Chapter 9: Finance & Invoicing - NDSS CRM Software Manual

9.1 Finance Module Overview

The Finance module is accessed via the Finance item in the main sidebar navigation. Upon entering the module, users are presented with the Finance Hub - a centralised dashboard that provides at-a-glance financial health metrics and quick-access tabs to all financial sub-modules. The hub is designed for rapid triage: a finance officer can immediately see outstanding invoices, pending claims, and funding alerts without drilling into individual screens.

Finance Hub Layout

The Finance Hub is organised into a tabbed interface with four primary views, supplemented by summary cards at the top of the page. The following wireframe illustrates the complete layout of the Finance Hub as it appears after login.

WIREFRAME: Finance Hub Dashboard

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | FINANCE HUB | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | +----------------+ +----------------+ +----------------+ +----------------+ | | | Total Revenue | | Outstanding | | Pending Claims | | Overdue | | | | $487,230.00 | | $62,450.00 | | 23 claims | | 7 invoices | | | | +12.4% MTD | | 14 invoices | | $34,120.00 | | $18,900.00 | | | +----------------+ +----------------+ +----------------+ +----------------+ | | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | [ Invoices ] [ Funding Utilization ] [ Claims ] [ Reports ] | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | Quick Actions: [+ New Invoice] [Submit Claims] [Record Payment] | | | | | | | | Filter: [ All Statuses v ] [ Date Range v ] [ Client v ] | | | | | | | | +-----+----------+----------+---------+----------+--------+------+ | | | | | # | Client | Amount | Status | Due Date | Ageing | Act. | | | | | +-----+----------+----------+---------+----------+--------+------+ | | | | | 301 | J. Smith | $2,450 | Paid | 01 Mar | -- | ... | | | | | | 302 | M. Chen | $1,890 | Overdue | 15 Feb | 18 d | ... | | | | | | 303 | A. Patel | $3,200 | Pending | 20 Mar | -- | ... | | | | | | 304 | R. Jones | $980 | Draft | -- | -- | ... | | | | | | 305 | L. Tran | $4,100 | Approved| 25 Mar | -- | ... | | | | | +-----+----------+----------+---------+----------+--------+------+ | | | | | | | | Showing 1-25 of 142 invoices [ < ] 1 2 3 ... 6 [ > ] | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Summary Metric Cards

The four summary cards at the top of the Finance Hub provide real-time aggregated metrics:

Card	Metric	Description	Calculation Period
Total Revenue	Sum of all paid invoices	Total revenue collected in the current financial year. Includes month-to-date percentage change indicator.	Current FY (1 Jul - 30 Jun)
Outstanding	Unpaid invoice total	Sum of all invoices in Submitted or Approved status that have not yet been paid. Count of invoices shown below the dollar amount.	All time (open invoices)
Pending Claims	Unsubmitted NDIS claims	Number and value of NDIS claims that have been prepared but not yet submitted to the NDIS portal. These require review before batch submission.	Current queue
Overdue	Past-due invoices	Invoices where the due date has passed and payment has not been recorded. Triggers automated reminder workflows after configurable thresholds (7, 14, 30 days).	All time (past due)

Tab Navigation

The Finance Hub features four primary tabs, each leading to a dedicated sub-module:

Invoices - View, create, edit, and manage all invoices. This is the default tab when entering the Finance module.
Funding Utilization - Monitor NDIS plan budgets, track spending against allocations, and receive alerts when funding categories approach depletion.
Claims - Prepare, review, and submit NDIS claims in bulk. Track claim status and handle rejections.
Reports - Generate financial reports including revenue summaries, outstanding invoice ageing, funding utilisation breakdowns, and tax reports.

Access Permissions

Finance module access is controlled through role-based permissions. The following table details the default permission matrix for financial operations:

Action	Finance Officer	Service Coordinator	Manager	Admin	Support Worker
View Invoices	Yes	Own clients only	Yes	Yes	No
Create Invoices	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Approve Invoices	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Submit Claims	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Record Payments	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
View Funding Utilisation	Yes	Own clients only	Yes	Yes	No
Generate Reports	Yes	Limited	Yes	Yes	No
Configure Finance Settings	No	No	No	Yes	No

9.2 Invoice Management

The Invoice Management screen is the primary workspace for day-to-day billing operations. It presents a sortable, filterable list of all invoices in the system. Each invoice row displays key information at a glance, with actions accessible via a context menu. The invoice list supports bulk operations including bulk status changes, bulk PDF export, and bulk claim submission.

Invoice List View

WIREFRAME: Invoice List View

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | INVOICES [+ New Invoice] [Export CSV] | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Filters: | | [ Status: All v ] [ Client: All v ] [ From: _________ ] | | [ Service Type: All v ] [ Staff: All v ] [ To: _________ ] | | | | Search: [___________________________________] [Apply Filters] [Clear] | | | | +------+-----------+------------------+-----------+----------+--------+--------+ | | | [ ] | Invoice # | Client | Amount | Status | Due Date| Actions| | | +------+-----------+------------------+-----------+----------+--------+--------+ | | | [ ] | INV-0301 | James Smith | $2,450.00 | Paid | 01 Mar | [...] | | | | [ ] | INV-0302 | Ming Chen | $1,890.50 | Overdue | 15 Feb | [...] | | | | [ ] | INV-0303 | Aanya Patel | $3,200.00 | Submitted| 20 Mar | [...] | | | | [ ] | INV-0304 | Robert Jones | $980.00 | Draft | -- | [...] | | | | [ ] | INV-0305 | Linh Tran | $4,100.00 | Approved | 25 Mar | [...] | | | | [ ] | INV-0306 | Sarah O'Brien | $1,575.00 | Rejected | 10 Mar | [...] | | | | [ ] | INV-0307 | David Nguyen | $2,880.00 | Cancelled| -- | [...] | | | | [ ] | INV-0308 | Emma Williams | $3,600.00 | Submitted| 28 Mar | [...] | | | +------+-----------+------------------+-----------+----------+--------+--------+ | | | | Selected: 0 items Bulk: [Submit Selected] [Export Selected] [Delete Drafts] | | Showing 1-25 of 308 invoices [ < ] 1 2 3 ... 13 [ > ] | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Invoice Status Badges

Every invoice in NDSS CRM carries a status badge that indicates its current position in the billing lifecycle. The following table describes each status, its visual indicator, and the conditions under which an invoice enters that status:

Status	Badge Colour	Description	Entry Condition	Allowed Transitions
Draft	Grey	Invoice has been created but not yet submitted for approval. Can be freely edited or deleted.	Newly created invoice, or invoice returned to draft by creator.	Submitted, Cancelled
Submitted	Orange	Invoice has been submitted for review by a manager or approver. Line items are locked from editing.	Finance officer clicks "Submit for Approval" on a draft invoice.	Approved, Rejected, Draft (recalled)
Approved	Blue	Invoice has been reviewed and approved by an authorised approver. Ready for payment or claim submission.	Manager/Admin clicks "Approve" on a submitted invoice.	Paid, Cancelled
Paid	Green	Full payment has been received and recorded against this invoice. This is a terminal status.	Payment is recorded matching the full invoice amount (or marked as paid after partial payments).	None (terminal)
Rejected	Red	Invoice has been rejected by the approver with a reason. Must be corrected and resubmitted.	Manager/Admin clicks "Reject" and provides a rejection reason.	Draft (for correction)
Cancelled	Dark Grey	Invoice has been permanently cancelled. Cannot be reactivated. A new invoice must be created if billing is still required.	Authorised user cancels a Draft or Approved invoice with a cancellation reason.	None (terminal)

Invoice List Column Definitions

Column	Description	Sortable	Filterable
Checkbox	Select individual invoices for bulk operations.	No	No
Invoice #	Auto-generated unique identifier in the format INV-XXXX. Sequential numbering is configurable in Admin Settings.	Yes	Yes (search)
Client	Full name of the client being billed. Links to the client's finance profile.	Yes	Yes (dropdown)
Amount	Total invoice amount including GST. Displayed in AUD with two decimal places.	Yes	Yes (range)
Status	Current status badge (Draft, Submitted, Approved, Paid, Rejected, Cancelled).	Yes	Yes (multi-select)
Due Date	Date by which payment is expected. Blank for Draft invoices. Highlighted red when overdue.	Yes	Yes (date range)
Ageing	Number of days past the due date for unpaid invoices. Shows "--" for paid or not-yet-due invoices.	Yes	No
Actions	Context menu with options: View, Edit (draft only), Duplicate, Download PDF, Submit, Approve, Record Payment, Cancel.	No	No

Context Menu Actions

Clicking the three-dot menu (...) on any invoice row opens a context menu. The available actions depend on the invoice status:

Action	Draft	Submitted	Approved	Paid	Rejected	Cancelled
View Details	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Edit	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Submit for Approval	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Recall to Draft	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Approve	No	Yes*	No	No	No	No
Reject	No	Yes*	No	No	No	No
Record Payment	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Return to Draft	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Duplicate	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Download PDF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cancel	Yes	No	Yes*	No	No	No
Delete	Yes	No	No	No	No	No

* Requires Manager or Admin role.

9.3 Creating an Invoice

Creating a new invoice in NDSS CRM is a structured process that ensures all required billing information is captured accurately before submission. The invoice creation form guides the user through client selection, date configuration, line item entry, and final review. Each line item maps to a specific NDIS support item code, ensuring compliance with NDIS pricing arrangements.

Accessing the Invoice Creation Form

There are three ways to initiate a new invoice:

Finance Hub - Click the + New Invoice button at the top of the Invoices tab.
Client Profile - Navigate to a client's profile, select the Finance tab, and click Create Invoice. This pre-populates the client field.
Timesheet Conversion - From the Rostering module, select approved timesheets and click Generate Invoice. This auto-populates line items from timesheet entries.

Invoice Creation Form

WIREFRAME: New Invoice Form

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | CREATE NEW INVOICE | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Invoice Details | | +----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ | | | Client * | | Invoice Number | | | | [ Select client... v ] | | INV-0309 (auto-generated) | | | +----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ | | | | +----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ | | | Invoice Date * | | Due Date * | | | | [ 04/04/2024 cal ] | | [ 04/05/2024 cal ] | | | +----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ | | | | +----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ | | | NDIS Plan Period | | Service Agreement | | | | [ 01 Jul 2025 - 30 Jun 2024 v ] | | [ SA-0042 - Active v ] | | | +----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ | | | | +----------------------------------+ | | | Payment Terms | | | | [ Net 30 days v ] | | | +----------------------------------+ | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | LINE ITEMS | | +-------+----------+--------+------+-------+----------+----------+---------+ | | | Service* | Date* | Hrs* | Rate* | NDIS Code| Amount | GST | X | | +-------+----------+--------+------+-------+----------+----------+---------+ | | | [Assistance v] | 01 Mar | 3.0 |$65.47 | 01_011.. | $196.41 | $0.00 |X | | | [Community v] | 02 Mar | 4.0 |$67.56 | 04_102.. | $270.24 | $0.00 |X | | | [Transport v] | 02 Mar | -- |$0.85 | 01_799.. | $42.50 | $0.00 |X | | | | | | | | | | | | +-------+----------+--------+------+-------+----------+----------+---------+ | | | | [+ Add Line Item] [+ Import from Timesheet] | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Summary Notes | | +-------------------------------+ +--------------------------------------+ | | | Subtotal: $509.15 | | [ | | | | GST (10%): $0.00 | | Enter any notes for this invoice | | | | Total (incl): $509.15 | | ] | | | +-------------------------------+ +--------------------------------------+ | | | | Internal Notes (not shown on invoice): | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | [ ] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | [Cancel] [Save as Draft] [Submit for Approval] | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Form Field Reference

Field	Type	Required	Description	Validation Rules
Client	Searchable dropdown	Yes	Select the client to be invoiced. Only active clients with valid NDIS plans appear in the list. Typing filters results by name or NDIS number.	Must be an active client. Client must have at least one active service agreement.
Invoice Number	Auto-generated	Auto	Unique sequential number in the format INV-XXXX. Generated automatically; cannot be manually edited. The prefix and starting number are configurable in Admin > Finance Settings.	System-enforced uniqueness.
Invoice Date	Date picker	Yes	The date the invoice is issued. Defaults to today. Can be backdated but cannot be set in the future.	Cannot be future date. Cannot be before the earliest line item date.
Due Date	Date picker	Yes	The date by which payment is expected. Auto-calculated based on Payment Terms selection but can be manually overridden.	Must be on or after Invoice Date.
NDIS Plan Period	Dropdown	Yes	Select the applicable NDIS plan period for this invoice. Only active or recently-expired plans for the selected client are shown.	All line item dates must fall within the selected plan period.
Service Agreement	Dropdown	Yes	The active service agreement governing this billing. Determines which NDIS support items are available for line items.	Must be an active agreement for the selected client.
Payment Terms	Dropdown	Yes	Standard payment terms. Options: Net 7, Net 14, Net 30, Net 60, Due on Receipt. Automatically adjusts the Due Date field.	Must select a valid option.

Line Item Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
Service	Searchable dropdown	Yes	Select the support service delivered. Options are filtered based on the selected Service Agreement. Each service maps to an NDIS support item category.
Date	Date picker	Yes	The date the service was delivered. Must fall within the selected NDIS Plan Period.
Hours	Numeric (decimal)	Yes*	Number of hours of service delivered. Supports quarter-hour increments (0.25). Not required for fixed-rate items (e.g., transport km).
Rate	Currency (auto)	Auto	Hourly or unit rate. Auto-populated from the NDIS Price Guide based on the selected service and applicable date. Can be manually overridden if a custom rate applies (requires justification note).
NDIS Code	Auto-populated	Auto	The NDIS support item number (e.g., 01_011_0107_1_1). Automatically populated when a service is selected. Displayed as a truncated code with full code shown on hover.
Amount	Calculated	Auto	Hours x Rate (or Quantity x Rate for unit-based items). Automatically calculated and read-only.
GST	Calculated	Auto	GST amount for this line item. Most NDIS services are GST-free. GST applicability is determined by the NDIS support item configuration.
Remove (X)	Button	N/A	Removes the line item from the invoice. Requires confirmation if the line item has been saved previously.

Saving and Submitting

The invoice form provides three action buttons:

Cancel - Discards all changes and returns to the invoice list. If any data has been entered, a confirmation dialog appears warning that unsaved changes will be lost.
Save as Draft - Saves the invoice in Draft status. Draft invoices can be edited at any time and are not visible to clients. The system validates required fields but allows partial saves (e.g., an invoice with no line items can be saved as a draft).
Submit for Approval - Validates all fields including line items, calculates totals, and transitions the invoice to Submitted status. Full validation is enforced: all required fields must be complete, at least one line item must exist, all dates must be valid, and the total must be greater than zero.

Important: Rate Override Auditing

If a finance officer manually overrides the auto-populated NDIS rate for any line item, the system records this as an auditable event. The override is flagged during the approval process, and the approver must explicitly acknowledge and accept the non-standard rate before the invoice can be approved. Overridden rates are highlighted in orange on the invoice detail view.

9.4 Invoice Status Lifecycle

Every invoice in NDSS CRM follows a defined lifecycle from creation through to final resolution. Understanding this lifecycle is critical for ensuring timely billing, accurate claim submission, and clean financial records. The lifecycle enforces separation of duties: the person who creates an invoice cannot approve it, and the person who approves it should ideally not be the one recording payment.

Lifecycle Flow Diagram

WIREFRAME: Invoice Status Lifecycle

+----------+ | DRAFT | +----+-----+ | Submit for Approval | v +----------+----------+ | SUBMITTED | +----+------+----+----+ | | | Approve| Reject |Recall | | | +--------v--+ | +-----+ | APPROVED | | | +-----+-----+ | v | | +---------+ Record| +---->| DRAFT | Payment +---------+ | (returned for v correction) +-----+-----+ | PAID | +-----------+ (terminal) Branch paths: From DRAFT ----Cancel----> CANCELLED (terminal) From APPROVED ----Cancel----> CANCELLED (terminal) From SUBMITTED ---Reject---> REJECTED --Return to Draft--> DRAFT

Status Transition Rules

From Status	To Status	Trigger	Required Role	Conditions
Draft	Submitted	Click "Submit for Approval"	Finance Officer, Manager, Admin	All required fields complete. At least one line item. Total > $0.
Draft	Cancelled	Click "Cancel Invoice"	Finance Officer, Manager, Admin	Cancellation reason required. Confirmation dialog.
Submitted	Approved	Click "Approve"	Manager, Admin	Approver must not be the invoice creator. Any rate overrides must be acknowledged.
Submitted	Rejected	Click "Reject"	Manager, Admin	Rejection reason required (free text). Creator is notified via platform notification and email.
Submitted	Draft	Click "Recall"	Original creator only	Only available before an approver has begun review. Recall is logged in the audit trail.
Approved	Paid	Record Payment	Finance Officer, Manager, Admin	Payment amount must equal the invoice total (or be the final partial payment reaching the total). Payment method and reference required.
Approved	Cancelled	Click "Cancel Invoice"	Admin only	Cancellation of an approved invoice requires Admin-level permissions and a detailed cancellation reason. If a claim has been submitted, the claim must be reversed first.
Rejected	Draft	Click "Return to Draft"	Original creator	Invoice returns to Draft status for correction. All fields become editable. Rejection reason remains visible as a note.

Approval Workflow Configuration

The invoice approval workflow can be configured in Admin > Finance Settings > Approval Rules. Administrators can set the following approval parameters:

Single Approval - Invoices under a configurable threshold (default: $5,000) require approval from one Manager-level user.
Dual Approval - Invoices at or above the threshold require two separate approvers. The second approver must be at the Admin level.
Auto-Approval - Invoices generated from approved timesheets with no rate overrides can be configured for automatic approval. This skips the Submitted status and moves directly to Approved. Auto-approval must be explicitly enabled by an Admin and creates an audit entry indicating automatic processing.
Approval Delegation - Managers can delegate their approval authority to another Manager during leave periods. Delegation has a start and end date and is logged in the audit trail.

Audit Trail

Every status transition is recorded in the invoice audit trail with a timestamp, the user who performed the action, the previous status, the new status, and any notes or reasons provided. The audit trail is immutable and can be exported for compliance purposes.

9.5 NDIS Claims Management

The NDIS Claims Management sub-module handles the preparation, submission, tracking, and reconciliation of claims to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. NDSS CRM integrates with the NDIS Provider Portal API to streamline the claims process, reducing manual data entry and minimising rejection rates through pre-submission validation.

Claims Dashboard

WIREFRAME: NDIS Claims Dashboard

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | NDIS CLAIMS | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | +------------------+ +------------------+ +------------------+ | | | Ready to Submit | | Submitted | | Requires Action | | | | 23 claims | | 45 claims | | 8 claims | | | | $34,120.00 | | $67,890.00 | | $12,450.00 | | | +------------------+ +------------------+ +------------------+ | | | | [Submit All Ready] [Refresh Status] [Export Claims Report] | | | | +------+----------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+--------+ | | | [ ] | Claim # | Invoice | Client | Amount | Status | Action | | | +------+----------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+--------+ | | | [ ] | CLM-4201 | INV-0301 | J. Smith | $2,450 | Ready | Submit | | | | [ ] | CLM-4202 | INV-0303 | A. Patel | $3,200 | Pending| Track | | | | [ ] | CLM-4203 | INV-0298 | T. Brown | $1,800 | Reject | Fix | | | | [ ] | CLM-4204 | INV-0305 | L. Tran | $4,100 | Paid | -- | | | +------+----------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+--------+ | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Claim Submission Process

The NDIS claim submission follows a structured process:

Claim Preparation - When an invoice is approved, NDSS CRM automatically generates a corresponding NDIS claim record. Each invoice line item becomes a claim line, mapped to the correct NDIS support item number, date of service, quantity, and rate.
Pre-Submission Validation - Before submission, the system validates each claim line against NDIS rules:
- Service dates must fall within the participant's active NDIS plan period.
- Rates must not exceed the NDIS Price Guide maximum for the applicable support item and region.
- The support item must be included in the participant's NDIS plan funding allocation.
- The claim must not cause the total claimed for a budget category to exceed the plan allocation.
- Duplicate claim detection: the system checks for previously submitted claims with the same participant, date, and support item.
Bulk Submission - Claims can be submitted individually or in bulk. Bulk submission groups claims by participant and submits them as a batch to the NDIS Provider Portal. The system generates a submission reference number for tracking.
Status Tracking - After submission, claim status is tracked:
- Submitted - Claim has been sent to the NDIS portal.
- Processing - NDIS is processing the claim (typically 2-5 business days).
- Paid - Claim has been approved and payment has been made by the NDIS.
- Rejected - Claim has been rejected with a reason code. Requires investigation and potential resubmission.
- Partially Paid - Some claim lines were paid but others were rejected.

Common NDIS Rejection Codes

Code	Description	Common Cause	Resolution
R001	Invalid participant number	NDIS number has been entered incorrectly or participant is no longer active.	Verify the NDIS number in the client profile. Update and resubmit.
R002	Service date outside plan period	The service was delivered before the plan start date or after the plan end date.	Verify service dates. If the plan has been renewed, ensure the correct plan period is selected.
R003	Rate exceeds Price Guide maximum	The billed rate is higher than the NDIS Price Guide maximum for that support item.	Adjust the rate to the Price Guide maximum. If a higher rate was agreed upon, submit supporting documentation.
R004	Insufficient plan funding	The claim would cause the total for a funding category to exceed the plan allocation.	Check funding utilisation. Contact the participant's plan manager to discuss a plan review or reallocation.
R005	Duplicate claim	A claim with the same participant, date, and support item has already been submitted.	Check for duplicate invoices. If the claim is legitimate (e.g., two separate sessions on the same day), add supporting notes and resubmit.
R006	Support item not in plan	The support item claimed is not included in the participant's NDIS plan.	Review the participant's plan. Ensure the correct support item code is being used. If the service is funded under a different category, update the mapping.
R007	Provider not registered	The organisation is not registered to deliver the claimed support type.	Verify provider registration status. Contact NDIS if registration details need updating.

Rejection Handling Workflow

When a claim is rejected, the following workflow is triggered:

The Finance Officer receives a notification with the rejection code and details.
The claim status updates to Rejected and the associated invoice is flagged.
The Finance Officer investigates the rejection using the rejection code table above.
If the rejection is correctable, the officer edits the claim (creates a corrected version) and resubmits.
If the rejection is due to a fundamental issue (e.g., service not in plan), the officer escalates to the Service Coordinator for resolution.
All rejection handling actions are logged in the claim's audit trail.

9.6 Funding Utilisation Tracking

The Funding Utilisation module provides real-time visibility into how each participant's NDIS plan funding is being consumed. It compares budgeted amounts against actual spending across all NDIS funding categories, presents visual progress indicators, and triggers alerts when budgets approach depletion. This is one of the most critical tools for Service Coordinators and Finance Officers to prevent over-servicing and ensure participants receive their full entitlement of supports.

Funding Utilisation Dashboard

WIREFRAME: Funding Utilisation Dashboard

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | FUNDING UTILISATION Client: [ James Smith v ] | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Plan Period: 01 Jul 2025 - 30 Jun 2024 Status: Active Days Remaining: 87 | | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | OVERALL UTILISATION | | | | | | | | Total Budget: $148,500.00 | | | | Total Spent: $97,230.00 (65.5%) | | | | Remaining: $51,270.00 | | | | | | | | [=============================================================] 65.5% | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | CATEGORY BREAKDOWN | | | | | | | | Core Supports Budget: $82,000 Spent: $58,400 (71.2%) | | | | [==========================================================] | | | | Assistance with Daily Life $45,000 $33,200 (73.8%) | | | | Transport $12,000 $8,700 (72.5%) | | | | Consumables $5,000 $2,100 (42.0%) | | | | Assistance with Social/Comm. $20,000 $14,400 (72.0%) | | | | | | | | Capacity Building Budget: $42,500 Spent: $28,830 (67.8%) | | | | [==========================================================] | | | | Improved Living Arrangements $15,000 $11,200 (74.7%) | | | | Increased Social/Comm. Part. $12,500 $8,900 (71.2%) | | | | Improved Health & Wellbeing $10,000 $6,230 (62.3%) | | | | Improved Daily Living $5,000 $2,500 (50.0%) | | | | | | | | Capital Budget: $24,000 Spent: $10,000 (41.7%) | | | | [============================================================] | | | | Assistive Technology $14,000 $10,000 (71.4%) | | | | Home Modifications $10,000 $0 (0.0%) | | | | | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | ! ALERTS | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | WARNING: Core Supports - Assistance with Daily Life is at 73.8% | | | | with 87 days remaining. Projected to exhaust by 15 May 2024. | | | | | | | | WARNING: Capacity Building - Improved Living at 74.7%. | | | | Current burn rate: $1,400/month. Budget will exhaust in | | | | approximately 2.7 months. | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Funding Category Definitions

Category	Sub-Categories	Description	Flexibility
Core Supports	Assistance with Daily Life, Transport, Consumables, Assistance with Social/Community Participation	Day-to-day support to help participants with everyday activities. This is the most commonly used funding category and covers direct support worker hours.	Flexible within Core Supports. Funds can be moved between Core sub-categories unless specifically stated otherwise in the plan.
Capacity Building	Improved Living Arrangements, Social/Community Participation, Health & Wellbeing, Daily Living, Employment, Relationships, Learning, Choice & Control	Supports that build a participant's independence and skills. Includes therapy services (OT, Speech, BSP), training, and skill development programs.	Not flexible. Funds in each Capacity Building sub-category are fixed and cannot be moved between sub-categories or to other categories.
Capital	Assistive Technology, Home Modifications, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Vehicle Modifications	One-off or periodic investments in equipment, technology, or home/vehicle modifications. Typically requires quotes and pre-approval before spending.	Not flexible. Each Capital item is usually individually specified in the plan with a fixed dollar amount.

Budget Alert Configuration

Administrators can configure funding alert thresholds in Admin > Finance Settings > Budget Alerts:

Warning Threshold - Default: 70% utilised. When a category reaches this threshold, a yellow warning indicator appears on the dashboard and a notification is sent to the assigned Service Coordinator.
Critical Threshold - Default: 85% utilised. Triggers a red alert on the dashboard, sends notifications to both the Service Coordinator and Finance Manager, and displays a banner on the invoice creation form when billing against this category.
Projected Exhaustion - The system calculates the average monthly burn rate for each category and projects when the budget will be fully consumed. If the projected exhaustion date is more than 30 days before the plan end date, an alert is generated suggesting the spending pace may need adjustment.
Under-Utilisation Alert - If a category is less than 40% utilised with less than 3 months remaining in the plan period, an alert is generated suggesting a review of the service delivery schedule to ensure the participant receives their full entitlement.

9.7 Payment Processing

The Payment Processing functionality within NDSS CRM covers recording payments received against invoices, tracking payment methods, managing partial payments, and performing reconciliation between bank statements and invoiced amounts. NDSS CRM does not process payments directly (it does not handle credit card transactions or bank transfers) but provides comprehensive tools for recording and tracking payment activity.

Recording a Payment

WIREFRAME: Record Payment Dialog

+---------------------------------------------------+ | RECORD PAYMENT | +---------------------------------------------------+ | | | Invoice: INV-0305 Client: Linh Tran | | Invoice Total: $4,100.00 | | Previously Paid: $0.00 | | Balance Due: $4,100.00 | | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | Payment Amount * | | | | [ $4,100.00 ] | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | Payment Date * | | | | [ 04/04/2024 cal ] | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | Payment Method * | | | | [ NDIS Direct Payment v ] | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | Reference Number | | | | [ NDIS-PAY-20260404-0305 ] | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | Notes | | | | [ ] | | | +---------------------------------------------+ | | | | [Cancel] [Record Payment] | | | +---------------------------------------------------+

Payment Methods

Method	Description	Reference Required	Typical Use
NDIS Direct Payment	Payment received directly from the NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) for NDIA-managed participants.	NDIS payment reference number	Most common. Used for participants whose plans are NDIA-managed.
Plan Manager Payment	Payment received from a Plan Management provider on behalf of the participant.	Plan Manager reference or remittance advice number	Used for plan-managed participants. Payment terms may vary by Plan Manager.
Self-Managed Payment	Payment received directly from the participant or their nominee.	Bank transfer reference or receipt number	Used for self-managed participants who pay invoices directly.
Bank Transfer (EFT)	Electronic funds transfer payment.	BSB and transaction reference	General payments not specifically from NDIS channels.
Cheque	Payment received by cheque.	Cheque number	Rare but supported for legacy payment arrangements.
Credit Note	Application of a credit note against the invoice balance.	Credit note number (CN-XXXX)	Used when a previous overpayment or correction is applied as credit.

Partial Payments

NDSS CRM supports partial payments against invoices. When a partial payment is recorded:

The payment amount is deducted from the invoice balance.
The invoice status remains as Approved (not Paid) until the full balance is settled.
A "Partially Paid" indicator appears on the invoice with the remaining balance displayed.
Multiple partial payments can be recorded against a single invoice.
When the cumulative payments equal or exceed the invoice total, the invoice automatically transitions to Paid status.

Payment Reconciliation

The reconciliation process matches recorded payments against bank statement entries to ensure all payments are accounted for. NDSS CRM provides a reconciliation workspace accessible from Finance > Reports > Reconciliation. Key features include:

Unmatched Payments - Lists payments recorded in NDSS CRM that do not have a corresponding bank statement entry, and bank deposits that do not match any recorded payment.
Auto-Matching - The system attempts to match payments by amount and reference number. Exact matches are highlighted in green; possible matches (same amount, different reference) are highlighted in yellow for manual review.
Reconciliation Report - Generates a printable reconciliation summary showing matched, unmatched, and discrepant entries for a selected date range.

9.8 Financial Reports

The Financial Reports sub-module provides a comprehensive suite of pre-built and configurable reports for financial analysis, compliance reporting, and organisational decision-making. Reports can be filtered by date range, client, service type, staff member, and funding category. All reports support export to CSV and PDF formats.

Available Reports

Report Name	Description	Key Metrics	Default Period	Export Formats
Revenue Summary	Total revenue collected grouped by month, quarter, or financial year. Includes comparison to previous period.	Total revenue, growth %, average invoice value, invoice count	Current FY	CSV, PDF
Outstanding Invoices (Ageing)	All unpaid invoices grouped by ageing buckets: Current, 1-30 days, 31-60 days, 61-90 days, 90+ days.	Total outstanding, amounts per bucket, count per bucket	As at today	CSV, PDF
Funding Utilisation Summary	Aggregated funding utilisation across all active NDIS plans. Highlights under- and over-utilised plans.	Budget vs actual per category, utilisation %, projected exhaustion dates	Current plan periods	CSV, PDF
Claims Report	Summary of all NDIS claims submitted, pending, paid, and rejected within a date range.	Claims submitted, claims paid, rejection rate, average processing time	Current month	CSV, PDF
Revenue by Service Type	Revenue breakdown by NDIS support category and individual support items.	Revenue per service type, % of total revenue, volume (hours/units)	Current FY	CSV, PDF
Revenue by Client	Revenue generated per client, ranked by total billing.	Revenue per client, invoice count, average invoice value	Current FY	CSV, PDF
Payment Reconciliation	Comparison of recorded payments against bank statements for a specified period.	Matched payments, unmatched deposits, discrepancies	Current month	CSV, PDF
GST Report	Summary of GST collected and payable for Business Activity Statement (BAS) preparation.	Total GST collected, GST-free revenue, taxable revenue, net GST payable	Current quarter	CSV, PDF

Report Generation Wireframe

WIREFRAME: Financial Report Generator

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | FINANCIAL REPORTS | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Report Type: [ Revenue Summary v ] | | | | Filters: | | +----------------------------+ +----------------------------+ | | | Date From * | | Date To * | | | | [ 01/07/2025 cal ] | | [ 04/04/2024 cal ] | | | +----------------------------+ +----------------------------+ | | | | +----------------------------+ +----------------------------+ | | | Client | | Service Type | | | | [ All Clients v ] | | [ All Services v ] | | | +----------------------------+ +----------------------------+ | | | | Group By: ( ) Monthly (x) Quarterly ( ) Yearly | | | | [Generate Report] | | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | REVENUE SUMMARY - FY 2025-2024 | | | | | | | | Quarter | Revenue | Invoices | Avg Value | Growth | | | | -------------|------------- |----------|------------|-------- | | | | Q1 Jul-Sep | $112,450.00 | 48 | $2,342.71 | -- | | | | Q2 Oct-Dec | $128,670.00 | 55 | $2,339.45 | +14.4% | | | | Q3 Jan-Mar | $146,110.00 | 62 | $2,356.61 | +13.6% | | | | Q4 Apr-Jun | $100,000.00* | 42* | $2,380.95* | In progress | | | | -------------|------------- |----------|------------|-------- | | | | TOTAL | $487,230.00 | 207 | $2,353.28 | | | | | | | | | * Q4 figures are partial (quarter in progress) | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | [Export CSV] [Export PDF] [Print] | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

9.9 GST & Tax Handling

NDSS CRM handles Goods and Services Tax (GST) in accordance with Australian Taxation Office (ATO) requirements. The vast majority of NDIS support services are GST-free as they fall under the category of government-funded disability services. However, certain services and items may attract GST, and the system must correctly identify and calculate GST for each line item.

GST Rules for NDIS Services

Service Type	GST Status	Explanation
Personal care and daily living support	GST-Free	Direct personal care services delivered under an NDIS plan are GST-free under Division 38 of the GST Act.
Community access and social participation	GST-Free	Community participation support funded by NDIS is GST-free.
Therapy services (OT, Speech, BSP)	GST-Free	Allied health and therapeutic services funded by NDIS are GST-free.
Transport	GST-Free	Transport provided as part of NDIS-funded support is GST-free.
Assistive technology (equipment)	May Attract GST	Some assistive technology items may attract GST depending on the supplier and the specific item. The system defaults to GST-free but allows manual override with justification.
Home modifications	May Attract GST	Building and modification work may attract GST. The GST status depends on the contractor's GST registration and the nature of the work.
Non-NDIS private services	GST Applicable	Any services billed outside of NDIS funding (private fee-for-service) are subject to standard GST at 10% if the organisation is GST-registered.

GST Calculation on Invoices

For each invoice line item, the system determines the GST status based on the NDIS support item configuration:

The line item's service type is checked against the GST configuration table in Admin > Finance Settings > Tax Configuration.
If the service is marked as GST-free, the GST amount for that line item is $0.00.
If the service is marked as GST-applicable, GST is calculated as 10% of the line item amount (exclusive method) or extracted from the inclusive amount (inclusive method), depending on the organisation's GST configuration.
The invoice summary displays Subtotal (ex-GST), Total GST, and Grand Total (inc-GST).

BAS (Business Activity Statement) Preparation

NDSS CRM generates a GST Report that can be used for BAS preparation. The report provides:

G1: Total Sales - Total of all invoices (GST-inclusive) for the BAS period.
G2: Export Sales - Not applicable (always $0 for NDIS providers).
G3: Other GST-Free Sales - Total of all GST-free NDIS invoices for the BAS period.
1A: GST on Sales - Total GST collected on taxable invoices.
1B: GST on Purchases - Not tracked in NDSS CRM (handled by the organisation's accounting software).

Integration with Accounting Software

NDSS CRM's GST report is designed to complement your organisation's accounting software (e.g., Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks). Invoice and payment data can be exported in CSV format compatible with common accounting package import tools. For organisations using Xero, NDSS CRM supports direct integration via the Xero API (see Chapter 19: API Reference for configuration details).

9.10 NDIS Price Guide Integration

NDSS CRM integrates the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (commonly known as the NDIS Price Guide) directly into the invoicing workflow. This ensures that all billed rates comply with the maximum prices set by the NDIA and reduces the risk of claim rejections due to rate discrepancies. The Price Guide data is updated within NDSS CRM when the NDIA publishes new pricing arrangements (typically annually on 1 July, with occasional mid-year adjustments).

Price Guide Configuration

The Price Guide is managed in Admin > Finance Settings > NDIS Price Guide. Administrators can:

View Current Rates - Browse all NDIS support items with their current maximum rates, unit types (per hour, per km, per item), and effective dates.
Search by Code or Name - Search for specific support items by NDIS item number (e.g., 01_011_0107_1_1) or by description (e.g., "Assistance with Self-Care Activities").
Regional Adjustments - The Price Guide includes different rate tiers for metropolitan, regional, remote, and very remote areas. NDSS CRM applies the correct regional rate based on the organisation's configured service delivery region.
Import Updated Rates - When the NDIA publishes a new Price Guide, administrators can import the updated rates via a CSV upload. The system validates the import file format and flags any changes from the previous version for review before activation.
Custom Rates - For services not covered by the NDIS Price Guide (e.g., private fee-for-service), administrators can create custom rate entries. Custom rates are clearly distinguished from NDIS rates in the interface.

NDIS Support Item Structure

Component	Format	Example	Description
Registration Group	2-digit code	01	Top-level category (e.g., 01 = Assistance with Daily Life)
Support Category	3-digit code	011	Sub-category within the registration group
Support Item	4-digit code	0107	Specific support item
Outcome Domain	1-digit code	1	NDIS outcome domain this support contributes to
Level	1-digit code	1	Complexity level (1 = standard, 2 = high intensity, 3 = very high intensity)
Full Item Number: 01_011_0107_1_1 = "Assistance with Self-Care Activities - Standard"

Automatic Rate Application

When a finance officer selects a service type on an invoice line item, the system automatically:

Looks up the corresponding NDIS support item number.
Retrieves the current maximum rate from the Price Guide, adjusted for the applicable region.
Applies time-of-day and day-of-week loading where applicable:
- Standard weekday (Mon-Fri, 6am-8pm): Base rate (no loading)
- Weekday evening (Mon-Fri, 8pm-12am): Base rate + evening loading
- Saturday: Base rate + Saturday loading
- Sunday: Base rate + Sunday loading
- Public Holiday: Base rate + public holiday loading
- Overnight/Sleepover: Flat rate per night as specified in Price Guide
Populates the Rate field on the invoice line item.
If the service date falls on a day where a different Price Guide version was in effect (e.g., service delivered before 1 July rate change), the system uses the rate that was effective on the service date.

Rate Loading Table (Example)

Support Item	Standard (Weekday)	Evening	Saturday	Sunday	Public Holiday
Assistance with Self-Care (Std)	$65.47	$72.04	$91.82	$118.16	$144.51
Assistance with Self-Care (High)	$69.79	$76.84	$97.94	$126.03	$154.13
Community Participation (Std)	$67.56	$74.35	$94.75	$121.94	$149.13
Group Activities (1:2 ratio)	$36.17	$39.81	$50.74	$65.30	$79.86
Group Activities (1:3 ratio)	$25.62	$28.19	$35.92	$46.23	$56.54

Price Guide Update Notice

The NDIA typically publishes updated pricing arrangements effective 1 July each year. When a new Price Guide is released, administrators should import the updated rates before the effective date. NDSS CRM will send a reminder notification 30 days before the expected annual update. Until the new rates are imported, the system continues to use the previously loaded rates. Invoices with service dates on or after the new effective date will be flagged if they use old rates.