Most Common Workflows Related to Purchase Order Matching

This is an article outlining the most common workflows that can be set up as a user of the purchase order module in SEMINE. These suggestions are not exhaustive but demonstrate the most common and relevant workflows related to purchase orders.

In addition, there is a recommended setup of workflows related to purchase invoices. See other articles for further descriptions of how workflows function in SEMINE.

Recommended setup of workflows related to purchase invoices

The workflow in SEMINE functions as a hierarchy, where workflows and folders that are higher up will have higher priority than workflows and folders further down. Therefore, it matters whether you have the workflow for purchase invoices in a folder that is high up or low down in the hierarchy.

The exclusivity symbol below can be placed both on workflows and on folders.

If a workflow marked with this symbol triggers, SEMINE will stop searching for workflows lower in the hierarchy within the same folder. If a workflow within a folder marked with this symbol triggers, SEMINE will stop searching for workflows in the folders lower in the hierarchy.

It is recommended to create a dedicated folder where you place workflows related to purchase orders, mark it as exclusive, and have it higher in the hierarchy than other folders, "Cost Invoice" in the example below. SEMINE will not search in the "Cost Invoice" folder if a workflow is triggered in the "Purchase Order" folder.

Similarly, SEMINE will stop searching for workflows downwards in the folder if the workflow "Purchase Order - Purchase Order 1" is triggered. Therefore, typical exception workflows should be at the top of the hierarchy.

The most common workflows related to purchase orders

1. Send purchase invoices and purchase credit notes on workflow to a fixed user
2. Send purchase invoices to buyer's reference on the invoice
3. Send purchase invoices on supplier workflow to specified user
4. Send goods returns and negative invoice lines on own workflow
5. Send purchase credit notes on own workflow
6. Auto-approve purchase invoices that match
7. Send purchase invoices with deviations on own workflow
8. Automatic approval upon arrival
9. Automatic posting upon completed workflow

Send purchase invoices and purchase credit notes on workflow to a fixed user

If you want all purchase invoices and purchase credit notes to be sent to a defined user, such as a warehouse employee, you can set up the workflow as shown below.

We select only the document type "POInvoice" under the regular trigger, as we want all purchase invoices and purchase credit notes to be sent to the user. See below in the article on how to send purchase credit notes on their own workflows if desired.

Inside the invoice, you can click on the blue workflow icon to get a full overview of the active workflow, what triggered the workflow, and which user the invoice is assigned to.

Send purchase invoices to the buyer's reference on the invoice

If you want purchase invoices to be sent to the reference person on the invoice, you can set up the workflow as shown in the image below.

We choose the document type "POInvoice" under the regular trigger in addition to "Buyer", as we want purchase invoices and purchase credit notes to be sent to the user specified as the reference on the invoice.

Inside the invoice, you can click on the blue workflow icon to get a full overview of the active workflow, what triggered the workflow, and which user the invoice is assigned to.

Send purchase invoices on the supplier workflow to the specified user

If you want purchase invoices from certain suppliers to be sent to a defined user, such as a warehouse employee, you can set up the workflow as shown in the image below.

We choose the document type "POInvoice" under the regular trigger in addition to the relevant supplier, as we want purchase invoices and purchase credit notes from this supplier to be sent to the user. If you want purchase invoices from multiple suppliers to go on the same workflow, select multiple suppliers under the supplier trigger.

Inside the invoice, you can click on the blue workflow icon to get a full overview of the active workflow, what triggered the workflow, and which user the invoice is assigned to.

Send goods returns and negative invoice lines on own workflow

If you want purchase invoices with one or more negative invoice lines, typically related to goods returns, to be sent to a defined user, you can set up the workflow as shown in the image below.

We choose the document type "POInvoice" under the regular trigger in addition to "Invoice line has a negative net amount", as we want purchase invoices and purchase credit notes with one or more negative invoice lines to be sent to the user.

Inside the invoice, you can click on the blue workflow icon to get a full overview of the active workflow, what triggered the workflow, and which user the invoice is assigned to.

Send purchase credit notes on own workflow

If you want purchase credit notes, typically related to goods returns, to be sent to a defined user, you can set up the workflow as shown in the image below.

We choose the document type "POInvoice" under the regular trigger in addition to the invoice type "CreditNote", as we want all purchase credit notes to be sent to the user.

Inside the credit note, you can click on the blue workflow icon to get a full overview of the active workflow, what triggered the workflow, and which user the invoice is assigned to.

Automatically approve purchase invoices that match

If you want purchase invoices with less deviation than the accepted deviations to be automatically approved, you can set up the workflow as shown in the image below. Accepted deviations are set under settings - purchase order.

An important difference between this workflow and the setting automatic approval upon arrival is that the workflow is part of the hierarchy with the other workflows. Automatic approval upon arrival takes priority over the workflows.

We choose the document type "POInvoice" under regular trigger in addition to "Purchase order matches 100%" and check to the right of the line, as we want purchase invoices with deviations less than the accepted deviations to be automatically approved. The trigger "Has no workflow" ensures that this workflow does not trigger after a user has processed an invoice and ensured a full match.

Inside the invoice, you can click on the workflow tab to get a full overview of the active workflow, what triggered the workflow, and see that the invoice has been auto-approved.

Send purchase invoices with deviations on own workflow

If you want purchase invoices with larger deviations than the accepted deviations to be sent to a defined user, you can set up the workflow as shown in the image below. Accepted deviations are set under settings - purchase order.

We choose the document type "POInvoice" under regular trigger in addition to "Purchase order matches 100%" without checking to the right of the line, as we want purchase invoices with deviations larger than the accepted deviations to be sent to the user.

Inside the invoice, you can click on the blue workflow icon to get a full overview of the active workflow, what triggered the workflow, and which user the invoice is assigned to.

From the marked fields on the invoice line below, we can see the deviation and that is the reason why the invoice has gone to the deviation workflow, as the deviation is larger than the accepted unit price deviation, symbolized in red font on the invoice line below. The deviations on the net amount and total amount are within the accepted deviations, symbolized in black font.

Automatic approval upon arrival

Suppose you want to purchase invoices and purchase credit notes that have a full match or deviations within the accepted deviations to be automatically approved upon arrival. In that case, you can check the box below, which you can find under settings - purchase order.

This setting will take precedence over any workflows set up in connection with the purchase order process. Purchase invoices with a full match or deviations within the accepted deviations will be auto-approved even if a trigger would normally start a workflow on the purchase invoice.

Automatic approval upon arrival will occur in cases where the invoice lines are automatically populated with the purchase order number, goods receipt number (assuming activated support for goods receipt), and PO line number, and validation shows 0 deviation or within the accepted deviations, as shown on the purchase invoice below.

The invoice is automatically set to the approved status, as seen in the activity log.

If you don't want full match and automatic approval to take precedence over other workflows, you can alternatively set up automatic approval as a separate workflow.

Automatic posting upon completed workflow

Suppose you want purchase invoices and purchase credit notes to be automatically posted after completing the workflow. In that case, you can check the box below, which you can find under settings - purchase order.

Automatic posting upon completion of the workflow will occur in cases where a purchase invoice or purchase credit note is approved and the validation is within the accepted deviations defined under settings - purchase order, shown below, in addition to the general validations when posting an invoice.

The invoice is automatically set to the "Posting" status, as seen in the activity log.

When automatically posting purchase invoices, the same validation as manual posting applies.

• If the invoice date is later than the closing date, or if no closing date is set for the client, the invoice date will be automatically used as the posting date.
• If the closing date is set and is later than the invoice date, the closing date + 1 day will be used as the closing date