Invoicing Workflow

OpenERP 的开票流程也很简单,参见下面的工作流程图:

开票流程

An invoice can be generated from various documents like a Sales Order, a Purchase Order and also at the time of confirming a shipment. These methods will be used when you use OpenERP as a true accounting system.

Of course, companies often work together with an external accountant who keeps their books. In that case, you would like to know which invoices exist and have been paid.

The specific and easy-to-use Invoicing system in OpenERP allows you to keep track of your accounting, even when you are not an accountant. It provides an easy way to follow up your suppliers and customers. You could use this simplified accounting when your (external) account keeps your books, but you would like to keep track of payments. The Invoicing system includes receipts and vouchers (an easy way to keep track of sales and purchases) as well as payment registration without the need to encode complete abstracts of account.

Customer Receipts / Supplier Vouchers

When you sell products to a customer, you can give him an invoice or a Sales Receipt, which is also called Customer Receipt. Sales Receipts are merely a kind of sales ticket and not a real invoice.

When the sales receipt is confirmed, OpenERP creates journal items automatically and you can record the customer payment related to this sales receipt. The easy invoicing system does not require extensive accounting setup, and so you will be up and running quickly!

You can create and modify the sales receipt using the menu Accounting ‣ Customers ‣ Sales Receipt.

Defining a Customer Receipt

When you create a new Sales Receipt, you have to enter the Customer for whom you want to create a voucher. You can also define Sales Lines in the Sales Information tab. Here you have to define Account, Amount and Description. At the bottom of the form, you will have two options for Payment: one is Pay Directly and another is Pay Later or Group Funds. You have to enter the Account in the case of the Pay Directly option. The Total amount displays automatically with calculation of tax when you click the Compute Tax button.

After validating the sales receipt, you can print the voucher by clicking the Voucher Print action at the upper right side. The voucher will be printed as follows.

Sales Voucher

When you purchase products from a supplier, a Supplier Voucher (a ticket) is given to you which is also called Notes Payable in accounting terminology. When a supplier voucher is confirmed, it creates journal items automatically and you can record the supplier payment related to this purchase receipt.

You can create and modify the supplier voucher through the menu Accounting ‣ Suppliers ‣ Supplier Vouchers.

Definition of Supplier Voucher

The Supplier Voucher form looks like the Sales Receipt form. In this form, carefully select the journal. After validating the Supplier Voucher, you can print it using the Voucher Print action.

Supplier Voucher

Keep Track of your Payments

You should efficiently keep track of payments of your customers and suppliers.

Customer Payment allows you to register the payments you receive from your customers. In order to record a payment, you have to enter the customer, the payment method (= the journal) and the payment amount. OpenERP will automatically propose the reconciliation of this payment with open invoices or sales receipts.

You can do this in OpenERP using the menu Accounting ‣ Customers ‣ Customer Payment.

Customer Payment Form

To create a new Customer Payment, select the customer and Payment Method. You can add invoices and other transactions in the Payment Information tab. Now select the proper Payment Difference, i.e. Keep Open and Reconcile with Write-Off. In the case of Reconcile with Write-Off, the write-off amount will come automatically but you have to enter the Write-Off account so that accounting entries can be generated by OpenERP.

The supplier payment form allows you to track the payment you do to your suppliers. When you select a supplier, the payment method and an amount for the payment, OpenERP will propose to reconcile your payment with the open supplier invoices or bills.

Through the menu Accounting ‣ Suppliers ‣ Supplier Payment, click the New button to create a new Supplier Payment.

Supplier Payment Form

To create a new Supplier Payment, select the supplier and Payment Method. You can create the Supplier Invoices and Outstanding transactions lines by selecting the invoice lines as well outstanding expenses. Now select the proper Payment Difference, i.e. Keep Open and Reconcile with Write-Off.