Pre-Invoices Workflow

After you turn on and configure the Pre-Invoices feature, you can create pre-invoices and enter cash receipts and regular final invoices for them.

The following table shows the typical workflow.

Step Description Location in Vantagepoint Example
1 Turn on pre-invoicing processing for a project and enter pre-invoice billing information. Hubs > Projects > Billing Terms
  • On the Fees tab, set the Fee Method option to Cumulative unit or fee.
  • On the Pre-Invoice tab:
    • Select the Process Pre-Invoice check box so that Interactive Billing and Batch Billing will create a pre-invoice when you access them.
    • Specify the pre-invoice template to use for the pre-invoice.
  • Only the General, Fees, Misc, and Pre-Invoice tabs are enabled and apply to pre-invoices. Enter information on these tabs for the pre-invoice, including the fee amount on the Fees tab.
  • Select the Cumulative unit or fee fee method, the Process Pre-Invoice check box.
  • Enter $20,000 in the Fee field on the Fees tab.
2 Create a pre-invoice and send it to a client. Billing > Interactive Billing or Billing > Batch Billing
  • In Interactive Billing, create and accept the pre-invoice or in Batch Billing, process a final run type for pre-invoices.
  • When you finish creating pre-invoices, clear the Process Pre-Invoice check box so that Interactive Billing and Batch Billing will revert to creating regular invoices.
In Interactive Billing, generate and accept pre-invoice 1 for $20,000.
3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 as needed to create more pre-invoices. See steps 1 and 2. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to create pre-invoice 2 for $30,000.
4 Enter a cash receipt for a partial or full payment that a client makes for a pre-invoice. Transaction Center > Transaction Entry > Cash Receipts
  • The general ledger account that you entered in the Pre Invoice Receipt Offset field on the Options form in Settings > Billing > Options (typically a liability account) is credited when a cash receipt is posted for a pre-invoice.
  • If you use phases and tasks (WBS2 and WBS3), the cash receipt is applied to the phase and task that is entered on the Pre-Invoice tab in Billing Terms for a project.
The client pays pre-invoice 1, and you enter a cash receipt for $20,000 for it in Transaction Entry.
5 Create and send a regular final invoice to a client. Billing > Interactive Billing or Billing > Batch Billing
  • Before you do this, be sure that the Process Pre-Invoices check box is cleared on the Pre-Invoice tab in Billing Terms for the project.
  • Enter information for the invoice in the project's billing terms.
    • The regular invoice does not have to use the Cumulative unit or fee fee method.
    • You can include the unpaid pre-invoice fee amounts in the Fee field in the Fees tab. Vantagepoint automatically cancels all unpaid pre-invoices when you create a regular invoice.
  • Vantagepoint deducts any paid pre-invoice fee amount that has been paid since the last regular invoice was generated from the regular invoice fee total.
Create a regular invoice whose fee total is $50,000, with an amount due of $30,000:
  • $50,000: You entered this amount in the Fee field on the Fees tab in Billing Terms. This amount includes the paid and unpaid pre-invoice fee amounts ($20,000 + $30,000 from the two pre-invoices).
  • <$20,000>: This is the amount of pre-invoice 1 that the client paid. It is deducted automatically from the fee amount.

The unpaid pre-invoice 2 for $30,000 is canceled automatically by Vantagepoint when you create the final regular invoice.