A cost is usually expressed as a fraction of the base rate because the cost price plan depends on the main price plan.
For example, a service provider must pay an agent a rental fee each time that a client subscribes to a specific service. To calculate the rental fee, the main price plan can contain a One-Shot Rate component that represents the installation fee that is charged the first time the customer subscribes to the service. In the cost price plan, a One-Shot Rate component calculates the rental fee to pay the agent by using a property called base amount, which represents the installation fee that is calculated in the main price plan. In the cost price plan, the rental fee is set as a percentage of base amount.
A cost price plan is dependent on a main price plan; therefore, each event that occurs in the main price plan can trigger a calculation in the cost price plan. The result depends on the contents of the cost price plan and how you set up the rate components in the cost price plan. You can calculate a cost by using:
The rate components
The base amount property
The components
Like a main price plan, a cost price plan can contain Usage Rates, One-Shot Rates, and Recurring Rates which trigger calculations.
Usage Rate (*): You use this component when you want to base the cost calculation on the consumption of a chargeable item class that can be also used in the main price plan. In the cost price plan, a Usage Rate triggers a calculation depending on how you set it up:
If you connect a Usage Rate to a specific chargeable item class, the calculation is triggered when the specific chargeable item class is consumed.
If you connect a Usage Rate to all the chargeable item classes of all the chargeable item packages, the calculation is triggered when any chargeable item class is consumed.
One-Shot Rate: In the main plan, each One-Shot Rate triggers all the One-Shot Rates and their calculation in the cost price plan.
Recurring Rate: In the main plan, each Recurring Rate triggers all the Recurring Rates and their calculation in the cost price plan.
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(*) Note: You can add as many Usage Rates as you want in a price plan provided that you connect each Usage Rate to a chargeable item class. If you connect a Usage Rate to all the chargeable item classes of all the chargeable item packages, you cannot add another Usage Rate in the price plan. |
Simulation Tool allows you to use a property called base amount that represents the calculation result carried out by a rate component in the main price plan. The base amount property is a link between a main price plan and a cost price plan. You can therefore use the base amount property in a cost price plan to calculate a commission to pay a third party. The base amount property is available in a rate component of the cost price plan.
Instead of using the base amount property to calculate the commission to pay a third party, you can use functions, comparisons, splitters, or operators components to make the calculation that you need. For example, once you have added a One-Shot Rate component to a cost price plan, you can add a component such as a flat function to pay a third party a fixed amount of 20 USD. Each time the One-Shot Rate component is triggered in the main plan, the third party is paid a fixed amount of 20 USD.
A service provider sells a package for an e-training service that allows customers specialized in health care to learn how to use medical equipments. This service includes:
Monthly fee of 30 USD
Installation fee of 150 USD
Access fee to the service through the Internet portal
The access fee is based on the call duration. Furthermore, the access fee is split depending on the service use during a month:
0.02 USD per minute for the first 10 accesses
0.01 USD per minute for subsequent accesses
The package is maintained by another company. Because the service provider does not own the chargeable item package, it must pay the supplier a rental fee each time that a client subscribes to the service.
The client pays the service provider the rental fee that is expressed as a percentage of the installation fee. The rental fee is 50 percent of the installation fee.
As shown in the following illustration, the main price plan contains a One-Shot Rate that charges an installation fee of 150 USD the first time that the customer subscribes to the service. The service provider must pay the supplier the rental fee that is based on the installation fee of the main price plan. Each time a customer subscribes to the service, the supplier receives 50% of the installation fee.
To calculate the cost, you need to insert a One-Shot Rate in the cost price plan, which is automatically triggered by the One-Shot Rate of the main price plan. The base amount property represents the total amount of the installation fee of the main price plan. In this example, base amount represents 150 USD. To calculate the rental fee, you need to insert a linear function in the cost price plan, and then calculate the rental fee according to the formula 0.50 x base amount. Each time the One-Shot Rate "Installation fee" is triggered in the main plan, the cost price plan calculates the amount to be paid to the supplier.
If the main price plan contains a Usage Rate and if you need to calculate a cost that is based on a Usage Rate, you first create a Usage Rate in the cost price plan, and then select the chargeable item class that relates to the chargeable item package used by the main price plan. You can use the base amount property to calculate the amount to be paid to the third party, or you can also use one of the user properties that are included in the chargeable item class. The Usage Rate is triggered and the cost is calculated each time a chargeable item class is consumed in the main price plan.
If the main price plan contains a Recurring Rate and if you need to calculate a cost that is based on this component, the method is the same as the One-Shot Rate. You create a Recurring Rate in the cost price plan, and then add the necessary components to calculate the amount to be paid to the third party. You must use the base amount property to calculate the cost, which is calculated each time the Recurring Rate is triggered in the main price plan.