Creating Invoices

Once you've created and saved a service call, you will want to create an invoice and record the costs incurred by the service work performed.

Costs are added to an invoice in three different ways:

• First, you can access the Microsoft Dynamics GP transaction entry windows by using the Payables, Payroll, and Inventory buttons in the Service Invoice window. The service call ID will default on the payables, payroll, or inventory transaction if the transaction window is opened by choosing the Payables, Payroll, or Inventory buttons.
  • Entering Payables Transactions in Service Management
  • Entering Payroll Transactions in Service Management
  • Entering Inventory Transactions in Service Management

• A second way to record costs on an invoice is using the + Plus button attached to each cost category on the service invoice. We also refer to these as manually added costs. For example, if you haven't purchased the Microsoft Dynamics GP Payables, Payroll, or Inventory modules, you can use the + Plus buttons to enter your costs. See Entering Manually Added Transactions. If you are using COGS, the manual accounts must match the normal accounts.

• Last, you can add costs to a service invoice directly in Microsoft Dynamics GP using the Microsoft Dynamics GP transaction entry windows.

We strongly advise against the practice of saving invoices with committed costs to batches, as this may result in posting issues. When an invoice with committed costs is saved in a batch, the invoice distributions are NOT recalculated when the purchase order costs are received.

Creating an Invoice from Service Manager

1. Select Cards > Service Management > Service Manager.
2. Select a customer and select the History indicator.
3. Double-click a call.

4. Select Invoice. When the Service Invoice window is opened, a sales transaction entry is automatically created in the Receivables Management module. Receivables entries are numbered per the Receivables Management module setup. Also, by default, the Description field in the Receivables Transaction Entry window contains the service call ID. The Service Call ID field displays the service call number. The invoice number is generated based on the entry in the Service/Repairs field in the Receivables Setup Options window. 
   
   If you select to use fewer than 17 characters for the invoice number, select a length that will satisfy your business needs for at least two years. Service Management will start from one when the highest number is reached. For example, if your invoice number is only three characters, when number 999 is reached, the system will start over from 001. If invoice 001 hasn't been posted, it will be overwritten with the new invoice information.

5. Enter or edit the following information at the top of the window.
   • Date
     Defaults as the system date but can be edited.
   • Batch ID
     Keeping the same batch ID across all accounting modules may help you organize your work. For example, if you select to create a Receivables batch named "SLS19OCT", you could use the same batch name for transactions entered in the Microsoft Dynamics GP modules. We encourage saving transactions to a batch. Real-time posting may compromise performance.
   • Bill to Customer ID, Bill to Customer Name
     These fields default from the Service Call window. To bill someone other than the customer on the service call, enter the third-party billing customer ID. See Using Third-Party Billing.
   • Bill to Address ID, Billing Address Location Name
     Default from the Service Call window.
   • Labor Rate Group/Price Matrix
     These default based on the Extended Price Matrix Setup options selected. See Extended Pricing Matrix for more information.
   • Currency ID
     Defaults based on the Currency ID field in the Customer Maintenance Options window.
   • Master Tax Schedule
     Defaults from the location of the service call. If no tax schedule ID is set up for the location, the ID will default from the customer record. Tax schedules are created and maintained in Microsoft Dynamics GP. You can zoom on the Master Tax Schedule field to view tax details. Total tax is shown in the Tax field.
   • Call Status
     Defaults from the Service Call window. When you change the call status to Complete, the current system date defaults in the Completion Date field.
   • Completion Date
     If the call status has been changed to Complete, you must enter a completion date.
   • Contract Number
     If the service call is assigned to a maintenance contract, the contract number appears.
   • P.O. Number
     The purchase order appears on the customer's invoice. If you entered a P.O. number in the Service Call window, it appears; otherwise, one can be entered here. This information is maintained between the Service Call window and the Service Invoice window.
   • Salesperson ID
     If you entered a salesperson ID in the Service Call window, it appears; otherwise, one can be entered.

6. Add costs to the invoice.
   
   The Service Invoice window displays unposted cost category totals as well as a total of all unposted costs. Additionally, you can zoom to view individual transactions for unposted costs, actual costs, and committed costs totals and further to view the transactions that make up the costs for each cost category. For more information, see Viewing Service Call Costs.
   
   WIP accounts in Signature Service Management and WIP accounts in the general ledger (GL) get "out of balance" mostly because of service invoices being posted with unposted costs remaining. If Do Not Allow Posting Invoices If Committed Costs Exist and/or Do Not Allow Posting Invoices If Unposted Costs Exist are marked on the Invoice Options window, you will not be able to close the service call until all costs are posted and billed. 

   
   If you invoice a call with committed costs from a purchase order, any additional Shipment/Invoice costs will not be billable to the customer.
   

   You can use the Preview button to view the description, labor, and other cost transactions associated with the invoice. Further, you can zoom on the Other cost category to view the four cost categories other than Labor. You can enter a description of the work performed by choosing the Description button. This description prints on default invoice styles 3 through 7.

7. Save the invoice to a batch or post it. See Posting from Service Management or Batch posting from Microsoft Dynamics GP.

• You can edit the tax amount in the Invoicing Tax Detail Entry window, which is opened using the Tax field expansion button. However, if you edit tax amounts, save the invoice to a batch, and reopen the invoice, the edited tax amounts will not be saved. Taxes are recalculated when the invoice is opened. To save the edited tax amounts, post the invoice before closing the Service Invoice window.
• Tax calculations include committed costs.

See also: