Sales Invoices - Header Information - All Invoice Types

Document Information

After selecting the invoice layout which you wish to use for this invoice you are presented with a screen similar to that below.

For all invoice types you are prompted for certain header information:

Account Code

Enter the code of the sales ledger account to be used. You can use the <F4-Select> key to find an account, as described in the System User Guide.

The customer name and address are displayed alongside so that you can check that you are invoicing the correct customer. If not, key <Escape> to return to the account code prompt and amend the code. If you are offered the <F7–Option> key in the prompt line then you may use this to create a new account at this point.Whether or not you can create a new account from the account code prompt is determined by the document design (General Document Parameters 1).

Note

Should you get a message similar to this, then it shows the credit limit for this account and the amount by which it is already exceeded. You must make a decision whether to raise the invoice anyway, or whether to abandon it whilst you find out what to do about this customer.Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ as appropriate.

Note

This message shows that the account has had credit facilities withdrawn, so you cannot prepare an invoice at all. Press <Enter> to return to the account code prompt so that you can invoice another account. You’ll have to ask for clarification about invoicing this account.

Date

The system date is displayed. Accept this by keying <Enter>, or overtype part (or all) of it with another date and press <Enter>.

The invoice date is important for reasons of taxation and control. You should be familiar with the system calendar, which you can read about in the sales ledger manual. In summary, the sales ledger works within a current period. You can create invoices dated in the current period, and you may be permitted to create invoices dated in the following period. If you try to create an invoice dated outside the current period, then a number of messages can occur

You have entered a date outside the period whose date range is given in the message. Either it is later than the period given, or it is earlier than the period range given, and the sales ledger System Profiles don’t allow you to enter invoices dated earlier than the current period.<Enter> to continue and give a correct date, or seek advice from the system supervisor about how to handle the problem if the date you wanted to enter is correct.

The date you’ve entered is earlier than the current period, but the sales ledger System Profiles allow you to use an earlier date. If the date is indeed correct, then reply ‘Yes’ to continue. Even though the invoice is dated earlier than the current period, it will be entered into the current period for accounting purposes.If you’ve entered the wrong date, reply ‘No’ to return and enter the correct date.

You’ve entered a date in the next period range. You can continue if you wish — it may be that the sales ledger period-end routines have yet to be run, but you need to create invoices for the following period regardless.If so, reply ‘Yes’. If you don’t want to post it to the next period, you’ll need to reply ‘No’ and enter a date in the current period date range.

Stock Linked Documents

Document Number

The system keeps a note of the last document number used, and here displays the next document number automatically. Depending on the way the system has been configured (Document Design parameter screen ‘Optional Features during Invoicing’) you may or may not be allowed to overwrite the invoice number. The benefit of preventing this number being overwritten is that document numbers will always be in strict sequence — auditors and tax inspectors are keen on this.

If the option is allowed for you to amend the document number, accept it by keying <Enter>, or overtype with another number <Enter>

Invoice Reference Logging and Duplication Check

You may now be offered in the lower part of the screen up to ten details selected from the customer account file — the exact details being defined as a part of the document definition (parameter screen 7).

These details typically include the customer name and address, number of day’s credit, invoice due date, and settlement discount and settlement days.

You are prompted to ‘Change any of the Account Details’ - ‘Yes’ allows you to amend any of the details shown, whereas ‘No’ takes you to the next stage.

Note

You can link the invoicer system to job costing, so that when an invoice has been printed, the associated job can be updated with the value of the invoice. This is determined by the document definition — see ‘Sales / Job Costing Link’.

If this option is defined for the document, then you are asked:

Enter here the job reference — you can use <F4–Select> in the usual way to look for the job reference you want. Should you choose a job reference which is already allocated to a different customer account code, you are warned accordingly. After accepting the job the details of that job are displayed for you to accept and/or amend as required.

Reference Information

Depending on the document definition (Document Design parameter screen ‘Prompts: Request Information from Keyboard’) you may be offered another screen with up to six items to print on the invoice. Key in the information requested, pressing <Enter> after each item, or leave blank if not needed.

Confirming Header Information

When you have confirmed all these items you are prompted:

‘No’ returns you to the account code prompt, allowing you to amend the details so far (usually only the header details up to this point), ‘Yes’ goes to the next stage, where you can start to key in the line entry details. Cancel (or <Escape>) also takes you back to the account code prompt at which point <Escape> again asks:

‘Yes’ abandons all input and returns you to the list of alternative invoice designs, ‘No’ allows you to re-enter the account code.