PROCESS ANALYSIS ESSAY OUTLINE

I. Introduction – Thesis and Identification of the subject

A. The essay will be about entering payables in the Accounts Payable System at work.

B. The purpose of the instructions is to give the reader a step by step understanding of the process of entering invoices into the payables system. These instructions can be used as a reference point for anyone who would be working with me at my office to take care of Accounts Payable.

C. (The essay will be in step by step format and will conclude with successful entry of an invoice in the Computer Ease System for payment on the date that they system selects based on the entry criteria).

II. Body: The steps of the process and the development of those steps

A.Step One

1. From the main menu of the Computer Ease Program, select the Accounts Payable Option. In the submenu that appears select “Enter New Invoice”. From this menu a pop up window will appear that will give you the form with fields that must be filled out to complete the invoice.

2. Be careful to select the correct option, as the other options do not give you the ability to enter new invoices into the computer system.

B. Step Two

1. In the Vendor Name field press the F2 key and look up the Vendor Code by the Vendor Name, for example, if the invoice is for Staples, then key in the word Staples. A list of Vendors will appear and you will select the correct on. The Vendor Code is the first three letters of the Vendor name followed by three numbers, beginning with 001 and going up in number as new Vendors are added. The correct code for Staples may be STA001.

2. Be careful to verify the address of the Vendor is there are multiple Vendors with the same name as they will be different accounts and you would have a check mailed to the wrong vendor if this is done incorrectly.

C. Step Three

1. Enter the Purchase Order number from the invoice if there is one. This field will bring up a list of materials or supplies that were authorized to be purchased under the PO Number. You will see zeros in quantity and invoiced column. On the left select the option to receive all and then the option to invoice all. Make sure that the materials amount matches the invoice and that the tax is correct as well. Any discrepancy here will cause the invoice not to balance and you will not be able to enter it. This will take you back to the main form and you will then be able to continue entering the invoice information.

D. Step Four

1. In the next field enter the invoice number that is referenced on the invoice that came in the mail. This field will not allow you to continue if the invoice has been previously entered in the system. This is a great safeguard to keep from paying the Vendor twice.

E. Step Five

1. Enter the total dollar amount billed on the invoice including tax. This will be a check and balance system to ensure that you have keyed the amounts correctly. If the invoice balances then you can advance to the next field.

2. You may also enter a description if necessary right below this line, such as June 2012 billing to help identify the payment.

F. Step Six

1. On the invoice date line, from the original invoice, key the date that the invoice was printed. By entering this date the system will automatically bring up the check date for you by the terms associated with the Vendor you are paying. These are predetermined when the Vendor was originally set up in the system. Make sure to enter it correctly as this can cause problems with month end closing if you enter incorrect information in this field.

G. Step Seven

1. Pay date for the company is on each Thursday, so once the system has selected a pay date for you take the date to the nearest Thursday to the date the system defaults to and this will be your pay date.

H. Step Eight

1. After establishing date put in the job code for the construction job that the invoice is associated to. If not for a job then look up the GL Code for say, office supplies for example. You may look up the proper codes by again selecting the F2 key and keying in the name of the job or the type of expense. Once you have found the correct one select it and then tab over and the rest of the form will populate for you.

I. Step Nine

1. Carefully review all of the data that you have entered and make sure there are no mistakes in your entries. If all is correct press ok and this will submit the invoice into the system for payment. Once entered the system will generate a six digit voucher number. You will write the Vendor Code, Month Entered, GL Code or Job Code, and the Pay date on the form. Underneath of this write the Voucher Number, the letter V, plus the six digits the system assigned to it. For example, V123456. This is the control number that is entered when generating checks for the payables each Thursday. You have now successfully entered an invoice for payment in the system.

III. Conclusion

Upon successful completion you now have an overview of entering the invoice information to successfully generate a payment voucher. These steps must be followed exactly to ensure proper entry of all information necessary to pay a vendor. If anything is omitted it can cause problems in the payment system and could lead to a payment being overlooked and not paid. Making sure you write the payment information on the invoice gives the payment clerk all of the information necessary to cut the check, and then the hard copy is scanned and kept for a period of 3 years. If ever needed for reference all of the pertinent information to the invoice is there and easily accessible when needed.

Accounts Payable, the Invoice Process

Brenda Goodloe

AIU Online

Abstract

This essay will outline how to enter an invoice in our Accounts Payable System at work, with step by step instructions from start to finish.

Accounts Payable, the Invoice Process

My job can be very challenging at times and part of my job includes Accounts Payable. Each detail must be done correctly to ensure that payments are made in a timely manner. There is a step by step method to the data entry for invoices in our Accounts Payable System.

The Invoice Process, Part One

Entering invoices in our Accounts Payable System is done in a series of steps to make sure that all pertinent data is entered into the system. First, from the main menu of the Computer Ease Program, select the Accounts Payable Option. In the submenu that appears select “Enter New Invoice”. From this menu a pop up window will appear that will give you the form with fields that must be filled out to complete the invoice. You must be careful to select the correct option, as the other options do not give you the ability to enter new invoices into the computer system. In the Vendor Name field press the F2 key and look up the Vendor Code by the Vendor Name, for example, if the invoice is for Staples, then key in the word Staples. A list of Vendors will appear and you will select the correct on. The Vendor Code is the first three letters of the Vendor name followed by three numbers, beginning with 001 and going up in number as new Vendors are added. The correct code for Staples may be STA001. Again you must be careful to verify the address of the Vendor if there are multiple Vendors with the same name as they will be different accounts and you would have a check mailed to the wrong vendor if this is done incorrectly. Enter the Purchase Order number from the invoice if there is one. This field will bring up a list of materials or supplies that were authorized to be purchased under the PO Number. You will see zeros in quantity and invoiced column. On the left select the option to receive all and then the option to invoice all. Make sure that the materials amount matches the invoice and that the tax is correct as well. Any discrepancy here will cause the invoice not to balance and you will not be able to enter it. This will take you back to the main form and you will then be able to continue entering the invoice information. The process for invoicing has just begun.

The Invoice Continued

With this phase of the invoice entered you are now ready to continue the process to complete filling out the data form. Next you will enter the invoice number that is referenced on the invoice that came in the mail. This field will not allow you to continue if the invoice has been previously entered in the system. This is a great safeguard to keep from paying the Vendor twice. You will then enter the total dollar amount billed on the invoice including tax. This will be a check and balance system to ensure that you have keyed the amounts correctly. If the invoice balances then you can advance to the next field. You may also enter a description if necessary right below this line, such as June 2012 billing to help identify the payment. On the invoice date line, from the original invoice, key the date that the invoice was printed. By entering this date the system will automatically bring up the check date for you by the terms associated with the Vendor you are paying. These are predetermined when the Vendor was originally set up in the system. Make sure to enter it correctly as this can cause problems with month end closing if you enter incorrect information in this field. Making sure to fill this form out correctly is essential to the process of accurate payment vouchers.

The Invoice, Final Stages

The process of paying Vendors is a multi-stage process. The pay date for the company is on each Thursday, so once the system has selected a pay date for you, select the first Thursday nearest the date that the system auto assigned. After establishing payment date put in the job code for the construction job that the invoice is associated to. If not for a job then look up the GL Code for the type of expense that you are paying. You may look up the proper codes by again selecting the F2 key and keying in the name of the job or the type of expense. Once you have found the correct one select it and then tab over and the rest of the form will populate for you. Carefully review all of the data that you have entered and make sure there are no mistakes in your entries. If all is correct press ok and this will submit the invoice into the system for payment. Once entered, the system will generate a six digit voucher number. You will write the Vendor Code, Month Entered, GL Code or Job Code, and the pay date on the form. Underneath of this write the Voucher Number, the letter “V”, plus the six digits the system assigned to it. For example, V123456. This is the control number that is entered when generating checks for the payables each Thursday. You have now successfully entered an invoice for payment in the system.

Invoicing Made Simple

Upon successful completion you now have an overview of entering the invoice information to successfully generate a payment voucher. These steps must be followed exactly to ensure proper entry of all information necessary to pay a vendor. If anything is omitted it can cause problems in the payment system and could lead to a payment being overlooked and not paid. Making sure you write the payment information on the invoice gives the payment clerk all of the information necessary to cut the check, and then the hard copy is scanned and kept for a period of 3 years. If ever needed for reference all of the pertinent information to the invoice is there and easily accessible when needed.