Life of a Bill Study Guide

What is Synergy?

The process of obtaining, reviewing, auditing, and paying client utility invoices to provide efficient utility management and maximize value for our clients.

What are the 4 main programs or systems we will utilize in our work?

System health, Email, EWOKs, and YODA

What type of issues do we work out of System Health?

Maintenance Issues

What kind of formatting should be included in every EWOK?

CCAPS:

Control number

Community code

Account number

Provider name

Service address

What should be the main focus of a Synergy Manager?

Helping resolve issues for the client

What is the turnaround time for communications via incoming emails? Follow-ups?

Respond within 24 hours to incoming emails

Follow up within 5 business days

What does the FSI Team do?

Set up new accounts for all new client onboarding with Conservice-Provides support throughout the onboarding process and ensures clients understand services offered.

How are errors reported for the FSI Team?

We need to fill out the Synergy Setup Error Report, located on the Daily Aging Doc

Is the FSI Team client-facing?

Yes

What does the Transition team do?

Three main areas of focus:

COA: Change of Address.

LOA: Letter of authorization.

CSA: Continuous Service Agreement

How do we find the Transition Specialist assigned to a specific property?

In YODA

What is an LOA?

Stands for Letter of Authorization

A basic document our clients sign to authorize us with the provider that is used if a Conservice member is unable to access an account due to lack of authorization

How does Transition getting Conservice authorized affect the company as a whole?

Without authorization, Conservice does not have access to the account information and we cannot property manage our clients utilities.

What is a CSA?

Stands for Continuous Service Agreement

-Ensure utilities for residential units transfer back into a properties name in between tenants

Is the Transition team client-facing?

No - EWOK only

What are the 5 subteams of Harvest?

E-bill harvest

Email harvest

Jedi

Mailroom

Missing bills

What does the Mailroom do?

Gather and sort mail from the post office - then scan bills in our system to view digitally

What does the Missing Bills team do?

Pinpoint bills that have not arrived when expected - also recover missing bills by phone, email, provider websites, or fax

What does Jedi do?

Automated harvesting system. Finds patterns and problems and send them to IT. Also does quality checks on bills that were automatically harvested.

Is the Harvest Team client-facing? How do we communicate with them?

No - they communicate by EWOK

What does the Utility Processing Team do?

-Process provider invoices in LightSaber to store in YODA - they will also call providers to get information not on bill

Is the UP team client-facing? How do we communicate with them?

No - they communicate in System Health & Chats.

What does the Audit team do?

Investigate bills that are unusual and might cause concern for clients. They also ensure bills are processed correctly. This team is who we go to for leak adjustments

What is an exception?

After a bill is processed, the system identifies anything unusual and generates an exception.

How can you identify an invoice that has been flagged for an Exception?

Caution symbol yellow triangle with exclamation point inside.

Is the Audit team client-facing? How do we delegate work to them?

Yes, Ewoks

What are the two subteams of Vacant Audit?

Vacant recovery and Vacant missing bills

What does Vacant Recovery do?

-Ensures bills are processed correctly

-Modify resident worksheets as needed

-Resolve residents' disputes by contacting the provider

What does Vacant Missing Bills do?

-Confirm with the property if a tenant took services out of their name upon moving out

-Collect missing bills for unoccupied units

-Manage tenant information for properties using Vacant Identification services

What is Vacant Theft?

When residents do not put utilities in their name and the property continues to pay for the vacant unit

What is Vacant Recovery?

Approving charges to resident accounts to recover vacant theft

Is the Vacant audit team client-facing?

Yes

Do NOT loop in on emails.

They communicate through EWOK.

What does the Payment Resolution (Payrez) team do?

-Research issues that would keep an account from maintaining a current balance

-Work with providers to investigate accounts and do what is needed to bring them current (obtain bills, process deposits, make payments, handle transfers)

What are the 4 subteams of Payrez?

Balance Carried Forward (BCF)

Disconnects

Deposits

Late Fees

What does BCF do?

-Handle accounts with a balance carrier over from previous bills

-Investigate past-due balances to determine the cause

-Obtain missing bills to bring accounts current

Is BCF client-facing? How do we delegate work to them?

Yes, Ewoks

What does the disconnect team do?

-Research past due and disconnect notices and obtain invoices for payment

-Make payments to avoid disconnects and reconnect service

If the disconnect team receives an EWOK for a possible disconnect they are assigned to look into it within how many hours?

4 hours

Is the Disconnect team client-facing? How do we communicate with this team?

Can be client-facing! They communicate through EWOK.

What does the Deposit team do?

-Investigate deposits to get them waived or reduced

-Ask clients if they would like Synergy to process deposits

-Process transfers to bring accounts current

What two things could satisfy a deposit?

Letter of credit (a report stating credit or history) or Surety bond (someone is fronting them the money)

Is the Deposit team client-facing? How do we communicate with them?

Yes, Ewoks.

What does the Late Fees team do?

-Contact provider to waive late fees

-Research late fee causes

-Quality check late fees and their causes

Is the Late Fee team client-facing? How do we communicate with them?

No, Ewoks

What does the Funding team do?

-Send fund requests to clients

-Send missing funds reminders to clients

-Resolve client issues related to funding prior to receiving funds

What is a funds request?

An email sent to the client summarizing all the bills that were recently processed and are in a requestable status

What are the funding methods?

Online Approval: client gives us their banking info. Conservice will NOT withdraw funds without client approval via the website.

ACH Pull: once a funds request is sent, Conservice will go pull funds that day

ACH Pull, Approval: funds are not pulled until approval is given via email

ACH Push: we provide Conservice's banking info and the client deposits funds into our account

Wire: the client sends funds electronically using a bank or provider (Zeal or Western Union)

Check: the client sends a check

What is a GL file?

Chronological account record to track client financial transactions that includes billing info and the amounts that will be paid to each provider

What is a GL code?

-Identifies the utilities in the client's system that is client specific. Syms can update

What is a Vendor Code?

-Identifies the provider in the client's system that is client specific. Syms can update

Is the Funding Team Client Facing? How do we delegate work to Funding?

Yes, loop them into emails.

What does it mean to gatekeep issues for your client?

Not all issues require client interaction. I will be responsible for determining which issues need client communication and which can be resolved internally by working with other teams or handling them independently.