Digital Fee Collection via Telebirr, CBE Birr & Chapa

1. Overview & Business Value#

This comprehensive operational guide details the architecture, business workflows, configuration parameters, and execution steps for Digital Fee Collection via Telebirr, CBE Birr & Chapa within SmartERP.

Automate student tuition collection, integrate digital payment gateways, verify instant webhooks, and eliminate manual bank slips.

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2. Prerequisites & Security Access Groups#

• Required Modules: smarterp_higher_education, smarterp_student_records
• Security Groups:
  • Admissions Officer (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_admissions_user)
  • Registrar / Academic Dean (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_registrar_manager)
  • Faculty Member / Instructor (Technical ID: smarterp_higher_ed.group_faculty_user)
• Master Data Dependencies: Faculties, departments, ECTS modular curricula, academic semesters (Ethiopian/Gregorian calendar), tuition fee schedules, and student master files.

3. Step-by-Step Configuration & Execution#

Step 1: Navigating to the Module Interface#

1. Log into your SmartERP instance at https://smarterp.et/odoo.
2. Open the main App Switcher (grid icon in the top-left corner).
3. Select the Higher Education app icon.
4. From the top navigation bar, open Higher Education → Academic Registry → Students / Admissions / Courses / Grading.

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Step 2: Creating and Parameterizing Records#

1. Click the New button in the top-left control panel.
2. Complete the mandatory fields in the record form:
   • Student ID Number (Mandatory): Unique institutional student registration identifier
   • Full Name & National ID (Mandatory): Legal name matching Ministry of Education (MoE) enrollment records
   • Academic Program & Faculty (Mandatory): Approved undergraduate or postgraduate modular program
   • Semester Term (Mandatory): Active academic term adhering to ETA curriculum guidelines
3. Configure optional operational parameters and localized tags as required:
   • Course Prerequisite Override (Optional): Authorized waiver for advanced module enrollment
   • Tuition Sponsorship (Optional): Cost-sharing agreement or private employer corporate sponsorship
   • Dormitory & Campus Facility (Optional): Assigned residential block and meal plan access
4. Click the Save icon in the control bar to commit the record.

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Step 3: Validating and Processing Transactions#

• State Transitions: Execute operational state progression (Applied → Admitted → Registered / Enrolled → Active Study → Grades Finalized → Graduated).
• Ledger & System Impact: Semester registration automatically generates student tuition invoices in Accounts Receivable; fee settlement via Telebirr/CBE Birr marks student financially cleared.
• Audit Verification: Automated recording of author ID, timestamp, and immutable revision history.

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Eliminating Manual Bank Deposit Slips#

Traditional paper bank deposit slips present severe operational challenges: manual queue congestion, forged bank stamps, and delayed reconciliation. SmartERP provides native digital payment gateway integrations with automated webhook callbacks.

The end-to-end digital settlement flow:

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Telebirr Student App & USSD Push Integration#

1. The student logs into the portal or accesses the university mini-app on Telebirr.
2. The pending semester invoice displays outstanding tuition and service charges.
3. The student clicks Pay via Telebirr:
   • The gateway prompts for the student's Telebirr PIN on their mobile device.
4. Upon successful transaction:
   • Ethio Telecom's server dispatches an encrypted HTTPS webhook payload to SmartERP (/api/v1/payments/telebirr/callback).
   • The system matches the transaction reference to the student invoice (account.move).
   • The invoice transitions from Posted / Unpaid to Paid.
   • A digital, cryptographically signed receipt generates instantaneously.

CBE Birr & Commercial Bank Direct Bank APIs#

For students settling fees via Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE Birr / CBE Mobile Banking):

1. The student receives a unique, 12-digit Student Payment Reference Number.
2. In CBE Mobile Banking, the student selects Bill Payment > Educational Institutions > University Name.
3. Entering the payment reference retrieves the exact invoice amount.
4. Payment confirmation posts automatically via CBE API webhooks, eliminating manual cashier reconciliation.

Cashier Counter POS & Daily Settlement#

For students paying at on-campus cashier counters:

1. Cashier opens Higher Education > Cashier > Tuition Desk.
2. Scan Student ID barcode.
3. The cashier accepts cash, bank debit card, or mobile transfer.
4. The system prints an official university receipt and updates student clearance status immediately.

4. Advanced Configuration Points#

• Automated Actions & Scheduled Tasks (Crons):
  • Education: Compute semester GPA and cumulative CGPA (smarterp_higher_ed.ir_cron_cgpa_calc): Runs at the end of each examination period to compute student academic standing
  • Finance: Generate semester tuition fee invoices (smarterp_higher_ed.ir_cron_tuition_invoices): Runs prior to semester registration deadline
• Custom Print Templates & Reports:
  • Official Student Academic Transcript (MoE & ETA Standards)
  • Semester Course Registration & Clearance Slip
  • Student ID Card with Cryptographic QR Verification
  • Examination Results & Faculty Grade Distribution Ledger
• Multi-Company Rules: Record-level security isolation under Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.), preventing cross-company ledger leakage across parent and subsidiary legal entities.

5. Comprehensive Troubleshooting Matrix#