Supplier management
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An invoice affects more than the amount owed to a supplier. It can update bills, cash-flow expectations, expenses and item-level cost history. A short approval checklist helps prevent incomplete or incorrect information from spreading into those records.
Confirm the document and supplier
- Supplier name matches the expected business
- Invoice number is present and has not already been recorded
- Invoice and due dates are clear
- Business or delivery location is correct
- Purchase relates to goods or services actually received
Reconcile totals and terms
Check that line totals, discounts, tax and the final amount are internally consistent. Compare the invoice with the purchase order, delivery note or agreed terms where those records exist. Differences should be resolved before payment is scheduled rather than left as an unexplained adjustment later.
Review the line items
Line items provide the detail needed for cost and supplier analysis. Review descriptions, quantities, units and unit prices, especially when information has been extracted from an image or PDF. Correcting one line before approval is easier than repairing several reports after it has been saved.
Check the cash-flow effect
Confirm the due date, expected payment method and whether the invoice should create or update a bill. This places the commitment on the correct date and prevents the same amount from being counted twice. Credit notes and part payments need equally clear treatment.
Leave a clear record
- Correct the fields that are wrong rather than working around them.
- Record why a material value was changed.
- Keep the original document linked to the saved information.
- Assign unresolved questions to a named person.
- Approve only when the payment and reporting effect is understood.
A consistent approval process improves the quality of cash-flow, bills and supplier-cost information at the point where it enters the system. That makes later reporting easier to trust and easier to explain.