The Challenges Of Transferring Data
We’re half way through a major boost to our Analytics system. And here’s a sneak preview!
I mentioned in a previous blog towards the back end of November that the nuances in the way suppliers and brokers operate means that management of commissions – i.e. the receiving of supplier statements, comparison with your customers’ portfolios, identification of discrepancies and, ultimately, getting paid – can be a challenge, to say the least. In a utopian world of consistent, error-free data, things would be different. But back on Earth, the process needs detailed examination – and any system used to deal with it has got to have the flexibility to cope with its imperfections.
Having collated feedback from a wide range of our customers, we made a decision to implement some major improvements to the way that commissions can be dealt with on our platform. The ultimate goal? To provide a commission reconciliation and forecasting tool which can manage any amount of data thrown at it, ensure accuracy, notify the user of any potential inconsistencies, and report through charting and data export to give a real-time position of your sales and backlog. To this end, we’ve been working away on a range of new features which we’re excited to say are on their way to completion in Q1. Here’s 4 of those features:
Multi-Supplier Uploads
Consumption and commission statements from Suppliers shouldn’t be difficult to deal with. We’re introducing functionality to process receipts from any number of suppliers, any number of meters and any number of periods in one fell swoop. No matter how frequently you upload data (daily, weekly, monthly…) the system can process it, allocate it to secured contracts in the system and enable you to cross check expectations vs. actuals.
Referral Partner Improvements
If you’re sharing commission with another TPI, an agent, or perhaps a combination of various introducers, we’ve upgraded the system to deal with it. Every contract can now be assigned multiple referral partners, with specific commission levels. When reconciling commissions, calculations are made automatically so you know what your share of the pie really is.
Meter-Level Gap Analysis
Sometimes you just need to check that you’ve been paid everything you’re due for an individual meter. Based on customisable payment terms, we’re adding a new view to see in one fell swoop the payment ins and outs of any meter in the system. Automatically reconciled through import of supplier receipts. Gap analysis automatically shows you what’s missing for a single meter all the way through to your entire portfolio. Chase those suppliers down and get the money that’s owed!
Financial Year Charting
By defining your FY, the system will now produce forecast charts which give you immediate visibility on expected commissions for your entire customer base set against actual received commissions. In the touch of a button, you’ll have access to next year’s secured backlog or this year’s performance. Filter by supplier if you wish, to see who’s paying on time.
Complemented with UI improvements and time savers, this upgrade is one of several exciting developments for UC in 2018. Feel free to get in touch if you’d like to know more!
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