Open Item Processing

Open items are created online, with a multi-line entry capability.  Open items can be maintained online and comments may be associated with an open item to provide greater online access to all accounts payable information.  Installments generated for invoices are treated the same as any other open item in the Accounts Payable system.

Reference File category 201 will be retrieved to determine if the Unused Document Number File will be used to retrieve the next internal document number.

For each document number, there will be two options:

·     Automatically read the Unused Number File.  If any numbers exist, use the first number as the next document number and delete this number from the Unused Number File.  If the file is empty, retrieve the document number from Reference File category 210 and update it with the next number.

·     Do not read the Unused Document Number File.  Retrieve the document number directly from Reference File category 210 and update it with the next number.

The 'Display Int Doc' option on Reference File category 200 will be used to determine if the Internal Document number will be displayed in the Accounts Payable Invoice Entry conversation.  If the flag on this category specifies that the Internal Document Number field will be displayed, you will be allowed to enter an unused number.  You can either type this number in manually or select it from a window by pressing F4 when the cursor is positioned on the Internal Document Number field on the Function Select screen.

This processing will also be used for payments manually recorded through the Recording Manual Payment conversation.  For Batch Open Item Creation, internal document sequencing will be processed the same as it is done for open item processing.  However, you will not need to enter any information since payments are being created automatically.

Accounts Payable also provides the capability to sequentially number each VAT document for reporting purposes through a fiscal number on the document.  You may request automatic numbering, automatic or manual numbering, manual numbering, or no fiscal numbering with the Control Fiscal Number flag on Reference File category 200 (A/P Defaults).  The invoice entry and maintenance conversations allow you to control and maintain the fiscal number depending on the value of the Control Fiscal Number flag.  For countries that need greater control of fiscal numbering, such as having numbers that are sequentially assigned for document type, sector, and date, an external program will be called from Reference File category M12 if a record exists for the company/location.  For more information, refer to the VAT Processing key concept in this module.

The detail information for an open item is retained until the item is purged.  The open item status indicates whether the item has been paid in full, partially paid, or remains fully open.  Payment information as well as payment applications are stored in separate payment files.

Use of a standard distribution code is provided for the open item entry conversation.  This code allows the definition of sets of standard account/center distributions that can be defaulted as the invoice is being recorded to reduce the data entry effort.  This code is defaulted from the Vendor Master File but can be overridden on the open item header during entry.

If the Withholding Point flag on Reference File category 201 is set to 1, vendor withholding is performed at invoice entry/maintenance time for each vendor assigned a withholding code through the Vendor Master Maintenance conversation.

A batch open item creation program is provided in addition to the online entry conversation.  Input to this process is a tentative open item file, which requires formatting prior to the batch run.  Tentative open items that have been submitted to batch processing will be converted into actual open items.  Batch numbers will be used to group all invoice, debit/credit memo entry transactions using the same batch numbers.  This program may be used for remote entry, or for downloading of field-based sales recorded on personal computers, etc.  In order to assign fiscal numbers to documents created through the batch program, the tentative open item file must be formatted with a fiscal number.

The Open Item Register Report lists open items that have been entered.  If batch processing is used, this report lists all open items by batch number.

When you are reviewing information in the Accounts Payable Inquiry, you can restrict the inquiry to only open items.  Setting this flag to Yes allows you to focus your attention on those items where the balance is not equal to zero.