4. CUSTOMIZATION › 4.8 Prorating Charges › 4.8.5 Implementing Prorating

4.8.5 Implementing Prorating

Prorating is done with either of two primary methods:  the
journal file method or the ledger file method.  A third
method, for use with complex-level external files, is also
available (refer to Section 4.8.5.3).

With both the journal and ledger file methods, the ledger
files reflect the prorated charges.  The journal file method
performs the prorating in the journal (DETAIL) files as they
are being built.  The ledger file method reprocesses the
Ledger (summary) files to accomplish the prorating.  The
ledger file method can either create a new special Ledger
File or replace the original standard Ledger File.


PRORATING CONSIDERATIONS

If you want to prorate your charges, you must first decide
which of the primary methods to implement at your
installation.

The journal file method is easier to implement and can be
used in the following circumstances:

o If you do not need to preserve the original cost center
  charge allocations in the Accounting and Chargeback files.

o If you can predetermine the prorating allocation percents.
  However, if you need to run reports or invoices from the
  original data to determine the allocation percentages, you
  must use the ledger file method.

Some of the tradeoffs between the two primary prorating
methods, the ledger file method and the journal file method,
are discussed below:

o With the ledger file method, if you replace the existing
  MONTHS timespan Ledger File, the Ledger Files are not
  supported in the YEARS timespan.

o The ledger file method uses less CPU time than the journal
  file method because it uses a summarized file as input and
  runs only once a month.

o The ledger file method has the flexibility of keeping both
  the original and the revised files.

o Because journal files are at the detail level, you need
  more disk storage for your records if you use the journal
  file method.

o Implementing the ledger file method is more complex because
  you must run an additional prorate job each billing period.
  The journal file method is automatic and does not require
  this additional job.

o The ledger file method provides a better audit trail.

o Since reports can be run from either the standard Ledger
  File or the special Ledger File, the ledger file method can
  be complex.

o Changes to the prorate parameters for the journal file
  method take effect when the next CA MICS DAILY job is run
  are normally made at the start of a billing period.
  Changes to the prorate parameters for the ledger file
  method do not take effect until the ledger file prorating
  job runs at the end of the month so you can make them at
  any time prior to that.

o If you use the ledger file method and you replace the
  standard Ledger File, we recommend that you create a backup
  of the original file.  If you keep this backup online,
  however, more DASD storage is used.

o The journal file method maintains consistency between the
  journal and ledger files.

o If the prorating specifications are erroneous, and you use
  the journal file method, you must restore the CA MICS
  database and rerun the CA MICS DAILY job after correcting
  the specifications.  With the ledger file method, if you
  use a special Ledger File, you only need to rerun the
  Ledger File prorating program.

The basic strategy used by all the methods is to have a SAS
PROC FORMAT called $PRORATC or $PRORATE, which relates an
original work unit to a new COSTCTR1 value and a percentage
value that indicates what portion of the charges should go
to the new COSTCTR1.  The original work unit is identified by
a variable called the "Prorate From" variable.  This is
usually COSTCTR1, but may be changed through parameter
specifications as described in the following sections.

The  following  sections  describe the steps to use the three
prorating methods:

 1 - Prorating From Journal Files Checklist
 2 - Prorating From Ledger Files Checklist
 3 - Prorating From Complex-Level External Files Checklist