Fee Schedule List
- Mark Elkomos
QEST Platform 5.2 Documentation
Applies to QESTLab
This article describes the purpose and process for creating fee schedules.
Contents
Overview
The Fee Schedule list links Billable Items to an actual unit charge for each laboratory, and optionally for a client and project. When QESTLab generates the charge for work done on a sample in a billing document, it does so by examining the relevant fees in the Fee Schedule list. The Billable Items list details what can be charged, while the Fee Schedule list determines how much to charge.
Fee schedules are generally local in scope.
Fee schedules are used slightly differently based on whether or not Price Lists are in use at the organization utilizing the QEST Platform.
Fee Schedules Without Price Lists
Fees can apply at any of three levels:
- Laboratory level: Laboratory level fees are the fees set by each laboratory. In contrast to client or project level fees, laboratory level fees are used to enter typical charges for each billable item. Laboratory level fees may be the company’s “list” prices to clients.
- Client level: When a client gets a special rate for a particular billable item, a client level fee would be created to store this lower rate for this client.
- Project Level: When a project (belonging to a client) gets a special rate, a project level fee would be created.
When QESTLab automatically generates the billing documents, the most restrictive fee schedule item is used. If a project level fee can be found for the unit of work done on a sample, this fee schedule item will be used. If a project level fee cannot be found, QESTLab will then check for client level fees, then finally laboratory level fees. If two entries exist for a specific level (for example, two fees may be entered for the same billable item at the same client level), then QESTLab will use the fee that has 'Default' set to 'Yes'.
Fees are typically entered for specific tests, as well as for labor and other hourly or mileage based activities.
Test mapping in the Billable Items list must be completed before a fee schedule item is generated. A laboratory fee schedule should be established first, defining a charge for every billable item, so that all billing documents can reflect some charge.
Additional Functionality
In addition to linking a billable item to a price and lab, client, or project, the following can be defined for each fee schedule item.
| Column | Explanation |
|---|---|
| ItemUnit & ItemUnits2 | ItemUnit may represent the number of Maximum Dry Density Tests, ItemUnit2 may represent the number of hours spent on each report, and the item charge may be entered as cost per hour spent doing MDD tests. The final cost would be ItemUnit1 x ItemUnit2 x Unit Charge, requiring 'Multiply Units' to be set to 'True'. |
| Min Charge | The minimum that will be charged for this item when it is generated or selected on a billing document. Useful in scenarios where a minimum has been quoted that is higher than the defined unit rate. For example, if the per hour charge is $50 but a minimum of four hours is billable, then entering $200 in the minimum charge will ensure that $200 (i.e. the equivalent charge for four hours at $50/hour) is charged if the quantity is less than four. |
| Material Type | Only applicable if the material type billing option is set in the QEST Administrator Console. This option is not applicable to most organizations. Allows different rates to be generated for different material types, where these types have been set against a material list item. |
| LabName | The laboratory to which the fee schedule item applies. |
| Customer Code and Client | If populated, this is the client to which the fee schedule item will apply. |
| Project Code and Project | If populated, this is the project to which the fee schedule item will apply. |
Copying Fee Schedules
Fee schedules can be copied to assist with the creation of new fee schedules. Clicking the Copy new list item button will bring up the copy dialog.
On this dialog, the user will select
- The source fee schedule to copy from
- The level that the new fee schedule should be created at
- Whether to copy a single item or all items, usually (all) items will be copied
Fee Schedules With Price Lists
Overview
Price lists change the way that the scope of fee schedule items is determined. A price list groups a set of fee schedule items together which can then be mapped to one or more projects. This mapping provides a more flexible approach of which projects use which prices. Before fee schedule items can be added to a price list, the price list must be created. Please see the Price Lists documentation for more information on creating a price list item.
Defining Fees
Once a price list exists, fee schedule items are then added to a given price list. Navigating to the Fee Schedule list and creating and clicking the New List Item button at the top left hand corner of the toolbar will show the New Fee Schedule Item dialog. In this dialog, users will not only select the billable item to link the new fee schedule item to but also which price list it should apply to:
Approved Price Lists
New Fee Schedule items can only be added to Price Lists which have not yet been approved.
Once added, the fee schedule item can have a price and minimum charge set just as described in the scenario above, except the fee schedule items will now be related to a price list.
Once all of the necessary fee schedule items have been added to a price list, the price list can be approved from this view.
Approving Price Lists
The approval of a price list requires a specific user right, please see Managing Roles for more information.
Copying Fee Schedules
In order to speed up the process of setting up new Price Lists, Fee Schedule items can be copied from existing Price Lists to new ones. Clicking the Copy new list item button will bring up the copy dialog.
On this dialog, the user will select
- The price list to copy to
- The source price list to copy from
- Whether to copy a single item or all items, usually (all) items will be copied
Approved Price Lists
New Fee Schedule items can only be added to Price Lists which have not yet been approved. Conversely items can only be copied from approved price lists. So the new price list must not be approved and the source price list must be approved.
Discount/Upcharge
A discount or up-charge can be bulk applied to a price list. To bulk multiple all items in a price list by the given factor, the price list must not be approved. In the Fee schedule list, select the desired price list in the filter in the bottom left hand corner of the list and click the Refresh the List button.
Once the desired price list is shown, enter the desired factor in the Discount/Upcharge field and click Apply. All the existing prices will be multiplied by the given factor:
A negative number should be entered for discounts and a positive number for a price increase:
Min Charge
The bulk discount or upcharge does not get applied to minimum charge amounts, these will need to be modified manually.
After applying the multiplier, the price list should be approved again.
Mapping to a Project
In order for a price list to be used, it must be mapped to a project. Please see the Price Lists documentation for more information on mapping price lists to projects.
Products described on these pages, including but not limited to QESTLab®, QESTNet, QESTField, QEST Web App, Construction Hive, and associated products are Trademarks (™) of Spectra QEST Australia Pty Ltd and/or related companies.
The content of this page is confidential. Do not share, duplicate or distribute without permission.
© 2023 Spectra QEST® Australia Pty Ltd and/or related companies. Terms of Use and Privacy Statement
Integrity | Curiosity | Empathy | Unity
The content of this page is confidential and for internal Spectra QEST use only. Do not share, duplicate or distribute without permission.