Allocating Invoices

Use

When you enter an invoice, it is important that you match up or "allocate" the invoice to an order transaction so that:

The system proposes the default data from the purchase order and the purchase order history
The system can update the purchase order history when you post the invoice

You use the allocation fields to control which order items are proposed on the item list for processing. You can enter invoices with purchase order reference or without purchase order reference, by posting directly to G/L accounts or material accounts. For more information, see Direct Posting .

The more precisely you match up the invoice, the simpler it is to process the invoice items in Logistics Invoice Verification. If you match up the invoice too vaguely, you may have to exclude invoice items from the invoice. If you discover that invoice items are missing from the item list, you can make a further allocation and add invoice items.

Features

You can allocate invoices to the following objects:

Allocation to:	More Allocation Criteria	Type of invoice items
Purchase order / Scheduling agreement	Multiple allocation	Goods and services only Planned delivery costs only Goods, services, and planned delivery costs
Delivery note You can enter a delivery note number for every goods receipt. The number can then be referenced later in the invoice for a goods item. You can use the delivery note to uniquely match up the invoice by selecting goods-receipt-based invoice verification in the order item.	Multiple allocation Selection vendor	Goods and services only
Bill of lading You can enter a bill of lading number for each goods receipt. The number can then be referenced later in an invoice for delivery costs.	Multiple allocation Selection vendor	Planned delivery costs only
Service entry sheet You can enter a service entry sheet for each acceptance. The number can then be referenced later in an invoice.	Multiple allocation	Services only
Vendor	You narrow down the invoice items selected by: Plants Deliveries Returns Time periods	Goods and services only Planned delivery costs only Goods, services, and planned delivery costs
Transportation service agent For more information, see the component Transportation at Shipment Costs Settlement with Transportation Service Agents : Credit memo procedure Verify invoices manually	You make your selection using: Means of transport Partner, for example, vendor Freight costs number	Services only

Selecting Purchasing Documents and Vendors in the Document Number Input Field.

If you do not know the exact details of the purchasing document or the vendor, the system gives you several other selections to help you find the document number. Place the cursor in the document number input field, and choose the function key F4. If you want to copy more than one purchase order, you must position your cursor on the input field for the document number on the More Allocation Criteria screen in the Multiple Allocation table.

The system shows you the following possible entries for selecting your purchasing document:

Purchase Order/Scheduling Agreement and Delivery Note

If you only enter the invoicing party , the system displays those documents where the relevant invoicing party is maintained as a partner role.
If you only enter the vendor , the system displays those documents where the relevant vendor is maintained as a partner role.
If you enter values for invoicing party and vendor , the system displays the documents for the vendor that contain the relevant invoicing party.
The field Different inv. party too only affects the selection of documents when the Invoicing party field is not populated. If you select the field Different inv. party too as well as entering a vendor, the system displays all documents for that vendor, and also those documents where the vendor appears as the different invoicing party.
If you have selected the field Invoice expected , the system only displays those documents where a goods receipt has already taken place. That means, where the quantity of goods received is greater than zero. To select blanket purchase orders or purchase orders where invoice entry occurs before goods receipt, you must deselect this field, as no goods receipt will be posted for these purchase orders.
If you have selected the field Credit memo expected , the system only displays those documents where a credit memo is expected. That means, where the purchase order contains a returns item and the goods receipt has already taken place.

Bill of lading

You can limit the possible entries for the bill of lading using attributes such as vendor, purchasing document, step number, counter, and transaction type .

Vendor and Transportation Service Agent

You can limit the possible entries using a ddresses, vendors by company code, vendors by material and personnel numbers .

Service entry sheet

You can limit the possible entries using attributes such as short text, purchasing document, item, and entry sheet .

More Allocation Criteria

You can use the multiple allocation function, in More allocation criteria, to match invoices with more than one purchasing document, delivery note, bill of lading, or service entry sheet.

Limiting Allocation to One Vendor

If you match up the invoice to a vendor, you can display all invoice items for that vendor. You can limit the allocation using More allocation criteria to the following criteria:

Plant only

This makes sense when, for example, a purchase order was created for a number of plants, but the invoice is only for one particular plant.

Deliveries

If you limit allocation to deliveries, only those items that are flagged as deliveries appear on the item list.

Returns

If you limit allocation to returns, only those items that are flagged as returns items appear on the item list.

Time periods

You can enter separate time periods for deliveries and returns. The item list only contains purchase order items that there is at least one goods receipt for in the time period entered.

If goods-receipt-based invoice verification has not been defined for the purchase order item, the system also takes into account goods receipts outside the specified time period when determining the proposed quantity.

If goods-receipt-based invoice verification has been defined for the purchase order item, the system only proposes goods receipts within the specified time period.

Limiting Allocation to a Delivery Note or a Bill of Lading

Selection vendor

This makes sense when entering invoices referencing delivery note numbers or bill of lading numbers.

If you allocate invoices for goods items for a delivery note, or for delivery cost items for a bill of lading, to a selection vendor in More allocation criteria , only those purchase orders that were created for the selection vendor appear on the item list.

For planned delivery costs, the condition vendor can be different from the ordering vendor.

Invoicing Party

The invoicing party is the creditor to whose account the gross invoice amount is posted.

You can enter and change the invoicing party directly in the document header data on the tab page Details .

If you do not enter an invoicing party, the system attempts to determine the invoicing party automatically, using the following rules:

If you have entered a selection vendor, the system uses the selection vendor as the invoicing party.
If you have not entered a selection vendor and have selected goods items, the system uses the invoicing party from the first purchase order.
If you have not entered a selection vendor and have not selected any goods items, the system uses the conditions vendor from the first delivery costs item as the invoicing party.

See also:

Vendor Data

Reference to Planned Delivery Costs