Table of Contents

Invoicing - Invoice generation

After collecting and posting entries in the Invoicing module, the next step is to generate customer invoices. This page explains the invoice creation process.

Invoice generation overview

The Invoicing module creates sales invoices and credit memos from posted ledger entries. The system groups entries by customer and applies configurable grouping rules to consolidate billable activities into unified customer invoices.

Creating invoices

Manual invoice creation

To manually create invoices from ledger entries:

  1. Choose the Tell me icon, type Invoicing Ledger Entries, and then choose the related link.
  2. Choose Actions > Create Invoice.
  3. Apply specific filters (by customer, date range, source, etc.) or leave all filters empty to invoice all available entries.
  4. Choose OK to create the invoices.

The system groups eligible entries according to the configured grouping rules and creates draft sales invoices.

Scheduled invoice creation (CREATE INVOICES)

The CREATE INVOICES job queue function automates invoice creation. You can schedule this function to run at regular intervals, creating invoices without manual intervention.

Parameters

Parameter Type Description
POSTING DATE Date Formula Posting date for created invoices, specified as a date formula (for example, CM for end of current month, or empty for the work date).
TABLE FILTER Text Create invoices for ledger entries within this filter. Apply table filters on the Invoicing Ledger Entry table to restrict which entries are included.
APPLY EARLIEST DATE Boolean When enabled, only includes ledger entries where the Earliest Date/Time field is on or before the current date and time. Use this to delay invoicing of entries that should not yet be billed.
INVOICE STATUS Text Optionally set the created sales invoice to this status code. Useful to automatically move invoices into a review or approval workflow.
CREDIT MEMO STATUS Text Optionally set created credit memos to this status code.
Tip

Use the PARALLEL SCHEDULER to run CREATE INVOICES per customer in parallel. See Parallel scheduling for details.

Invoice grouping rules

Invoices are created based on several grouping criteria:

Default grouping

  • Bill-to/Pay-to No. — entries for the same customer are grouped into one invoice
  • Document Type — invoices and credit memos are created separately

Advanced grouping options

Tip

For more information about advanced grouping options, see Invoice Grouping.

Working with created invoices

Reviewing draft invoices

After invoice creation:

  1. The system displays a list of created invoices.
  2. Open each invoice to review its contents.
  3. Verify all expected entries are included.
  4. Check amounts, descriptions, and customer information.

Modifying draft invoices

Before posting, you can modify the draft invoices:

  1. Open the sales invoice from the list.
  2. Make necessary adjustments:
    • Add or remove lines
    • Edit descriptions
    • Adjust pricing
  3. Save changes to the draft.

Posting invoices

To finalize invoices:

  1. Open the draft invoice.
  2. Choose Actions > Post.
  3. The system will:
    • Post the sales invoice
    • Update the Invoicing ledger entries with the invoice reference
    • Mark entries as Invoice Posted
    • Generate the posted invoice document

After invoice creation

Once invoices are created and posted:

  1. The Invoicing ledger entries are updated with invoice references.
  2. The entry status changes to Invoice Posted.
  3. Posted invoices follow the standard Business Central sales invoice workflow for printing and distribution.

Invoice synchronization

In multi-company setups, invoice synchronization works automatically through the following steps:

  1. When a journal line is posted, the system:

    • Creates Invoicing ledger entries
    • Generates a Data Integration (DI) message containing the ledger entries
    • Prepares the message for delivery to the central partner

  2. Message transmission:

    • The message is sent to the central partner
    • The Partner Sync. Status on the ledger entries is updated
    • The central partner processes the received entries

  3. Confirmation:

    • The central partner sends a confirmation message back
    • The Partner Sync. Status is updated to Confirmed by Partner

This automated synchronization ensures that all invoicing data remains consistent across multiple company environments without manual intervention.

Troubleshooting invoice creation

If you encounter issues during invoice creation:

  • Missing entries: Verify entries are posted and have status Pending. Entries with status Canceled or Invoice Posted are not eligible.
  • Grouping issues: Check the customer invoicing setup and grouping rules.
  • Earliest date filtering: If using APPLY EARLIEST DATE, verify the entries' Earliest Date/Time field is not in the future.
  • Status not applied: Ensure the status code entered in INVOICE STATUS or CREDIT MEMO STATUS exists and is valid for sales documents.

Next steps

After creating invoices, proceed to:

  • Standard Business Central sales invoice processing for printing and distribution
  • Ledger Entries to view the updated status of transactions
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