Creating Vendor Invoices

Vendor invoices are used for recording non-inventory accounts payable purchases from vendors for freight charges, phone expenses, equipment leases, and so on.

Vendor invoices can also be used to pay for services from third-party dealers for customers that are under service contract. Examples include national accounts and service under those accounts, service programs, or software for a specific equipment item under a contract. You use the vendor invoice to distribute incurred third party costs back to your service contracts. In addition to associating vendor invoice costs with contracts, you can also associate an accounts receivable invoice with the vendor invoice. Doing so allows you to search for a particular kind of invoice and to determine which are paid and which are not when associated with a vendor invoice.

Getting to the TransactionGetting to the Transaction

From the Accounting menu, select Accounts Payable > Accounts Payable Invoices to open the Accounts Payable Invoices window.

Click [New] to open the New - - window.

Basic InformationBasic Information

In the Type field, use the drop-down menu to select Vendor Invoice. The New - Vendor Invoice window opens.

Complete the following fields as appropriate:

Vendor: Name of the vendor from whom you received the invoice. The vendor’s phone number automatically populates.

Description: Brief description of this invoice.

Purchaser: Name of the employee responsible for this purchase.

Number: Automatically assigned vendor invoice number. You may change the number.

Vendor invoice: Vendor’s invoice number.

Invoice date: Date the invoice was created.

Due by: Date the payment for the invoice is due according to the payment terms.

Note: If you plan to pay this invoice in installments, enter in this field the date the final installment is due.

Amount: Amount due on the invoice.

Note: The charges total and the invoice total must match.

Charges TabCharges Tab

Ensure the Charges tab is selected.

Click [Add] to open the Add Charge window.

Type a brief description of the non-inventory charge(s) in the Description field.

Enter the dollar amount debited to the account from the invoice in the Amount field.

Choose ONE of the following to apply the invoice.

Apply to GL Account

Use the lookup to select the Account to be debited with this charge.

Note: The total charges you allocate to general ledger accounts must equal the amount of the invoice.

Use the lookup to select the department you want to associate with this invoice, or use the drop-down menu to create a new department.

Use the lookup to select the branch you want to associate with this invoice, or use the drop-down menu to create a new branch.

Note: This field only appears if branching is enabled.

Apply to GL Distribution Code

Use the lookup to select the distribution code you want to associate with this invoice, or use the drop-down menu to create a new distribution code.

Apply to fixed asset

Use the lookup to select the fixed asset with which you want to associate this charge.

Note: If you have not already created the fixed asset in e-automate, you can create the fixed asset by accessing the drop-down menu and selecting New to open the New Fixed Asset window. For more information on fixed assets, see the Creating Fixed Assets topic.

Apply to sub lease

Use the lookup to select the sub lease you want to associate with this invoice.

Note: You can filter the results by accessing the drop-down menu and selecting Filter > Unbilled or Terminated with Balance.

In the Customer field, use the lookup to select the customer to which you want to associate costs.

In the Contract field, use the lookup to select the service contract to which you want to associate costs. e-automate displays the contract dates.

To specify the period over which these costs are allocated, check the Coverage Period checkbox and specify the From and To dates.

To distribute costs equally across all the equipment on the contract during the specified coverage period, check the Distribute to multiple equipment/items on contract checkbox. Leaving this checkbox unchecked allows you to associate the cost with specific equipment/items on the contract.

Select either the Equipment or Item radio button and complete the following fields as appropriate:
Equipment/Item Number: Use the lookup to identify the equipment/item to associate costs.
Customer Invoice: Use the Lookup icon to select the invoice to associate costs.
Job Number: Enter the number of the job, if any, associated with this invoice.
Exclude from terms discount: When checked, this equipment/item is excluded from the total when e-automate calculates a terms discount.

Click [OK] to complete the charge. If you checked Distribute to multiple equipment/items on contract e-automate displays the Contract Equipment/Item Distribution window. Do the following to distribute to multiple equipment:

In the Amount field, verify the amount you want to allocate or change as necessary.

E-automate assumes you want to distribute to all equipment on the contract. If you want to change to which equipment you associate vendor invoice charges, click [Select Equipment/Item] to open the Select equipment on contract window. Place a check mark beside the equipment to which you want to distribute costs. Click [OK] to save your identified equipment.

To distribute the amount evenly across all identified equipment, select Distribute amount evenly across all selected equipment/items on the contract.

To distribute based on base rates, select Distribute amount to selected equipment based on the contract equipment/item base rates.

Click [OK] to save your settings.

Note: E-automate creates a detail line for each equipment to which you are distributing charges. Each line has the calculated allocation amount to the correct equipment.

To add more charges, fixed assets, or charges linked to contracts, repeat the above steps 1 through 10.

Note: You still are required to distribute the full amount on the vendor invoice. If you did not distribute the full amount of the vendor invoice, repeat these steps until you have fully distributed the vendor invoice total.

Miscellaneous TabMiscellaneous Tab

Click the Miscellaneous tab to bring it forward.

Complete the following fields as appropriate:

Note: Typically you do not have to change information on the Miscellaneous tab; however, you can make special corrections by modifying the fields when necessary.

Accounts payable: Account to be credited for the purchase.

Important: Only in rare circumstances should you change the accounts payable account. Changing the account here can cause your Aged Accounts Payable report to be out of sync from your Balance Sheet.

AP Branch: Branch used for this vendor invoice.

Note: The Branch field only displays when you are using branching.

Terms: Vendor's payment and discount terms.

Discount date: Date the payment is due to qualify for the discount.

Discount rate: Discount available if the payment is made by the discount date.

Note: The Discount date and Discount rate fields are automatically populated based on the selection in the Terms field. You can change the date and rate if you choose.

On Hold Code: If you want to place an invoice on hold, use the Lookup icon to select an On-Hold Code approved for use with accounts payable invoices. Invoices that are on hold do not show up in the Pay Vendors activity window until they are released from hold.

To specify the period over which these costs are allocated, check the Coverage Period checkbox and specify the From and To dates.

In the Job number field, enter the number of the job, if any, associated with this invoice.

In the PO number field, enter the purchase order number, if any, associated with this invoice.

Payment Schedule TabPayment Schedule Tab

Click the Payment schedule tab to bring it forward.

In the Number of payments field, enter the number of payments you want to make on this vendor invoice.

Note: The maximum number of installment payments is 60.

When you tab off the Number of payments field, the Payment schedule region displays the payment number, due date, and amount due for each payment for the number of payments you specified. The dates are based on the due date specified in the Due by field.

Note: Any leftover difference from the amount due that is not divided equally in the number of payments specified will be added to the last payment.

To change the due date and/or amount of any payment, do the following:

In the Payment schedule region, select the payment you want to update. The system displays the Due date and Amount due for that payment.

In the Due date field, enter the new due date for the selected payment or make no change to keep this due date.

Note: The Due date must be: 1) on or after the Invoice date, 2) after the date listed for the preceding payment—if any, 3) before the date listed for the next payment—if any, and 4) on or before the Due by date for the vendor invoice.

In the Amount field, enter the new amount for the selected payment or make no change to keep this amount.

Note: If you adjust one amount, you must adjust other payment amounts as necessary for the sum of the installment payments to match the total Amount listed for the vendor invoice.

Click [Update] to have the system update the Payment schedule region. The Schedule total displays the sum of the Amounts listed in the Payment schedule. This Schedule total should match the invoice Amount displayed in the Summary region. If these two totals do not match, the system displays a Schedule difference amount below the Schedule total to assist with identifying the amount you need to add to (or—if in parentheses—subtract from) the scheduled payment amounts so that their sum matches the invoice amount. Repeat Steps a to c as necessary for these amounts to match.

Note: Clicking [Update] does not update the Summary region.

Remarks TabRemarks Tab

Click the Remarks tab to bring it forward.

In the Remarks field, enter any external remarks to associate with this vendor invoice.

Completing the TransactionCompleting the Transaction

When the Summary box and the Charges tab display the same total, click [OK]. E-automate saves the vendor invoice and posts the invoice to accounts payable and the specified accounts.