Configuring iPECS Report Plus - Configure Tariffs

Table of Contents

Access this screen from the iPECS Report Plus Manager, click here on running iPECS Report Plus Manager.

The Tariff Maintenance screen is used to edit the tariffs used to calculate the costs of calls.

This screen consists of three regions. On the left-hand side is a tree through which the hierarchy of tariff configuration sub-screens can be navigated. On the right-hand side is the current tariff configuration sub-screen is displayed. At the bottom of the screen are options for the recharging of calls already in the database.

The top-level tariff sub-screen is reached by selecting ‘Countries’ in the left-hand tree. On this sub-screen is a map of the world, a key to the icons appearing in the left-hand tree and the ‘Add Country’ button to add a new country to the list. A new untitled country will be created and its editing sub-screen chose.

When tariffs have been changed, the new rate does not apply to calls already in the database. To recharge existing calls, click the ‘Recharge Calls’ button at the bottom, set the required data to be recharged, and click the ‘OK’ button to start. Note that recharging calls is an intensive process and may cause iPECS Report Plus Server to stop responding while it is in progress.

Country

Name– The name of the country.
Lookup Codes– prefixes on the dialled numbers of international calls which indicate which country the call is destined for.
International access codes –the numbers dialled to indicate an international call from that country. This will be used when the Tier calculation takes place.
Add Exchange / Country / Exchange Group– add new respective items to the country.

Carrier

Name– the name of the carrier.
Add Tier / Period Set / Period Name– add new respective items to the carrier.
Delete Carrier– erase the carrier.
Copy Carrier– make a copy of the carrier, including copies of all tiers, period sets and period names.
Create Tiers– generate blank tiers for each country.

Tier

Name– the name of the tier.
Flagfall– call connection fee.
Connection Time– the time that a call using this tier is deemed to take to connect. This time is subtracted from the call’s duration and not charged.
Call Type– tiers are grouped into larger sets based on their call type.
Delete Tier– erase the tier.

Edit Charges– edit call charges associated with this tier.
Copy –make a copy of the tier, including all charges.
Edit Call Types – add/remove the call types that can be selected.

At the bottom of the Tiers, sub-screen is the tier types list. To add a tier type open the ‘Add’ menu at the bottom of the list and select the type of tier type you wish to add. To delete a tier type from the list click the ‘red bin’ can icon to the left of the entry.

The inland distance tier type matches the tier against the distance between the source and destination exchanges of the call. This tier type has four variations which are selected from the menu. Inland distances can be up to a given number, between two distances, about a certain distance or for all distances.

The special calls tier type selects the tier based on the prefix of the dialled number. The name of the special call type is the first item and the special call prefix is the second.

The exchange group tier type selects the tier based on the exchange group which relates the source and destination exchange. To configure the exchange group click the three dots (…) button.

The country tier type selects the tier based on the destination country of the call. To configure the destination country, click the three dots (…) button.

Edit Charges

This is used to edit the costs charged for various rates using a tier.

At the top left hand of the dialog is the name of the tier. On the top right is a drop list entitled Period Set from which the period set used by this tier is set. The rates whose period names are not used by the selected period set are inapplicable and greyed out.

Name– the period name of this rate. This name cannot be edited.
Fixed Cost– whether this rate uses a fixed cost or not. Check to use a fixed cost. When this is done the other columns merge into one, in which the fixed cost is entered by clicking on the value.
Min/Max Duration– the minimum and maximum duration of the call.
Min/Max Cost– the minimum and maximum cost of the call.
Cost– the cost per unit time of the call. This value is added to the cost of the call for every time of duration.
Time– the duration of the timing period of the call. The cost of the call is incremented for each period of this length in the duration.

Period Name

Name– the name of the period name.
Delete Carrier– erase the period.
Copy– make a copy of the period name.

Period Set

A period set assigns every hour of every day a period name.

Name– the name of the period set.
Delete Period Set– erase the period set.
Copy –A copy of this period set can be created by clicking the Copy

In the centre of the screen is a table of hours and days showing the assignment of period names to times. Below this is a list of the period names along with the colours with which they are represented on the table.

On the table the rows represent weekdays, extended with the ‘Special’ day ‘Holiday’ for holidays. The columns are the hours of the day, labelled in twenty four hour time. The colour of the table represents the period came to which that hour of that day belongs.

The assignment of period names in this table is edited by selecting (by dragging on the table) a range of cells. Then right click on the selection to bring up a menu of the period names. The period name to change the selected cells to can then be selected from the menu.

Exchange Group

Name– the name of the exchange group.
Delete Exchange– I hope the response.
The exchange group is deleted by clicking inDelete Exchange Group

Exchange

Name– the name of the exchange to be changed.
Latitude / Longitude– the position of the exchange.
Numbers– the list of prefixes of dialled numbers which, if they match the dialled number of a call indicate that the call went to this exchange.

The exchange can be deleted by clicking the ‘Delete Exchange’ button.

A list of exchanges related to this exchange via an exchange group can be viewed and edited by selecting the name of the exchange group from the drop list entitled ‘ExchangeGroup’. The exchanges appear in the list entitled Exchanges.

To delete exchange from the list of exchanges for an exchange group click the red trash can icon to the left of the exchange name.

An exchange can be added to the list of exchanges related to this exchange through an exchange group by selecting it from the drop list below the list of exchanges. If the exchange is selected through the keyboard the Add button needs to be clicked to add it to the exchange list.

Any exchange in the list can be selected by double-clicking on its name in the Exchanges list.

This configuration determines when iPECS Report Plus Server contacts the call data source to retrieve call data records.

End of article.

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