Creating Invoices
Once you receive a paper invoice, process it to input the vendor's actual charges into the system.
- Choose Pay an Invoice from the Function drop-down list.
- Choose a session from the table and choose Select. Because a maximum limit exists for the total number of invoices and line items allowed in a session, the table also displays the current number of invoices and line items entered in each session.
Increasing the Number of Sessions
Libraries can have up to 50 sessions in Sierra. To request an increase in the number of sessions, contact Innovative.
See Editing Suspended and Finished Invoices for information on continuing to create invoices in a suspended session.
- To create a new invoice in an existing session, choose the New Invoice button. Once you choose New Invoice or select a "Free" session, Sierra displays the Options dialog, which contains settings for the invoice you are creating.
Invoicing Options
The system prompts you for settings only for the first invoice in a session; subsequent invoices use the same invoice settings. Sierra does not display the dialog at all if you have selected Don't ask these questions in the Invoice settings.
If the dialog does not display, you can edit your settings.
- Choose your invoice settings. Choose OK when finished or Cancel to return to the Choose a Session display.
- Enter the invoice number and press Enter. Note that this field is required. If there is no invoice number, press Space or enter NONE and then press Enter. The invoice number can be up to 19 alpha-numeric characters.
When you press Enter, Sierra searches the database for duplicate invoice records using the invoice number you entered. If a potential duplicate record is found, the system displays the Duplicate Invoice dialog.
If the system finds more than one potential duplicate record, the dialog does not list the record-specific information. Choose either Continue to continue creating the invoice or Return to Session to cancel the invoice.
- Enter the Invoice Date. This field is required.
- By default, the use tax setting reflects the selections made in the Invoice Settings. To apply use tax to this invoice differently, click the Apply usetax drop-down menu and select the appropriate option. Then click the blank drop-down menu that appears and select the appropriate use tax rate.
- By default, the currency used will be the currency selected in the Invoice Settings. If applicable, click the Use Currency drop-down menu and select a different currency to use for this invoice. To define a different currency rate than the one that displays next to the currency code, highlight the rate and enter a new rate. The system stores both the currency and rate you select in the invoice record.
Restrictions on Changing Currencies
All line items on an invoice must be in the same currency. After you enter the first line item on the invoice, you cannot change the currency or rate used. If the selected currency is not correct, you must cancel the invoice and start again.
- If applicable, enter the blanket purchase order number in the Blanket PO box and press Enter. Sierra displays the Blanket PO workform.
Using Blanket Purchase Orders
If your library has not enabled the blanket purchase order functionality, the Blanket PO box does not display. Contact Innovative to enable support for blanket purchase orders.
- Enter the record number for the first line item. When you enter a valid record number and press Tab or click into the next field, Sierra automatically fills in the title and the vendor code for the line item. Entering the period (.), the letter 'o' for order record, and the check digit are optional when you enter the record number in the invoice.
You can also search for the item in the bibliographic display below the invoice.
Invoice/Bibliographic Display
The way the invoice entry screen looks depends on the Hide the Bibliographic record display in the Invoice display setting. To change the display from the invoice screen itself, select the Show Bibliographic, Show Invoice, or Show Both Panels button from the toolbar.
If you search for and find the item in the bibliographic record display, choose the Use This Record button to add it to your invoice or close the record by choosing Close from the toolbar. When you search for a record and choose Use This Record, the system prompts you for the Amount (and List Price, if applicable). You can also edit the item by choosing the Edit button. From the edit screen, you may View Finances, Use This Record, or Exit Edit.
Any unshaded fields on the invoice entry screen indicate that they can be edited anytime during this session.
- For multiple copy orders, enter the number of copies you will pay for and choose OK. The number does not display until you have fully entered the line item.
- If, in Invoice Settings, you have chosen to enter list prices as well, enter the list price amount in the List Price column for all the copies you are paying. For an x record, you must enter an amount for the list price if you have not done so already.
- In the Amount column, enter the amount you are paying as follows:
- For multiple-copy orders, enter the total amount you are paying.
- For single-copy, multi-fund line items, enter the amount of the item. The system automatically calculates the amount to be expended for each fund based on the percentages entered in the order record. If necessary, you can change the amount associated with a fund on the invoice.
- For X Records, you must enter an amount if you have not done so already in the Creating X or Y Records dialog. If you do not enter an amount at this point, the line item for the x record will be removed. For further information, see Entering a Line Item that has No Order Record.
- If you have chosen to prompt for subscription date in the Invoice Settings, enter the subscription dates associated with the order, if any. Note that the system displays an error message if you enter only one of the dates or if the Subscription To date is earlier than the Subscription From date.
- Add any notes for the line item. The note can be up to 35 characters and cannot contain a backslash (\) or pipe (|) character. Additionally, do not use the asterisk character, as it is reserved for partial payments. A multiple-copy order can have only one note. Sierra automatically prompts you for a note if you checked the Prompt for note for each line item option in Invoice Settings.
- If you chose to apply use tax to "Some" line items and you want to apply usetax to this item, check the Use Tax box. Your system will not offer use tax options if the Acquisitions Option Library subject to use tax is set to "No".
- Press Tab or click on the next Record # field to go to the next line item.
Each invoice can hold up to 500 line items. You can remove a line item using the Tools | Remove Line option.
If you enter at least one line item in an invoice and your session is interrupted, the system automatically suspends that invoice.
- To calculate the totals for the invoice, choose Finish or press Enter at the order record prompt. Before proceeding to the next step, the system prompts you to verify whether you are done entering line items or if you still want to continue adding items to the invoice. To cancel the invoice, choose Cancel. To retain what you have entered and exit the invoice but not "finish" it, choose Suspend.
The invoice total displays as $0.00 until you enter a total. The total calculated by the system does not display unless you choose Use computed total.
- Enter amounts for shipping, service charge or discount, tax (if applicable), and the invoice total. To enter a discount in the Service Charge or Discount box, enter a minus sign (-) followed by the amount.
Display of Tax Field
The display of the tax field differs at sites depending on your library's settings. For example, if your library has chosen to pay GST or VAT to a dedicated fund, Sierra displays the label for the tax field ("VAT" or "GST") and the name of the dedicated fund.
If the Acquisitions Option Library subject to sales tax is set to "No", your system does not prompt for sales tax.
If the invoice total you enter does not match the total charges from the line items you entered, Sierra displays the difference.
After entering the totals, you can print the invoice before finishing it by choosing Print Inv.
- Choose Finish a second time. The system prompts you if the total you entered does not match the total calculated by the system. Choose Use computed total to use the total calculated by the system, or choose Edit Invoice to return to the invoice to correct errors in the line items or the totals.
Sierra returns you to the Invoice summary screen, where you can Post your invoice or create another New invoice.
The records you add to an invoice will be busy until you post the session.