Purchase Order Matching

Audience: Accounting Manager 

Summary: This article reviews the PO match feature, how to enable it, and how to link items to the POs in your ERP. PO Matching is available for NetSuite and Xero.

This article contains:

• Purchase Order Matching in MineralTree
• Setup and Configuration
• Manually adding POs to an invoice
• Manually linking PO data to invoice lines 
• Synching with your ERP
• PO Fields available in MineralTree

Purchase Order Matching in MineralTree

With the “PO match” feature enabled, users can associate and link invoices with purchase orders, (POs). This can be done while creating a new invoice or editing a draft. Once an invoice is posted back to the accounting package, PO matching can no longer be done in MineralTree. Currently, this functionality is only available for NetSuite, and open accounting system customers (including Xero and Sage). This short guide will cover how to enable and configure the feature, how to manually associate invoices with PO(s), and how to match individual line-items and expenses. There is also a video tutorial covering this workflow.  More information on our Automated PO Matching functionality can be found here.

Setup and Configuration

The feature is disabled by default, and needs to be enabled within the Customer Admin Application by navigating to Settings > Company Settings.  Once the overarching feature is enabled, users can also enable Automated PO Matching and set match tolerances (see below).

Customer admins can also configure whether existing invoice approval rules are followed for invoices associated with purchase orders or bypassed entirely. This can be toggled separately for invoices that match POs and those that are not matched. By default, invoices from POs are set to bypass invoice approval rules in both cases.

For example, with the above settings in place, invoices marked as “matched” to a PO(s) will bypass invoice approval rules (i.e. rules set per vendor, class, department, or location). If invoice approval is required for all invoices before payment, these matched invoices will be payable without invoice approval. Invoices that are marked as “mismatched,” however, will follow any standard routing rules that might apply based on the vendor or coding. If invoice approval is required for all invoices before payment, these mismatched invoices will still require it. 

Manually Adding POs to an Invoice

In the invoice details screen, after selecting a vendor, users can begin adding POs to an invoice by typing in the PO number or selecting one from the dropdown. All POs for the vendor, which are not closed or fully billed, will be available for selection. The POs themselves will still need to be created within you accounting system.

After a PO # is selected, the PO details (see below for list of supported fields) will appear at the top of the page. Additional PO #’s can be added if desired, and one can cycle between their details at the top of the screen. If automated invoice capture is enabled, MineralTree will capture the PO # from the invoice if possible.

Manually Linking PO Data to Invoice Lines

Once a PO has been added to an invoice, one can link individual invoice expenses and line-items to expenses and line-items on the associated PO. This is done from an invoice line-item or expense by selecting the desired PO # and typing in the PO line number. 

This action will link the invoice to the PO and also update invoice coding based on the PO details. If available, the account/item, description, class, department, and location from the PO line will all be applied to the invoice line. Only one PO line # can be assigned to each invoice line, but lines from multiple POs can be associated to a single invoice. PO expenses can only be linked to one invoice expense, while PO line-items can be linked to line-items on multiple invoices until fully billed (billed qty. = total qty.) or closed.

After linking, MineralTree will display whether the information on the invoice (either captured or entered manually), matches what is found on the PO. Note the red and green icons.

An invoice is marked as matched at the summary level if all lines are matched, and mismatched otherwise. Users can override this, and manually mark an invoice as matched or mismatched. This status will display on both the invoices and invoice detail pages, and also governs whether invoice approval routing rules will come into effect (see above). Changes to PO information on invoices can be made up until the invoice is posted back to your accounting system, at which point any changes will need to be made in your accounting system itself.

Synching with your Accounting System/ERP*

To post a new or draft invoice to your accounting system, simply check “Post” on the invoice details screen and save; the invoice will be sent back to it in the next sync cycle. While the sync is still pending or ongoing, the invoice will remain in an “awaiting sync” status until the sync is completed. MineralTree will automatically create a corresponding bill in your accounting system, which will be linked to the appropriate PO(s). The PO itself will be updated based on what expenses and/or items were billed or partially billed in MineralTree. If the PO was fully billed, then it will no longer be available for billing in both your accounting system and MineralTree. The sync is bidirectional, so changes made in your accounting system will also sync to MT. If a bill is created from a PO in your accounting system, that bill will sync to MT with the PO associated, and the PO details will be updated as well.

 *The precise data flow may vary slightly based on your accounting package.  Xero does not support native links between invoices and POs, so when invoices sync from MT to Xero, the appropriate PO(s) will be marked as billed, but there will by no linkage between the two.

Purchase Order Fields Available in MineralTree: