Finance & accountingSupplier invoice exceptions
An invoice arrives before the goods do
Illustrative example · Hypothetical figures
A regional distributor receives a supplier invoice for 100 units. The warehouse has recorded only 80. Accounts payable keeps chasing the buyer and warehouse through separate email threads.
- Who owns it
- Accounts payable manager
- Where the work lives
- Why we would pick it
- Repeated exceptions have clear evidence, named owners and existing ERP controls.
One workflow, from setup to review.
The six steps above describe the department project. Here we follow one selected workflow in detail. Steps 1 to 4 cover investigation, recording, solution choice, testing and release. After the team is trained, steps 5 to 7 follow one example case. Step 8 compares the result before and after with your team.
Set up the solutionWe complete these steps with your team before routine use.
Investigate
AP, the buyer and receiving clerk explain where invoices get stuck. They share completed and unresolved cases.
We separate missing receipts, price differences and duplicate invoices, then measure queue age and actual handling time.
- Validated exception categories
- Baseline by category
Capture the work
An AP analyst demonstrates one clean match and one short delivery in AgentHandover. The warehouse explains late receipt entries.
We use AgentHandover to draft a workflow record linking invoice, purchase order and receipt. We ask follow-up questions to capture when AP must wait rather than override.
- Approved matching workflow record
- Named exception owners
Choose the approach
The AP manager confirms that ERP matching already exists. IT reviews supported access.
We recommend configuring existing matching and adding an exception coordinator. We rule out rebuilding the payment or matching engine.
- Route: Custom build. Configure ERP plus a narrow integration
Test and release
AP reviews historical cases, including partial deliveries, duplicate PDFs and changed bank details.
We compare proposed routes with approved answers in a sandbox. Release requires correct holds and no unauthorised postings.
- AP-approved test set
- Read-only trial, then limited writes
Follow an example caseAfter setup and training, see how one case moves through the improved workflow.
Handle an example case
The analyst opens the new 100-unit invoice in the exception queue.
Your invoice exception workflow uses ERP rules to identify an 80-unit receipt. It links the evidence, holds the invoice and asks receiving about the remaining 20.
- Quantity discrepancy assigned to receiving
Resolve the exception
Receiving confirms that 20 units never arrived. The buyer asks the supplier for a corrected invoice.
Your invoice exception workflow keeps the hold, tracks the correction and links it to the original. It does not create a fictional receipt.
- Supplier correction requested
- Original invoice still blocked
Complete the work
AP approves the corrected 80-unit invoice after matching. Treasury follows its normal payment approval process.
Your invoice exception workflow supersedes the original, verifies the new match and attaches the approval record. It does not release payment.
- Corrected invoice approved
- Duplicate payment prevented
Review the resultsWe compare the result before and after with your team.
Review performance
The AP manager reviews repeat suppliers and checks whether less chasing actually reduced work.
We compare handling time, exception age and corrections before and after with your team. We turn new supplier patterns into proposed skill changes for review, not automatic policy changes.
- Updated exception rules require AP sign-off
What stays with people
Payment release and bank-detail changes stay with authorised finance staff. An invoice or email cannot override ERP approval rules.
What we would measure
Track time per resolved exception, overdue holds, duplicate postings and human corrections. Separate waiting time from active work.