Periodic Invoice Overview
SapphireOne’s Periodic Invoice Tool can be used to merge multiple invoices into a single invoice for a Client.
In some cases, customers will be making a number of purchases for the same items on a daily or weekly basis and these sales will generate a number of SCI’s. Payment terms for the Clients are set up so that payments are made on a recurring basis, which is usually period based. SapphireOne’s Periodic invoicing helps to streamline the management and processing of these transactions.
A selection must be made for the period over which this function must be performed – Daily, Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly or None (disables function). With the exception of the Daily period, the periodic invoicing function merging will only include those invoices that are already Posted.
When the Daily option is selected for a Client, SapphireOne will automatically process these transactions as periodic as soon as they are posted. This means that while all Periodic Invoices may be viewed using a standard Transaction Inquiry, when the Periodic Invoice function is used, SapphireOne will recognise the periodic invoices and filter all of the transactions so as to display in a list of Periodic Invoices only.
For all other options (Weekly, Fortnightly and Monthly), SapphireOne will require the user to access the Periodic Invoices function documented here and execute the Periodic Invoice function procedure.
Dictation and Speech to Text Overview
SapphireOne’s implementation of both Dictation (MacOS) and Speech to Text (Windows) is a game changer for data entry. Any data entry field you can type into using a keyboard can use this feature.
You can also use this functionality on all inquiry screens within SapphireOne. For example, the user is in a Contact within a Client. They may have made a phone call to that particular client using the Softphone technology. Consequently, this will automatically date and time stamp both the contact and the phone number you called.
As soon as the call is completed, the user has the ability to use Speech to Text (Windows) or Dictation (MacOS). They can dictate into the memo field of the CRM contact, adding as much description as they require.
Dictation and Speech to Text Procedure
This functionality applies across every single Data Entry screen. For example, the SapphireOne user is entering a Vendor Invoice (VI). Additionally, you may want to add a memo within the Vendor Invoice (VI). The user can utilise the tool and simply dictate the memo.
Another example is if the user wants to add additional lines to the General Ledger account, within each General Ledger account. When the user is completing data entry using a General Ledger, there’s always a unique memo field for each GL account line.
The user can then utilise this feature to quickly add the information they need to add. Alternatively, you may have an interview with an employee. After the interview process is completed, the user can then make notes about the employee.
Speech to Text or Dictation is an extremely powerful tool. It is something that we at SapphireOne, as well as our clients, utilise daily. It is a massive time saver.
How to set up a Client for Periodic Invoicing
Periodic Invoicing is set up on a Client by Client basis. To set up a Client for periodic invoicing, the user will have to use a Client Inquiry. To access a Clients master record go to: Inventory > Sales > Clients > More Details Page.
When opening a Client Inquiry, first select the required Client from the list of clients and then select the 
button to Modify or use a keyboard shortcut. From here you can select the More Details Page from the Page drop-down menu. On this screen you will see both the ‘Periodic Invoice Area’ and ‘Invoice Reference Area’.
Periodic Invoice Area
To set up a Client for Periodic Invoicing the user will have to enter data into the Periodic Reference Area in a Client Inquiry. Once the data entry fields have been setup SapphireOne will generate all invoices for the Client as periodic invoices moving forward. It should be noted that these invoices will also receive their own unique number and this number will be setup in a company inquiry.
- Period – The options are Daily, Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly and None. If None is selected the periodic invoices will be marked but will require that the user manually create the Invoice date.
- Output – The user will need to have the ability to quickly identify these periodic invoices, and then process them usually in the order they are raised. For this reason provision has been made to automatically enter in a predetermined internal reference number.
Invoice Reference Area
This is where the internal reference number is automatically generated by SapphireOne. This is setup so that they will be distinct from normal invoices that are not grouped invoices.
Each client may be given a unique prefix and number. This function can be used so that each time you generate an invoice for that particular client, SapphireOne will automatically generate the invoice with the unique prefix and number for that client. For example, if Apple was a client, your invoices have the ability to be generated as APPLE0001, APPLE0002, APPLE0003.
- Prefix – Enter in a prefix for these periodic invoice transactions Internal Reference number.
- Number – Enter in a number that these Periodic Invoice Transactions Internal Reference numbers will start at.
Periodic Invoice Tool
When the Periodic Invoice function is accessed the user will find that it is a split screen.
- SapphireOne planned merged Periodic Invoices will be in the top section of the screen.
- The user created Periodic Invoices for the period will be displayed in the lower section of the screen.
As the user selects/highlights SapphireOne planned Periodic Invoice, the user created Periodic Invoices will be displayed in the lower section of the screen. The user may now scroll through these Periodic Invoices and check what delivery invoices were included in each of the Periodic Transactions by doing the following. Details of the invoices will be displayed in the lower section of the screen.
When the user double clicks into a Periodic Invoice transaction in the upper section of the screen, SapphireOne will display a dialogue that will display all transactions that SapphireOne wants to merge in to the currently selected/highlighted Periodic Transaction.
By selecting the 
button the user may even view the original invoice with all functionality available including printing and emailing.
Remember that for Daily periodic Invoices SapphireOne will action them automatically as they are posted. Before creating a Periodic Invoice, the user must first post the transactions that are to form a part of this periodic Invoice.
Once the user is happy with the on screen merge, they can now proceed to the creation of the Periodic transaction.
But note that the Periodic invoice has not been created yet!
Merging procedure for a Periodic transaction:
Once the user is ready they may access the Periodic Invoice function by selecting the Periodic Invoice function from the SapphireOne Tools menu.
Then select Create Periodic Invoice from the SapphireOne Tools menu. SapphireOne will then display the Create Periodic Invoices pop up.
SapphireOne will now create periodic invoices for the Clients that have the Period set up as by the selection of checkbox. If Weekly is selected SapphireOne will create a Periodic Invoice for all Clients set as weekly. The same applies when either the Fortnightly or monthly check boxes are selected.
Next select the date of the last transaction that is to be included in this Periodic Invoice. Once the date has been entered select the ‘Ok‘ button and SapphireOne will commence the merging of the user created Periodic Invoices into a single merged Periodic Invoice. All of the user created invoices will be deleted by SapphireOne.
The result is a new periodic invoice with its own individual sequence number displayed in the top section of the screen. In the lower section of the screen all lines from the invoices will be displayed. It should be noted that line items or inventory items will not be totalled and merged together, but will be kept as they were in the individual invoices so that a cross check may be done back to the individual invoices. Remember that in Inventory mode this periodic invoice will not be displayed in a normal transaction inquiry.
Payment of Periodic Invoices
Payments are processed as normal using Accounts Mode, however they are slightly different to SCI’s/Invoices.
Inventory Mode
- The original SCI’s (Sales Client Invoice) with their user or system generated internal reference numbers may be viewed at all times in the Transaction Inquiry screens or lists for both un-posted and posted transactions. However they must be posted before they will be selected by SapphireOne for inclusion into a periodic invoice up to and including the date that the user has selected.
- By default, Periodic Invoices that have been created from these posted SCI’s (Sales Client Invoice) in Inventory mode, will only be displayed in the Periodic Invoice function itself. The top of the screen will initially display a list of all current periodic transactions. Then as each periodic transaction is highlighted, SapphireOne will display the SCI’s (Sales Client Invoice) or invoices that have been merged into the Periodic transaction.
Accounts Mode
- Once the Periodic SCI’s (Sales Client Invoice) have been posted in Inventory mode SapphireOne, if set up, will raise the associated CI’s (Client Invoice) in accounts mode in the normal manner. However, these CI’s (Client Invoice) while appearing in the transaction inquiry lists, they will be treated differently by SapphireOne when receipts are to be generated.
- Once the user elects to raise a CR (Client Receipt) for a Periodic Client it will then look for the Periodic invoices in SapphireOne in Inventory mode, it will then look for the associated CI’s (Client Invoice) and treat them as a single merged transaction. It will then list the Periodic Invoice with the Ʃ symbol in the client field to indicate that this is a merged or Periodic invoice.
- Once a CR (Client Receipt) is raised and the button select the allocation function screen will be displayed as seen below. Note that we have two transactions and both have the Ʃ symbol.
When we highlight the transaction and select the button the transaction expands to display all of the Periodic Invoice CI (Client Invoice) is replaced with the CI’s (Client Invoice) that are merged into the Periodic Transaction as seen below. If an invoice is not paid for some reason the user may allocate on a transact by transaction basis within the periodic invoice itself.
Bank Reconciliation Function
To all intents and purposes with periodic invoices. The only alteration in the Bank Reconciliation is that SapphireOne does not display the individual transactions. It only displays the Periodic Invoice created from the Periodic Invoice Function and these may be marked off and processed as normal.
Client Balances
The periodic Invoice will also be displayed in a Client Inquiry and in any Client balances that are printed.
Posting
This series of functions below are for Posting to the General Ledger.
When Transactions are created and saved they are held within SapphireOne and they are NOT immediately posted to the General Ledger. Posting is a verification process. Transactions do not appear in the General Ledger Balances until they are posted. Regular postings are a recommendation. Un-posted Transactions may be modified but posted Transactions cannot be modified.
The menus for Posting comprise of:
Back Orders, Delivery, Order Reschedule and Post Transactions.
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