Purchase Invoice Supplier Access (Internal) Applet

Purpose and Overview

The Internal Purchase Invoice Supplier Access Applet provides a secure, self-service interface for vendors and suppliers to view their financial transactions with your organization. This applet reduces administrative overhead by allowing suppliers to track invoice status, payment history, and linked documents directly.

Key Features Overview

Who Benefits from This Applet?

Supplier Finance Teams:

• 24/7 visibility into invoice status (Submitted, Approved, Paid)
• Track payment history and reconciliation data
• Reconcile their accounts receivable with your organization’s system

Supplier Logistics & Sales:

• Verify line item details and quantities received
• Access supporting documents and attachments (e.g., Delivery Orders, Proof of Delivery)
• Download PDF copies of finalized purchase invoices

Internal Procurement & Accounts Payable Teams:

• Reduced volume of “where is my payment?” emails and calls
• Simplified dispute resolution through shared data access
• Improved vendor relationships through financial transparency

What Problems Does This Solve?

The Information Gap Problem: Without a supplier portal:

• Suppliers constantly call for payment updates
• Manual reconciliation is time-consuming and error-prone
• Disputes over invoice amounts take days to resolve via email

The Supplier Access Solution:

• Shared Data Source - One “gold standard” invoice record for both parties
• Self-Service Status - Suppliers check payment dates and status themselves
• Secure File Access - Instant download of official documents and attachments
• Linked Document Visibility - See related documents like Contra or Doc Links

Key Features Overview

Key Concepts

Understanding the Supplier Access Framework

Every supplier portal must address three fundamental aspects. The Purchase Invoice Supplier Access Applet provides structured handling:

Hierarchy Structure

Think of the supplier access flow as a structured hierarchy:

Organization (The Customer)
│
└── Supplier Entity ──→ WHO is accessing?
    │
    └── Purchase Invoices ──→ WHAT is being viewed?
        │
        ├── Main Details ──→ Header info (Date, Amount, Status)
        ├── Line Items ──→ Itemized breakdown
        ├── Payment History ──→ Settlement details
        └── Attachments ──→ Digital copies of original docs

The “Golden Trio” of Supplier Access

To effectively manage expectations, it is crucial to understand how these three pillars work together:

Quick Start Guide

For Supplier Accounts: Checking Payment Status

Goal: Quickly identify which invoices have been paid and which are pending.

1. Login: Access the Supplier Portal using your provided credentials.
2. Filter: On the Invoice Listing, use the advanced search to filter by “Outstanding” or specific date ranges.
3. View Detail: Click on an invoice row to open the full view.
4. Check Payment: Navigate to the Payment tab to see linked payment vouchers and settlement dates.

For Supplier Logistics: Verifying Shipments

Goal: Confirm that line items match what was delivered.

1. Locate Invoice: Search for the relevant PI number in the Invoice Listing.
2. Review Lines: Go to the Line Items tab to see the itemized list, quantities, and unit prices.
3. Check Attachments: Switch to the Attachment tab to view uploaded Delivery Orders (DO) or inspection reports.

Status Lifecycle

From the supplier’s perspective, invoices typically follow this lifecycle:

Feature Deep Dive

Invoice Listing & Advanced Search

The main dashboard provides a powerful grid with filtering capabilities. You can toggle columns to show only the information you need, such as Invoice Date, Total Amount, Amount Outstanding, and Status.

Detailed View Tabs

The detailed view is broken down into several specialized tabs:

• Main Details: Header level information including currency, branch, and overall status.
• Account: Financial coding and account-level summaries.
• Line Items: Item-by-item breakdown of the purchase.
• Payment: List of all payment transactions linked to this invoice.
• Department Header: Tag the invoice with a Dimension, Profit Center, or Project for management reporting.
• Contra: Visibility into any contra entries or set-offs applied to the invoice.
• Doc Link: Links to related system documents (e.g., Goods Received Notes).
• Attachment: Repository for digital files like PDFs, images, or spreadsheets.
• Export: Export the invoice to a predefined printable format.

Configuration & Settings

Suppliers can personalize their experience in Settings:

• Sidebar Customization: Organize the menu for easier navigation.
• Default Selections: Set preferred branches or date filters as defaults.
• Field Configuration: (Admin only) Controls which fields are visible to the supplier users.

FAQ

Q: Can I edit an invoice if I find a discrepancy? A: No, the portal is “Read-Only”. If you find an error, please contact the procurement department of the customer organization with the specific PI number.

Q: Where can I download a PDF copy of my invoice? A: In the Export tab or sometimes via a “Print” button on the Main Details tab, depending on the customer’s configuration.

Q: Why can’t I see all my historical invoices? A: Your access might be limited to a specific date range (e.g., the last 12 months) or specific branches as configured by the customer admin.

Q: Can I have multiple users for my supplier account? A: Yes. The customer organization’s admin can invite multiple contacts from your company to have their own individual portal accounts.