How do I create an invoice from a purchase order?

[aZeR]

I created an invoice db with these files:

invoice (with portal to line items)

invoice

[Fitch]

What's the difference between an invoice and an order? Maybe you could just create a "type" or "status" field in the invoice file and call it a day.

[aZeR]

A costumer order is what the client orders. In my case for example a wedding reportage (I'm a photographer/shop owner). They order this months before their weddingdate. It's also a bit like a contract. The invoice is the actual bill... It would be easy if i could click a button on the customer order and create an invoice. But I must be able to create invoices without creating an customer order first. For example if someone buys a ( in stock) camera. I hope you can help...

[Fitch]

Like I said: you can use the SAME file, same record for the order and the invoice. Maybe even the same layout! All you need is a field that you can set to "order" or "invoice." That keeps it pretty simple.

[aZeR]

Mmmm.... Wouldn't that mean that whenever I create a new 'order' I also make a new 'invoice'? That is a problem because I only make an invoice when the job is done. And that would also mean that I can't add things to the 'invoice' without changing the 'order'. I want to keep track of my 'orders' and relate my 'orders' with my 'products' for inventory and backordering...

So I was thinking of 2 files ('invoice' and 'customer orders') which share the same line item. But I can't figure out how to show the 'costumer order' line items in the 'invoice portal'. My invoice portal is related to the line item by 'invoice ID' and my customer order by 'order ID'.

Can you help me with that problem?

[Fitch]

If they share the same line items, then I still don't see why you need to use separate files. But if you must...

It seems to me from your description that you would create an order, and so then you have these line items that have an order ID, but the invoice ID is empty at that point. Right?

So, when you do create an invoice, you also bring the order ID over to the invoice, right?

So, create a layout in invoices that has a portal related by order ID. Put a button on the portal line that sets the related invoice ID to the current invoice ID. Then another "Done" button outside the portal that takes you to a layout that shows the items related by invoice ID. Maybe you could make a tabbed interface so you could flip back and forth from order to invoice.

On the invoice layout, you can enter items that will have the invoice ID, but no order ID. Is that what you want?

[aZeR]

Thanks for the info, fitch!

This makes sense!! I guess I don't really need 2 different files after all. Sometimes it's easier then I think... I'll try this and let you know how it works. Wouldn't it be a hassle to keep track of orders/backorders if I don't use 2 files?

[Fitch]

To keep track of backorders, you could have a checkbox on each line item to indicate when it's complete. Then when the count(lineitems::checkbox) = count(lineitems::invoiceID), you know the order is complete.

[luluwai]

OK, assume the order is placed in month 1, but not invoiced until month 5. And, in the mean time say 1000+ invoices have been issued on new orders. The invoice number is to be sequential and allocated when the invoice is issued, in this case in month 5.

My question is, how is the invoice number allocate in month 5, and not in month 1 when the order is raised?

Back-ground; I'm trying to write an ERP reporting programme and learn FM at the same time and the orginal question relates to a path which I'm struggling with! Comments appeciated.