The Xerox PageConnect/XPPS Extension
The Xerox PageConnect/XPPS Extension
Overview
Xerox offers a service through the IT Services world where equipment service can be sold by the IT Services organization, but performed by Xerox personnel. The PageConnect/XPPS service is a recurring monthly contract that includes equipment service, equipment supplies, and optionally a specified number of copies that can be further broken down into five different print output types. Any overage is priced by the page.
Xerox technicians performs any required maintenance, and a program installed at the client site monitors the usage on the networked printers. The data is automatically uploaded to Xerox. Once a month, Xerox invoices the IT Services organization that acted as a sales agent for all services and maintenance performed on its behalf. The IT Services organization will then in turn invoice its customers.
NOTE For an overview of Xerox Reseller Programs, refer to Xerox Partner Programs.
The PageConnect/XPPS Integration with Autotask streamlines the process for Channel Partners when invoicing their customers. The Monthly Billing file from Xerox contains billing information, including meter reads collected by the PageConnect/XPPS Assistant (PPA) software. This monthly file can be downloaded in a custom format specifically developed for upload into the Autotask billing system. This eliminates the need for manual re-entry, and supports timely invoicing of end customers.
Business value
The integration of PageConnect/XPPS and Autotask will eliminate the need to manually enter the PageConnect/XPPS contract billing information into an accounting application each month. Autotask customers can download their Xerox PageConnect/XPPS invoice in XML format, import it into Autotask, approve and post the recurring services and any overage during their normal billing process, and generate the invoices to their clients. Manual data entry becomes unnecessary, and billing errors are eliminated.
Major customer benefits include:
- Ability to create either a separate customer invoice for the PageConnect/XPPS service and overages, or include PageConnect/XPPS billing items with other invoice items
- Ability to access Xerox metrics from organizations or tickets through the Device link
- Ability to generate a Xerox Vendor Report to audit your Xerox invoices
- Ability to track both cost and price on Xerox services and overage to show profitability
PageConnect/XPPS™ workflow
How PageConnect/XPPS contracts are mapped in Autotask
Here is how the PageConnect/XPPS agreement is modeled in Autotask:
| Xerox PageConnect/XPPS | Autotask | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Organization | Each Customer who you have a PageConnect/XPPS agreement with needs to be entered into Autotask as an organization. |
| PageConnect/XPPS Agreement | Contract | For each customer you have a PageConnect/XPPS contract with, you will need to set up a recurring service contract in Autotask. Refer to Setting up a PageConnect/XPPS contract. |
| Printer you offer PageConnect/XPPS for | Product | Each Printer model you offer under a PageConnect/XPPS contract must be set up on your Products List ( > Admin >Products and Services > Products). Refer to Adding Xerox printers. |
| Printer installed at customer site | Device | Each printer is tracked as an Autotask Device that is associated with the customer, and with the recurring service contract and Service used to bill for PageConnect/XPPS services. When a Xerox printer is installed as a Device, a serial number must be entered, because mapping between the Xerox XML file and Autotask will be done on the device Serial Number. If an invalid or duplicate Serial Number is entered, the import will fail. Refer to Adding a PageConnect/XPPS Printer as a device. One contract can cover multiple printers at a customer location. To track all the necessary data on the printers, Autotask will automatically set up a new Device Type called Xerox PageConnect/XPPS. This Device Type will contain all the User-Defined Fields necessary to track the Xerox data. Refer to The PageConnect/XPPS device type. |
| Monthly Base Price Base Service Fee Base Supply Fee |
Service Bundle Services |
The Base Service Fee and the Base Supply Fee are set up as Services in Autotask. You can set up a Service Bundle that contains both Services, which is the equivalent of the Monthly Base Price. You can set up a separate Service or Service Bundle for each covered model and associate it with the printer devices covered under the contract, or optionally set up a separate service for each model that has a different unit cost or unit price (ex: If the base service for the Xerox 1100 and the Xerox 1200 is $50, you can use the same service). Refer to Adding PageConnect/XPPS base services to a contract. |
| Overage (Mono Over, Color Over, MonoColor1Over, ClrLvl12Over, ClrLvl3Over) |
Material Code | The overage for each covered printer model or price level is set up as a Material Code, a separate one for each of the five print output types that Xerox meters. These Material Codes are mapped to each printer model/price level on the Xerox PageConnect/XPPS Import > Options tab. The mapping between product and material codes is done on the Xerox > Options tab. For each contract, you can optionally set up Cost and Price Defaults that differ from the price set up in Admin. Refer to Mapping Xerox-related products to material codes. The overage for each printer model or price level is imported during the PageConnect/XPPS import, and added to the recurring service contract as a Contract Charge. Refer to Importing PageConnect/XPPS files. |
Getting started
If you are a Xerox Reseller, and the Xerox PageConnect/XPPS™ Extension is not enabled yet, contact Kaseya Helpdesk to enable the Xerox Extension.
To begin using Autotask to bill for Xerox PageConnect/XPPS services:
- Have your Autotask Administrator set up the Autotask back-end to support Xerox PageConnect/XPPS billing. Refer to Setting up Autotask to support Xerox PageConnect/XPPS.
- Set up the contracts that will be used to bill the base price and track the overage costs. Refer to Setting up a PageConnect/XPPS contract.
- Then you are ready to import the XML invoice from Xerox. Refer to Billing for Xerox PageConnect/XPPS services.
For a step-by-step outline, Refer to the Xerox PageConnect/XPPS Administrator QuickStart.
