Collections Information Report
The Collections Information (Collectiondata) report (or debt collection submission report) creates the initial file that is sent to Unique Management for collection. When a user qualifies for collection agency based on selections in the Collections Information report, the user will be updated with a status of COLLECTION. The date/time the user is sent to collections and subsequent bill information is written to the debt collection databases or tables.
This report is part of the Unique Management Interface. The default settings configured for this report are designed to work with the Unique Management software. If you use another vendor’s debt collection system, use the defaults recommended by the vendor. Refer to the FAQs: Using Debt Collection Reports topic before getting started.
The SirsiDynix Symphony Workstation server needs to be running to schedule and run this report, or the report will fail. Do not halt the SirsiDynix Symphony Workstation server until the report displays on the finished list.
The Collections Information report produces an XML file with data on users who have overdue bills and who have not previously been referred for collection. This report does not process any user who has already been referred for collection. The XML file is a summary file with totals for each selected user and is designed for forwarding to a collection agency. On the Export File tab, you must provide a name for the export file (a name such as, debtcollectMAIN for the MAIN library), and once the report is run, the file will be placed in the /Unicorn/Rpttemp directory on the SirsiDynix Symphony server. Otherwise, the report data will only appear in the finished report; no separate XML file will be created. For information about the structure of the XML file and the information it contains, go to Understanding the Collections Information Report Output.
Even though the SirsiDynix Symphony delinquency reports are not used to calculate the fines in the reports which create files to send to the agency, it is recommended that the Update Select User Delinq Stat Report or the Update User Delinquency Status reports still be run. If the delinquency reports are not run, there may be discrepancies between the inhouse library reports and corresponding electronic files sent to Unique Management Interface.
Report Selections
Review the following report selections specific to this report.
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You may select specific user IDs, or make selections based on bill, user, or item information. For instance, you may have different fine limits for videos than for books. |
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In addition to standard user selections, individual users may also be selected on the User IDs tab. Additionally, and for this report only, you can select users by age range on the User Selection tab. |
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The only selections on the Item Selection tab are Library and Item Type. If the items that are associated with eligible bills do not meet the specified criteria for copy library or item type, the bills are not selected. |
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The only selections on the Bill Selection tab are Library, Date Billed, Bill Associated with Item (Yes, No, or Both), Bill Reason, and Balance Owed. By default, bills are selected if their value is greater than $2.50. |
Important: If not all libraries in your consortia or system participate in debt collection, you should run the Collections Information report for only those libraries that do participate and list them in the Library field on the Bill Selection tab. This will result in only bills for participating libraries being sent to the collection agency. When you run the report for specific libraries, the corresponding debt collection records for users included in the report will be updated to indicate the user was selected for specific libraries. This means that only new bills that belong to the selected libraries or payments for bills initially selected will be included in subsequent update reports. Also, the user will remain in collections until all bills for the selected libraries are paid. Once the bills for selected libraries are paid, the user will be removed from collections (even if he/she has bills for other libraries).
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On the Export File tab, you must type a name for the export file. For example, you could name the report debtcollectMAIN for the MAIN library. Once the report is run, the file will be placed on the SirsiDynix Symphony server in the /Unicorn/Rpttemp directory, ready to be sent to Unique Management. If you do not type a file name, the report data will only appear in the finished report; no separate XML file will be created. Additionally, you can select the Include Date/Time in Filename check box, and a date/time stamp will be appended to the file name, for example debtcollectMAIN20080530. |
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On the Fee/Update Options tab, you can select to include all bills from all libraries in the total amount owed by the user or to only include all bills from selected libraries. You can also select to include basic and excess collection fee information. The report can be run in test mode (no records are modified) by clearing the Update Database Records check box. |
Note: If you run the Collections Information report for selected libraries, you should select the Include All bills From Selected Libraries option on the Fee/Update Options tab. This option will include all bills that belong to the libraries you selected in the Library field of the Bill Selection tab, and these bills will be sent to the collection agency. If you do not select this option, but instead select Include All Bills From All Libraries, the report will send bills that belong to libraries not included in your bill library selection (or libraries that do not participate in debt collection).
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On the Debt Collection Options tab, you can configure the report to print all address information for each user, including information in custom address fields, or to only print user address information found in basic address fields. |
After Running the Report
When the data is ready for forwarding to the collection agency, the staff must select the Update Database Records check box on the Fee/Update Options tab. This option changes the status to COLLECTION for users who are being referred to the collection agency for the first time. When a user is selected for collections, the user information and bill information are written to the debt collection tables.
Once the Collections Information report has been run with Update Database Records check box selected, the selected records can only be changed manually or by running the Collection Update report. Additional updates to the user's status are made with the Collections Update report.
Related topics
Debt Collection Group Reports
Understanding the Collections Information Report Output
FAQs: Using Debt Collection Reports
Collections Update Report
Update Select User Delinq Stat Report
Update User Status Report