You Can Bill For That: Enriching the Value of SugarCRM

Flexing Sugar Platform

Chris Couch

COO, Transversewww.tractbilling.com

04/09/2023 ©2012 SugarCRM Inc. All rights reserved. 2

Tweet: #SCON12

MY BUSINESS IS MORE THAN SUBSCRIPTIONSI measure and charge my

customers based on how they use my products and services.

I NEED MORE STABLE REVENUE STREAMS

My revenue stream based on subscriptions alone have stalled

and are being cannabalized.

I’M LOSING CUSTOMERS TOMY COMPETITION

Competitors can be more creative and move more quickly

than I can.

MY BILLING IS TOO COMPLEX

Billing based on activities forces me to use my current system

inefficiently.

MY BILLING PROCESSIS ERROR PRONE

Billing complexities force manual

entry, errors and lost revenue.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

Tweet: #SCON12

Tweet: #SCON12

BILLING 3.0: RELATIONSHIPS + ACTIVITIES

Billing 3.0 starts with knowing your customers.

Some call it subscriptions but its more than that. It’s personal.Build a lasting relationship.

watch videoslisten to musicread booksstatus updatesshoppingdatingbanking

talksearchemailsdownloadsclickstweetblog posts

Tweet: #SCON12

RELATIONSHIP + ACTIVITY (BILLING 3.0)BUSINESS MODEL EXAMPLES

Tweet: #SCON12

One-Time Fee for Subscription

Normal Activities: • Per minute (up to

hourly & daily Maximum)

• Additional per mile after a threshold

Infrequent Activities:• Penalties• Assessments

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Tweet: #SCON12

Entitlements: • Allowance of

articles• Authorized

user

Multiple subscription options: Different products / packages

SUBSCRIPTION WITH LEVELS + ACTIVITIES + ENTITLEMENTS

Tweet: #SCON12

ACTIVITY-BASED BILLING PROCESSES

Tweet: #SCON12

Revenue Opportunities

Com

ple

xit

y

subscriptions

activity management

entitlements

personalization

ELEMENTS OF ACTIVITY-BASED BILLING

Tweet: #SCON12

ORDER-TO-CASH & ACTIVITY-TO-CASH PROCESSES

ANALYTICS

Tweet: #SCON12

ACTIVITY-TO-CASH PROCESS

Activity Management- Entitlements- Advice of charge- Access Eligibility- Check Balance

Rating & Charging- Receive Event(s)- Void/Reverse Event- Rate Event- Update Allowances- Update Pending Charges

Collections- Late Payment, Fees &

Penalties- Suspend

Service/Account- Age Account Balances- Perform Actions- Post G/L Transactions- G/L Aggregation

Billing & Invoicing- Rerate Activity- Mark Events As Invoiced- Update Roll Over Allowance

Payment Processing- Update Pre/PIA Balances- Vouchers- Lock box files- Manual Payments- Auto-payments- Update Balances- Retry Handling

Tweet: #SCON12V1.1

ACTIVITY-TO-CASH FUNCTION

Resource Tracking- Resource Categories- Quarantine Policies- Import/Create Resources

Price Plans- Activity Charging Rules- Reference Tables- Rate Tables- Complex Usage Rules (xlsx)

Usage Policy- Allowances- Roll Over

Policy- Override/

Append

Billing Management- Bill Runs- Verification & Approval- Invoice Distribution- Invoice Templates

Customer Care- Manage Balances- Service Credits- Service Inquiry / Change / Renewal

Payment Management- Payment Gateways- Payment Terms- Late Payment Fee Rules- Error & Retry Handling

UsagePolicy

ResourceTracking

PricePlans

PaymentManagement

BillingManagement

CustomerCare

Tweet: #SCON12

Order

ORDER-TO-CASH

Validate Credit Card

Charge Signup Fee

Accept Order

Notify warehouse

Ship out access card

Welcome Notice

Aggregate payment information

Extract GL aggregation to Accounting System

Sign Up

Marketing/Sales

• Personal Information• Username / PIN• Driver License• Credit Card

• Pay-on-Purchase• Cash

Tweet: #SCON12

ACTIVITY-TO-CASH

Verify customer account

Drive car from A to B

Car sends activity event

Accept activity event

Calculate charge for drive

Assign charged event to user-by access

card

Swipe access card

Activity(Drive)

Reserve the car

Entitlement

Charge Credit Card

Send Invoice to Customer

Aggregate payment information

Extract GL aggregation to

Accounting System

Create Invoice

Daily Invoice: assemble all charge

records

Cash

1 2 43 5 76Drive

Billing Example

Drive Drive

Invoice 1 Invoice 2 Invoice 3

Tweet: #SCON12V1.1

CHALLENGE: SETTING UP ACTIVITY PRIING AND RULES

Tweet: #SCON12

Unbilled Charges

Signup

Activities

Activity Details

CHALLENGE: CUSTOMER CARE IN BILL CYCLE

Tweet: #SCON12

CHALLENGE: SHOWING ACTIVITY ON INVOICES

Tweet: #SCON12

”

FINANCE / ACCOUNTING- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

•Regulatory Compliance•Revenue Recognition•Reporting

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

•Real-Time Integration•Guide & Charge•Exception Handling

EXECUTIVES- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

•Shift Strategic Thoughts•Forecasting•Risk & Expectation Management

MARKETING- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

•Disruptive / Agent Of Change•Change Consumer Behavior•Encourage Activities

}{}{

}{}{

Tweet: #SCON12

BILLING 3.0: WHY IT MATTERS TO YOU

”

FINANCE / ACCOUNTING- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

•Regulatory Compliance•Revenue Recognition•Reporting

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

•Real-Time Integration•Guide & Charge•Exception Handling

EXECUTIVES- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

•Shift Strategic Thoughts•Forecasting•Risk & Expectation Management

MARKETING- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

•Disruptive / Agent Of Change•Change Consumer Behavior•Encourage Activities

}{}{

}{}{

Tweet: #SCON12

BILLING 3.0 METRICS

•Average Revenue Per User

(ARPU)

•Peak Times and Activities During

Time

•Total Current Rollover

•Track Open Liability

•Average Duration and Amount of

Activity

•Total Activities

Tweet: #SCON12

ACTIVITY-BASED BILLING: SHOW ME THE MONEY

Increase your bottom line.

See your customer’s activities in real-time to create new revenue streams and identify critical market trends.

04/09/2023 ©2012 SugarCRM Inc. All rights reserved. 23

Submit Session Feedback

Select the SugarCon Mobile App: 1) Tap on this session2) Tap on survey3) Submit your feedback

*Prizes for attendees who submit session feedback using the Mobile App

04/09/2023 ©2012 SugarCRM Inc. All rights reserved. 24

#SCON12