Skip to main content

Search

Knowledge Center

Billing Automation Manager

Purpose Statement

Billing Automation Manager (BAM), also known as Billing Programs, allows AHJs to automatically generate recurring invoices for eligible occupancies based on configured Fee Schedule line items.

This helps departments reduce manual billing work, improve invoice consistency, and support recurring billing workflows for prevention, inspection, permitting, and occupancy-based fees.

Background Information

Billing Programs use existing invoice line items from the Fee Schedule. Line items are eligible for Billing Programs when:

  1. Automate is enabled.
  2. Associated Action is set to Billing Program.
  3. The line item contains the required criteria for determining eligible occupancies.

Billing Programs do not store separate criteria. Each attached line item evaluates its own Fee Schedule criteria during the program run.

BAM includes four primary tabs:

  1. General
  2. Associated Line Items
  3. Run Program
  4. Run History

These tabs allow administrators to configure program settings, attach eligible line items, preview matching occupancies, run billing manually, and review historical run results.

Required Permissions

Permissions may vary by agency configuration. Users managing Billing Programs should have permissions that allow them to access and manage:

  1. Invoicing
  2. Fee Schedule line items
  3. Billing Programs / Billing Automation Manager
  4. Occupancy records
  5. Occupancy contacts
  6. Invoice generation
  7. Email delivery for invoices, if auto-email is used

Recommended access level: Administrator or Fire Prevention/Billing administrator.

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Billing Automation Manager

  1. Navigate to the invoicing or billing area of First Due.
  2. Select Billing Automation Manager.
  3. Open an existing program or create a new program.

2. Configure the General Tab

  1. Enter the program name.
  2. Configure the recurring schedule.
  3. Select the frequency:
    1. Weekly
    2. Monthly
    3. Yearly
  4. Set the interval, such as every 1 week, every 3 weeks, or every 2 years.
  5. Choose whether the program should be active or paused.
  6. Save the program.

When a program is paused, scheduled runs stop. Manual runs remain available.

3. Add Associated Line Items

  1. Open the Associated Line Items tab.
  2. Review the available Fee Schedule line items.
  3. Select eligible line items where Automate is enabled and Associated Action is set to Billing Program.
  4. Attach the applicable line items to the program.
  5. Save the changes.

Each line item evaluates its own criteria when the program runs.

4. Preview Matching Occupancies

  1. Open the Run Program tab.
  2. Select the preview option.
  3. Review the total number of matching occupancies.
  4. Review the random sample of matching occupancies.
  5. Can also hit Refresh to run another sample.
  6. Confirm that the results match the expected billing group before running the program.

5. Run the Billing Program Manually

  1. From the Run Program tab, confirm the associated line items.
  2. Review the occupancy preview.
  3. Select the option to run the program.
  4. Confirm the run.
  5. Allow the system to generate invoices in bulk.
  6. You will be notified once the Run has been completed.

6. Send Invoice Emails

  1. Confirm that each occupancy has a designated Billing Contact.
  2. Ensure auto-email is enabled, if applicable.
  3. Run the program manually or allow the scheduled run to process.
  4. The system sends invoices to the Billing Contact when email delivery is enabled.

7. Review Run History

  1. Open the Run History tab.
  2. Review completed manual and system runs.
  3. Confirm the run type.
  4. Review the number of invoices generated.
  5. Review the line items evaluated.
  6. Review the stored snapshot of line item properties from the time of the run.

Best Practices

  1. Confirm Fee Schedule criteria before attaching line items to a Billing Program.
  2. Use clear program names that describe the billing purpose and schedule.
  3. Preview matching occupancies before every manual run.
  4. Assign Billing Contacts before enabling invoice email delivery.
  5. Pause programs instead of deleting them when temporarily stopping scheduled billing.
  6. Review Run History after each scheduled run to confirm expected invoice generation.
  7. Avoid duplicating fee logic in multiple line items unless the billing outcome is intentional.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why is a Fee Schedule line item not available for the Billing Program?

The line item must have Automate enabled and Associated Action set to Billing Program.

Where are Billing Program criteria configured?

Criteria are configured on the Fee Schedule line item. Billing Programs do not store separate criteria.

Can a paused Billing Program still be run manually?

Yes. Pausing stops scheduled runs only. Manual execution remains available.

Why did an occupancy not receive an emailed invoice?

Confirm that the occupancy has a designated Billing Contact and that invoice email delivery is enabled.

Why does the preview only show some matching occupancies?

The preview displays a random sample of up to 15 matching occupancies and shows the total match count to support large datasets.

Where can I confirm what happened during a run?

Open the Run History tab to review run type, invoice count, evaluated line items, and line item snapshots.