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The three-way match

Before a supplier invoice can post, Yessort runs the three-way match — checking it against two other documents.

The three sides​

  • What you agreed to pay — the purchase order.
  • What actually arrived — the goods receipt.
  • What you have been billed — the supplier invoice.

The quantity check guards against over-billing only​

The quantity check compares what's been billed against what's still uninvoiced on the goods receipt — what has been received, minus whatever has already been invoiced against it — not against everything ever received. It only guards against over-billing — being invoiced for more than is still uninvoiced. Being invoiced for less always passes; there is nothing to hold an invoice for under-billing. This matters when a delivery is invoiced in more than one instalment: receive 100, invoice 60, and a second invoice for 50 is held, because 50 is above the 40 still uninvoiced — even though it's well under the 100 received.

The price check runs both ways​

The price check compares the invoiced unit price against the agreed order cost, in either direction. Billed higher than agreed and billed lower than agreed both count as a difference.

Tolerances default to zero​

Both checks default to zero tolerance, so out of the box the match is exact. Any difference from the agreed price at all, or any billed quantity above what is still uninvoiced, holds the invoice. A match tolerance can be set per supplier to let small differences through; until one is set, nothing but an exact match passes.

A line with no order behind it​

An invoice line billed with no purchase order line behind it has no agreed price to compare against, so it is checked on quantity only.

Service and freight lines always hold​

Any invoice carrying a service or freight line is always held, whatever else on it matches. A service line has nothing physical behind it to match against, so Yessort can't clear it automatically. This surprises people the first time it happens — it isn't a sign anything is wrong with the invoice.

Held, matched and posted​

An invoice that fails the match is held. Someone with the approval permission releases it, which moves it to matched — approving does not post the invoice, it only clears it to be posted. From matched, the invoice can then be posted.

Posting clears the goods received, not invoiced balance for what the invoice covers. Where the invoice disagrees with the receipt cost, the difference adjusts the value of the stock — both what's still on hand and what has already been sold.