Invoicing - Process flow

This document provides an overview of the process flows in the Invoicing module.

Complete invoicing process

The complete Invoicing process consists of the following steps:

┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │      │                 │
│  Source Entry   │─────▶│   Collection    │─────▶│  Journal Post   │─────▶│ Invoice Creation│
│   Creation      │      │    Process      │      │    Process      │      │                 │
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │      │                 │
└─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘
                                                                                    │
                                                                                    │
                                                                                    ▼
┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │      │                 │
│   Partner       │◀─────│  Invoice Post   │◀─────│ Invoice Review  │◀─────│  Sales Invoice  │
│ Synchronization │      │    Process      │      │                 │      │   Creation      │
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │      │                 │
└─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘

Detailed process steps

1. Source entry creation

Billable transactions originate from different source modules:

• Agreement: Recurring services and storage costs are generated based on agreement detail lines and invoice periods. Use the CREATE AGRMT PERIODS function to generate periods before collection.
• WMS: Document-based activities (handling, labor, value-added services) are created when WMS documents are processed.
• FMS: Cost and revenue lines from freight forwarding shipments become collectible once the shipment reaches the appropriate status.

2. Collection process

┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │
│   Manual        │─────▶│  Entry Filtering│─────▶│  Journal Line   │
│   Collection    │      │   & Selection   │      │   Creation      │
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │
└─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘
        │                                                  │
        │                                                  │
        ▼                                                  ▼
┌─────────────────┐                              ┌─────────────────┐
│                 │                              │                 │
│  Job Queue      │                              │  Invoicing      │
│  COLLECT        │                              │  Journal        │
│  INV.ENTRIES    │                              │                 │
└─────────────────┘                              └─────────────────┘

• Collection can be initiated manually or automated via the COLLECT INV.ENTRIES job queue function.
• The system iterates through each active source and collects entries matching the filter criteria.
• Collected entries are transferred to the Invoicing Journal.
• Each entry maintains its source reference for traceability.

3. Journal post process

┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │
│  Journal Review │─────▶│ Validation      │─────▶│  Journal Post   │
│   & Editing     │      │                 │      │                 │
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │
└─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘
                                                          │
                                                          │
                                                          ▼
                                               ┌─────────────────┐
                                               │                 │
                                               │ Invoicing       │
                                               │ Ledger Entries  │
                                               │                 │
                                               └─────────────────┘

• Journal entries are reviewed and can be edited if needed.
• Validation checks ensure all required information is present.
• Journal posting creates ledger entries with status Pending.
• When using AUTO POST in the job queue, this step happens automatically after collection.

4. Invoice creation process

┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐      ┌─────────────────┐
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │
│ Entry Selection │─────▶│ Grouping by     │─────▶│  Sales Invoice  │
│  (Pending)      │      │ Bill-to No.     │      │   Creation      │
│                 │      │                 │      │                 │
└─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘      └─────────────────┘

• Ledger entries with status Pending are selected for invoicing.
• Entries are grouped by Bill-to/Pay-to No. and additional grouping criteria.
• Sales invoices (or credit memos) are created.
• Entry status changes to Transferred to Invoice.
• This step can be automated via the CREATE INVOICES job queue function.

5. Invoice review and posting

• Draft invoices can be reviewed and modified.
• Posting creates final posted invoice documents.
• Ledger entry status changes to Invoice Posted.
• The Completely Invoiced flag is calculated automatically.

6. Partner synchronization (optional)

For multi-company setups:

• When journal lines are posted, a DI message is generated.
• The message is sent to the central partner.
• The Partner Sync. Status changes from Pending → Sent to Partner → Confirmed by Partner.

Process variations

Standard process

The most common flow follows the complete manual process:

1. Manual or scheduled collection
2. Journal review and posting
3. Manual or scheduled invoice creation
4. Invoice review and posting

Automated process

For hands-off processing:

1. COLLECT INV.ENTRIES with AUTO POST = 1 (collects and posts in one step)
2. CREATE INVOICES with optional status assignment (creates invoices and sets workflow status)
3. Status-driven posting via the standard Business Central approval workflow

Parallel process

For high-volume environments:

1. PARALLEL SCHEDULER iterates the Customer table
2. For each customer, a worker runs a macro containing COLLECT INV.ENTRIES (or CREATE INVOICES)
3. Up to 8 customers are processed simultaneously
4. The scheduler yields and resumes if processing exceeds the configured duration

See Parallel scheduling for details. 3. Synchronization to central company 4. Consolidated invoice creation in central company 5. Invoice distribution from central company

Next Steps

For detailed instructions on each process step, refer to:

• Collection Process
• Journal Management
• Invoice Generation