A number that identifies a specific bill of exchange (or check). It consists of:

• The payment document number (that is, the number of the accounting document containing the bill of exchange)
• The number of the line item with the bill of exchange
• The fiscal year

For example, the assignment number 140000000800120X2 refers to a bill of exchange posted in document 1400000008, line item 001, in the year 20X2.

The system enters the number in all accounting documents relating to a given bill of exchange, which enables it to track the document flow and ultimately to clear the bill of exchange.

When you process a bill of exchange using the Bill of Exchange Transactions program – for example, when you send it to a bank for collection – the system documents the business transaction by creating one accounting document, or sometimes two.

The system enters the assignment number in the new accounting documents in:

• The document header, in the Document Header Text field
• The line item directly relating to the bill of exchange, in the Assignment Number field

When you clear a bill of exchange, the Bill of Exchange Transactions program calls the clearing program in the background, and tells it to clear the bill of exchange with the appropriate assignment number.

If, when you process a bill of exchange, the system creates a new payment document – for example, when you transfer it from one portfolio to another, or when it bounces – the system enters the original payment document's assignment number in the new Document Header Text field, but for all subsequent transactions relating to the new payment document, the system uses the new payment document assignment number.