Usage Allocation Pools
Usage allocation pools reallocate the charges to each user based on their overall usage so that you can more accurately distribute the cost of services. A usage pool consists of services linked to an account from which the total pool is calculated. Each service in the pool has a usage allocation size. The size of the pool is the sum of the individual usage allocations for all services that are part of the pool. A usage allocation pool can be for a single user or across multiple accounts in an account hierarchy.
The Redistribute Usage Rules Billing system setting must be set to TRUE to utilize usage allocation pools. Refer to System Settings in the user guide or the Billing System Settings Knowledge Base article for more information.
After you have created a usage allocation pool, you can add services to the pool. Usage-based services that can be pooled together must have the following in common:
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All services must have same service period start and end dates. For example a monthly service that starts on the 15th of the month cannot be pooled with a service that starts on the first.
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Each service has the same recurrence period. For example, a monthly service cannot be pooled with a yearly service.
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Each service is sold in the same currency.
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Each service uses the same unit of measure. For example, a service measured in gigabytes cannot be pooled together with a service measured in hours.
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All accounts in the account hierarchy using the pool must be on the same bill cycle.
For example, a usage allocation pool that is determined by a percentage is calculated as follows:
A parent account could be associated with a usage allocation pool that includes four child accounts using services of varying costs and usage limits. The child accounts and services are pooled as follows:
| Child Account | Actual Usage for Service Period | Available Usage for Service Period | Over or Under Available Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
8 GB |
10 GB |
-2 GB |
|
2 |
5 GB |
10 GB |
-5 GB |
|
3 |
28 GB |
20 GB |
8 GB |
|
4 |
12 GB |
10 GB |
2 GB |
|
Totals |
53 GB |
50 GB |
3 GB |
In this example, the total Usage Allocation Pool is 50 gigabytes (the sum of all available usage for the service period).
Two child accounts have usage overages for the service period: child 3 and child 4. The combined overages of these two child accounts is 10 GB (8 GB + 2 GB = 10 GB).
The percentage of overage for each child account is then calculated (child 3: 8 GB of 10 GB is 80%, child 4: 2 GB of 10 GB is 20%). Pooling allocations and charges are based on these calculations. The net overage for the service period is 3 GB.
Therefore, the allocated usage for child 3 will be 2.4 GB (3 GB x 80%), and the allocated usage for child 4 will be .6 GB (3 GB x 20%). After pooling, child 3 will be charged for only 2.4 GB (instead of 8 GB) overage, and child 4 will be charged for .6 GB (instead of 2 GB) overage.
Refer to Usage Allocation Pools in the user guide for more information on adding a usage allocation pool and adding a service to a usage allocation pool.