This is the financial closing of the shipment. The faster and more accurately it is done, the sooner collection begins and the fewer disputes there will be.
Scope
Delivery-based billing: The invoice is automatically generated based on the actual quantity shipped.
Bulk billing: Combining multiple deliveries to the same customer into a single invoice on a periodic basis.
Billing plan: Support for advance payment, interim payment, and final invoice structures; progress-based billing for projects and contracts.
Pricing and discount application: Ensuring that contract prices, campaign and tiered discount rules are applied correctly at the time of invoicing.
Shipping cost: Whether or not the shipping cost is included in the invoice depends on the delivery method.
Electronic invoicing: Connecting to, sending, and tracking responses to legal electronic invoicing processes.
Invoice-delivery note matching: Tracking which invoice covers which shipment; monitoring legal deadlines.
Accounts receivable and reconciliation: Tracking outstanding balances on a customer basis, periodic reconciliation letters, and dispute records.
Credit check feedback: The real-time reflection of the billed amount on the customer's risk limit.
The time to measure: The number of days between goods dispatch and invoice issuance. In most businesses, this time often goes unnoticed and is added directly to the cash conversion time. Automated invoicing from shipment data typically reduces this time to the same number of days.