be retrieved for processing in the Trip Settlement Folder.
· SPLITMUSTINV
This setting works in conjunction with the STLMUSTINV setting. It allows you to specify how the system should handle the "settle must invoice" requirement for split trips.
· StlXInvStat
This setting works in conjunction with the STLMUSTINV and SPLITMUSTINV settings. It allows you to set a more specific "settle must invoice" requirement. Instead of just requiring that an invoice exist, the StlXInvStat setting is used to specify that the invoice must not have a particular status.
Note: For more information on how to use the General Info Table, see the System Administration guide.
Configuring Settlements to process paymentonly when an invoice exists
Some TMW customers require an order to be invoiced before payment for it can be processed in Settlements. Two General Info Table settings are used to set up this restriction: STLMUSTINV and SPLITMUSTINV.
The STLMUSTINV setting determines whether the system will require that an invoice be created before the order can be retrieved for processing in the Trip Settlement Folder.
STLMUSTINV /Applies to / TMWSuite
Description / This setting determines whether the system will require that an invoice be created before the order can be retrieved for processing in the Trip Settlement Folder or in the Trips Ready to Settle queue.
String1 / · N (default)
An invoice is not required.
· Y
An invoice must exist.
String2 / · Blank, that is, no entry (default)
Only a line haul invoice associated with the order will meet the "settle must invoice" requirement.
· All
Any type of invoice associated with the order will meet the "settle must invoice" requirement.
Note: The String2 options were first functional in version 2010.09_08.0174. Prior to that version, the system always used the functionality now associated with the All option.
Additional Notes / The functionality activated by this setting is modified by these additional General Info Table settings:
· SplitMustInv
· StlXInvStat
· STLMUSTORD
· STLMUSTOverride
The SPLITMUSTINV setting works in conjunction with the STLMUSTINV setting. It allows you to specify how the system should handle the "settle must invoice" requirement for split trips.
SPLITMUSTINV /Applies to / TMWSuite
Description / This setting works in conjunction with the STLMUSTINV setting. When you have Y set in the String1 field of the STLMUSTINV setting, the system requires that an order be invoiced before you can retrieve the trip segment in Settlements.
The SPLITMUSTINV setting allows you to specify how the system should handle the "settle must invoice" requirement for split trips.
String1 / · Y (default)
An invoice must exist before any trip segment associated with the order can be retrieved in the Trip Settlements Folder.
· N
An invoice must exist before any trip segment having a billable drop stop can be retrieved in the Trip Settlements Folder.
Note: The functionality associated with this option changed in version 2011.10_08.1029, prior to that version, the N option functionality only required that an invoice exist before the last trip segment associated with the order could be retrieved.
· L
An invoice must exist before the last trip segment associated with the order can be retrieved in the Trip Settlements Folder.
Note: This option was first available in version 2012.11_07.0435.
Additional Notes / This setting is used only when you have Y set in the String1 field of the STLMUSTINV General Info Table setting.
Disallowing settlement of an order based on invoice status
While some TMW customers require just the existence of an invoice prior to settlement of an order, others prefer a more restrictive approach that is based on invoice status. The StlXInvStat General Info Table setting can be used to list invoice statuses that should be excluded from consideration when Settlements determines whether a trip is ready for settlement.
Up to four invoice statuses can be excluded. To exclude a status, enter the abbreviation for that status in the String1, String2, String3, or String4 field.
Note: To use this feature to exclude invoice statuses, at least one value must be recorded in the String1 field. If the String1 field is blank, the system will not check the String2-String4 fields.
For example, if you wanted prevent the settlement of trips that are associated with an order having an invoice status of Cancelled or On Hold for Audit, you could make the following entry in the StlXInvStat setting:
Notes:
1. The StlXInvStat setting works in conjunction with the STLMUSTINV and SPLITMUSTINV General Info Table settings.
2. The StlXInvStat setting is operational only when you have Y set in the String1 field of the STLMUSTINV setting.
3. Invoice statuses are stored in the InvoiceStatus label in the System Administration application. The abbreviation for a status is recorded in the Abbr field.
StlXInvStat /Applies to / TMWSuite
Description / This setting works in conjunction with the STLMUSTINV setting. When you have Y set in the String1 field of the STLMUSTINV setting, the system requires that an order be invoiced before you can retrieve the trip segment in Settlements.
The StlXInvStat setting allows you to set a more specific requirement. Instead of just requiring that an invoice exist, the StlXInvStat setting is used to specify that the invoice must not have a particular status.
String1-4 / Up to four invoice statuses can be excluded by entering the abbreviation for a single status in each of the String1, String2, String3, and String4 fields.
Note: If the String1 field is blank, the system will not check the String2-String4 fields.
· Blank, that is, no entry (default)
The invoice's status is not considered when determining whether a trip can be retrieved in the Trip Settlements Folder.
· CAN
Cancelled
· CLD
Collected
· HLA
On Hold for Audit
· HLD
On Hold
· RTP
Ready to Print
· PRN
Printed
· PRO
Invoice or Master Bill Printed
· XFR
Transferred
Additional Notes / 1. Invoice statuses, and their abbreviations, are recorded in the InvoiceStatus label, accessed in the System Administration application.
2. This setting requires that you have Y set in the String1 field of the STLMUSTINV setting.
How Settlements handles orders that do not meet invoicingrequirements
When you have Y set in the String1 field of the STLMUSTINV General Info Table setting, the following occurs in Settlements:
· If you use the Trip Settlements Folder to attempt to look up a trip that does not meet invoice requirements, you will receive the Can’t Settle message:
· If you use the Trips Ready to Settle queue to look up trips that are ready to be processed, the system will not list those trips associated with orders that do not meet the invoicing requirements you have set.
Restricting the retrieval of orders in Settlementsaccording to order status
When "settle must invoice" restrictions are set, and you attempt to retrieve a trip in the Trip Settlements Folder, the system checks that the invoice restrictions are met and that the trip segment is complete. However, by default it does not check whether all the orders on the trip segment are complete.
If needed, you can set up the system to require that all orders on the trip segment have a Completed status before that trip segment can be retrieved in the Trip Settlements Folder.
This restriction may be helpful for clients who consolidate orders and then create split trips to deliver the orders. In our example, we: