Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Notes)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Revenue from Contracts with Customers [Abstract]

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Text Block]

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

We recognize revenue when control of promised products or services is transferred to our customers, in amounts that reflect the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those products or services. We account for a contract when it has approval and commitment from both parties, the rights of the parties are identified, the payment terms are identified, the contract has commercial substance and collectability of consideration is probable. We determine the appropriate revenue recognition for our contracts with customers by analyzing the type, terms and conditions of each contract or arrangement with a customer.

Disaggregation of Revenue

We disaggregate our revenues from contracts with customers by reportable segment (see Note 9.) and further by geographical region as we believe this best depicts how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of our revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. Geographical region represents the location of the customer.

Contract Asset and Liability Balances

The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in customer receivables, customer advance payments and billings in excess of revenue recognized. Customer receivables include amounts billed and currently due from customers as well as unbilled amounts (contract assets). Amounts are billed in accordance with contractual terms and unbilled amounts arise when the timing of billing differs from the timing of revenue recognized.

Customer advance payments and billings in excess of revenue are recognized and recorded as deferred revenue, the majority of which is classified as current based on the timing when we expect to recognize revenue. We reverse these contract liabilities and recognize revenue when we satisfy the related performance obligations. We include current deferred revenue in Other current liabilities.

The table below represents the balances of our customer receivables and deferred revenues.

	December 31,		September 30,
	2020		2020
	(in millions)
Billed receivables	$	156.3	$	180.2
Unbilled receivables	5.3		4.6
Total customer receivables	$	161.6	$	184.8
Deferred revenues	$	5.1	$	5.6

Performance Obligations

A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. Performance obligations are supported by customer contracts, which provide frameworks for the nature of the distinct products or services. We allocate the transaction price of each contract to the performance obligations on the basis of standalone selling price and recognize revenue when, or as, control of the performance obligation transfers to the customers.

Most of our performance obligations are satisfied at a “point in time” for sales of equipment and for provision of one-time services, and we generally recognize such revenue when goods are shipped or when the services are provided. The remainder of our performance obligations are satisfied “over time” for our software hosting and leak detection monitoring services, and we generally recognize such revenue ratably as services are provided over the expected term of the contract.

We offer warranties to our customers in the form of assurance-type warranties, which provide assurance that the products provided will function as intended and comply with any agreed-upon specifications. Such warranties generally cannot be purchased separately. We accrue our expected cost of warranty at the time of sale.

Costs to Obtain or Fulfill a Contract

We incur certain incremental costs to obtain a contract, which primarily relate to incremental sales commissions. Our commissions are paid based on either orders or shipments, and we reserve the right to claw back any commission in the event of product returns or lost collections. Since the expected benefit associated with these incremental costs is one year or less based on the nature of the products sold and services provided, we expense such costs as incurred.