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Setting up Revenue Rates:
Calculate Revenue Based on Load Slip Attributes
This screen is where the rubber meets the road. The grid has columns for Block, destination and other load attributes. It also has a column for the revenue rate, the revenue basis, and the effective date.
You can set up rate breaks by Block, destination and your other load attributes. If you leave an attribute blank (empty), The Logger's Edge interprets the blank as a wildcard 'apply to All' or 'ignore'. You can use a blank to set up a general rate and then set up specific rates as exceptions to the general rule. Thus, if the same rate applies to all Blocks, you can leave it blank. Then, if a different rate applies to a certain Block, you can set up a specific rate to handle that exception for the general rule.
Example 1. In Row 1, the Sort column is blank, meaning that the sort is ignored when selecting the right revenue contract. Thus, the first row is interpreted as: Calculate revenue for TRUCKING on Block BL-ATHA-3241 going to destination HL for ALL sorts at a rate of $12.00 per Tonne starting 6/1/2004. (You receive $12/Tonne for Trucking). The Logger's Edge matches loads with these attributes and pays the $12.00/Tonne rate. In Row 2, a different Block and different destination are selected, meaning that the revenue rate ($13.00/Tonne) will be applied to loads from Block BL-CLEAR-2100 delivered to HP.
Example 2. In Row 3, the Block, Destination and Sort columns are blank, meaning that the Block, destination and sort is ignored when selecting the right revenue rate for STMP-TRK (Stump-to-Truck). Thus the third row is interpreted as: Calculate revenue for STMP-TRK on ALL Blocks delivered to ALL destinations for ALL sorts a rate of $24.00/M3. (Note: the ALL Block is limited to all the Blocks identified in Step 4 for the revenue contract; likewise the 'ALL' destination is limited to the destinations selected in Step 5). In rows in 4,5 and 6 we see three more contract rates for STMP-TRK. The rate in row 4 identifies a specific Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' and sort 'PULP'. This rate takes precedence over the rate in row 3 when a load is from Block BL-CLEAR-3211 and is of sort 'PULP'. Likewise the rate in row 5 identifies a specific Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' and a specific sort 'SAW'. This rate also takes precedence over the rate in row 3 when a load is from Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' and is of sort 'SAW'. For loads from any other Block or for loads from Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' whose Sort is not 'PULP' or 'SAW', the rate in row 3 ($24.00/M3) is operative. The moral is that a rate with a specific attribute that matches a load trumps a rate using an a ALL (blank) attribute.
A further complication is posed by the rate in row 6 which says that you will be paid for all loads from Block 'BL-CLEAR-3211' delivered specifically to destination HL for ALL Sorts at a price of $26.00/M3. How do we reconcile this rate and the rate in row 5 for a load from Block BL-CLEAR-3211 delivered to HL whose sort is 'SAW'? The rate in row 5 is more specific in regard to Sort; the rate in row 6 is more specific in regard to Destination. The Logger's Edge resolves this conflict by invoking a 'left-to-right' principle -- that is, select the rate whose specific attribute appears furthest to the left in the grid. Thus, because destination appears before sort (looking left to right), The Logger's Edge will choose the rate in row 6 as the operative rate.
This rule allows the The Logger's Edge always to select one (and only one) revenue rate to pay a specific activity for a specific load. (Note that this rule is different from the rule for payment contracts where two or more identical rates may apply because you may be splitting payment between two land-owners, for example.)
Example 3. Rows 6 and 7 contain two otherwise identical rates for STMP-TRK with exception of their effective dates. The rate in row 6 ($26.00/M3) is effective 6/1/04; the rate in row 7 ($26.50/Load) is effective 9/1/04. How does this work? The rate in row 6 is operative for loads between 6/1/04 and 8/31/04. On 9/1/04 the rate in row 7 takes effect and is operative for all loads going forward. The rate in row 7 expires when a new (identical) rate is entered with a more recent effective date.
This effective date rule is a general rule. In selecting between otherwise identical rates, the rate with a more recent effective date take precedence over the rate (or rates) with an older effective date on a going forward basis. Note also that an effective rate subsequent to the pay date of a load is regarded as irrelevant. If there is no rate whose effective date is equal to or earlier than the pay date of a load, the load will not be paid. (The Logger's Edge will throw an error informing you that it cannot find an appropriate rate.)
Warning. If there are two or more revenue rates with identical attributes and the exact same effective date, The Logger's Edge will still only select one and only one rate to apply to load entries Well then, which rate will apply if there are two identical rates? The answer is that one or the other rate will be selected at random! Therein lies the warning: Do not set up two identical revenue rates with the same effective date.
Note: The rate with the most recent effective date is operative until the expiration (End Date) of the overall revenue contract you entered in Step 6. The End Date for the contract expires ALL rates regardless of their effective date.
Whoa! Complicated enough eh?
A special feature of the rate grid is the ability to work in full screen mode. As you can imagine, if your rate matrix is large because of all the various rate breaks you have, it is hard to work in the relatively small wizard window. By clicking on the button 'Full Screen,' you can bring up a window that allows you to work with the grid in full screen mode. See below.
In full screen mode, you can add, delete and copy rates. Under the 'File' menu item in the top left, you can send the grid to your printer or export it to MS Excel.
One of the really nice features of the window is the 'Filter by Selection' button. This feature allows you to click (select) an entry in the grid and then click the 'Filter by Selection' button. The grid is then filtered (reduced) to show only the rows that contain your selected item. For example, to view an exclusive list of STMP-TRK rates, select STMP-TRK in the grid and then click the 'Filter by Selection' button. The result would be a grid of only STMP-TRK rates -- the other rows would be hidden. The 'Show All' button restores the grid to its original state (showing all rates).
Note: Step 8 is not relevant for Revenue Contracts based on Load Attributes. You will notice that your next wizard window is Step 9 of 10.
