When you have sufficiently tested the Billing Manger and you feel confident enough with it to go live with Billing Manager billing, you can do so using the Database Manager tool. Open the Database Manager and click on the Billing Manager Mode tab. You have two options:
- Reset Test Mode
- Go Live
Billing Manager Test Mode and Going Live
Test Mode
When the Billing Manager is first installed, it will open in test mode. Upon running the exe, you will see the following message: The Billing Manager is currently operating in TEST mode. This is also indicated by the ***TEST MODE*** text in the title bar of the form. Test mode allows you to use the Billing Manager to generate and track test invoices that are functionally real in every respect, but stored in a special set of tables in the database. This allows you to use the Billing Manager as you would in a production environment, but in a test mode where mistakes can easily be erased if necessary.
Going Live with the Billing Manager
When you have sufficiently tested the Billing Manager and you feel confident enough with it to go live with Billing Manager billing, you can do so using the Database Manager tool, normally located in the C:\illiad\Admin folder (DatabaseManager.exe). Open the Database Manager and click on the Billing Manager Mode tab. You have two options:
- Reset Test Mode
- Go Live
Reset Test Mode
The Reset Test Mode button will allow you to remove all of the current test Billing data without going live with the Billing Manager. This allows you to empty any existing test data and continue testing the Billing Manager.
Go Live
Going live with the Billing Manager will erase any test data and it will set your Billing Manager status to Live. From this point on, any Billing Manager actions, such as generating invoices or Docline EFTS files, will be "real" actions and will be recorded as such by the system.
The Go Live start date can be customized by using the Database Manager. After opening the Database Manager click on the Billing Manager Mode tab to the far right.
The second box on this tab contains drop down menus to set your Go Live date. The Gol Live date can be set to any date but will default to the current date and the invoice will be one number above any existing invoices located.
It is important to note that even when using a Shared Server configuration all invoice numbers are still unique. This means that invoice number 1234 will not be duplicated across any sites within that configuration.
Also when site ABC goes live and begins their invoicing, the next site, XYZ, within that server configuration will have to start their invoicing with an invoice number higher that the most recent of the initial sites, ABC, invoice.
Earlier versions of ILLiad stored Borrowing and Lending invoices in separate tables and allowed each set to have its own unique sets of invoice numbers. For example, it was possible to have both a Borrowing invoice number 1234 and a Lending invoice number 1234.
Billing Manager invoice numbers are entirely unique, regardless of the initiating process. When you go live with Billing Manager, the Database Manager locates the highest- numbered invoice of any type that currently exists and assigns the next available invoice number to be greater than that number.
Billing Manager-generated invoices will start incrementing invoice numbers from the number specified.
The Billing Manager Mode Tab
The Billing Manager Mode tab is used to delete any Billing Manager test data that has been generated during the Billing Manager testing period. You have the option of clearing the test data without going live with the Billing Manager by using the Reset Test Mode button, or clearing the test data and going live with the Billing Manager by using the Go Live button. Once you go live with the Billing Manager, this tab will no longer be visible in the Database Manager.