1. Overview › 1.1 Key Concepts
1.1 Key Concepts
This section explains important concepts employed by CA MICS
Accounting and Chargeback.
COST CENTER
A cost center is an entity in your organizational hierarchy
such as Division, Department, or User. CA MICS Accounting
and Chargeback supports up to nine levels of cost centers in
variables called COSTCTR1-COSTCTR9.
The cost center levels form a hierarchy; for example:
Division Sales COSTCTR1
|
|
|
+------------------------+
| |
| |
| |
Department A Department B COSTCTR2
|
|
|
+---------------+
| | |
| | |
User 1 User 2 User 3 COSTCTR3
You tell CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback how many levels of
cost centers you want to keep and what each level contains.
This is called defining the cost center structure, or
defining the cost center hierarchy. You also tell CA MICS
Accounting and Chargeback how to populate the COSTCTR
variables.
Each record in a CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback file
contains COSTCTR1-COSTCTRn variables, where n is the number
of levels that you defined. The COSTCTR variables are
summarization keys in the files, and are used to identify the
work being charged.
Because they are summarization keys, you can also use them to
carry any information useful for reporting, such as project
or application.
CHARGING ELEMENT AND COMPUTATION CODE
A charging element is a quantifiable item to which a rate can
be assigned to create a charge. Charging elements may be
resource (usage) based, such as CPU seconds or print lines;
they may be transaction (business unit) based, such as number
of deposits or number of checks; or they may be service
(subscription) based, such as email or backup services.
CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback identifies each charging
element with a four-byte key called a computation code. The
associated computation code is stored in the CA MICS
Accounting and Chargeback files instead of the name of the
charging element.
Examples of charging elements and computation codes are:
Charging Computation
Element Code
-------- -----------
CPU Seconds 0022
Print Lines (in thousands) 0222
Checks Written 8001
Email Service 8351
Charging element and computation code are often used as
synonyms within CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback.
A table of standard computation codes, the Charging Element
Table, comes with CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback. You can
add new computation codes to this table if you need one that
it does not contain. Only those computation codes that you
specify in another table, called the Rate Table, are actually
used for charging.
LOAD CENTER AND INVOICE CATEGORY
A load center identifies items that have a cost associated
with them, such as central processors, printers, disks,
workstations, software, networks, environmental systems, or
floor space.
When rates are being developed, load centers are identified
and charging elements and rates are assigned to recover their
costs. For example, CPU seconds may be charged to recover
the cost of the central processor and a certain percent of
floor space and environmental costs.
CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback identifies each load center
with a four-byte key called an invoice category. The
associated invoice category is stored in the CA MICS
Accounting and Chargeback files instead of the name of the
load center.
Each computation code is associated with a single invoice
category. So each invoice category identifies a group of
computation codes that can be charged to recover the load
center's costs.
Examples of load centers and invoice categories are:
Load Invoice
Center Category
------ --------
Central Processors 1100
Control Units 1300
Personal Computers 1650
LAN Equipment 2400
Printers 3100
A table of standard invoice categories, the Invoice Category
Table, comes with CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback. You can
add new invoice categories to this table if you need one that
it does not contain.
JOURNAL FILE
Journal files contain information on work units charged. A
separate journal file is kept for each data source and type
of work charged (for example, batch jobs, TSO sessions, CICS
sessions, UNIX processes).
Each journal file record represents a single unit of work and
contains the COSTCTR variables, SYSID, work unit identifier,
billing timestamp, and a section for each charging element
used to charge the unit of work.
Each charging element section contains invoice category,
computation code, quantity, rate, and charge.
Journal files are created during the DAILY processing for the
CA MICS Data Integration Application from which they are
derived.
LEDGER FILE
Ledger files contain information on each charging element
used. A separate ledger file is kept in the DAYS, MONTHS,
and YEARS timespans of each CA MICS unit in which CA MICS
Accounting and Chargeback is installed.
Each ledger file record represents a single charging element
section in the journal file and is summarized by the COSTCTR
variables, SYSID, invoice category, computation code, rate,
and DAY, MONTH, or YEAR.
The ledger files are created and/or updated by the CA MICS
Accounting and Chargeback steps in the DAILY, MONTHLY, and
YEARLY jobs.
FINANCIAL RECAP FILE
The Financial Recap file contains summarized information on
all charges, debits, credits, discounts, surcharges, and
budgets in CA MICS Accounting and Chargeback. A single
Financial Recap file is created each month and a year-to-
date Financial Recap file is updated.
Invoices are produced from the Financial Recap file and you
can export it to a general ledger or other financial system.
Each Financial Recap file record is similar in structure to a
ledger file record and is summarized by the record type
(debit, credit, etc.), COSTCTR variables, SYSID, invoice
category, computation code, and rate.
