Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by Guest on Wed, 21/06/2017 - 15:09

General User's Discussion

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has any interest or suggestions about developing some improvements to the product service ratio feature within OpenVPMS. The service ratio allows us to add a % markup for work done at a particular location. Currently we have several locations setup and one of these has a service ratio applied (for afterhours work). This creates a number of problems for us currently, with work being inadvertently invoiced in the location, additional location on all the reports, two charges being run in a parrallel for the different locations, etc.

It would be a significant improvement if this service ratio could be based on times as well as a specific location.

ie: Development improvement for the service ratio functionality to have an interactive dialogue within Administration so that the ratio is applied at the specified practice location, on specific days and times.

An example from another PMS....

This structure would also allow specific (individual) days to be identified as well; eg public holidays.

It would need an ability to not apply the service ratio to an invoice. Possibly as an additional option when a consult is being performed and you need to select the clinician, you could also select the option to apply the service ratio to these items. The toggle button could be based off the lookup calendar

It would also need to be available for estimates (possibly with a similar toggle); - which would apply for the whole estimate only (ie couldn't create estimate with only certain items to have a ratio)

Alternatively.... for locations where a ratio is able to be applied, when an invoice is created in that practice location there is an additional toggle field against each invoice line item...

I understand that this would need quite a lot of discussion and thought as to how best to consider and implement something like this, but I am keen to see what is involved and how we could best incorporate such an improvement. I also understand that my suggestions may not be at all practical from a programming / development perspective, but wanted to look at some suggestions as to how this could work

Interested in everyone's thoughts.

Thanks

David

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by tanderson on Wed, 21/06/2017 - 16:30.

Some initial questions:

what happens if you create an estimate out of hours, when the service ratio applies, but invoice the estimate during regular hours where there is no service ratio? Does the invoice automatically apply the service ratio?
what happens if a user changes a fixed or unit price on an estimate, invoices it, and then applies or removes a service ratio? Is the user-entered price used, or the current product price?
what happens if a pet is in a practice across several days, using the one invoice, where different service ratios apply? Can the same product be charged multiple times, with different prices?
Currently, service ratios are determined by the practice location and product type. E.g. at location X, charge Surgery at 1.5x.
How do you envisage a calendar-based approach to work? At location X, charge surgery at 1.5x on the days specified by the calendar? Or would you like to be able to specify different ratios e.g. 10% for weeknights, 20% for weekends, 40% for public holidays etc
how should a surcharged product be displayed in invoices?

-Tim

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by David Mason (not verified) on Thu, 22/06/2017 - 10:52.

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your reply and questions; -

My thoughts are:

Estimates produced out of hours should be identified on the estimate as being created with a service ratio applied (could they also have a column for 'apply service ratio' with toggle boxes?). If the estimate is applied to an invoice as such, then if it is applied with the ratio and it is not required, then it would be easy to just unselect the 'apply ratio' to each invoice item.
Users should not be adjusting product prices when creating an invoice (or estimate). So when they apply or remove the ratio it will refer to the current product price. If an invoice (in our hospital) needs to be adjusted then another invoice line item should be applied (either a discount or a fee), rather than the actual product price adjusted.
Yes - potentially the same product could have different prices applied at different times. Eg: xray taken during regular hours and then a follow up xray (same procuct) taken afterhours will have a different price.
We only use a single service ratio. I'm not sure how you could set this up to use multiple ratios within the one location at different times; - this would be very complicated I believe. Potentially though - others may find this useful.
The surcharge product would just show the actual product price charged. We could have an option for hospitals to be able to identify (toggle option in Admin | Practice) to mark those charges with a service ratio with a '*' and then a note at the bottom of the invoice template that those items marked with a " '*' = items performed afterhours " or something similar?

Many Thanks

David

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by tgething (not verified) on Thu, 22/06/2017 - 11:49.

Re * to flag service ratio applied: note that US format invoices (generated if 'Show Prices Tax Inclusive' is not checked in the Practice record) use an asterisk after the line item price to indicate that this is a taxable item.

Hence + would be a better choice as a flag character.

I would also like to see support for flagging 'service ratio applied' items on the invoice before we do the work. It seems to me that most practices would not want to rub in the fact that some items cost more when done at 3am.

Regards, Tim G

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by David Mason (not verified) on Mon, 24/07/2017 - 15:24.

Hi All,

Is there any additional information required to be able to turn this into a project and to receive a costing for it?

Many thanks

David

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by tanderson on Wed, 26/07/2017 - 13:56.

As indicated earlier, service ratios are currently implemented between a Practice Location and Product Type. In order to maintain this functionality, it would be necessary to attach a calendar to the Service Ratio. If a Service Ratio has no calendar attached, it would always apply.

This approach would not allow multiple service ratios for a product type. E.g you couldn't have a 125% weekend rate and a 150% out of hours rate.

The calendar could be implemented along the lines of the existing appointment schedule, with blocks used to set up the dates and times that the ratio applies.

There will need to be a per line item flag indicating if ratios should be applied. This would only be displayed if ratios are enabled at the location.

How much flexibility is required for turning off application of a ratio? Can any user do it?

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by David Mason (not verified) on Wed, 26/07/2017 - 16:07.

Hi Tim,

Your suggestion of a scheduling type calendar would work well. I dont' envisage there being any need to have different service ratios at different times, and I think that this would overly complicate the functionality.

Only administration staff would need the ability to change / update the service ratio calendar, and for the most part I would image that this would a 'set and forget' function and would only need to be updated for calendar variations (Public holidays / etc).

Are you suggesting that each individual product (item) would have its own calendar or could we do this by product type? The later I think would work well, and be far less complicated.

Thanks

David

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by tanderson on Fri, 28/07/2017 - 17:58.

The existing Service Ratio relationships on the Practice Location indicate the service ratio for a product type at that location. This would be updated to include an optional calendar that determines when the ratio applies.

So if there is no calendar, the ratio always applies. If there is a calendar, it would only apply on the indicated dates and times.

Who would be allowed to determine if a service ratio is applied in an estimate or charge? Can anyone tick/untick the 'apply service ratio' box on an estimate or charge item?

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by David Mason (not verified) on Mon, 31/07/2017 - 14:48.

Hi Tim,

With the permissions, I would image that everyone would be able to make this change. All staff need the ability to draw up an accurate estimate which will depend on the time of day that the procedure is to be performed. It is highly likely that a nurse may be drawing up an estimate during a period defined as apply the service ratio, for a procedure to be done tomorrow (ie outside service ratio apply period).

Thanks

David

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by tanderson on Mon, 04/09/2017 - 12:57.

This feature request now has its own project: Calendar-based Service Ratios

Re: Service Ratio improvements?

Submitted by Matt C on Mon, 02/10/2017 - 13:06.

Hey guys,

This is a sophisticated feature!

In regards to Tims comment, "There will need to be a per line item flag indicating if ratios should be applied. This would only be displayed if ratios are enabled at the location."

I'm imagining that if service ratios are not enabled such indicators will be hidden?

I'm thinking from the perspective of keeping the interface simple/uncluttered.

Cheers,

Matt