Auto-billing

• Validation Process for Newly Issued Invoices
• Various reports to be checked during the month
• Guidelines for Checking Self-Service Clients with Incorrect Billing Settings in PowerBI
• Instructions for Using the "Accounts with Billing Issues" Report (Lookerstudio)

Validation Process for Newly Issued Invoices

SOP: Invoice Review and Currency Validation Process

Purpose:

To ensure the accuracy of invoicing by validating the client details, invoice amounts, currencies, and other key invoice attributes.

Timeline: Process has to be followed up each month on 2nd day of a new month

Step 1: Request List of Invoices (from Developers Team)

1. Request the invoice list (in production). This list must include the following details:
• Client name
• Amounts
• Invoice numbers
• A column indicating whether the invoice was sent to the client automatically (send_invoices_automatically)
• Invoice currency

Step 2: Currency Validation

1. Filter the currency column and check for any unusual currencies, such as TZS, VND, or others that do not align with standard billing practices at Eskimi.
2. Verify that the invoices are issued in the correct currencies for each Eskimi entity as follows:
• Eskimi Nigeria: NGN, USD, EUR only
• Eskimi Singapore: SGD, USD, EUR, AUD only
• Eskimi Bangladesh: All invoices in BDT
• Eskimi Indonesia: Only IDR & USD
• Eskimi India: Only INR & USD
• Eskimi Kenya: Only KES & USD
• Eskimi UAE: Only USD
• Eskimi Azerbaijan: AZN, USD, EUR
• Eskimi Kazakhstan: KZT, USD, EUR
• Eskimi Myanmar: MMK, USD
• Eskimi Turkey: TYR, USD, EUR
• Eskimi Lithuania: Ensure no invoices with currencies such as TZS, ZWD, SGD, LKR, AED, or others not accepted as per the tracker history. At the moment we do bill in EUR, USD, ZAR, PLN, GBP, SEK, JPY.

Step 3: Invoice Amount Validation

1. Check for any invoices with negative amounts. Only credit notes should have negative values.
2. Investigate any invoices with very small amounts (e.g., $0.01, $1.00, or atypical amounts like $26.00) by verifying:
• Whether the small amount reflects a discount applied to the invoice total.
• If the invoice is related to a test campaign.
• If it is a BrandLift campaign (should be indicated in the invoice title), and ensure the discount has been applied correctly.

Step 4: Example of Invoice Review

• If there is an invoice in VND under Eskimi Lithuania, investigate and correct it. Since VND is not an accepted currency and the client's usual billing currency is USD, revise the invoice and check the company profile settings for currency consistency.

This below example indicates that usual client‘s billing is USD:

                 In the company profile settings choose the user which has USD currency as the main and set it as a default for billing:

 

Summary:

This SOP outlines a detailed process for invoice review, currency validation, and user account checks to ensure the accuracy and correctness of invoices issued for the previous month.

Various reports to be checked during the month

Guidelines for Checking Self-Service Clients with Incorrect Billing Settings in PowerBI

Objective:
To ensure correct auto-billing settings for self-service accounts, which will result in accurate automatic invoice generation. Sometimes campaigns are run for self-service accounts, but the billing settings under company profile remain configured for managed clients. This task ensures that settings are corrected promptly.

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Frequency:

• Check the report at least twice a month.
• Mandatory check during the last days of the month before monthly billing to avoid errors.

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Steps to Follow:

1. Access the Report on PowerBi called "Self service deals"
   The report can be accessed via this Power BI link.

2. Filter the Report

   • Look for the "Not Automated Deals Spend Tracking" section.
   • Set the month filter to "Current" to review the latest data.

3. Identify Accounts
   The report will show accounts that have spent money but whose company profile settings are incorrect. These accounts need to be addressed.

4. Update Company Profile Settings on DSP
   If accounts are found with incorrect settings, take the following actions in the company profile:

   • Change the auto-billing settings as required.

     Before Changes:
     The company profile will show the incorrect settings for managed clients.

     After Changes:
     The profile should be updated as follows:

     • End of Month Billing selected.
     • Third Grouping chosen.
     • The appropriate account for invoice generation selected.

   • Ensure all updates are properly saved and attached to the respective company profiles.

5. Exceptions

   • Internal accounts or users, such as Eskimi - Artem P., Test, do not require these changes.

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Reminder:
This task should be done at least twice a month and especially towards the end of the month before the monthly billing to ensure no errors in invoice generation.

Instructions for Using the "Accounts with Billing Issues" Report (Lookerstudio)

The Accounts with Billing Issues report identifies clients with incorrect billing settings, where the account management does not align with the billing profile. This includes both active and inactive accounts. The purpose of this report is to correct billing settings within the DSP company profiles.

Frequency:

• Check this report at least twice a month and once at the end of the month before the billing cycle.

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Steps to Use the Report

1. Download the Report:

   • Access the report and download it in Excel format.

2. Remove Duplicates:

   • In the Excel file, remove duplicates in Column B. This will give you a list of companies that need your attention.

3. Check Companies:

   • Review the companies one by one to identify billing issues.

4. Ignore Internal Accounts:

   • Skip internal company names such as Eskimi, NULL, or test as they don't require changes.

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How to Know if a Company’s Billing Settings Are Correct

Companies can be categorized as Mixed (both self-service and managed accounts), Self-service, or Managed.

1. Mixed Type (Self-service and Managed Accounts)

• Correct setup:
  If the company type is "Mixed," there should be at least two billing profiles:

  • One for managed accounts.

  • One for self-service accounts.

  • Alternatively, there can be one billing profile for some accounts, and other accounts should be listed under non-auto invoicing users, with the reason clearly mentioned.

    • Example: Glowlight Corporation has accounts listed in a billing profile, and one account not assigned to a billing profile, with a reason provided.
    • 

• Fix:
  If no reason is provided for non-auto invoicing, find out why. If there is no valid reason, the account must be assigned to a billing profile.

2. Self-service Type

• Correct setup:
  All accounts should be under one billing profile, with invoices generated at the end of the month (+ interim invoices). The invoice grouping should be set to the 3rd option: "Group all client accounts under one invoice."

  • Example: Dage Digital is self-service but does not have a billing profile:
  • NOT CORRECT:
  • 
    

• Fix:
  Update the settings so:

  • Invoice generation frequency is set to End of month (+ interim invoices).
  • Invoice grouping is set to the 3rd option ("Group all client accounts under one invoice").
  • No accounts are listed as non-auto invoicing users.
  • This is how CORRECT company profile looks after the above changes are made:
  • 

Summary for Correct Billing Setup:

• No accounts should be listed as non-auto invoicing users unless reason mentioned
• Invoice generation frequency should be End of month (+ interim invoices).
• Invoice grouping should be set to the 3rd option ("Group all accounts under one invoice").
• The main billing account must be selected.

3. Managed Type

• Correct setup:
  Most accounts should have a billing frequency assigned (one or both options), and any invoice grouping can be chosen, except the 3rd grouping, which is only for self-service accounts.
• Here is an example of CORRECT company profile:

  

• Company profile can have several billing profiles as well if brands (accounts) request different grouping of invoices, for example, one brand requires invoices for each IO and another one may accept grouped under one invoice.

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How to Choose the Main Account for Billing

If there are multiple accounts, here's how to select the main billing account:

• If all accounts are in USD, you can use any account.
• If there are multiple currencies, check the SOA (Statement of Account) history to see which currency was used in previous billing cycles. Choose the account in that currency.
• Ensure the selected account uses a currency that is accepted for payment (e.g., Zimbabwean dollar cannot be used for billing).

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Troubleshooting: Notification When Saving Changes

If you receive a notification while trying to save changes, it means some accounts need to be added to the Auto-billing list.
Select the relevant users and save changes.

Here is an example of notification:

Here is an illustration where the users have to be selected:

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Summary for Correct Billing Setup (Self-service Example):

For self-service clients:

• No accounts should be listed as non-auto invoicing users.
• Invoice generation frequency should be End of month (+ interim invoices).
• Invoice grouping should be set to the 3rd option ("Group all accounts under one invoice").
• The main billing account should be selected (if there is only one account under the company profile).

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By following these steps, you can effectively identify and resolve billing issues in client accounts, ensuring correct and compliant billing settings.