After shipments have been received, the vendor sends an invoice for the goods. When this invoice is received, a voucher is entered into the companys books to pay the invoice. The creation of the voucher can be done manually using a data entry form, or using an interactive process.
The data entry form uses a set of screens similar to the ones used in the Accounts Payable system, for entering non-purchase order vouchers. The interactive process automates the creation of a voucher based on the original purchase order and the affected receiving slips.
The system can create a voucher based on information contained in the receiving slip, purchase order, and vendors invoice. By answering some initial questions, all of the work involved in entering a voucher using a data entry form, is eliminated. Should additional information need to be added to the voucher (comments to vendor, etc.), the voucher created by this process can be changed using the data entry form, Payable Vouchers, on the Data Entry, Accounts Payable menu.
The automated voucher creation is started by running the process, Voucher Receiving Slips, from the Data Entry, Receiving menu. The following parameter screen is displayed:
This process is designed to create a series of vouchers. The fields Voucher number and Voucher date only need to be entered for the first voucher. After the first voucher has been created, the fields Vendors invoice number, Vendors invoice date, and Purchase order number are cleared and the information for the next voucher can be entered.
The system increments the voucher number for successive vouchers. Pick a number that contains a series of digits. The following numbers are all good examples of starting voucher numbers:
870502-00001
8705-01328*PO
V00001428
The date entered into the Voucher Date field is used to accrue the vouchers into the Accounts Payable system. The date you enter can be any valid date provided it is not in a closed accounting period. You can enter todays date (as defined by the system date) by just pressing the RETURN key.
The value entered into the Vendors invoice number field is the invoice number from the vendors invoice and is placed in the Vendor Ref field of the voucher. This information is printed on the remittance advice sent with your check to the vendor; it lets the vendor know what you are paying.
The Vendors invoice date is very important. It is used to produce three dates for the voucher: the reference date, the pay date, and the discount date (if applicable). The reference date is simply the vendor invoice date.
The pay date is the date the voucher should be paid. This date is based on the vendor invoice date and the payment terms quoted in the purchase order. The payment terms field translates into a number of days in the payment period. This number, added to the invoice date, gives the pay date.
The discount date is the last date a voucher could be paid and still receive a discount. This date is based on the vendor invoice date and the payment terms quoted in the purchase order. If the payment terms do not indicate a discount (like net-30 days), this date is not used. For payment terms that do indicate a discount, the terms translate into a number of days in the discount period. This number, added to the invoice date, gives the discount date.
As an example of how the vendors invoice date is used, consider the following. On April 13, 1987, a vendors invoice is received, dated April 10, 1987. On the associated purchase order, the payment terms quoted are 2/10, n/30, or 2% discount if paid within 10 days, net amount due and payable in 30 days. For this example, the reference date is 04/10/87; the discount date is 04/20/87 (reference date + 10 days); and the pay date is 05/10/87 (reference date + 30 days).
The last field is the Purchase order number. The purchase order number is used to select the receiving slips being billed by the vendors invoice. The following shows the parameter screen with example values entered:
All un-vouchered receiving slips for the given purchase order are included in the voucher. If the purchase order has a separate freight amount, it is also included in the voucher.
As the process creates the new voucher, the message WORKING is displayed in the lower left corner of the screen. Other messages are also displayed to indicate the voucher number being created, the receiving slip(s) being vouchered, the freight amount (if any), and the total amount of the voucher.
When the process has completed the voucher, the voucher total is displayed. To continue the process, press the SPACE BAR. The Vendors invoice number, Vendors invoice date, and Purchase order number fields are cleared and the Voucher number field is incremented. Now the information for the next voucher can be entered.
If you want to change the values in the Voucher number and Voucher date fields, you can move the cursor to these fields and enter new values.
When all of the vendor invoices have been entered, finish the process by either pressing the CANCEL button (keys <F1><x>), or the EXIT button <F8>. The system then posts the newly created vouchers.
Press the OK button to re-display the Main menu.