Pass the Oracle Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud 1z0-996-22 Questions and answers with CertsForce

 A usage subscription is a relationship between a service point and an external system or a service provider that defines how usage data is exchanged and processed1. A usage subscription is required before creating bill determinants, as it determines the usage calculation group, the usage transaction type, and the usage subscription quantity type that are used to derive bill determinants from usage data2. A usage subscription also specifies the usage rule that is used to request bill determinants from the external system or the service provider3. Therefore, the correct answer is C. Usage Subscription. References:

Understanding Usage Subscriptions

Creating Usage Subscriptions

Requesting Bill Determinants

The high-level process from loading measurements through calculating usage is as follows1:

Load Initial Measurements: This step involves loading the raw measurement data from the head-end systems or other sources into the Initial Measurement Data (IMD) table. The IMD can be of scalar or interval type, and can have different statuses, such as new, processed, or rejected2.

Validate, edit, and estimate Initial Measurements: This step involves applying the Validation, Estimation, and Editing (VEE) rules to the IMD to check for data quality, completeness, and accuracy. The VEE rules can perform various actions, such as validating the IMD against predefined criteria, editing the IMD values based on business logic, estimating the missing or invalid IMD values based on historical or statistical methods, or generating exceptions for the IMD that require manual intervention3.

Create Final Measurements: This step involves creating the Final Measurement Data (FMD) from the IMD that have passed the VEE rules. The FMD are the processed and validated measurement data that are used for further processing, such as usage calculation, billing, reporting, or analysis. The FMD can also have derived values that are calculated from the FMD values using derivation formulas.

Calculate Usage: This step involves calculating the usage transactions from the FMD using the usage calculation rules. The usage calculation rules define how to calculate the service quantity and price for a usage transaction based on the usage subscription, the rate schedule, the measuring components, and other parameters. The usage transactions are the output of the usage calculation process that are used for billing or other purposes. References:

1: Overview of Usage Calculation

2: About Initial Measurements

3: About Validation, Estimation, and Editing

: About Final Measurements

: About Usage Transactions

According to the Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service User Guides, a device type is a configuration entity that defines the properties and behaviors of a device, such as what service it measures, what business object it uses, what characteristics it has, and what measuring components it supports1. Therefore, the following device type attributes are required to identify these device types:

A. Device Business Object. A device business object is a mandatory attribute that specifies the business object that is used to store and process the device data in the system1. Different device business objects have different fields, validations, and algorithms to handle different types of devices1. For example, the D1-ScalarDevice business object is used for scalar devices that measure a single quantity, such as a gas manual meter2, while the D1-IntervalDevice business object is used for interval devices that measure multiple quantities at regular intervals, such as an electric smart meter3.

B. Service Type. A service type is a mandatory attribute that specifies the type of service that the device measures, such as electricity, gas, water, or sewerage1. A service type also defines the characteristics and measurements of the service, such as the unit of measure, the measuring component type, and the service quantity identifier. For example, an electric smart meter can measure electricity service with kWh as the unit of measure, D1-ScalarMC as the measuring component type, and D1-Consumption as the service quantity identifier3, while a gas manual meter can measure gas service with m3 as the unit of measure, D1-ScalarMC as the measuring component type, and D1-Consumption as the service quantity identifier2.

The following device type attributes are not required to identify these device types:

C. Valid Measuring Component Types. Valid measuring component types are optional attributes that specify the measuring component types that can be associated with the device type1. A measuring component type defines the most important properties of a measuring component, such as what it measures, how regularly it measures it, and whether it should be connected to a physical device. If valid measuring component types are not specified for a device type, then any measuring component type can be associated with the device type1.

D. Manufacturer. Manufacturer is an optional attribute that specifies the name of the manufacturer of the device type1. This attribute can be used to filter or group device types by manufacturer, but it is not essential to identify the device type1.

E. Serial Number. Serial number is not an attribute of the device type, but an attribute of the device instance1. A serial number is a unique identifier that is assigned to each device by the manufacturer or the utility1. A serial number can be used to identify a specific device, but not a device type1.

References:

Configuring Device Types

D1-ScalarDevice Business Object

D1-IntervalDevice Business Object

[Understanding Service Types]

[Understanding Measuring Component Types]

According to the Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service User Guide1, service points are physical locations at which a company supplies service and are used to store information describing the type of service supplied and how it is measured. Devices are installed at service points, and the relationship between individual service points and devices can change over time. However, a service point may only have one device. If multiple devices at a service point are required, a parent and child service point relationship must be defined to create a hierarchy of service points. On each service point, users can specify a parent service point. This feature can be used to link multiple devices to a single market service point ID or to represent different service types or measuring components at a service point. References: Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service - Get Started, About Service Points, Oracle Utilities Operational Device Cloud Service - Get Started

measuring component is a single point for which data will be received and stored in the system. A measuring component can be associated to a device, which can have one or more measuring components, or it can be “virtual” or “stand-alone,” meaning that it is not associated to a device. A measuring component can have various attributes that define its characteristics, such as the measuring component type, the device configuration, the VEE groups, and the scalar or interval class. Two of the attributes that are specific to a measuring component are:

Channel Multiplier: A channel multiplier is a value that is used to adjust the measurement data received from the device to the correct units of measure. For example, if the device measures consumption in cubic feet, but the system stores it in cubic meters, the channel multiplier is used to convert the units.

Channel ID: A channel ID is a unique identifier that is assigned to a measuring component by the device or the head end system. It is used to match the measurement data received from the device to the corresponding measuring component in the system.

The other options are not correct attributes of a measuring component, because:

Channel ID and Badge Number: A badge number is an attribute of a device, not a measuring component. It is a unique identifier that is assigned to a device by the manufacturer or the utility. It is used to track the device’s history and location.

Serial Number and Badge Number: A serial number is also an attribute of a device, not a measuring component. It is a unique identifier that is assigned to a device by the manufacturer. It is used to identify the device’s model and specifications.

Model and Serial Number: A model and a serial number are both attributes of a device, not a measuring component. They are used to identify the device’s manufacturer and specifications.

Manufacturer and Model: A manufacturer and a model are also attributes of a device, not a measuring component. They are used to identify the device’s brand and type.

References:

About Measuring Components

Measuring Components

According to the Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service User Guides, initial measurements, final measurements, and usage are different types of measurement data that are used to record, validate, and calculate the consumption of a service12. Therefore, the following statements are true:

A. Usage is a synonym for bill determinants. Usage is the term for the calculated values that are used to determine the charges for a service based on various factors, such as consumption, demand, time of use, or fixed charges1. Usage is also known as bill determinants, because they are the inputs for the rate calculation process that generates the bill3.

B. The initial measurement data can be optionally stored in Raw format. Initial measurement data (IMD) is the term for measurement data in its initial (or raw) form, as read from a measuring component1. IMD can be optionally stored in Raw format, which preserves the original values and condition codes of the measurements without applying any validation, editing, or estimation (VEE) rules4. Raw format can be useful for auditing or troubleshooting purposes, as it allows users to compare the original and final versions of the measurements4.

C. A service point can have more than one initial measurement for the same period, but only one final measurement. A service point can have multiple initial measurements for the same period, if there are multiple measuring components or devices associated with the service point, or if there are overlapping or duplicate readings from the same measuring component or device1. However, only one final measurement can be generated for each service point, service type, unit of measure, time of use, and service quantity identifier combination for a given period1. Final measurements are the result of transforming the initial measurements into a consistent and reliable format, after applying the VEE rules and resolving any conflicts or errors1.

The following statements are false:

D. Final measurements can be directly edited or updated by users or by automated processes as required. Final measurements cannot be directly edited or updated by users or by automated processes, as they are considered to be the final and authoritative version of the measurement data1. Only initial measurements can be edited directly by end users, or by automated processes as part of the VEE process1.

E. Usage is loaded in the application to generate final measurements. Usage is not loaded in the application to generate final measurements, but rather derived from the final measurements using the usage calculation process1. Usage calculation is the process of applying various algorithms and factors to the final measurements to produce the usage values that reflect the actual consumption of the service1.

References:

About Measurement Data

About Initial Measurement Data

About Usage Calculation

About Raw Format

 Specifications are a way of defining the characteristics and behavior of assets or other entities in Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service. Specifications can include sets of procedures, and careful handling instructions for hazardous or delicate materials, as well as attributes that provide information about the entity. Attributes are data elements that can be used to store and display values, such as dimensions, weight, color, model, serial number, and so on. Attributes can also be used to define relationships between entities, such as parent-child, sibling, or peer-to-peer. Attributes can be configured to have different data types, validations, default values, and display options. References: Specifications, Attributes, Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service - Get Started

 When the source of a Financial Transaction is canceled, it results in a new reversal Financial Transaction being created. The reversal Financial Transaction has the same amount as the source Financial Transaction, but with the opposite sign. The reversal Financial Transaction also has the same source as the source Financial Transaction, but with a different status. The source Financial Transaction remains in the system, but its status is changed to “Canceled”. The reversal Financial Transaction is used to reverse the financial impact of the source Financial Transaction on the account balance and other financial calculations. References: Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service Financial Transaction - Main, Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service Cancel Reasons, Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service Setting Up Payment Cancellation Reasons

 The Enable Service Orchestrator is a service order orchestrator that determines the steps required to complete the service of enabling service for a customer. The Enable Service Orchestrator uses the state of the service point and the device to decide what actions need to be performed. For example, if the service point is disconnected and the device is not installed, the Enable Service Orchestrator will determine that the following actions are needed: Connect the Service Point; Install a Device; Turn on the Device. These actions will be executed by the corresponding service order activities, such as Connect SP, Install Device, and Turn On Device. References: Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service Service Order Configuration Guide, Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service Service Order User Guide, Oracle Utilities Customer Cloud Service Service Order Orchestrator Configuration Guide

A Payment Arrangement Request is a business object that supports the step-by-step process of creating a Payment Arrangement, which is an agreement between the customer and the utility to pay off the outstanding balance in installments. A Payment Arrangement Request can perform the following functions:

Examines the Account’s eligibility for Payment Arrangement: The Payment Arrangement Request can check if the account meets the criteria for a Payment Arrangement, such as the account status, the account type, the delinquent amount, the number of previous Payment Arrangements, and the collection process stage.

Calculates delinquent amount for Service Agreements eligible for Payment Arrangement: The Payment Arrangement Request can calculate the total delinquent amount for the service agreements that are eligible for a Payment Arrangement, based on the payoff balance and the payment arrangement type. The delinquent amount is the amount that must be paid off by the Payment Arrangement.

Determines if the Payment Arrangement Request requires approval: The Payment Arrangement Request can determine if the request needs to be approved by a supervisor or an external agency, based on the approval rules and the payment arrangement type. The approval rules can include the delinquent amount, the number of installments, the down payment amount, and the payment arrangement type.

References: Lifecycle Of A Payment Arrangement Request, Payment Arrangement Requests, Setting Up Payment Arrangement Requests