Version 6.1

Overview

Workflow Fee Editor is used to configure and maintain workflow fees. Fees can be applied through actions, which can be added to a workflow status of an activity step.
Fees can be set up as:

• Expressions: Expressions can be created for flat fees or for any calculations. When a fee does not require a rate schedule, an expression can be written instead of using the Formatted Fee form.
• Formatted: Create formatted fees if you need to add a rate schedule. A formatted fee type can be used instead of an expression. Fee types parameters are selected from combo-boxes.
• Groups: Groups of fees are created when you want to execute multiple fees at the same time. All fees in the group are added together. The minimum, maximum, and rounding can be applied to the group if all fee methods in the group are defined with the same A/R Class Code.

Business Rule(s)

The system will NOT allow a fee to be deleted if it is being used anywhere in the system.

Prerequisites

Workflow Kind and Category

Fees are defined by category, therefore a Workflow Kind and Category must be created.

A/R Class Codes

A/R Class Codes are required for the workflow fees.

• If Land Management is selected as the subsystem, all codes with the transaction type invoice (inv) or empty are listed.
• For all other subsystems, all codes with the transaction types Fee (fee), Charge (chg), or Demand (dmd) are listed.
• A/R Class Codes are created by year. Workflows are not created by year.

Creating Fees

The Workflow Fee Editor is used to create fees. This page contains the following topics:

• Accessing the Workflow Fee Editor
• Using an Expression in a Fee
• How to create a Formatted Fee
• How to create a Group Fee

Accessing the Workflow Fee Editor

To access the Workflow Fee Editor:

1. Launch GNA.
2. Select Application Configurations > Workflow Management > Kinds and Categories.
3. Click to select the Categories tab. Categories are listed in the tree view on the left.
4. Select a category.
5. Click the Edit Fees action button at the top of the form; note that the Edit Fees button is disabled if the fee has not been saved.
6. The Fee Method Editor opens.

Existing workflow fees are listed on the left by Type: Expression, Formatted, and Group.

Fee tab Icons

The Fee Method Editor contains the standard New, Save, Delete, and Cancel icons, as well as the following icons that can be used to facilitate the creation of new fee methods.

Copying and Importing Fee Methods

• Copy: An existing Fee may be copied in order to create a new one. When you click Copy, all parameters are copied, with the exception of the Fee Code, which must be unique. Click the Copy icon at the top of the form to copy a fee method; modify any required parameters.
• Import: You can import fee methods from one Kind and Category to another. You may also overwrite existing fees.

Importing a Fee Method

To import a fee method:

1. Click the Import icon at the top of the Fee Method form.This opens the Select Fees to Import window.
2. Select a workflow kind from the Kind drop-down list.
3. Select a workflow category from the Category drop-down list
4. Select the Overwrite Existing Fees checkbox to overwrite the fees in the current Kind and Category that have the same name as the fee methods that you are importing.
   This can be useful if you modify a fee in one Kind and Category and want the same change in all Kinds and Categories.
5. Select the fees that you want to import from the Available Fees list.
   You can select multiple fees by holding down the [Shift] or [Ctrl] keys.
6. Click Import.

There is no warning.
All parameters are imported including the Fee Code. You can modify all parameters with the exception of the Fee Code.

Fee Method Parameters

This section covers the common parameters for all Fee Method types in the following sections:

• Defining the General Information for Fee Methods
• Defining Minimum, Maximum, and Rounding
• Defining the General Information for Fee Methods

Completing the Fee Method Setup

To set up a Fee Method:

1. Enter a code to identify the fee in Fee Code parameter.
2. The code can be a maximum of 15 characters and must be unique in the category.
3. Click the drop-down arrow to expand the description fields.
4. Enter descriptions in the English Short and Long Description fields.
5. Select one of the following from the Type field and follow the corresponding instructions.

• Expression: See Creating an Expression Type Fee
• Formatted: See Creating a Formatted Type Fee
• Group: Creating a Group Type Fee

Defining Minimum, Maximum, and Rounding

The following parameters can be added to any fee method type. If they are added to a group fee, they apply to the sum of all fees in the group.
Round Fee To: Define a value for rounding the fees generated for a permit or license, using standard rounding rules. For example, enter 1 to round the fee to the nearest dollar, 10 to the nearest multiple of ten dollars or 100 to the nearest multiple of one hundred dollars.
The rounding occurs after the Base Amount is added but before the Minimum and Maximum Fees are compared.
Minimum Fee: Enter the minimum amount for the fee. If you are setting up a Group Type fee, this value includes the sum of all the fee codes linked to the current code, unless the Use Min., Max for This Fee Code option is selected.
Otherwise, if a Minimum amount is entered, it applies to the current fee.
Maximum Fee: Enter the maximum amount for the fee. If you are setting up a Group type fee, the maximum applies to the sum of all the fee codes in the group. Otherwise, it applies to the current fee only.

Creating an Expression Type Fee

You can use an expression in order to create a fee. This is useful for flat fees and fee that use queries or constants.
This section covers the following topics:

• Setting Up an Expression Type Fee
• Using a Constant in a Fee
• Setting Up an Expression Type Fee

To create an expression to define a fee:

1. Follow steps 1 to 8 under Creating Fees.
2. Select Expression from the Type drop-down list:
3. Select the subsystem from the Subsystem parameter.
4. All applicable A/R Class Codes are listed. This varies according to the subsystem selected as described under A/R Class Codes.
5. Select an A/R Class Code from the A/R Class drop-down list.
6. All A/R Class Codes for the selected subsystem are listed for all years
   However, if you select an A/R Class Code that does not exist in the current year, the A/R Class parameter is outlined in yellow.
7. Click the ellipsis button to open the A/R Class Code editor and create a new A/R Class Code.
8. Click the ellipsis button in the Expression parameter.
   This opens the Expression Selector.
9. Create the expression.
   Only the attributes that are in the business model are available and can be used in the expression.For details on expressions, see the OpenForms Designer documentation :http://product.govern.harrisgovern.com/105-all-OFD
10. Click Save.

Using a Constant in a Fee

Constants are useful for setting up fees that change from year to year or from one jurisdiction to another.

Prerequisites

For this type of fee, the first step is to create the constants.
To create a constant for a workflow fee:

1. Launch GNA.
2. Select Editors > Constant Editor.
3. Click the New icon to create a new constant.
4. Enter text to uniquely identify the constant in the Code parameter.
5. Add descriptions in the Short and Long Description parameters.
6. Do one the following:
   Select By Year if the value of the constant changes from year to year.
   Select By Jurisdiction if the value changes from one jurisdiction to another.
   Select both By Year and By Jurisdiction if the value changes by both.
7. Click the Add icon (+) to add a new value.
8. Select the jurisdiction in the Jurisdiction parameter if applicable.
9. Enter the year in the Year parameter if applicable.
10. Enter the value in the Value parameter.
11. Repeat steps 7 to 10 as required.
12. Click Save.

For further details, see Constant Value Editor (103-ed-003).

Adding a Constant to a Fee

To set up a fee code that uses a constant:

1. Follow the procedure under Creating an Expression on page 5, with the following exception.
2. When you create the expression for the fee, enter:@ct A drop-down list of all the constants in the system appears.
3. Select the constant from the drop-down list.
4. A parameter with the Year ID and/or Jurisdiction ID appears on the editor, depending on how you set up the constant.
   For example, if the constant is year-based, enter the year in the Year_ID parameter.
5. Click Execute.The value associated with the year is displayed in the Result field.
6. Click OK on the Expression Editor.
7. Click Save on the Fee form.

Creating a Formatted Type Fee

You need to create a formatted type fee if the fee uses a rate schedule or if it accesses codes in a validation table. You can also the formatted type fee to create a fee using any parameter that the is in the workflow kind or category.
This section covers:

• Defining a Formatted Fee
• Creating a Formatted Fee with the Apply Rate Option
• Creating a Formatted Fee with the Rate / Unit Option
• Creating a Formatted Fee with a Lookup

Defining a Formatted Fee

To define a formatted fee:

1. Follow steps 1 to 8 under Creating Fees.
2. Select Formatted from the Type drop-down list:The Formatted Fee parameters appear.
3. Select the subsystem from the Subsystem parameter.
   All applicable A/R Class Codes are listed.
4. Select an A/R Class Code from the A/R Class drop-down list.
   All A/R Class Codes for the selected subsystem are listed for all years.
   However, if you select an A/R Class Code that does not exist in the current year, the A/R Class parameter is outlined in yellow.
5. Click the ellipsis button to open the A/R Class Code editor and create a new A/R Class Code if required.
   A formatted fee can be based on a single attribute or on two attributes with an operator. All numeric and lookup attributes in the business model are listed in the drop-down lists for the fee.
   The attributes can be a numeric type of lookup.
   If you select an attribute that has a lookup, the validation table icon is enabled and a secondary window opens.Only numeric values can be entered.
6. Select the first attribute for the calculation for from the first drop-down list beside the Fee parameter.
7. Select an operator if you adding a second attribute, + – * ÷
   The second attribute is required if you enter an operator.
8. Select the second attribute.
9. Select one of the following and follow the corresponding procedure.

• No Rate
• Apply Rate
• Apply Rate / Units
• Click Save.

Creating a Formatted Fee with the Apply Rate Option

For this type of fee, you need to provide the Base Amount and the Rate.

To create a formatted fee with the Apply Rate option:

1. Click the Apply Rate option on the Formatted Fee form.
2. Enter amounts in the Base Amount and the Rate parameters.

Creating a Formatted Fee with the Rate / Unit Option

For this type of fee, you need to provide the Base Amount and the Rate. An Up to units rate can be used only once.

Click the plus (+) symbol beside Rate to add a new rate.
Enter the maximum number of units to which the rate applies in the Up to Units field.
Enter the rate for the number of units.
Enter the number of units to which the rate applies in the Per Units column.
Click Save.

Creating a Formatted Fee with a Lookup

The Formatted Fee type can be used to facilitate the setup of fees that access validation tables.
This is best illustrated with a scenario.
In the following scenario, a fee method is used to apply fees based on property use to a workflow. The fee varies according to whether the property is residential or commercial. The property use codes are defined in the user validation table QA_PERMIT_USE.
Prerequisite
The first step is to create the Validation Table. In this scenario, the QA_PERMIT_USE table is used.
To create this table or modify it:

1. Launch GNA.
2. Select Editors > User Validation Table Editor > Permits.
3. Click New to create a new table.
4. Enter QA_PERMIT_USE in the Table Name parameter.
5. Enter QA-PERMIT Use in the English Description parameter.
6. Select By Department.
7. Click the Codes icon to create the validation codes for the table.
8. Click the New icon to create new codes.
9. Enter COM in the Code parameter to uniquely identify the validation code.
10. Enter Commercial in the Short and Long Description fields.
11. Select QA – QA Permit (Test Scenarios) from the Department drop-down list.
12. Repeat steps 8 to 11 to create codes for Residential Building, Residential, and Utilities in the same department.
13. Click Save.

Defining the Formatted Fee with Lookup

This scenario demonstrates how to use the Formatted Type Fee to generate fees according to values set up in a validation table.
To define the fee:
Follow the procedure under Defining a Formatted Fee on page 12 with the following exception.
Select the QA_PERMIT_USE validation table from the first Fee drop-down list.
Click the Codes and Values icon .
This opens the Codes and Values form.

Enter the following values beside the associated codes:
COM: 1000.0
NONRES: 150.0
RES: 475.0
UTIL: 600.0
Click Save.
Creating a Group Type Fee
The Group Type is used for fees that are generated together.
To create a group fee:
Follow steps 1 to 8 under Creating Fees on page 2.
Select Group in the Type parameter.

Click the plus (+) icon next to parameters to add a fee to the group.
A secondary window opens.
Repeat step 3 to add more fees to the group.
Enter values in the Min., Max., and Round To parameters if required.
These values apply to the sum of all the fees in the group.
Click Save.

Adding a Fee to a Workflow

Fees are added to workflows at the Activity Steps.
To add a fee to a workflow:

1. Launch GNA.
2. Select Application Configurations > Workflow Management > Departments.
3. Select the step at which you want to add the fee.
4. Select one of the following:
   At Initialization, At Status, or At Step
   This opens the Add a new action form.
   The Trigger parameter is automatically populated.
5. Select Generate Workflow Fee from the Action drop-down list.
6. Select a fee from the Fee Method drop-down list.
   The Subsystem parameter is automatically populated.
7. Select a reason for charging the fee from the Reason Code drop-down list.
   This is an optional field.
8. Select an A/R Class Code from the A/R override parameter if users can over the selected A/R Class.
9. Select the following options:
   Allow User to Override A/R Class Code.
   Allow User to Override Fee.
10. Click Save.

 

Documentation

To view this information in .pdf format, click on the following link:

ManagingFees.pdf

See Also

Managing Workflow Fees
Workflow Fee Editor

Workflow Kind and Category Editor
Workflow Kind
Workflow Category