Info
Note: This documentation is provided in its previous/legacy format. A comprehensive restructuring and optimization effort is planned, and the content will be updated accordingly.
Goal
The outgoing invoice proces can be used to create, approve, book and send out outgoing invoices. These invoices can be created either manually, or automatically via other processes (contract invoice run, invoicing (external) reservations).
Workflow used
This process uses workflow version: FMB-WF-1904008-04
Description
Creating
These invoices can be created manually via the left menu option 'Outgoing invoice' under the header 'Invoicing' by users with the usergroup '4. Financial administration' and '4. financial manager'.
Invoices can also be generated automatically via the following processes:
If the invoices are created automatically via one of these processes, a check is done (script FMB-SCR-200111) if certain conditions are met (e.g if important fields are filled in like name, fromContactId , toContactId, generalLedgerId, invoiceDeliveryCode, etc.). If one of these conditions is not oke, the invoice will automatically go to the status 'Check fields'. In the field 'Check fields message' a message is generated to show the user which fields need to be evaluated (script FMB-SCR-200171). If these conditions are oke, the invoice will go to the status 'Concept'.
Since these conditions can differ for different clients, a client specific script can be created to do these checks (based on the scripts mentioned) and the baseline script can be set as the override script in the client script (resulting in the client script being run instead of the baseline script).
Next to that, if invoices are generated based on reservations (the invoice items have a reservable as instanceId) the following additional fields are set:
- InvoiceItem.budgetCodeId:
Via the general settings (tab 'external reservations') a default budgetCode can be set. This budgetCode will automatically be set for all the invoiceItems (and be setting a accountcode for this budgetcode, the accountcode will also be set). This makes it easy to configure the default accountCode to which all the short/external rental revenue should be booked on.
- InvoiceItem.costCenterId: Based on the related property (the InvoiceItem is linked to the reservable, which is linked to the area and therefore also the property) the costCenter of the property is set in the invoiceItem.
If an invoice is created manually , the process starts in the status 'Concept'.
Concept
In the status concept, the relevant fields can be set and invoice items can be added. After this, the invoice can be submitted. Based on the client settings, the invoice then either needs to be approved, send out and set to be paid, or one or all of these steps can done automatically.
Approve
If invoices need to be approved (client setting (tab Financials): Invoice approval= yes) users with the group 4. Outgoing invoice approver will get a task to approve (or reject) the invoice.
If this client setting is set to 'No', the invoice will automatically be approved after submitting.
In both cases, if invoices need to be booked (client setting (tab Financials): Posting required= yes), the invoice will be booked automatically.
Automatically generating the invoice document
After the invoices has been approved (either manually or automatically) the invoice document is automatically generated*. After the document has been generated, the invoice will get the status 'Document generated' and can be send out automatically or manually.
(*) This document is generated using the document template linked to the (baseline) invoice page. It is also possible to create your own invoice document template and create a pageCustom on the invoice page (FMBOutInvoice) for this template. Make sure to also create a template invoice and set the field 'pageCustomId' on the pageCustom you created. If there is no pageCustom set on an invoice, it will use the baseline page custom and with that the (FMB) baseline template document.
Send
If invoices are send automatically (client setting (tab Financials): Automatically send invoice= yes), the invoice will be send directly. If this setting is set to 'No' the invoice will need to be send manually (by the financial administration or financial manager).
Based on the invoice delivery method (Mail or E-mail) (this invoice setting is taken over from the same setting on the contact in the toContactId field) the workflow will either follow the 'Email' connector or the 'Printer' connector.
By generating the standard email for this process (see below) both connectors (for both the automatically and manually send part) will have an email added:
Email connectors: The invoice will be send to the Debetor (toContact) Printer connectors: The invoice will be send to contacts with the group '9. invoice printer'. By giving a contact (with a printer's email address) this group, these invoices can be automatically sent to a printer.
If there is no need to send the invoices to a printer, when using the methode 'Mail', simply remove the email that is generated for these connectors, when generating the default emails. (The user can also open the document via the invoice and save it to there computer manually) . N.B: These emails are not yet available, but will follow shortly.
After the invoice has been sent, it will either get the status 'Open' if payments need to be registered or will get the status 'Forwarded' if payments do not need to be registered.
Open
If payments do need to be registered (client setting (tab Financials): Invoice payment= Yes), the invoice will get this status after being sent if the open amount is not zero.
There are two ways to register payments:
Manually creating payments for the invoice: The financial administration and the financial manager can created payments via the tab 'Payments' on the invoice. This functionality can be used to register specific details about the payment if this is desired. By creating payments, the open amount will be recalculated automatically based on the total amount vs the paid amount.
By using the workflow function 'Paid'. This will automatically create a payment for the open amount, resulting in an open amount of zero.
Paid
After the open amount of the invoice is zero, the invoice will automatically get this status and the process ends here.
Forwarded
If payments do not need to be registered (client setting (tab Financials): Invoice payment= No), the invoice will get this status after being sent and the process ends here. These payments will then most likely be registered in another (financial) system and therefore exports will needed to be created on a client level, hence this status.
Authorizations
The following system groups are relevant for this process:
Group | Reference | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| FMB-G022 | Group gives rights to create and edit the invoices and the workflow tasks (except the approve step |
| FMB-G032 | Group gives rights to create and edit the invoices and the workflow tasks (except the approve step |
| FMB-G071 | Group gets the task to approve the invoice if invoices need to be approved |
| FMB-G073 | The debitor of the invoice (toContactId) automaticlly gets this group in the context of the invoice. if the standard emails are used, this group will receive the invoice if the delivery method is Email |
| FMB-G072 | A contact can be created with the email address of a printer. This contact can then be given this group and (if the standard emails are used) if the delivery method is Mail, the invoice document will be send to this printer. |
Configuration options
Settings can be found via Settings tab Financials:
Setting | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
Invoice approval (fmb-INO-approval) | YES/NO | If this is set to Yes, outgoing invoices are automatically approved. If this is set to no, users with the 'Outgoing Invoice Approver' group (FMB-G071) are assigned the task of approving the invoice |
Invoice payment (fmb-INO-payment) | YES/NO | If this field is set to Yes, an invoice will only be closed (status 'Paid') once the outstanding amount is 0. If payments are handled in another system, this field can remain no and the invoice will be closed in 'Forwarded' status. |
Automatically send invoice (fmb-INO-auto-send) | YES/NO | If this field is set to Yes, the invoice will be sent automatically. Otherwise, this remains a manual task in the outgoing invoice process. |
Data imports
Not relevant