| NOTE: Actionstep offers in-built Accounting to users on our Practice Pro + Accounting plan. This article covers functionality only available with that option. |
Supplier invoices (also called Vendor invoices) are the bills that are sent to you for your company to pay.
Actionstep provides two ways to create a new supplier invoice. The three-step method enables you to set all of the options used to create an invoice. Creating a Supplier Invoice/Vendor Invoice through the Quick Entry Wizard method is the fastest way to create an invoice but with fewer options.
This article will explain how to create supplier invoices using the three-step method (which we call the "normal method").
Creating a Supplier Invoice
This task involves the following steps:
- Opening the Create Purchase screen.
- Entering the basic details of the supplier invoice.
- Populating the items on the supplier invoice.
Opening the Create Purchase screen
Create a new supplier invoice by clicking the 'Global Create' button (the green rectangular button in the top right of Actionstep. Under the Accounting section, choose 'Purchase'.
Entering the basics of the supplier invoice
When you first create a supplier invoice in Actionstep, you are taken through a 3-step process to gather the basic details of the invoice.
Step One
Choose if you are creating a supplier invoice or a purchase template and then apply a pre-set Purchase template if applicable.
 TIP: IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO USE YOUR PURCHASE TEMPLATES - What is a Purchase template? A Purchase template is a pre-entered supplier invoice. Within Actionstep you can create a supplier invoice as a template. It will save the supplier, the line items and the amounts that you would want in an invoice. Using Purchase templates will save you hours of data entry and we strongly recommend you use them. In fact, you can use this first step to create a Purchase template instead of an invoice and the rest of the process is the same. |
Step Two
Enter the supplier invoice number and the date. Also, you can change the reference that Actionstep creates for this supplier invoice, though we recommend you leave it for Actionstep to automatically create.
| Field | Description |
| Our Reference | This is a sequential reference number that Actionstep assigns to supplier invoices. The number is used by Actionstep for an internal reference. You are able to click into this box and manually enter a reference yourself but there is little benefit to this, and you may be stopped from progressing if you enter a reference that is already being used by another supplier invoice. |
| Supplier Invoice # | Enter the number of the invoice in this field. The invoice number is often displayed near the top of the invoice. Providing the invoice number enables you to search for the invoice using that reference. |
| Supplier Invoice Date | The date that the supplier issued the invoice. Recording this will help you understand when it is due. |
Step Three
You can also bill the supplier invoice to the client, or you can also associate it with a particular matter by choosing a related matter.
We explain all the options in more detail below.
| Field | Description | |
| Supplier | The person or company who issued you the invoice and who must be paid. To search for the contact, enter the name. A list of all contacts matching the name will be shown. For each contact, it will include the name, address, city, phone number and if the contact is an individual or company. If you want to filter by other options, click on the 'Filter Results' button at the bottom of the search box.
| |
| Related Matter | Select a matter in your system that you want to associate with the supplier invoice. Use this field to:
Reports like the Multi-Matter Profitability Report - give you insight into your profitable matters if you record costs against them. | |
| Currency | This field will be only presented if you have multi-currency enabled on your system. Use this field to set the currency type for the supplier invoice. Enter the exchange rate for the currency type used in the box next to the currency drop-down menu. | |
| Shipping Address | If you order goods to be delivered on behalf of a client, you can use this option to provide the address that the goods should be shipped to. |
Once you have completed the steps, the supplier invoice will be opened ready to be populated further.
Populating the items on the supplier invoice
To complete a supplier invoice, create a line item and save the record. This will involve:
- Clicking the 'New Line Item' link.
- On the new line, selecting an 'Expense account'.
- Checking the correct tax rate is applied in the 'Tax' column.
- Entering a description of what you were charged for.
- Changing the Quantity ('QTY') if required.
- Entering the Unit Cost.
- Clicking on the green 'Save' button at the bottom to save the supplier invoice.
FAQ's
Q. How do I post a supplier invoice against more than one matter?
A. If you have a supplier invoice that has billable items for more than one matter, link individual line items in your supplier invoice to individual matters.
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