WAP Help and User Guide – Invoices Module v21

1. WAP Navigation v21

To navigate to Invoices, hover over the menu in the top left, then guide the mouse to the required Invoices sub-menus and click the relevant one to select.  For example, to see invoices awaiting approval, hover over Menu, then Invoices, then click on Approve in the menu below:

2. Invoice Enable Configuration

For the Invoice module to be available the enable module must have the Invoice module ticked.  Once this is configured, Invoice options will then be visible within the system.

For further information on licencing, please speak with your Business Partner in the first instance.

3. Configuring Invoices

These next sections are aimed at WAP consultants and WAP super users looking to set WAP up for the first time.  Much of this would be covered in initial consultancy with your Sage Business Partner or Sicon WAP Consultant.

3.1. Configuring Invoices Module Overview

Prior to reading the detailed guide, the below is a summarised overview of the steps required to configure the invoice module.

These are all explained in more detail throughout this help and user guide.

4. Prerequisites in Sage 200

4.1. Purchase Ledger Invoice Authorisation Required

In Sage 200 Purchase Ledger Settings, enable Purchase Invoice ‘Authorisation Required’ (Sage – Purchase Ledger – Utilities – Ledger Set Up – Ledger Settings – Processing Tab) and set a value at which purchase invoices require approval; this value would usually be set at 0.01.  As soon as this is ticked, invoices will require authorisation and be pulled through to WAP for approval.

When an invoice is entered into Sage that is over this value (either directly onto the Purchase Ledger or via Purchase Order Processing), the tick box is set so the invoice requires authorisation.  WAP will then pick this invoice up for approval and will replace the need to use the basic invoice authorisation in Sage 200.  This functionality in Sage is still available if enabled on a user’s role and within the WAP Addon; it is advised that users don’t have permission to approve in Sage if approval is to be done in WAP, unless required for troubleshooting purposes if invoices are mis-keyed in Sage.

4.2. Default Unauthorised Purchases Nominal Account

While an invoice requires authorisation, a query status ‘U’ will be applied to the transaction and the value will not be paid or post to the associated nominal code(s).  An Unauthorised Payments Balance Sheet Code should be created and listed in the Default Nominal Accounts (Sage – Nominal Ledger – Utilities – Ledger Set Up – Default Nominal Accounts – Balance Sheet).  This is the Balance Sheet liability account where unauthorised purchase invoices are posted.  The invoice value will post to this balance sheet code until the invoice is authorised at which point it will move from this code and post to the appropriate nominal code(s). The transaction date will be taken from the Invoice date but the invoice will post to the next available open Purchases accounting period.

N.B. if this default account is not set up, the value will initially post to the Suspense Account.  It is not recommended to use the Suspense Account as this can confuse month-end reporting.

If required, a Reverse Journal can be run from within WAP Add-ons at month end to post the values of any outstanding unauthorised invoices to the appropriate nominal code, allow for month end reports to be run and the journal will then automatically reverse to put these unauthorised invoices back to the unauthorised nominal code.  See the WAP Add-on Help and User Guide for more information on this function.

4.3. Use Existing and Active Nominal Accounts

To prevent invoices being coded to incorrect or invalid nominal codes, it is recommended to restrict users from being able to choose invalid nominal accounts (Nominal Ledger – Utilities – Ledger Settings – Options tab):

4.4. WAP Add-ons

The WAP Add-on provides additional features for Sage 200, particularly with regard to additional analysis and processing for invoices and month end routines in Sage 200.  Please see the WAP Add-on Help and User Guide for an overview of all settings.

5. Invoice System Settings

System Settings relating to the Invoice module are accessed in System Settings – Invoices menu item.  Settings are defaulted in a way that many sites will not need to make changes, however the below explains the settings available within WAP.

5.1. Invoice Tab - Display Banner

Display Allocated (Paid) Status:  whether to show the payment allocation status of an invoice; once a payment has been allocated to an invoice this will update in WAP to show either Unpaid, Allocated or Paid.

Remove ‘All Suppliers’ Option – hides all suppliers from the Filter on Invoice entry screens within WAP.  Applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only.

Remove ‘Approved Suppliers’ Option – hides approved suppliers from the Filter on Invoice entry screens within WAP.  Applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only.

5.2. Invoice Tab - Functionality Banner

Allow duplicate Transaction References:  if invoices require editing once they are in the WAP system, e.g. nominal code to be changed, this setting will need to be enabled.

Pick up Suggested Payments for approval in WAP:  if suggested payments should be approved in WAP, enable this setting.  If not ticked, suggested payments would not require approval in WAP before being paid in Sage.

Require Invoices to be recorded by matching to a Goods Received note:  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only.

Require Expected Invoice Values to Match Actual values when recording invoices:  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only.

Automatically populate the second reference with the WAP Invoice ID:  for invoices entered directly into WAP; automatically populate the second reference with the WAP document ID.

Approve invoices ‘Select all’ check box selects all items on the current page (off selects all items all pages):  if users have the User Type permission to select and approve multiple invoices at a time and if this setting is enabled, only invoices on the current page will be approved, preventing users from accidentally approving all items on all pages without checking the invoices on subsequent pages.

Automatically Load Existing Invoices on Page Load:  if ticked, all current invoices will be loaded automatically.  If not ticked, use the Search filters and Quick Links to display invoices required.  N.B. by default Completed invoices will not show unless the option to include completed is ticked.

Validate a Sage accounting period exists for the Invoice Transaction Date:  when ticked, the system will validate whether the accounting period exists when saving or submitting an invoice.  This setting is applicable only to invoices entered directly into WAP.

Number of seconds old Invoices / Credits have to be before picked up by the WAP service for approval:  by default this is set to zero so invoices will be picked up by the WAP service as soon as they are saved in Sage.  If other third party software must be run in Sage once an invoice has been saved prior to WAP picking the invoice up, enter a value here, e.g. 60 seconds.

Transaction Analysis Code Mandatory (if enabled in Sage):  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only; if transaction analysis codes have been configured in Sage, these must be completed in WAP.

Restrict Invoice Line Date Entry:  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only; this can restrict the time period an invoice can be entered.

When Placing Invoices on Hold:  notifications can be sent to previous/current/future approvers to advise the invoice has been placed on hold.  If this setting is changed, please ensure the WAP service is restarted as this relates to email notifications.

Hold Reason Entry Method: when approvers put an invoice on hold, they will either use a free text entry method, or a pre-defined list can also be created.  To set up a predefined list, this is done under System Setup banner – Approval Hold Reasons.  It is a usertype permission to Maintain Hold Reasons.

5.3. Costing Module Integration Prerequisites

The WAP system can be configured to integrate with Sicon Projects, Sage Project Accounting or WAP Projects.  Select accordingly with System Settings – Costing – once a costing module has been set, please restart the WAP service.

Enable posting to Sage Commercials (SOP & POP):  only untick this setting if the Sage install does not use Commercials’ this will mean that invoices will be entered directly into WAP.  If this setting is disabled, a costing module cannot be selected.

Enable Intercompany features (e.g. stock transfer, nominal postings for invoices):  only tick this if linking WAP with Sicon Intercompany for invoices to post to mirrored nominal codes.

None:  check if this is no costing module is to be enabled; this option is the default.

Sicon Projects:  select if WAP is to be linked with Sicon Projects; additional menu options will then appear.

Job Percentage Complete Filter:  any projects with a percentage complete figure greater than the figure entered here will not be pulled through to WAP.  This is only relevant to invoices if projects will be changed during approval.

The number of transactions to display per page on summary:  this will determine on the Sicon Projects enquiry screen in WAP, how many transactions to display on the summary page.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

The number of transactions to display per page on main tabs when displayed in CRM:  if using CRM integration, this will determine on the Sicon Projects enquiry screen, how many transactions to display on the main tabs.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

The number of transactions to display per page on main tabs when displayed in WAP:  this will determine on the Sicon Projects enquiry screen in WAP, how many transactions to display on the main tabs.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Job Cost Rates are allocated in Sage 200:  set against each employee in Sicon Projects which cost rates should be available in WAP to choose from when entering timesheets.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module.

Show the Cost to Complete tab in Sicon Projects list:  tick to show the cost to complete tab; if this shouldn’t be shown in WAP, untick.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Show the Project Summary tab in Sicon Projects list:  tick to show the project summary tab; if this shouldn’t be shown in WAP, untick.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Default to simple view for Sicon Projects list:  tick to default to the simple view for Sicon Projects list; if the advanced view should show, untick.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Send Construction Applications to Project Manager for approval (uses standard WAP approval routes if false):  tick if any construction applications will just require approval from the project manager.  If more complex approval routes are required, do not tick this option and build approval routes accordingly.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Project Accounting:  select if linking WAP to Sage Project Accounting, an additional menu option will appear.

Show Description in Project Item Drop Down:  by default this is ticked; untick if the user should not see the project description, only the project code.

WAP Projects:  select if linking to WAP Projects, an additional menu option will appear.  WAP project information will not post through to Sage.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Auto Generate WAP Project Numbers:  tick if project numbers should be auto generated or untick if project numbers should be entered manually.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Allow list selection of Project Items (if this is disabled users must use the tree):  by default, this is selected and will allow users to select a project and project header from the drop down list rather than using the tree structure.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Show tree selection box:  select this to allow the user to select a project header or project item using the tree structure; this can make it easier for users if projects have many layers of project items.  N.B. some screens (Rapid Timesheet Entry screen, Edit Invoice screen) do not allow for tree selection, users can only pick a project item from the drop down list.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically.

Force Project Selection:  set to either Yes, No or Prompt to specify whether users should enter a project against each item line within WAP.  If Sicon Projects is configured, this should be set as Yes.  Yes, will force across all modules all lines to be entered against a Project and Project Header; Prompt will allow the user to not select a project but they will see a pop up asking if they should select a project, and No will allow the line to be saved with no project selected.  This is not relevant to the Invoices module specifically, if Sicon Projects is enabled, a project must be selected.

In addition to the WAP Costing settings, Project Integration must be turned on within Sage for the relevant costing module.

Project Accounting: this can be configured in Project Accounting – Utilities – System Setup – Project Accounting Settings – Integration:

For further information on configuring Sage Project Accounting with Invoices, speak with your Sage Business Partner.

Sicon Projects: this can be configured in Sicon Projects – Utilities – Project Settings:

For further information For further information on configuring Sicon Projects with Invoices, refer to the Sicon Projects Help and User Guide in the first instance.

6. Invoice User Type Permissions

What are User Type Permissions?

In addition to system settings, some permissions are driven at a User Type level; User types are similar to Roles within Sage Administration.  Different levels of management could belong to one User type if they perform the same duties.  The amount that someone can approve an invoice for is configured from within the user profile.  For example, a cost centre budget holder and a director could both belong to the same User Type that can both approve invoices and run reports.  However, at the point of creating the user, the budget holder may be given a finite approval limit, whereas the Director may be given an unlimited approval limit.  See the next section on Invoice User Permissions for further information on this aspect.

Configuring User Type Permissions

Permissions for whether a user is able to approve, amend or view reports are set at a User Type level, under the Invoices/Credits tab.

Enter New Invoices:  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only – the ability to enter new invoices.

Enter New Batch Invoices:  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only – the ability to enter invoices in a batch.

Enter New Credit Notes:  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only – the ability to enter new credit notes.

Copy Invoices:  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only – the ability to create new invoices by coping existing invoices.

Record PO Invoices:  applicable to invoices entered directly into WAP only – the ability to record invoices against approved Purchase Orders.

Approve Invoices / Credits:  the ability to approve an invoice.  If a user does not have this permission, they cannot be selected when building an approval route.

Delete Invoices / Credits:  the ability to delete an invoice.  If an invoice has been pulled through to WAP from Sage and then deleted in WAP, it will be pulled through to WAP again for approval as the invoice in Sage still has the ‘U’ query flag.

View all Invoices / Credits:  the ability to view all invoices in WAP.  Usually only Admin or Finance users would be given this permission.

Amend Invoices / Credits:  the permission to edit an invoice or credit note, i.e. to change a nominal code or split lines.  Depending on Costing module configuration, it may not be possible to change the invoice.

Allow Adding Notes to Invoices / Credit Notes:  the ability to add notes to an invoice during the approval process; these notes are only visible in WAP and will not post through to Sage.  If an invoice is edited or re-routed it can be useful to add notes to pass information onto other approvers.

View Invoice / Credit Reports:  permission to run the invoice report showing all invoices, their values, status, approval history etc.

Approve Suggested Payments:  the ability to approve suggested payments.  If a user does not have this permission, they cannot be selected when building an approval route.

Amend Suggested Payments:  the ability to make any changes to suggested payments.

Delete Suggested Payments:  the ability to delete a suggested payment within WAP; the suggested payment routine would need to be run within Sage to pull through payments for approval.

Maintain Hold Reasons: the ability to maintain reasons for putting invoices on hold during approval in WAP.

Other User Type permissions from other tabs can also be beneficial for Invoice User configuration.  See the User Settings Help and User Guide for full information on all User Type permissions.  In particular, the General (for filtering reports) and Costing tabs (to specify whether to allow project amendments during approval, if permitted).

7. Invoice User Permissions

Configuring User Permissions

A number of permissions can be set on the user profile relating to viewing or approving invoices.

What are User Permissions?

Unlike User Type permissions that belong to a group of users, User permissions are set at a user level to determine specific permissions for individual users.  For example, a cost centre budget holder and a director could both belong to the same User Type that can both approve invoices and run reports.  However, at this point of creating the user, the budget holder may be given a finite approval limit, whereas a Director may be given an unlimited approval limit under their Account Options tab.  This section explains all the tabs relevant to invoices within a users’ profile.

7.1. Account Options Tab

Against a user set their Invoice Item and Approval values; item value is the amount the user is able to enter an invoice for and approval value is the amount a user is able to approve an invoice for.  If invoices are to be entered in Sage, the item value can be left at zero while if a user is not allowed to approve an invoice (i.e. Finance Users to be included only in the Reject Invoice approval route), leave the approval value as zero.  If a user has unlimited approval value (i.e. for users at the end of an approval route), set the approval value as 999,999,999.  When creating approving users and considering approval routes, it is important to ensure that there are approvers with enough approval to cover the value of the invoice.

7.2. Business Units Tab

If the user belongs to a business unit they will be able to view any invoices awaiting approval or approved by other users within the business unit.

If entering invoices in WAP, business units can be chosen at that stage.  Further information on this is included later in this User Guide.

If invoices are to be entered in Sage, then the WAP Addon setting to “Select WAP approver and record additional notes after invoice / credit note entry” must be turned on to enable Business Units to be defined.  Further information on this setting is available in the WAP Addon Help and User Guide.

7.3. Nominal Tab

This tab can be used to view nominal codes the user has been given access to, or to set that the user is to have access to all nominal codes.  These codes will be visible to the user if amending a nominal code.

It is also possible to set different levels of approval at a nominal level here.  For example, an IT Manager may have an approval value of 10k, but for any IT Nominals, it could be set that they have an approval value of 100k.  Where the IT manager is in an approval route, if the nominal account on the invoice line is outside of their cost centre, then the 10k limit will apply.  If the nominal account on the invoice line falls within the IT department, the 100k limit will apply instead.

To allocate multiple nominal accounts to a user, it is recommended that this is done either via the Nominal Account Wizard or an import (within System Settings cogs – User Setup banner – Nominal Accounts).  See User Settings Help and User Guide for more information on configuring this.

7.4. Projects Tab

If a costing module has been configured, this tab can be used to view projects or project headers the user has been given access to, or to set that the user is to have access to all projects or project headers.  These projects and project headers will be visible to the user if amending an invoice (if the project can be amended and the user has the User Type permission to do so).

Tips for configuring Projects

It is possible to restrict project headers against specific projects within Sage (see Projects Help and User Guide for further information on this).  If done this way, this automatically feeds through to WAP and will not need configuring at this user level.

Alternatively, within WAP it is also possible to restrict project headers against specific users, as mentioned above.

For invoices, all header Types will be available.  For other WAP modules, it is recommended that ‘Access All Project Headers’ is not ticked, and only the Projects and/or Project Headers are configured as required (either specific projects, specific headers, all projects, all headers, or a combination of these options).

To allocate multiple projects or project headers to a user, it is recommended that this is done either via the Projects Wizard (within System Settings cogs – User Setup banner – Projects / Project Headers / Project Header Types) or an import (within System Settings cogs – User Setup banner – Users – Import and Export – Import – Costing).  See User Settings Help and User Guide for more information on configuring these.

7.5. Company Access Tab

This tab will show what companies the user has been given access to along with their default delivery and invoice addresses. Users will require access to a company to be able to approve an invoice or run reports.

8. Configuration of Invoice Approval Routes

Before invoices are configured in Sage to require authorisation, ensure approval routes have been setup correctly.  Approval routes can be configured in a number of ways (i.e. based on nominal account, Project or supplier) but the recommended configuration would be based on nominal account.  It is only possible to configure invoices on Requesting User if Invoices are entered in WAP rather than Sage.  For further information on configuring Approval Routes, please refer to the WAP Approval Routes Help and User Guide.

8.1. Standard Invoice Approval

Use the approval route wizard or import to configure approval routes for invoices based on configuration; e.g. either based on nominal account, project manager, supplier etc.  Ensure when building routes that there is a user in the route who can approve high value invoices; routes should start with an approver with the smallest approval value and end with a user with unlimited approval value.  Approval routes for invoices that are entered in WAP can also be based on Requesting User however, this is not possible for invoices that are entered in Sage.

Invoices entered in WAP or Sage will pick up the standard approval route regardless of whether they are entered directly in the Purchase Ledger or via Purchase Order Processing.  There are further options available for Invoices linked with Purchase Orders, explained in the “Automatic Invoice Approval” section of this Help and User Guide.  It is also possible to create Custom Approval Routes in Sage at the point of recording the invoice, and this is explained later in the “WAP Invoice/Credit Additional Options” section of this guide.

8.2. Rejected Invoice Approval Routes

Before an invoice can be rejected the default reject invoice approval route will need to be configured – WAP System Settings cogs – Approval Route Setup – Approval Routes – Edit Default Approval Route – Rejected Invoices & Credits.  It is advised to configure this route to either one member of the Finance Team or a list of users within the Finance Team; it will be their responsibility to recode an invoice and resubmit for approval, they will not be doing any approval of invoices.  These users require permission to approve an invoice (so they can be put into the rejected invoices approval route), would be given zero invoice approval value and would also require permission to amend invoices and access to all nominal codes in case amendments are required.

Either use the ‘Simple’ option to add one user into the approval route or use the ‘Advanced’ option to add a User List or User Type to the route.

In the screen above, Add Requester could also be used for invoices entered in WAP, and will redirect a rejected invoice back to the user who raised the invoice.  This option is not possible for invoices entered in Sage as the user in Sage does not map to a WAP user and the invoice would not move on for approval.

A default rejected invoice route needs to be configured regardless of whether invoices are entered in Sage (commercials enabled) or in WAP (commercials disabled).

9. Automatic Invoice Approval

WAP has been developed with three settings regarding approving invoices that are linked to purchase orders.  Only one of the below settings can be chosen.  If these settings are changed, clear the WAP Cache and restart the WAP service once saved to ensure the new configuration is picked up.

9.1. Automatically approve invoices that are linked to Purchase Orders

This option allows for the auto approval of an invoice that is linked to a related requisition and will be used in conjunction with the variance checking options beneath.  If an invoice fails the variance check, it will not be automatically approved but will be pulled through into WAP and will follow the pre-configured invoice approval routes (see the last section on Configuration of Invoice Approval Routes).  The approver will see a post-it note against the invoice on the approval screen which will show the variance detail, in addition to a ‘justification’ tab which holds this information.  If the invoice was entered in Sage, comments added by the user who entered the invoice would also be shown on this tab.

Check for variance when auto approving invoices (Requires WAP Addon configured in Sage): Using the WAP Add-on in Sage, this setting will check for any variance in conjunction with the other settings configured on this screen.

Acceptable variance percentage with purchase order line: This setting will check the value of the invoiced line(s) against the total of the matched PO lines with the figure here.
Acceptable variance value with purchase order line (WAP base currency): This setting will check the value of the invoiced line against the total value of the matched PO lines with the figure here.  If the invoice falls outside of this acceptable monetary value it will require additional comments to explain the discrepancy (if it is within the variance, comments are not mandatory), and will then be sent for approval.

If the invoice falls within this variance, the invoice will be automatically approved in WAP.

Note; these two settings work together so if there is any variance outside of either of these settings, the invoice will require approval in WAP.

Check the invoiced quantity matches the Goods Received quantity:  this setting will check the invoice quantity against the total goods received quantity.  It requires three-way matching to be turned on in Sage Purchase Order Settings.

If the order is part-received and invoiced, this will not be counted as a variance that requires approval, but an additional comment will be displayed for the user keying the invoice to explain that the Invoiced Quantity doesn’t match so this can be queried prior to approval.  If there is no GRN at all, a warning will be displayed to the user to explain that “Order X has been invoiced for X items but no items have been delivered.”  The user will then need to enter a reason for this variance (or close the screen if this is a mistake and query with the user who raised the requisition).

Further information with examples of all these variance settings are available within the WAP Add-on Help and User Guide.

Automatically approve if invoice line is less than purchase order line:  this option can be configured if company policy is to approve automatically an invoice that is received less than the purchase order.

What checks are made?

Below is an illustration of all the checks that are being made by the WAP Addon in Sage depending on the settings above configured in WAP:

If an invoice falls outside of the acceptable variance in Sage it will require additional comments from the input clerk to explain the variance, and will then be sent for approval.

If an invoice is entered in WAP, the same checks are made however no comments are required as these can be added directly to the invoice in WAP, if required.

If the invoice falls within this variance, comments are not mandatory and the invoice will be automatically approved in WAP.

Invoices that are not auto approved should be approved first by the requisition requestor, then the normal approval route for the invoice: If there is no ‘Invoice & Credits with variance’ default route configured, this setting routes a PO invoice first to the PO requesting user in WAP, before moving onto the normal approval route for the invoice.  Each user who could raise a requisition would need to also be given permission to approve an invoice with a suitable invoice approval value (this could be £0).  If the user has enough Invoice Approval to cover the whole invoice, it will not move onto the usual approval route and will fully approved by the original requisition requester.

9.2. Invoices linked to requisitions should be approved by the requisition requester

This option generates a custom approval route for each invoice that is linked to a requisition; the route will contain only the user who raised the requisition in WAP and will not follow the pre-configured standard approval route or any budget checking options.  If this option is required, each user who could raise a requisition would need to also be given permission to approve an invoice with unlimited invoice approval value.

9.3. All invoices require approval

This setting can be enabled if no auto approval is permitted and all invoices should require authorisation through the standard configured approval routes.

Note, if these settings are changed please ensure the WAP service is restarted for changes to be picked up.

10. Entering Invoices

The next few sections are aimed at users who record invoices, covering the features they may use in their day-to-day role.  If a site is not using Sage Commercials, invoices can be entered in WAP and the sections regarding WAP Invoice entry are to be followed.  If Sage Commercials are enabled, then invoices should be entered in Sage and these sections followed instead.

11. New Invoice Entry - WAP

If a site is not using Sage Commercials, invoices can be entered into WAP that once approved, will post into Sage Purchase Ledger.

From the side Invoices menu, select New Invoice.  N.B. Options on this screen will be dependent on the functionality and options enabled or disabled within the System Settings.

Company:  the user’s default company will be selected here and greyed out if the user only has access to one.  If the user has access to multiple companies, they can select a different company here.

Supplier:  select the correct supplier from the drop down list either by typing the supplier name or code.  All suppliers will be pulled through from Sage; if a supplier is on hold in Purchase Ledger it will not appear on the list.  If required, within system settings – Invoices, the supplier list may be restricted to show only Approved Suppliers as defined in Sage 200.

Currency:  once a supplier has been selected, their currency will be shown.

WAP Reference:  this will be auto populated by WAP once the invoice is saved.

Urgent:  if the user marks an invoice as urgent they will need to enter a reason for the urgency in the Urgent pop up box.  Once the invoice is then submitted, an email will be sent instantly to approvers advising them there is an invoice awaiting approval.

Document Date:  this will auto populate to the current date but can changed as required.

Due Date:  this will auto populate in accordance with the supplier’s payment terms as configured on their Purchase Ledger account.

Reference:  free text box to enter the invoice number.

Second reference:  free text box which can be used to enter an additional reference.  Alternatively, a system setting can be configured to automatically populate the second reference with the WAP reference once the invoice is saved.

Save Only:  clicking this will allow the user to save the invoice before submitting; i.e. if extra lines or attachments need to be added before the invoice is submitted.

Save and Submit:  this will send the invoice for approval.

Close:  this will close the screen without saving any changes.

Reset Lines:  this option will reset the approval route for all lines back to the beginning of the approval route.

Copy Invoice:  this will allow the use to select a previously approved invoice to copy and create a new invoice for approval.

11.1. Add a New Item

Select Add a New Item and complete as required.  N.B. certain fields or boxes may not be visible as below, depending on the System Setup.

Details:  free text field to enter the description of the invoiced items.

Account reference:  this will show the supplier code as selected on the original invoice entry screen.

Reference:  this will show the invoice reference as selected on the original invoice entry screen.

Supplier Name:  this will show the supplier account name as selected on the original invoice entry screen.

Second Reference:  depending on configuration, this will either show the second reference as selected on the original invoice entry screen or the WAP invoice reference.

Transaction Date:  this will show the date as selected on the original invoice entry screen.

Gross Goods Value:  once lines have been saved, this will show the total gross goods value.

Tax Code:  this will default to the tax code as configured on the supplier account in Sage but can be overridden if required.

Tax Value:  this will show the total tax value.

Narrative:  by default this will contain the supplier code and invoice reference; additional text can be added as required.

Save:  click to save the line to the invoice.  Once saved, the invoice line details box remains on the screen ready to add further lines if required.  By default, the nominal code will remain but can be changed.

Close:  when no further lines are required on the invoice, click Close to return to the invoice header page.

Nominal Analysis Tab

The user will need to select a nominal code for the line item.  Nominal codes can be searched for either by typing an account number or name.  Users can be given permission on their User profile to ‘Access All Nominal Codes’ but it is advised to restrict user nominal access so they see a limited list of codes.

Approval Tab

The approval tab will display the route configured for this line item.  Users will not be able to make any changes to the route, unless they have the user type permission to ‘Create ad-hoc Approval Routes’ – this is recommended for Finance or Admin users only.

Budget Status

If budget checking has been enabled, the details will be shown under this banner and a detailed drilldown can be viewed by clicking on the budget link.

11.2. Attachments Tab

This tab is used to add file attachments to be viewed during the approval process.  If Sicon Documents is configured, invoice attachments will post through from WAP to Sage.  Documents can either be dropped on the file box as indicated, or use the button to browse for a file as required.  If one document is attached, a single paperclip will appear in the Flag column on the invoice summary grid tables and approval grid page, if further documents are attached, two paperclips will show.

11.3. Related Orders Tab

If the invoice has been entered into WAP linked to a PO in WAP, this tab will show order and order line information.

11.4. Justification Tab

This tab is used to provide additional notes and information regarding the invoice that would be visible to the approver.  These additional notes are for internal use only; they will not post through to Sage.  If WAP Analysis Fields have been set up, these will be displayed and can be completed as required.  If the invoice is linked with a Purchase Order, and variance checking is turned on, a summary of any variances will also display here.  If notes have been added a post-it note icon will appear in the Flag column on the invoice summary grid tables and approval grid pages.

11.5. Approval History Tab

This tab will start to be populated once the invoice has been submitted and starts through the approval process.

Filter By Item:  by default all invoice liens will show, use this drop down box to filter to view history of one specific line.

Urgent Reason:  if the user ticked the option to mark the invoice as urgent, the reason given will be displayed here.

11.6. Audit History Tab

If configured, this tab will be populated with information on the invoice lines; when they were created, amended or deleted and by which user.  By default, all invoice lines will show but the filters can be used to only show specific lines, audit actions (e.g. create, edit, delete etc.) or a date range when the action occurred.

Auditing is switched on in System Settings – Auditing.

11.7. Copy Existing Invoice

Once an invoice has been fully approved it can be copied to create a new invoice.  This functionality is useful if repeat invoices are being placed regularly, or invoices with many lines.  The user should find the correct invoice to copy using the search functionality and click to View.  Once the invoice is open, click the Copy Invoice button at the bottom of the screen.

Sage Database:  select the correct Sage company for the new invoice to be raised in.  Only companies the user has access to will be visible.

Copy From:  this is the invoice that will be copied; the invoice number need to be entered on the new invoice once it has been created.

Supplier:  choose the correct supplier the new invoice should be raised for; start typing either the supplier name or account number to find.

Invoice/Credit:  select whether the new invoice is to be an invoice or a credit.

Copy:  click here to create the new invoice, or cancel out to avoid completing this.

Once copied, a new invoice is created.  This new invoice can then be edited if required; i.e. if lines need to be added or deleted, or changes to quantities etc. need to be made.  Once the invoice is correct, this can then be submitted for approval.

12. New Credit Entry - WAP

Credit notes can be entered into WAP following the same process as for new invoice entry as detailed above.  The ability to enter credit notes is a User Type permission so if required, users may be able to enter invoices but not credit notes.

13. WAP - Batch Invoice Entry

This option can be used to enter multiple invoices at the same time.  Select Batch Entry from the side menu and complete the fields as required.  Use Update to save each batch line.  The ability to enter batch invoices is a User Type permission so if required, users may be able to enter invoices but not invoices in batches.

Choose the correct Sage Database and enter lines as appropriate.

Add a new line:  click to add additional invoice lines.

Save Only:  save and open the invoices; this will allow users to add attachments or notes as required before submitting the invoice for approval.

Save and Submit:  save and submit the invoices for approval.

Close:  close the screen without any changes.

Once submitted, an invoice for each line will be created.  The invoices will follow the configured approval routes and appear in the Submitted tab until the invoice has been approved.

14. WAP - PO Invoice Entry

An invoice can be entered for a single supplier and either one or multiple POs raised and approved within WAP.  PO invoices should only be recorded in WAP if using Sage 200 with no Commercials.

From the navigation menu, select Record PO Invoices.  Select the correct supplier, enter the invoice date, reference and goods and tax value.  Click Find Orders to display all approved and outstanding POs from the chosen supplier.

From the list displayed, choose the appropriate PO(s) that the invoice matches to and click OK.

Select the PO lines and goods received lines to which the invoice relates to.

N.B.  if the invoice differs from the PO line, edit the Quantity to be invoiced or the Unit Price on the appropriate lines.  The quantity to be invoiced figure will be pulled through from the quantity received.

Save & Open:  save the current screen and open the invoice; this will allow users to add attachments or notes as required before submitting the invoice for approval.

Save & Submit:  save the current screen and submit the invoice straight for approval.

Close:  if the invoice should not be recorded, untick the lines selected and click close to return to invoice entry screen.

Once an invoice has been saved, the original purchase order will be updated as invoiced.

15. New Invoice Entry - Sage

If Sage Commercials is enabled, it is recommended that invoices are entered into Sage.  For full information on entering invoices in Sage, speak to your Sage Business partner in the first instance.  Sicon uses the standard Sage functionality to bring the information into WAP.  The next couple of sections detail basic information for entering invoices in Sage that will then pull through to WAP for approval.

15.1. Purchase Ledger Invoice Entry - Sage

In Sage, navigate to Purchase Ledger Purchase Ledger – Enter Transactions – Invoice.

Supplier Details – Code / Short name / Postcode: Select the supplier by entering or choosing the code, short name or postcode.

Invoice details – Invoice Date: This will default to today’s date.

Invoice details – Due Date: This will depend on the payment terms set on the supplier account and can be overridden here if required.

Invoice details – Reference: Enter the invoice number or reference.

Invoice details – Second ref: If required, an additional reference can be entered here, for example a PO reference.

Transaction Details – Goods Value: Enter the net invoice amount.

Transaction Details – Requires Authorisation (checkbox): This must be ticked for invoices to pull through to WAP.  The tickbox will only appear if it has been configured – see the prerequisites section at the beginning of this guide for more information.  Depending on the value configured there, and the value entered, the checkbox may need to be manually checked by the user.

VAT Analysis: This will default to the rate set on the supplier account, and can be overridden here if required.

Nominal Analysis: This will default to the nominal account set on the supplier account and can be overridden if required.

If Sicon Documents is installed and the user given Indexing permissions, the invoice can be entered using the Add Docs button that will appear.  Once the relevant information has been entered, click Save for the invoice to be brought through to WAP.

If the add-on setting to add notes has been enabled, an additional screen will appear which allows for the invoice to be linked with a Business Unit, marked as Urgent, any notes added, and a custom approval route to be created.  If the invoice should follow the standard route, the Override Approval Route options can be left as the default:

Click Save for the invoice to come through to WAP.

Running a Transaction Enquiry against the Supplier will show that the invoice requires authorisation before it can be paid, as identified by the Query flag on the transaction line.  And the invoice will sit in the Unauthorised Payments Balance Sheet Code until the invoice has been approved in WAP:

15.2. New POP Invoice Entry - Sage

In Sage, navigate to Purchase Orders List – Order Processing – Record Purchase Invoices.

Supplier Details – Code / Short name / Postcode: Select the supplier by entering or choosing the code, short name or postcode.

Once the supplier is selected, all items on order from that supplier will be displayed.

When an invoice is entered in Sage against a PO, certain information must be recorded on this first Record Purchase Invoice screen.  Enter an invoice date and reference number.  If the values (either the price or quantity) on the invoice differs from the purchase order, this must be changed on the order line or overall invoice value.

If Automatic Invoice Approval is configured, at the point of selecting ‘Post Invoice’, the WAP Add-on will then check the invoice values on this screen against the PO.  If the values match the order and goods received quantities, the invoice will not require approval in WAP.  If there are any variances against the settings within WAP, a popup will be displayed at the time of saving the invoice.

In the above example, the original purchase order unit price was £250; this has been changed on invoice to be for £300.

The yellow exclamation mark next to the Comments section indicates that it is mandatory for comments to be entered as the invoice value does not match the PO value and falls outside of the variance; these comments will then show in WAP to the invoice approver both on the yellow post-it note and the Notes tab.

15.3. WAP Invoice/Credit Additional Options

Using settings within the WAP Addon, additional options can be triggered in Sage by turning on the setting to “Select WAP approver and record additional notes after invoice / credit note entry”.  When an invoice entered either in Purchase Ledger or via Purchase Order Processing is saved, additional options pop up and are explained below.

Override Approval Route

By default, WAP will pick up the standard invoice approval route configured when the invoice is saved.  At this stage, it is possible instead to pick a different set of approvers which would override the standard route:

The invoice will come through to WAP marked with a Custom route and all steps will be marked as Mandatory approvers in WAP.  This means that that all approvers will need to approve an invoice before it can post to the relevant nominal accounts in Sage.  As usual throughout WAP, the final approver must have enough approval value to approve the invoice.

This functionality is not compatible with the Rapid or Batched Transactions invoice entry screens in Sage, and only applies to individual invoices and credit notes.

Business Unit

By default, business units are not linked with invoices entered in Sage.  If they have been configured in WAP and invoices are to be visible to all users within that Business Unit, select the relevant business unit here.

Urgent

If the Urgent flag is ticked, this will send an urgent notification to the approver.

The notification will be highlighted and will use the Urgent Email Thread to promptly send an email to the approver.

Notes

Enter any notes that the user may wish the approver to see within WAP.

These will be visible to the approver in WAP either by hovering over the post-it that shows on the invoice for approval:

Or within the approve invoice screen navigate to the Notes tab:

These notes stay within WAP and will not post back to Sage with the invoice.

15.4. Entering CIS Invoices in Sage

Refer to the CIS Help and User Guide for further information on configuring CIS and recording CIS invoices.

Enter the CIS Invoice in Sage as usual:

Enter the required Subcontractor deductions (for Retention if this is not configured against the supplier account and is relevant against this invoice, all others will populate automatically):

A note to explain the CIS element will be displayed:

Both an Invoice and a Credit note will have been created in the Supplier Transaction Enquiry screen:

And the invoice transaction will pass through to WAP for approval as usual, as indicated by the U query flag on the line.

16. Approving

The next few sections are aimed at users who approve invoices, covering the features they may use in their day-to-day role.

17. Invoice Approval - WAP

Once an invoice has been entered into Sage (or WAP, if Sage Commercials are not enabled), pulled through to WAP and is awaiting a user’s approval, a notification will be displayed on their homepage; it is these notifications that will be the basis of reminder emails.

17.1. Approving Invoices

To view the invoice for approval, either click the notification link, the Invoice link under the Items Awaiting Your Approval banner or click Approve Invoices from the navigation menu.

Once within the approve invoice page, the approver will be able to see the invoice ID and References, Sage Company, Supplier, Net and VAT values and Invoice Dates.  The arrow on the left is used to expand the invoice and show all the line detail that the user has to approve (if there are additional lines on the invoice that have gone to another approver, these lines will not be visible to the first approver).

If a document has been added to the invoice, either in Sage 200 using Sicon Documents or Draycir Spindle, or in WAP using the Attachments tab, the first screen to appear will be the Attachments tab showing the approver the copy of the invoice in the second half of the attachments tab:

If using Sicon Documents, it is possible to attach further documents in the top half of this screen using the ‘Select a file for upload’ function in the top half of the screen (or dragging a document onto the ‘Drop File(s) Here’ area.  Any attachments added will be posted back to Sage once approved.

To see further details on the invoice or to approve or reject, click on the Lines tab.

Lines tab:  this tab will show a further breakdown of invoice lines, description, tax information, narrative, line values and project information if applicable.  Individual lines can be approved or rejected, or all lines approved or rejected.  N.B. a reason needs to be entered if an approver rejects either a line or the invoice as a whole and the invoice will not post back through to Sage until all lines have been fully approved.  If a user has the User Type permission, they may be able to Edit an invoice line here; they would be able to change the nominal code to another code within their nominal allocation.  If a nominal code is changed it may be that the line will then move to another approver, depending on approval route configuration.

Attachments tab:  this will collate all attachments added and allow for approvers to review and add documents as needed (documents added will only post back to Sage if Sicon Documents is in use).

Notes tab:  any notes added to the invoice during entry or approval will be visible here and if the approver has permission, they will be able to add additional notes.  This tab would also include any variance descriptions entered on the invoice if being matched to a Purchase Order.

Budgets tab:  if budgets have been configured, either the nominal or project budget can be viewed here and drilled down into.

Approval History tab:  as the invoice is approved, approval history will be built up on this tab per line.  If the delegate function was used to approve an invoice, this will be recorded on the Approval History tab as “User X has approved on behalf of User Y”.
If a user has been assigned as an Out of Office alternate user, the approval history will show “Item X has been reassigned from User Y to User Z”

Hold Invoice:  enter a reason in the box below and then hold the invoice; this will prevent another user from approving this invoice.  It might be that the approver is querying the invoice with the supplier before they are able to approve.

Notify Additional Users:  when putting the invoice on hold, this can be used to let other users know that the invoice is now on hold; additional approvers or the Finance Team may need to be informed.  By selecting other users, they will receive a notification on their homepage under the ‘On Hold’ section.

View Details:  clicking on this will take the approver through to the main invoice entry screen.  Depending on User Type permissions, the approver may be able to edit the expense, i.e. changing the nominal code, splitting the line or restarting the approval route. It is recommended that to make amendments, this is the option chosen rather than editing the line directly.

Once an invoice has been fully approved, it will post through to Sage and be visible in WAP under Existing Invoices under the Completed tab.  To view Completed invoices, make sure the option to ‘Include Completed’ is ticked under the Search filters.  Once an invoice has had a payment allocated in Sage, the Paid column will show this.

17.2. Rejecting Invoices

This functionality is to be used when the responsibility for the invoice is not with the approver and they need to send the invoice back to the Finance Team, e.g. if the invoice was coded incorrectly.  A default reject invoices approval route needs to be set up before an invoice can be rejected; it is advised to configure this route to either one member of the Finance Team or a list of users within the Finance Team; it will be their responsibility to recode an invoice and resubmit for approval, they will not be doing any approval of invoices.  These users require permission to approve an invoice (so they can be put into the rejected invoices approval route), would usually be given zero invoice approval value and would also require access to all nominal codes.

When an approver rejects either an invoice line or the whole invoice, a reason for the rejection needs to be entered before selecting the Reject button; the invoice will then go to the user(s) in the Reject route.  Users will not be able to make any changes to the reject route.

The approver in the reject route will receive a notification there is an invoice for their attention and they should complete as required, e.g. change the nominal code and resubmit for approval by editing the correct line.

Once the new nominal code has been saved, the invoice will go straight for approval based on the configuration e.g. nominal code.  The rejected reason will show to the new approver to make them aware the invoice was rejected initially.  Once fully approved, the invoice will post through to Sage as standard.

If using Sicon Projects and the project needs to be amended, the Finance user can instead click on ‘View Details’, and will have more control for editing the invoice.  Please refer to the Editing Invoices section later in this Help and User Guide for further information on editing invoices.

17.3. Holding an Invoice

This functionality can be used when the responsibility for the invoice approval remains with the approver but there may be a query, e.g. with the price, quantity or service received.  By placing the invoice on hold, the document cannot be approved but is visible to Finance Teams in the Existing Invoices screen and reports.

To place an invoice on hold a reason must be given, depending on settings, this can either be a Free Text reason, or the user can select from a Pre-defined list.

Hold reason set-up

Within System Settings banner – Invoices menu item – Functionality banner, select the Hold Reason Entry Method to either be Free Text or a Predefined list:

If a Pre-defined list is to be used, these will first need to be configured under the System Setup banner – Approval Hold Reasons menu item, where reasons can be added and maintained:

It is a usertype permission to maintain Hold reasons.

Putting an Invoice on Hold

Depending on what settings have been configured above, the approver can place an invoice on hold from the Approve Invoice screen, and will either need to enter a reason in the free text box:

Or choose an option from the drop down if this has been configured instead:

In either instance, click Hold Invoice to place the invoice on hold.

If the user wishes to manually notify additional users that the invoice has been put on hold, they can select this prior to pressing the Hold Invoice button and select the user(s) to notify.

An example of the invoice on hold notifications is included later in this section.

At the point of pressing ‘Hold Invoice’, an additional popup will be displayed allowing the user to send an email to the supplier if they wish (or press ‘cancel’ if they do not wish to do this step).

Some basic wording is included, and can be amended by users if required:

The invoice will now show as On Hold in the Existing Invoices screen and the reason will be visible by hovering on the blue information icon.

If additional users were notified, they will receive a notification on their home screen if this has been configured in the email threads.  An example of the invoice on hold notifications is included later in this section.

If placing the invoice on hold due to a query, once this has been answered and the invoice is accepted, the Approver can take the invoice off hold by selecting the invoice within the Approve Invoices screen, clicking on the Lines tab, selecting to Unhold Invoice and then approve.

If a credit note is requested, once it arrives it should be entered into Sage and will be pulled through to WAP as awaiting approval; the Source will show that this is a credit note rather than invoice.  When approving a credit note an extra tab is available, ‘Invoices on Hold’; this will show any invoices that are currently on hold in WAP for that supplier.  Tick the select box to choose the related invoice, select the appropriate action required from the drop down box and click to approve the credit note and action the invoice.

Approve Invoice:  the invoice will be approved as well as the credit note; if additional approval is required the invoice will then go to further approvers.

Unhold Invoices:  the credit note will be approved and the invoice will be taken off hold to be approved separately.

At any point, the approving user can email the supplier with the current Hold Status if required using the ‘Email Supplier With Hold Status’ button.

Example of On Hold Notifications

Invoice is entered into Sage and pulled through to WAP for approval.  Invoice appears to Richard for approval.

On Richard’s homepage he has a notification under the Approve tab.

Under Existing Invoices, the invoice is in the Submitted tab as it is awaiting approval from Richard.

Under the Approve Invoice screen Richard puts this on hold and selects Rami from the ‘Notify Additional Users’ option.

For Richard, the notification on his homepage remains in the Approve tab – the invoice is still awaiting his approval albeit he has put the invoice on hold.

On the Approval page, the invoice is still with Richard but the ‘On Hold’ flag is ticked.  Richard (or any other approver) cannot approve until Richard has taken this invoice off hold.

Under Existing Invoices, the invoice remains under the Submitted tab – it is still awaiting approval.

Rami will receive a notification on his homepage under the ‘On Hold’ tab – he was the one that was notified by Richard that this invoice has been put on hold.  Rami cannot do anything with this invoice (he cannot approve or take off hold as the invoice remains Richard’s responsibility).

It is correct Richard does not get an ‘On Hold’ notification and for the invoice to remain in the Submitted tab – it is flagged as being on hold to allow for easy identification of invoices that are on hold.  Users with the correct permissions can view invoices that are on hold – hovering over the blue icon flag will show who the invoice is awaiting approval from and the on-hold reason that was entered.  The only user that can take an invoice off hold is the user who first put it on hold.

17.4. Approving CIS Invoices in WAP

Read this section in conjunction with the earlier section “Entering CIS Invoices in Sage”, and the CIS User and User Guide which explains the CIS processes in more detail.

Once a CIS invoice has been entered in Sage it will come through to WAP for approval.  Within WAP, approve or reject the invoice as usual:

Once approved, on the Supplier Transaction enquiry screen in Sage, all CIS transactions are shown with a Green Tick for transactions with a deduction or a Red Cross for transactions with no deduction (Gross).  Highlighting an invoice transaction will show a new tab on the transaction summary called CIS.  This will include details on the Labour and Material splits, how much is applicable for the CIS deduction, the rate of deduction and the credit note details.

Unticking the ‘Show outstanding only’ will display the CIS credit that has been allocated against this invoice, as you can see from the Reference and 2nd Reference, it uses the same invoice number and appends ‘CIS’ on the end.

18. Invoice Approval (Sage)

With the WAP Invoice module enabled, it is recommended that invoices should always be authorised in WAP so that a full approval history is available within WAP.

This section details very basic information for authorising invoices in Sage and the impact that will have on the invoice in WAP.  For full information on approving invoices in Sage, speak to your Sage Business partner.

Why might a user authorise the invoice in Sage?

On rare occasions, some sites may wish to adopt an internal process to approve certain invoices directly in Sage, such as Utilities.

Perhaps the nominal account used for Utilities is also used for other invoices that do require approval in WAP, and therefore cannot be included as a pre-authorised nominal using the WAP Add-on.  The value of these invoices is usually too high to be able to de-select the ‘Requires Authorisation’ query flag in Sage.

18.1. Impact of Invoices approved in Sage

This invoice was entered in Sage and has a query flag of U:

The query flag means the invoice is awaiting approval and cannot be paid until approved.  The invoice can be found in WAP by searching for the URN, Supplier, Reference etc. in Existing Invoices, and will show as Submitted and awaiting approval:

To authorise in Sage instead of WAP, in Sage navigate to Purchase Ledger – Enter Transactions – Authorisation (not all users will have this feature in their role), navigate to the transaction and click Authorise.  By Default, the WAP Addon will not allow this and users will be presented with a message that the transaction is awaiting authorisation in WAP:

With the WAP Addon setting “Stop supplier transactions being approved when not approved in WAP” disabled, the user is able to progress to authorise the transaction in Sage.

In this example, it would still be recommended to approve the invoice in WAP however, to approve in Sage the setting in the WAP Addon to “Stop supplier transactions being approved when not approved in WAP” would need to be disabled:

In WAP, the invoice will be taken out of the Submitted tab and found in the Completed tab instead.  The approval history will show that the invoice was approved directly in Sage:

In the Sage Transaction enquiry, the narrative will show the Sage user who has authorised the transaction.

Invoices approved in WAP will show that a WAP user authorised the transaciton:

Please note: with the WAP Invoice module enabled, it is recommended that invoices should always be authorised in WAP so that a full approval history is available within WAP.

19. Viewing and Editing Invoices

The next sections are aimed any users who may need to view or edit invoices in WAP.  Viewing and editing invoices will depend on the Usertype permissions configured.

20. Editing Invoices

Amending an invoice in WAP, whether the invoice was entered into Sage or WAP, is a User Type permission.  Users can click to edit an invoice on the Existing Invoices screen.

If an approver has permission to edit or amend an invoice, they will be able to edit the nominal from the Approval screen.  For further editing options, select View Details on the invoice approval screen to open the invoice for editing.

The invoice can then be edited as required.

20.1. Editing a Project

It is not possible to edit projects during invoice approval if the costing module linked with WAP is Sage Project Accounting.

When the invoice is recorded in Sage a project will be selected; either from the PO if linking an invoice to an PO, or chosen when entering the invoice directly onto the PL.  Once a Purchase Order invoice is in WAP for approval, unless it was coded to the N/A Project, it is not possible to change the project, or the project header or project item, as this would lead to issues with the purchasing commitment not matching correctly to the actual purchasing costs already recorded on the project.  The selected project and project header will be greyed out.

If the invoice has been recorded against the N/A project and project header, the project can then be changed in WAP if the user has appropriate user type permission.  It is also possible to change the project for direct purchase ledger invoices.

Editing project during approval

It is not possible to edit the project directly on the invoice during approval,  Instead, from the approval screen navigate to View Details.

Editing project during approval – “View Details”

When an invoice is being viewed to edit, click on the line to be changed; this will bring up the option to change the project underneath the Project tab.

Only projects and project header or project items the user has been given access to will be able to be selected here.  Once the new project and project header have been selected, save the changes and then close.  Reset the line (if only an individual line has been changed) or reset all lines at the bottom of the page (if all lines should be sent for re-approval), and Submit the invoice for approval.

The line should show a status of New Line and can then be saved and submitted to pick up the new approval.  Once fully approved, the invoice will post through to Sage with the costs allocated to the project selected.

Editing nominal through Show Existing Invoices

Finally, it is also possible to edit the project by using the navigation Menu to select Invoices – Show Existing, and then using the filters to find the invoice and select Edit:

From within the invoice, select Edit on the line(s) that needs editing:

Use the pencil to edit the Project Analysis (it is not possible to amend the reference or narrative):

If the user has permission to edit projects during invoice approval, and the invoice allows, the project may be changed in this screen:

If the project cannot be amended, for example because the invoice is linked to a Purchase Order, the project analysis will be greyed out:

Summary of when Sicon Project can be amended during WAP Invoice Approval

When the project cannot be changed in WAP, there is a Transaction Editor utility directly in Sicon Projects that enables this option – see the Projects Help and User Guide for further information on this functionality.

20.2. Editing a Nominal

If a costing module is not enabled, or the Project and Project Header selected on the invoice are N/A, the nominal code can be changed during approval in WAP, if the user has appropriate permission.

Editing nominal during approval

The nominal can also be amended directly on the Approve Invoices screen if the user has permission.

Click on the X within the Nominal Account filter to clear the existing nominal re-enable the filter (Note, the list will only be those that the approving user has access to).  Once the correct nominal has been chosen, click save once to commit the line.  The line will automatically re-route to the new approver without any need to approve (if the approval route remains the same, the line will be automatically approved).

In the example above, only line 1 was amended and this was automatically approved, as can be seen on the order:

Editing nominal during approval – “View Details”

When an invoice is being viewed to edit (by clicking ‘View Details’ within the approval screen), click on the line to be changed; this will bring up the option to change the nominal under the Nominal Analysis tab.  Click on the pencil icon to edit the nominal.

The nominal code can then be changed; only nominal codes the user has been given access to will be able to be selected here.  Highlight the line to delete the existing line and select the correct one.  Once the new nominal has been picked, click Update and then Close.

Reset the line (if only an individual line has been changed) or reset all lines at the bottom of the page (if all lines should be sent for re-approval), at which point the status on the line will change from Waiting to NewLine for reset lines.  Save and submit the invoice for approval.

Editing nominal through Show Existing Invoices

Finally, it is also possible to edit the nominal by using the navigation Menu to select Invoices – Show Existing, and then using the filters to find the invoice and select Edit:

On the lines, click Edit and then use the pencil to edit the Nominal Analysis (it is not possible to amend the reference or narrative):

Highlight the nominal account and press delete or backspace to display all nominals the editing user has access to.  Click Update to commit the change, then close the line once editing has been completed:

Reset the line (if only an individual line has been changed) or reset all lines at the bottom of the page (if all lines should be sent for re-approval), at which point the status on the line will change from Waiting to NewLine for reset lines.  Save and submit the invoice for approval.

20.3. Split Lines on an Invoice

If an invoice line is to be split so the value is spread across different nominal codes, when an invoice is being viewed to edit, click the split lines icon on the line to be changed.  This will split the line into two of equal value; these lines can then be edited to change nominal codes or project; on a Purchase Order Invoice, the project can only be edited if the original line was entered against the N/A Project and Project Header.  Once costs have been posted to a project, they cannot be changed at this stage and any amendments required would need to be made in Sicon Projects instead.

Note, the total of the split lines must still match the overall value of the invoice, in some instances splitting the lines will require one value to be adjusted to take rounding into account.

Once the lines have been edited, submit the invoice for approval.  Once fully approved, the invoice will post through to Sage with the costs allocated to the nominal codes selected.

20.4. Re-routing an Invoice for Approval

If an invoice should be re-routed to a different approver, the approval route can be edited per line, if the user the user type permission to do so.  When an invoice is being viewed to edit, click edit on the line that is to be changed and click the ‘Edit the Approval Route for this item’ icon.

The current route will be visible and then edited as required; either use the option to clear the entire route or add and remove approval steps.  Only users that have permission to approve an invoice will be listed in the drop down user list.  Once the new route has been created, click to save the route and then close to return to the main invoice screen.  If there are multiple lines and they should all pick up the same route, select Copy changes to other lines before saving the route.

When the approval route details screen is closed, the invoice line will be shown to be using a custom route with a status of new line.  The invoice will need to be submitted to use the new approval route.

20.5. Deleting an Invoice

If a user has appropriate permissions, they will be able to delete an invoice from WAP.  If the invoice was entered into Sage, deleting the invoice in WAP will only delete the document from WAP; the WAP service will pick up the unauthorised invoice again from Sage and post into WAP for approval with a different WAP reference.  If an invoice was entered in WAP it can be deleted and entered again, if entered incorrectly.  However, if this was a PO invoice, the PO would be marked as invoiced and further invoices could not be recorded against it.

20.6. Editing an Invoice in Sage

If the invoice cannot be edited in WAP using the tools outlined in these last few sections, it may be necessary to amend the invoice in Sage instead.  Speak to your Sage Business Partner about the options available but in all cases, usually the invoice will need to be authorised in WAP or Sage first so that there is no query flag remaining on the transaction.

21. Existing Invoices

Select Invoices – Show Existing from the navigation menu to display the invoices under various tab headings.  Additional icons will appear in the Flags column to show if the invoice is over budget, has notes, has attachments etc.

New:  invoices that have not yet been submitted for approval; only invoices which are entered directly into WAP and only saved should appear here.

Submitted:  invoices that have been submitted and are awaiting approval.  By hovering over the blue information icon on the left, the lines will be displayed showing who they are awaiting approval from.

Approved:  invoices that have been approved but not yet posted to Sage.  Invoices should only appear in the approved tab momentarily between being approved in WAP and posting to Sage.

Rejected:  invoices that have been rejected during the approval process will show under this tab.  The users in the rejected approval route will edit and resubmit for approval.

Completed:  once the invoice has been posted to Sage it will move to this tab.  By default, completed invoices will not show when searching, unless Include Completed is ticked in the filter options.

Failed:  if an invoice fails to post through to Sage it will appear in this tab and will need the error flag removing before it can be posted again.  The permission to clear errors and repost invoices is usually just given to Administrators or Finance users.  Common reasons for an invoice failing are due to a project being closed or an incorrect nominal code selected.  More details on any error flags can be viewed through the Event Viewer.

Archived:  this tab is not currently used for invoices.

21.1. Viewing Invoices

By default, users will always be able to see invoices that are awaiting their approval or that they have approved.  If permission is given, users may also be able to view all invoices within the system or invoices approved by users within the same business unit.

There are two options to search for an existing invoice; either use the Search filters or the Quick Links.

Search Filters:  depending on configuration, the user will either be able to search for their own, within their business unit, delegates or all users’ invoices.  Search filters can be used to find an invoice with a particular ID, Reference, Supplier or if using a costing module, Project.  Use the Show Deleted option to show any invoices that have been deleted or the Include Completed option to show invoices that have posted through to Sage.

Quick Links:  click ‘Show invoices / credits awaiting my approval’ to update the grid and retrieve the most recent invoices.  If a user has permission, they will be able to click to view all active invoices and credits.

22. Additional Information

The final sections of this user guide covers other general features contained within the Invoice module.

23. Approving Suggested Payments

With the Invoice module one additional feature is to approve Suggested Payments from the Sage routine.  For further information on the Generate Suggested Payments process within Sage, speak with your Sage Business Partner in the first instance.  These next few sections focus on the WAP approval of Sage suggested payments and includes some basic Sage information to illustrate the process.

If suggested payments should be approved in WAP prior to having payments allocated in Sage, configure in WAP for approval of suggested payments.

23.1. Suggested Payments Configuration Settings

Within Sage Purchase Ledger – Utilities – Ledger Set Up – Ledger Settings – Payment Groups tab, there is a column to specify which payment groups will require authorisation in WAP.  By default, no payment groups will be marked as requiring approval so the correct groups will need to be marked as requiring authorisation:

Prior to payments being approved in WAP, in WAP System Settings – Invoices – Functionality, switch on the option to Pick up Suggested Payments from Sage.  Once this setting has been saved, please ensure the WAP service is restarted for this change to be picked up.  This is a system wide setting that will apply across all companies within WAP, so it is recommended that it is only turned on after Invoice Approval has been fully tested.

User Types will need to be configured to allow certain users to be able to approve, amend or delete suggested payments.  User Types will need to be configured before approval routes can be built.  Only Finance or key approvers should be given these permissions.

Users who will be approving suggested payments will need approval values for this document type.  This is configured on their User profile – Account Options tab.  Note, once ‘Suggested Payments’ is selected from the dropdown, it will display as ProposedPayment.

23.2. Suggested Payment Approval Routes

If required, approval routes for suggested payments can be configured based on supplier or value band; however, if the same user(s) will be approving payments across the business, build the default approval route only.

Default approval routes are built under Approval Route Setup – Approval Routes – Default Approval Routes.  Users will only appear on the drop down list if they have permission to approve suggested payments.

23.3. Generating Suggested Payments in Sage

This part of the process is a standard Sage process. For further information on the Generate Suggested Payments process within Sage, speak with your Sage Business Partner in the first instance.
If payments should be generated for all suppliers, within Sage navigate to Purchase Ledger – Period End Routines – Payment Processing – Generate Suggested Payments:

Enter the required information and click OK.  Sage will generate the suggested payments for all suppliers that have payments outstanding and offer to produce a Suggested Payments Report which users may find beneficial for cross referencing in WAP.  Any suppliers belonging to a payment group ticked as requiring approval in WAP, will be pulled through for approval.

The suggested payment can also be viewed in Sage through Purchase Ledger – Period End Routines – Payment Processing –Suggested Payments:

Alternatively, if only some suppliers should have payments generated for approval, instead use the Amend Suggested Payment option within Sage (Purchase Ledger – Period End Routines – Payment Processing – Amend Suggested Payments).

This will then only pull through this supplier’s payment to WAP for approval.

23.4. Approving Suggested Payments in WAP

Once the suggested payments have been generated within Sage, the suggested payments will be pulled through to WAP awaiting the approver.

Within the approval screen the user can see information such as the date the suggested payment came into WAP, the supplier information, and the value of all the suggested payments awaiting approval:

If any filters are applied, for example a supplier selected, the total will be updated to just the results shown:

Suggested payments with attachments from invoices are indicated by a paperclip, and if the invoice was over budget at the time of being approved, this is noted by a yellow triangle.

Click the arrow to the left of the information icon to view invoice details:

If the payment value is correct, the payment can be approved either using the Approve button, or if there are multiple payments against a supplier, use the Approve All button.  If an invoice attachment had been entered in Sage, the attachment can be viewed by hovering over the icon or click to view the entire attachment in a pop up. Please note, this feature is only supported for attachments added to the invoice with Sicon Documents or Draycir Spindle.

Once approved, the payment will be ready to be generated in Sage and the remittance printed:

Payments cannot be generated in Sage if the suggested payment is awaiting approval in WAP.

For further information on generating payments, speak with your Sage Business Partner.

23.5. Editing Suggested Payments

There are options to Pay All, Pay None or type the correct payment value in the Payment Value box.  Attachments can be viewed by clicking the left arrow to expand.

Pay All: inserts the outstanding amount due on each invoice into the Payment Value column.

Pay None: inserts zero on each invoice into the Payment Value column.

In the example below, the approver has adjusted the first payment but will be paying the second invoice in full:

Once all lines are correct, click Save.  Once all lines have been saved, click back on ‘Approve Payments’ on the navigation menu option to approve the revised amounts:

Once approved, the payment in Sage will reflect the approved payment values on the remittance:

Payments cannot be generated in Sage if the suggested payment is awaiting approval in WAP.

For further information on generating payments, speak with your Sage Business Partner.

23.6. Existing Suggested Payments

Select Existing Payments from the side menu to display the payments under various tab headings.  Additional icons will appear in the Flags column to show if the payment is over budget or has attachments etc.

New:  this tab is not currently used for existing payments.

Submitted:  payments that are currently awaiting approval will show under this tab.  Hovering over the blue information icon on the left will show all payment lines and who they are awaiting approval from.

Approved:  payments that have been approved but not yet posted to Sage.  Payments should only appear in the approved tab momentarily between being approved in WAP and posting to Sage.

Rejected:  this tab is not currently used for existing payments.

Completed:  once the payment has posted to Sage it will move to this tab.

Failed:  if a payment has failed to post through to Sage it will appear in this tab and will need the error flag removing before it can be posted again.  The permission to clear errors and repost payments is usually just given to Administrators or Finance users.  More details on any error flags can be viewed through the Event Viewer.

Archived:  this tab is not currently used for existing payments.

Selecting Edit on any Suggested Payment will take users to the same screen to Edit as it would from the Approve Suggested Payment screen – see the last section for more information on editing Suggested Payments.

23.7. Viewing Suggested Payments

By default, users will be able to view payments either awaiting their approval or that they have approved.  There are two options to search for an existing payment; either use the Search filters or the Quick Links.

Search Filters:  these can be used to find a payment with a particular ID, Supplier or status.  Use the Show Deleted option to show any payments that have been deleted or the Include Completed option to show payments that have been approved and posted through to Sage.

Quick Links:  click ‘Show active suggested payments’ to update the grid and retrieve the most recent payments or the links to either show payments awaiting approval or that have been approved.

24. Reports

There is one report available within the Invoice module.

24.1. Invoice Approval Report

This report will show a breakdown of all invoices with their line detail, quantities, approval status and approval history.

Depending on User Type and User configuration, users will be able to see either information relating to invoices they have approved, their delegate or business unit invoices or all invoices on the system.  Use the date range, database filter, header and line status, hold status and invoice options to filter data as required.

This report can be exported to Excel, by right clicking on the header line and then clicking export for further exporting options:

The report can also be customised further either by dragging column headers to change the order or group data by a particular header.  Click the ‘Column Chooser’ menu item above to display additional headers which can be added or existing headers to be removed.  Reports are cookie based so to allow for this customisation, ensure the browser settings allow cookies from the WAP website.  Customised columns may return to the standard configuration following a WAP or browser upgrade as cookies may be cleared.

25. Invoice Approval Stages

25.1. Invoice Header Status

New:  the invoice has been saved but not yet submitted; this would only apply to invoices entered directly into WAP.

Submitted:  the invoice has been submitted for approval but not yet fully approved.

Approved:  the invoice has been submitted and will post through to Sage.  Approved invoices should only appear here temporarily while they are waiting to post to Sage.

Rejected:  one or more lines on the invoice have been rejected.  N.B. a rejected line must be edited and resubmitted for approval for the reject flag to be cleared.  An invoice will not post through to Sage if there is a rejected line on the invoice.

Completed:  the invoice has posted through to Sage.  Ensure to tick the search option to include completed to view these invoices.

Failed:  if an invoice has failed to post to Sage it will appear here.  Most likely reasons for the invoice to fail are if the supplier has been put on hold or if a costing module is enabled but the project has been closed or set to not allow costs entered against it.  Please check the Project and then clear the error and repost the invoice (these are usually Superusers permissions).

Archived:  this status is not currently used for invoices.

26. Enable Module

The WAP system will require a new enable string to continue working and this is usually handled automatically with Online Licencing.  Please speak with your Sage Business Partner in the first instance regarding licencing and renewals.  Licences can be checked in System Settings – Miscellaneous menu item – Licencing banner – Apply New Licence and then Browse and Upload the licence string.  N.B. the module expiry date is shown along with the modules that have been enabled and the maximum number of users.

27. WAP Help and User Guide - Invoice Approval v20

WAP Help and User Guide – Invoices Module v20

28. WAP Help and User Guide - Invoice Approval v19.2

WAP Help and User Guide – Invoices Module v19.2

29. WAP Help and User Guide - Invoice Approval v18

WAP Help and User Guide – Invoices Module v18

30. WAP Help and User Guide - Invoice Approval v17

WAP Help and User Guide – Invoices Module v17

31. New Features & Important Information

31.1. Sicon v21.1

31.2. Sicon v21

31.3. Sicon v20.1

31.4. Sicon v20

31.5. Sicon v19.2

31.6. Sicon v19.1

31.7. Sicon v19

31.8. Sicon v18