Set Up Service Models

Configure Hourly Guard Services

With hourly guarding, you bill your client based on the number of hours guards work at the Site. Service types are linked to positions. To create or edit positions, see this article.

 

Once your position is created, configure the contract's hourly guarding service model by going to:

1. Sites (Client) 
2. Select a site 
3. Contracts 
4. Select a contract
5. Hourly Guard Services 
6. Setup 
   
   

 

You can set up hourly guarding services in this screen's Hourly Guard Services section.

• Contract: The list in this drop-down menu is linked to contracts you created for this Site in a previous step. You can also set this position as non-billable.
• Tax Class: Choose a Tax Class from the drop-down menu.
• Bill Item: Select the Bill Item you want to apply to your contract. They represent the services you will render at this Site. Bill items appear on the contract and the invoice.
• Discount %: Choose to apply a discount to the invoice. 
• Billing Method: Two choices are available: Hourly or Fixed. The fixed option allows you to bill your client a set rate. The hourly option enables you to bill your client per hour based on approved hours. For more information on time approval, please visit this article.
• Bill Rate: You have up to four options for the amount you will bill your clients:
  • Hourly 
  • Cost+% (Hourly) - cost is the employee pay rate. This can be used with or without effective dating. (Contact us to have it enabled)
  • Cost+flat rate (Hourly)- cost is the employee pay rate. This can be used with or without effective dating. (Contact us to have it enabled)
  • Fixed (Per Contract Service Period)
• Custom Overtime Rates: you can apply a custom overtime rate to your bill rate. Choose between:
  
  • Use Default: Maintains your default overtime rate
  • Rate multiplier, i.e. 1.5: Allows you to enter two different multipliers to your rate (OT, OT1) and (OT2, DBL).
  • Custom Rates: You can enter two different dollar amounts applied to your rate (OT, OT1) and (OT2, DBL).
  • No Overtime Premiums (Use Regular Rate): Does not apply any overtime premiums.
• Bill Premiums: If you created pay or bill premiums, you could add them here.
• Breaks (Billing): Choose to bill all breaks, only rest breaks, only meal breaks, or no breaks.
• Holiday Billing: Select from options, such as not charging holidays, using a rate multiplier (you will be able to choose the multiplier if you select this option), or using a fixed holiday rate of your choosing (you will be able to choose the rate if you select this option).
• Holiday Group: This option will appear if you bill for holidays. You can select the Holiday Group you created from the drop-down menu.
• Holiday Hourly Rate: You can apply a specific hourly rate for the holidays you previously identified in the Holiday Group.
• Billing Overtime Rule: Based on the overtime rules available in your system, you can choose the specific overtime rule you want to apply to this position. If the default rules don't meet your needs, contact us, and we can adjust them.

Scheduled Patrols

There are two billing options for patrol services: Price Tier—Scheduled Patrols (Enforce Service Periods) and Price Tier—Scheduled Patrols (Ongoing Services).

 

Enforce Service Periods

This service model allows you to bill for scheduled patrols contracted within the service period, regardless of whether they were performed. These patrols must then be approved during the service period. To create a Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Enforce Service Periods), go to:

• Sites (Client) 
• Select the Site 
• Choose Contracts 
• Select the contract 
• Check the Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Enforce Service Periods) checkbox.
• Adjust the details options if needed
• Save the contract
  
  

 

Ongoing Services

The ongoing option allows you to bill for scheduled patrols that the user performed outside the service period. They can be approved during the service period or later. This service model is similar to the dispatch (ad hoc events) service model. However, you can plan the patrols via a scheduling mechanism.

 

To create a Price Tier for Scheduled Patrol and (Ongoing Services), go to 

• Sites (Client) 
• Select the Site 
• Select Contracts 
• Choose the contract 
• Check the Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Ongoing Services) checkbox
• Adjust the details options if needed
• Save the contract
  
  

Manage Price Tiers in Mobile Dispatch 

You can manage both Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Enforce Service Periods) and Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Ongoing Services) through the Mobile Dispatch tab at the site level. Go to:

• Sites (Client) 
• Select the Site
• Choose Mobile Dispatch 
• Select Patrol Price Tier
  
  

• Select Create Price Tier
  
  

To create a price tier in Mobile Dispatch, complete the following fields:

• Name: Price tier name or description. You will use this to identify the price tier throughout the system.
• Code / ID: This is an optional unique code or ID for the price tier. Leave it blank to have the system generate one.
• Service Model: Select "Enforce Service Periods" or "Ongoing Services" for patrols. "Dispatch Service Model" is discussed below.
• Internal Instructions: This is information for patrol security guards. It is for internal use only; clients won't have access to it.
• Service Dates: Set the dates during which you will provide these services. For ongoing services, leave the end date blank.
• Other Charges: This section adds another item to your billing invoice. The percentages for fuel surcharge are calculated based on the patrol's price. This generates an individual revenue line linked to the same patrol event. Add a descriptive label that will appear in the Invoice line.
• Contract: Depending on how you access this menu, this option may be filled in and locked. If you access it through the Contract path, the contract has already been selected. If you access it through the Mobile Dispatch path, you must manually choose the proper contract to associate your price tier.
• Bill Item: Select the Bill Item from this list to apply to the Price Tier. The type of services you will provide at this Site for this Price Tier.
• Discount (%): Apply a value to the billing. This will allow you to manage discounts and be flexible during negotiations. Percentages are calculated based on the patrol's price. Discounts are linked to the same patrol event and generate an individual revenue line.
  
  

Note: When you have discounts and fuel surcharges, they will be calculated individually on the patrol event cost, and do not multiply each other.

Charge Type

Select the appropriate charge type. Other fields will appear based on your selection.

• Actual (Completed patrols): Actual, completed patrols. It will charge a unit rate per completed patrol. Fill in the Unit Rate to complete the section.
  • This charge type requires approval.
    
    
• Actual / Time Matrix: Actual, completed patrols. The cost is calculated based on a time matrix. You will charge the price based on duration (minutes). Additional charges can apply based on whether it took extra time to complete the patrol.
  • This charge type requires approval.
    
    
• Contracted (Planned patrols): Planned patrols. A unit rate will be charged per planned patrol, regardless of whether the user completed the patrols. Fill in the Unit Rate and complete the section.
  • This charge type requires approval if used with Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Ongoing Services). This charge type does not require approval if used with Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Enforce Service Periods).
    
    
• Flat Rate (Per Service Period): You will charge a flat rate per billing period. For this option, it does not matter how many patrols are scheduled or completed. The price will be the same for the whole period. Fill in the Flat Rate ($) field to charge this rate.
  • This charge type requires approval if used with Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Ongoing Services). This charge type does not require approval if used with Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Enforce Service Periods).
    
    
• Prepaid Bank (Dispatch Only): This can allow you to bill the client for several services and deduct them from the total as they are used. After a defined number of dispatches, a refill will be triggered, and another prepaid charge will be applied to the invoice.
  • The prepaid bank charge type is only available for dispatch and Price Tier - Scheduled Patrols (Enforce Service Periods).
    
    
• Holiday Rate Type: Select this option if you want to charge for Holidays. If set, a new section will appear to choose the Holiday Group and the additional charges you wish to apply. The start time of a patrol determines whether it falls on a holiday.
  • If the price tier has a fuel surcharge or a discount and the patrol event falls on a holiday, percentages are applied to the site rate.

Dispatch Services

Dispatch Services is the last option available when setting up a Price Tier. You can use a single Dispatch Price Tier for all dispatches or set up different ones. You can build workflow(s) to manage the dispatch job, Billing Action, and Cancellation threshold Action. 

 

Follow the link below to set up a dispatch price tier:

Sites (Client) > Select Site > Contracts > Select Contract > Dispatch Services > Setup Button

 

You can also follow this path:

Sites (Client) > Select Site > Mobile Dispatch > Dispatch Price Tier

 

Click on the "Create Price Tier" button to create the price tier.

Note: Setting up a dispatch price tier is similar to setting up a price tier for patrols. However, you can select the appropriate options for a dispatch price tier.

Service Model: Select "Dispatch Service Model."

Cancellation Threshold: Enter the minutes during which the client can cancel the service without being charged. 

Note: TrackTik will apply the start and finish of the cancelation timer to a workflow's status node.

For more information on workflow status nodes, please refer to this article.

Charge Type: Select the applicable charge type. Your choice will affect subsequent menus and options.

• Actual (Completed patrols): Completed dispatches. It will charge a Unit Rate per completed dispatch. Enter the Unit Rate to complete the section.

Note: This Charge Type requires approval.

• Actual / Time Matrix: Completed dispatch services. The cost is calculated based on a time matrix. The price will be applied to an initial duration (Minute) and can have an additional time section if the service exceeds the set limit.

Note: This Charge Type requires approval.

• Flat Rate (Per Service Period): You will charge a flat rate per billing period. It does not matter how many services are completed; the price will be the same for the whole period. Fill in the Flat Rate ($) to complete the section.

Note: Flat rate charges can lead to losses for your company if there are more than the expected number of dispatches for a period. On the other hand, you may also charge a client even if you provided no service. Revenue generated from flat rate charges is more predictable.

• Prepaid Bank (Dispatch Only): Bill the client for a set quantity of services and deduct them from that total as they are being used. After X number of dispatches, a refill will be triggered, and another prepaid charge will be applied to the invoice.

Note: This Charge Type requires approval.

You can set up dispatchable tasks after setting up a dispatch price tier.

Follow this path to access dispatchable tasks.

Sites (Client) > Select Site > Contracts > Select Contract > Dispatch Services > Blue Setup Buttons

From there, you can associate Job Types with the Price Tier. 

Filter, Dispatch Billing Model, Alarm SLA: Apply a Dispatch Billing Model and Alarm SLA in batch to the selected Site Locations listed below.

Dispatch Billing Model:  Select the dispatch billing model to apply to the dispatchable Job Type. The Not Billable option will not bill the client, while the rest of the drop-down menu will give you the list of all the models available to bill the client.

Alarm SLA:  Select the Service Level Agreement (SLA) that will apply to the dispatchable Job Type.

Their operation flow is the following:

• Dispatch is created.
• Dispatch goes through the workflow motions.
• Dispatch is closed.
• The event is passed through the auto-approval process via the rules. 
• It is available on the verification screen for the user to approve manually if not auto-approved. 

There is a setting to auto-approve events on certain conditions.

If one or more of these conditions are met, the dispatch will not be auto-approved:

• The auto-approve setting is set to off.
• There is no price tier linked to the event.
• The price tier does not have a task type.
• The user canceled the job at the threshold of cancellation.
• The user entered the billing notes in the event. 
• The event did not meet the SLA.
• The duration of the event is 0 or null, meaning the system logged no time.
• The event lasted more than the base minutes unless the option to approve all had been selected.

Approved dispatches are automatically invoiced. 

Note: You can modify the dispatch billing configurations until the revenue items are created. You can adjust the revenue items until the invoice is created unless the revenue item is posted to a General Ledger system via an integration.

Dispatches not linked to a contract or a price tier and dispatches that still need approval will not be invoiced. If dispatches are set to unbillable, they will also not be billed.

Invoiced totals include the holiday amounts in addition to the standard amount. If you decide to override this total, it will override both the standard and holiday amounts.

The Patrol and Dispatch Billing Verification Screens

The billing validation screen lets you decide which completed patrols and dispatches to bill. Any unapproved patrols and dispatches will be visible on this screen.

• Job ID: The unique ID of the patrol or dispatch.
• +: Click this button to edit the report associated with the job.
• Bill Note: Read the note associated with the patrol or dispatch.
• Job Type: The name or description of the job.
• Time: The date and time stamp of the job.
• Account: Name and address of the Site where the job took place.
• Info: Use this button to examine the job and make any changes. Clicking this button opens a new window in the left sidebar.

 

• Price Tier: This column contains the name and other specifics of the price tier. If no price tier is set, a red 'NOT SET' message will appear.
• Assignee: The user to whom you assigned the job.
• Region: The region where the user handled the job.
• Status: The latest status of the job.
• Min: If an SLA is set, this column will display the number of minutes over or under the SLA.
• Price: The amount you are charging your customer for the job.
• Approval Drop-down: Select Approve or Cancel. If canceled, the job will not be billed. If approved, the job will appear on an invoice.
• Edit Time Logs: This button will allow you to edit the time logs for the job.

Recurrent Items

After choosing this option in contract creation, this feature will allow you to set up Bill Items for services you bill regularly. You can determine if each item is taxable and whether you must charge the price for the item on each invoice.

To create a recurrent bill item, go to:

• Sites (Client)
• Select the Site
• Choose Contracts
• Select Setup Recurrent Items
  
  

• Select Add to create recurrent items.
  
  

Choose from the following options for your recurrent item.

• Bill Item: From this list, select the Bill Item you want to use for your recurrent item. Examples could include phones for your security guards, a special report you have for them, or even client portal access.
• Description: The description of the recurrent item. The Site's description will appear on your client's invoice.
• Service Location: The service location. This is the Site to which the recurring item will apply. This location will also appear on your client's invoice.
• Quantity: This is the multiple of the rate.
• Rate: The rate for a single recurrent item.
• Every: This field is used for the item's occurrence and applied to the invoice regardless of the occurrence.
• Reference Date: The date of the charge.
• Start Date: The start date of the charge.
• End Date: The end date of the charge. Leave this field blank for ongoing services.
• Taxable: Select if you need to make the item taxable.
• Total: The total charge that will be applied for the bill item. It is the product of the Quantity and the Rate.

You will see this message in the following scenarios.

• If the recurrent item Does Not have an expiry date:
  • We apply the site closing date to the recurrent item
• If the recurrent item has an expiry date after the site expiry date:
  •  We updated the recurrent item expiration date with the site closing date.

Billing Matrix