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      Invoice Management in Planyard

      In this article, you will find extensive content on invoice management in Planyard

      Table of contents

      1. Introduction
      2. Video Introduction to Purchase Invoices
      3. Collecting Cost Documents
        1. Forward Email from Accounts Payable to Planyard
        2. Planyard Email Plugin
        3. Planyard Mobile Application 
        4. Manual Upload
      4. Project Files Overview
      5. Processing Invoices
      6. Costs Overview

      Introduction

      Planyard provides a straightforward method for collecting and processing invoices, ensuring that relevant information is sent to accounting and that the live budget is updated accordingly, all within a single process. 

      When an invoice is imported into Planyard, the system will automatically scan it for relevant information. This means that if an invoice is uploaded to the company inbox and contains correct information, Planyard will automatically allocate the invoice to the correct project for approval. If the invoice is related to a subcontract or a purchase order, it will be automatically linked, and information such as the vendor, line-items, and other details will be extracted directly from the purchase order or subcontract. Additionally, essential data like the invoice number and date will be scanned and recorded automatically.

      In conclusion, handling and processing purchase invoices through Planyard streamlines the entire procedure, saving considerable time by automating information flow and reducing the risk of human error.

      Video Introduction to Purchase Invoices

       

       

      Collecting Cost Documents

      There are different ways of collecting invoices and other cost documents to Planyard. Let's have a look at the options that are available and how to set them up: 

      Forward Emails from Accounts Payable to Planyard

      If your company has an accounts payable email set up, where purchase invoices to your company is sent, you can automatically forward any mails sent to your accounts payable email to Planyard.

      Every company account created in Planyard will have a designated email address, any documents sent to this email address will automatically be uploaded to the company account inbox within Planyard. 

      To access the email address, click 'Inbox' in the top menu row, here you will find the email address:

      Copy this email address and setup up a rule for your accounts payable email to autoforward any emails received to this email address. This will ensure that all cost documents sent to your accounts payable email will automatically be uploaded to Planyard. 

      Set up autoforwarding for Outlook 

      Set up autoforwarding for Gmail 

       

      Planyard Email Plugin

      You can install the Planyard email plugin to Outlook or Gmail, this will enable you to upload any cost documents in your inbox to the correct project in Planyard with a few clicks. You can download the plugin from the Microsoft AppSource or Google Marketplace. 

      Once the plugin as been successfully installed, you will be able to forward documents directly from your inbox onto Planyard. 

      Gmail

      The Planyard logo will be available on the right side of your screen while an email is opened, click the logo, select which project to upload the document to, done! 

      Outlook

      When you receive a new cost document, open up the email. You will see 'Upload to Planyard' under more actions for that email. Clicking it will open up Planyard's add-in.

      Once logged in, select the project you want to associate with this file.

      You can also leave a comment, so, that it's easier to process the file later in Planyard.

      The email attachment is automatically visible in the Planyard add-in. If there are several attachments in an email, you can remove the unnecessary ones and upload only the ones you want.

      The uploaded file(s) will then appear in Planyard under Files for the project you selected - ready to be processed by you or your team members when you have time.

       

      Planyard Mobile Application

      The Planyard mobile application can be downloaded for free in the IOS AppStore or Google Play Store. Once you've downloaded and logged in to the app, you can upload pictures or documents via the application. 

       

      Manual Upload 

      Invoices can be uploaded manually to either you project or company inbox.

      Upload to company inbox:

      1. Click 'Inbox' in the top menu row.
      2. Either drag the file to the designated box or browse and select the file.

      Upload to project:

      1. Navigate to the project and click 'Files' in the project menu row
      2. Click 'Upload files' on the right side of the screen.
      3. Either drag the file to the designated box or browse and select the file.

       

      Project Files Overview

      The files tab at the project level serves as a central repository for all documents related to the project. All invoices allocated to the project are stored here until they are processed, ensuring they are organised and easily accessible. In addition to purchase invoices, you can also upload sales invoices for processing. Notifications on the project menu row will notify you if there are any documents yet to be processed. Let's go through the functionality for the project files overview: 

      • Upload files: You can manually upload files by clicking 'Upload files' in the top right corner.

      • Tabs: Over the list of files, you will see three tabs - cost files, other files, and drafts. All files uploaded to Planyard will be automatically sorted under cost files (since the majority of imported files are invoices). If a file is not related to costs, it could then be moved to the tab 'Other files.' Under 'Drafts,' you'll find invoices where we have started the processing but not finished it.

      • Tickbox: In front of the imported files, you will see a tick box. Clicking the box enables you to perform actions on the file:

        • Mapping: If there are several files related to the same event, tick the boxes for the files and click 'Mapping.' This will allow you to tie several files to the same cost.

        • Delete: Click here to delete the file.

        • Move to inbox: If the file has been allocated to the wrong project, click on 'Move to inbox' to move it back to the company inbox.

        • Change to other: Change the file from a cost file to another file.

        • View individual files: If you have received an email containing multiple files that Planyard has imported, this function enables you to see them as a group or individually.

       

      Processing Purchase Invoice

      When processing a purchase invoice or other cost documents, information is automatically retrieved through OCR scanning. The invoice number, due date, and invoice date are details that Planyard will automatically extract, provided they are clearly stated on the invoice. To process an invoice, navigate to the project files, click on the invoice you wish to process, and fill out the necessary information.


      1. Select the supplier or subcontractor that issued the invoice. If the company is not listed, click 'Add Company' on the right to add it. The document type options in the next step will vary based on the selected company, as Planyard identifies ongoing processes with that contact.  
      2. Select the document type. Available options for cost documents include:
        1. Other costs (receipts, labor, etc.)
        2. Invoice for a subcontract (available only if there is an ongoing contract with the contact)
        3. Invoice for a purchase order (available only if there is an ongoing purchase order with the contact)
        4. Invoice for a valuation (available only if there is an ongoing valuation with the contact)
      3. Name the invoice.
      4. Enter the invoice number.
      5. Enter the invoice date.
      6. Enter the due date.
      7. Add the total invoice amount (optional). This helps in allocating costs, allowing you to see how much has been allocated and how much remains.
      8. If necessary, you can add a comment for the accountant to see when issuing the payment.
      9. Select the line items related to the invoice by choosing a line item from the dropdown menu or clicking 'Select in Bulk' to view an overview of your budget. This allows you to select multiple items where you want to allocate the cost for the invoice. 
      10. Allocate the costs to the line items.
      Once the information is supplied, click submit to submit the invoice.  

      Costs Overview

      The Costs tab collects all cost documents for the site, allowing you to see details and open all costs associated with the project. This overview includes invoices, receipts, and other expense records processed in Planyard. Let's go through information presented in the overview as well as related features:


      1. Export Button: Allows you to export the list of cost documents.
      2. Approve a New Cost Button: Click to approve a new cost for the project.
      3. Approved Costs Tab: Displays a list of all approved cost documents.
      4. Waiting for Approval Tab: Shows a list of subcontractor payment applications that are yet to be approved.
      5. Drafts Tab: Contains all draft cost documents.
      6. Archived Tab: Lists all archived cost documents.
      7. Cost List:
        • Colour Indicators: Visualises the status of internal approval process.
        • Cost Name: Names of the cost items (e.g., Containers, Furnitures, Sledgehammers).
        • Company: The name of the company associated with the cost (e.g., Steve Corp, Charlies Carpentry, [DEMO] Electric Inc.).
        • Cost Type: Type of cost (e.g., Invoice).
        • Date: Date of the cost document (e.g., 19 Jun 2024).
        • Due Date: Due date for the payment (e.g., 11 May 2030, 15 Jun 2024).
        • Line-items: Number of line-items in each cost document.
        • Total: Total amount for each cost document (e.g., £200.00, £1,000.00, £100.00).