ETM Solutions

Mass Update View

Background

Occasionally there are situations that require the processing of invoices from a spreadsheet. Normally this would require creating an ETM agent where the list of invoices was hardcoded to the agent view. The tasks could then be processed by that agent to perform several functions. While this method works, it is very time-consuming to manually hardcode a large number of invoices into a query.

KAV Consulting has developed a new method of easily importing these lists of invoices into ETM so they can be processed. This method is very user friendly and flexible, able to accommodate a wide range of needs from mass adjustment, to mass FSC transfers, and even to creating Manual Tasks. The Mass Update view utilizes the Invoice task name that is delivered as part of the No Activity workflow. Because there is always an Invoice task for every non-zero balance invoice in the system, this task can “represent” the invoice in ETM and allows ETM to perform functions on the invoice.

Importing Invoices

When in Task Manager, select the Mass Update view from the View dropdown. Once the view has loaded, there will be a link in the Preview/Instruction pane labeled “Add Invoices”. Clicking this link will take the user to a notes screen. In this notes screen, the list of invoices can be pasted into the body of the note either as a comma delimited list, an individual invoice per line, or a combination of the two. Filing the note will store that list of invoices and add a new line to the Mass Update view.

The Mass Update view will display the last ten lists of invoices that were imported. Any previous list of invoices can be acted upon at any time once they have been imported by selecting the associated record and using the links in the Preview/Instruction pane.

After the invoices have been imported, there is a second link labeled “View Invoices” that will show the list of invoices that were imported with additional detail. This child view can be used to validate the list of invoices before action is taken on them from the main Mass Update view. To return to the Mass Update view, select All from the Show menu.

Acting on Invoices

Once the list of invoices has been added as a record in the Mass Update view, there are a number of functions in the Preview/Instructions pane that can be used to take action on those invoices. Any function that can be performed by an action method can be utilized in the Mass Update view. These functions primarily include adjustments and FSC transfers, but others may be available. There are no standard functions included in the Mass Update view so new functions will be added upon request and based on the current need.

Please note that certain functions may require multiple steps to complete. For example, in order to transfer a FSC to the previous FSC, the previous FSC must first be determined and attached to the task by storing that previous FSC in a column on the ETM_B_TASK table. Once the previous FSC has been determined and attached to the task, then invoice can be transferred to the previous FSC. Instructions are typically included with these types of functions to ensure the user knows and recognizes that certain steps must be done in order to successfully complete the function.

Contact KAV Consulting to implement this cool utility!