SharePoint Billing Scenario

Purpose:

• To create a “normalized” SharePoint list structure for tracking client billing.

Scenario:

• 2 Lists are need to track basic billing:
  1) Billing Rates
  2) Billing Items
  **Billing Items will have a look up column on Billing Rates List

Goal:

• Calculate Billing Item Charge Column by retrieving the value of the selected Billing Rate.

Solution Summary:

• Create a workflow and attach it to all new and edited items in Billing Items.

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First, lets look at the two custom list structures.

• Billing Rates

• Billing Items

• This is how the “Charge” column was created using the “calculated” type.

*Note: the calculation is created BEFORE the workflow is created and attached.

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Now the fun part, create a basic workflow to copy the Rate Value from the Billing Rates into the [Billing Items].Rate Value

• In SharePoint Designer with the Site Open, Create a new Workflow
  
  


• In the “Define” Wizard Window: name it; select the SharePoint list, and check all boxes.
  
  

• Name The Step (here it’s called “Update Rate Value Column” from “Step 1”) and pull down Conditions and click on “Compare Billing Items Field”
  
  

• Set Conditions as a catch for invalid workflow process, here we will change field to “Quantity” and value to “0.00”

• Pull Down Actions and choose Set Field In Current Item

• Click on “field” and choose Rate Value and then click on “value” then the “Display Data Bindings Button” marked with a “fx” icon.
  

• In “Lookup Details” - Change the Source to “Billing Rates” and select field: “Rate Value” and in “Find the List Item” select the field: Billing Rates:Title (this is where the intuitive would expect to select “Billing Rates:ID” – don’t fall into this trap).

• In “Find the List Item” – Click on the function button marked with an “fx” use Soruce: Current Item and select “Rate Name” for Field.

• Click Yes on the Warning Dialog Box

• Click Finish to complete the Workflow creation

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Now let’s check if the workflow is working properly

• Create 1 or 2 Billing Rate Entries

• Switch to the Billing Items List and create a new billable item.
  

• Enter the some data, but ignore the Rate Value entry.

• On “OK”, you are returned to the list and the workflow has been initiated. Note: on first workflow initiation, you may need to refresh the list after a minute or so.

Notice that rate value (necessary for invoices) has been copied from Billing Rates, and the Charge is calculated in the list itself.