Invoice/Billing
The invoicing programs are the direct interface between Operations and Accounting. All direct revenues and expenses are entered through these programs. For each revenue line item detailed on an invoice, one or more expense items may be recorded. Items are recorded on invoices by charge codes. Management designates revenue and expense General Ledger account numbers for each charge code and controls whether or not expenses are required.
Invoices are kept in a temporary holding file until posted. The user may designate an invoice as Suspended, Ready to Print, or Ready to Post. At posting, the full invoice detail is moved to a history file. Before posting, an invoice may be deleted. Deleted invoices are kept in the history file and may be undeleted. Thus, a complete audit trail of all invoicing activity is maintained.
The posting process creates entries in Accounts Receivable with accounting detail in the Sales Journal. In addition, it creates entries in Accounts Payable with accounting detail in the Voucher Register. In the case of Air Export, entries are also created in the Airline Sales Report file with accounting detail in the Airline Transaction file.
Some special situations are accommodated by the invoicing programs. Frequently, it is necessary to issue checks in advance of submitting an invoice. The invoice programs allow a payable to be posted to Accounts Payable directly from the Invoice Edit screen and (with management approval) immediately print a check. This assures that the expense will be "tied" to the appropriate file and can save time by having the computer print what would otherwise be manually generated hand checks.
Some airports have installed a system where $10 coupons are used to pay the airlines' Import Service fee. Keeping track of these coupons is a miserable job. AIRPEX provides a way to record the use of the coupons as they are used on each file.
There are a number of situations where it is necessary to collect a cash advance from a customer - credit problems, COD shipments, COD freight charges. Such payments can be recorded against the appropriate file. The invoice when finally printed will include a "CASH ADVANCE" line and the receivable amount will be reduced accordingly.
Sometimes mistakes are made and it becomes necessary to issue a Credit Memo. The invoicing systems provide for "Push-Button" creation of Credit Memos. Simply locate the posted invoice on the invoice tracking screen, place the cursor on the selected invoice and press a key. The Credit Memo will be placed in the holding file and can be printed and posted as desired.
Invoices can be printed individually from the invoice edit screen or as a batch. Generally, posting occurs the next day so that there is an opportunity to review the printed invoices and catch any problems. Invoices may be corrected and reprinted at any time until they are posted. Each module includes an Unprocessed Invoice Report (Pre-Posting Report). During the posting process an exception report is printed if errors occur. Additional invoices may be generated for any file.
Invoices may also be printed to the Fax system. This will assist in Collections. The system can Fax supporting documents, such as Air Waybills with the invoices.
Invoices may also be sent as EDI documents.
It should also be noted that transactions are posted to the General Ledger at the same time as they are posted to A/R, A/P and A/T. Thus the designation of "Real Time" Accounting System. There is no need for monthly closings, though accounting periods need to be marked "Open" or "Closed" for control purposes.