Use this screen to match large numbers of company-paid expenses and expense report lines using one process. You can also print a report of all matched data, with or without running the automatic matching process.
The matching process reconciles company-paid expenses with expense report lines based on combinations of fields you select in this screen. The information contained in all fields in the combination must match perfectly, or the system will not consider the two (or more) records a match. (The Traveler Vend ID/Trip No/Sum (Amount) by Trip check box in the Recommendation Criteria group box is the only criterion that can result in a many-to-many match. Records matched using other criteria must always match one-to-one, in pairs.) The matching process always matches a company-paid expense with an expense report record; a company-paid expense can never be matched to a company-paid expense, nor can an expense report record be matched to an expense report record. Matches are always performed at the line or transaction level.
When two records are matched using the criteria from the Matching Criteria group box, the system copies these two records into the Matching History table, identifying the company-paid expense with a C and the expense report record with an E. It then deletes the records in the open Matching table. Recommended matches are never copied into the Matching History table. Instead, all lines belonging to the same recommended match are assigned the same Match group number. Use this match group number to easily identify which recommended matches belong together on the Matched Items Report and in the Reconcile Unmatched Expenses screen, where you must manually match recommended matches.
You must print the Matched Items report in the same session before running the matching process. If you print the report, then exit the screen without running the matching process, or if you change any of the options on the screen after running the report, you must print the report again before you can run the process.
Run this process as many times as necessary as part of your monthly closing procedures. This screen accesses only the data in the open Matching table, which is updated by the Create/Post AP Vouchers program when you post company-paid invoices and expense reports. Therefore, if there is a delay in posting one of the two matching records, the system will not find a match for the record already in the Matching table. The automatic matching process can match only the data from posted company-paid invoices and expense reports.
The system matches only records posted as of the fiscal year, period, subperiod combination entered in this screen. Therefore, if you posted one record of a matching pair after this fiscal year/period/subperiod, the system will not find a match for the record in the Matching table for this fiscal year/period/subperiod.
Use this group box to select the criteria that the system will use to match company-paid expenses to expense report lines. You must select at least one of the four check boxes included in this and the Recommendation Criteria group box.
If the system finds a perfect match, it copies the two records to the Matching History table and deletes them from the open Matching table. If one or more of the fields listed in the criteria do not match, the system cannot match the line according to the first criteria you selected and will try again using the second criteria specified. If none of the matching criteria can be satisfied, the records remain in the open Matching table and must be manually matched in the Reconcile Unmatched Expenses screen. (This applies to recommended matches, as well.)
Select this checkbox to match based on the traveler's ID, expense type, line amount, and trip start and end dates. Under this method, these four values must be identical for the process to successfully identify matching records. The default of this checkbox is checked.
Select this check box to match records by traveler ID and ticket number. Because airline, train, and bus ticket numbers are unique, the combination of traveler ID and ticket number should also be unique. When Costpoint matches items by ticket number, it will also make sure that the company-paid amount paid for each item matches what was entered on the expense report. You cannot match by ticket number alone. This is especially helpful when dealing with fees charged for changing tickets. Both the original ticket plus the fee will be cleared when matched with the expense report item amount.
Use this group box to make recommended matches. The system does not update the Matching History table with recommended matches; instead, it assigns a Match Group number to all recommended matches in the open Matching table. These match group numbers print on the Matched Items report and display in the Reconcile Unmatched Expenses screen, where you can review and manually match them.
Select this check box to recommend matches based on traveler ID, trip number, and the total summary amount of all lines belonging to the trip number. Matches made using these criteria will match trip expenses as a whole, but may not match line by line. This is the only option in this screen that matches many lines to many lines; all the other options match lines one-to-one. For example:
An expense report with three company-paid items was submitted for Vendor (Traveler) X, Trip Number 001:
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Hotel: |
$100 |
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Airfare: |
$525 |
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Meals: |
$ 50 |
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Total Trip Amount: |
$675 |
The company-paid invoice contained the following information for Vendor X, Trip Number 001:
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Hotel: |
$93.50 (room charge) |
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Hotel: |
$6.50 (phone call) |
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Airfare: |
$500 |
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Penalty: |
$25 |
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Meals: |
$25 |
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Meals: |
$25 |
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Total Trip Amount: |
$675 |
Because the total trip amounts for the traveler vendor ID and trip number match, the system will assign all nine lines the same match group number. This match group number will print in the Matched Items Report and will display in the Reconcile Unmatched Expenses screen.
Select this check box to recommend matches based on traveler vendor ID, trip start and end dates, and expense type. If this check box is selected, the system recommends the match in the following way:
Vendor (traveler) X traveled from 04/01/03 to 04/05/03. The following company-paid expense line appeared on his expense report:
Hotel: $500
The company-paid invoice contained the following line for Vendor X from 04/01/03 to 04/05/03:
Hotel: $587.75 (traveler forgot to include sales tax in his expense report)
Even though the amount does not match, the system recommends a match based on vendor ID, trip start and end dates, and expense type (in this case, an expense type defined for lodging expenses). These two lines will be assigned the same match group number. In this instance the traveler would also have to submit a second expense report for $87.75.
Use this group box to limit the pool of data the system will use to match items.
From the drop-down list, select an option by which to limit the data. Your options include:
Voucher Vendor - This option is the system default. Select this option to match records only for particular company-paid (voucher) vendors. Company-paid records for these voucher vendors will be matched against all expense report records that contain a fiscal year, period, and subperiod earlier than or the same as those entered in this screen.
Voucher No - Select this option to match records from particular company-paid invoices. Records from these invoices will be matched against all expense report records that contain a fiscal year, period, and subperiod earlier than or the same as those entered in this screen.
Expense Rpt Vendor - Select this option to match records only for particular expense report vendors. Records for these expense report vendors will be matched against all company-paid expense records that contain a fiscal year, period, and subperiod earlier than or the same as those entered in this screen.
Expense Rpt No - Select this option to match records from particular expense reports. Records from these expense reports will be matched against all company-paid expense records that contain a fiscal year, period, and subperiod earlier than or the same as those entered in this screen.
Expense Type - Select this option to match records only for certain types of expenses. Expense types are created to designate a certain kind of travel expense - airfare or hotel expenses, for example. Therefore, you should select this option if you want to match all records only for a certain kind of expense, such as airfare. If you select this option, all company-paid and expense report records containing the expense type(s) you designate in the From and To fields will be matched, as long as they do not contain a fiscal year, period, and subperiod later than those entered in this screen.
Traveler - Select this option to match records for only one particular traveler. Although expense report vendor is often the same as traveler, sometimes these items differ. Records from these travelers will be matched against all company-paid expense records that contain a fiscal year, period, and subperiod earlier than or the same as those entered in this screen.
Use the drop-down list to select a range option. Range options include All, One, Range, From Beginning, and To End. The default range option is All.
Enter the beginning voucher or expense report vendor, voucher or expense report number, or expense type for the range in this field. If you selected All or From Beginning as the Range option, this field is inactive.
Enter the ending voucher or expense report vendor, voucher or expense report number, or expense type for the range in this field. If you selected All, One, or To End as the Range option, this field is inactive.
Use the fields in this group box to assign the ending fiscal year/period/subperiod combination for the matching process. You can match records from both open and closed fiscal years, period, and subperiods. The matching process will match records from the earliest fiscal year/period/subperiod assigned to records already in the open Matching table up to the fiscal year/period/subperiod combination specified here. The system will not match any records that were posted later than the ending date of the subperiod entered in this screen. These selection criteria should coincide with the General Ledger period that you are trying to reconcile.
Enter or select the last fiscal year in which to match records. Fiscal years can be open or closed, but must already exist in Costpoint General Ledger.
Enter or select the last period in which to match records. Periods can be open or closed, but must already exist in Costpoint General Ledger.
Enter or select the last subperiod in which to match records. Subperiods can be open or Not Available, but must already exist in Costpoint General Ledger.
The printing status of the matching report displays in this non-editable field. You will not be able to run the matching process until you print the report.
Use this group box to determine how the information in the Matching report will be organized.
This option is the system default. Select this option to list matching data by company-paid invoice (voucher) vendor. Within this sort category, data are printed in ascending voucher number order and by expense type.
Select this option to list matching data by expense report vendor. (The expense report vendor is usually, but not always, the same as the Traveler.) Within this sort category, data are printed in ascending expense report number order and by expense type.
Enter the year, period, and subperiod to use as a reference point for when the actual matching is occurring. You can match during any subperiod, but you may want to enter the current year, period, and subperiod as a point of reference.
Select this check box to delete all previously assigned match group numbers from the open Matching table. This resets the system's automatic match group numbering to zero. You may want to select this check box the first time you run the matching process during your monthly closing procedures to clear any recommended matches that are out-of-date.
Select this check box to show on the report the matches that satisfy the selected recommendation criteria.
Select this check box to print information for each voucher or expense vendor on a separate page.
Click this button on the toolbar to run the matching process. This button is not available until you have printed the Matched Items report.
Click this button on the toolbar to run the matching process and print the Matched Items report.