TIN 13-04
Telecommunications Information Notice 13-04 New Telecommunications Expense Management System/New Billing Format/Service Order Freeze
August 30, 2013
Important Information: Please provide a copy of this information notice to other interested parties in your organization. The Office of Telecommunications Management suggests that you keep a copy of this information notice for future reference.
The Office of Telecommunications Management is implementing a new Telecommunications Expense Management System. This will result in a change to the format of the monthly bill from OTM. Agencies will be notified of the change in the message section of the OTM bill prior to the change being made. Current OTM Web Billing users will also receive a login id and password to access the Self Service Portal to view agency billing reports when the new application is available. View a sample copy of the new bill. (Note: the sample bill does not reflect the content of the entire bill.)
Information below includes a description of the the new billing format, definitions of billing terminology, and notification of a pending freeze on service order activity.
New Billing Format
The OTM Agency Bill is comprised of the following sections:
- Agency Invoice: a message or text header for the latest news from OTM regarding changes or enhancements to services, general ledger number (OTM accounting unit number), address of the agency being invoiced, invoice number, and invoice date, followed by a summary of charges by line of service and total amount due.
- Details by Line of Service: a summary of the lines of service used by the agency. Charges are summarized by monthly recurring charges for each number.
- Long Distance Services (Usage): the long distance charges associated with a number. This is a listing of the types of charges associated with a number and will be detailed by date, time, number called, place called, number of minutes per call and the cost of the call.
Billing Terminology
- Monthly Recurring Charges (MRC): the monthly charge for dial tone, voice mail, circuits, etc.
- Other Charges and Credits (OCC): a telephone company term that describes miscellaneous, non-recurring services and installation charges.
- Numbers: the telephone number, circuit numbers, etc. associated with the line of service.
- Address: the physical address of the number.
- City: the city associated with the physical address of the number.
- Description: a description of the charge associated with the line of service.
- Amount: the charge for the description associated with a line of service.
- Support Fee: an OTM administrative fee.
- Processing Fee: an OTM administrative fee.
- Total: the total charge for a particular number associated with a line of service including support service and processing fees.
- Total For: a total of charges for a line of service.
- General Ledger Number: formerly OTM accounting unit number.
- Total Amount Due: the total due for the general ledger number.
- Grand Total: total for all lines of service for a general ledger number and is located at the end of the administrative invoice.
Freeze on Service Order Activity September 16 through September 30
In preparation for the implementation of OTM's new Telecommunications Expense Management System, it will be necessary for OTM to freeze most service order activity for the period of September 16, 2013, through September 30, 2013. Customers may continue to submit orders during this time. Those orders that can be handled directly by OTM will be completed within normal service intervals, but those that involve an external vendor will be held and processed after the freeze unless deemed an emergency. Billing may be delayed or manually prepared for all work during this period.
If you have any questions concerning this project, contact the follow OTM personnel:
- JD Liford at 225.342.7744 or james.liford@la.gov
- Brenda Williams at 225.342.7732 or brenda.williams@la.gov
- Debbie Griffith at 225.342.2500 or debbie.griffith@la.gov
