Invoice Management

Invoice Management in Consultia provides comprehensive tools for creating, tracking, and managing all your billing activities. The system integrates seamlessly with customer management and payment tracking to provide a complete financial overview.

Overview

The Invoice Management system enables you to:

Create Professional Invoices: Generate detailed, branded invoices
Track Invoice Status: Monitor payment status and due dates
Manage Payment Terms: Configure flexible payment conditions
Integrate with Projects: Link invoices to specific projects and acceptance protocols
Generate Reports: Analyze billing performance and trends

Invoice List

Accessing the Invoice List

From Sidebar: Click "Invoices" in the main navigation
From Customer Profile: Use the "Invoices" tab in customer details
From Dashboard: Use the "Create Invoice" quick action
Direct URL: Navigate to /invoices

Invoice List

Screenshot: Invoice list page showing all invoices with search and filter options

List Features

Search and Filter:

Global Search: Search by invoice number, customer name, or description
Status Filter: Filter by draft, sent, paid, overdue, or cancelled
Date Range: Filter by invoice date or due date
Customer Filter: Filter invoices by specific customer
Amount Range: Filter by invoice amount

Table Columns:

Invoice Number: Unique invoice identifier
Customer: Customer name and company
Invoice Date: Date when invoice was created
Due Date: Payment due date
Amount: Total invoice amount
Status: Current payment status
Actions: Edit, view, send, or delete options

Creating a New Invoice

Invoice Creation Form

Create Invoice Form

Screenshot: Invoice creation form with all required fields and options

Required Information:

Customer: Select customer from dropdown
Invoice Date: Date when invoice is created
Due Date: Payment due date
Description: Invoice description or project reference
Items: Products or services being billed

Optional Information:

Purchase Order: Link to related purchase order
Acceptance Protocol: Link to specific acceptance protocol
Payment Terms: Custom payment conditions
Notes: Additional invoice notes
Attachments: Supporting documents

Step-by-Step Process

Click "Create Invoice" from the invoice list
Select Customer from the dropdown menu
Set Invoice Details including dates and description
Add Invoice Items with products, services, or time entries
Configure Payment Terms if different from defaults
Review and Save the invoice
Send Invoice to customer via email

Invoice Details

Invoice Overview

Invoice Details

Screenshot: Invoice details page showing complete invoice information

Invoice Information:

Header: Invoice number, dates, and customer information
Items: Detailed list of products or services
Totals: Subtotal, taxes, and final amount
Payment Status: Current payment status and history
Actions: Available actions for the invoice

Invoice Status Management

Status Types:

DRAFT: Invoice is being prepared, not sent to customer
SENT: Invoice has been sent to customer
PAID: Full payment has been received
OVERDUE: Payment is past due date
CANCELLED: Invoice has been cancelled

Status Transitions:

Draft → Sent: When invoice is sent to customer
Sent → Paid: When payment is received
Sent → Overdue: When due date passes without payment
Any → Cancelled: When invoice is cancelled

Invoice Items

Adding Invoice Items

Invoice Items

Screenshot: Invoice items section showing products and services

Item Types:

Products: Physical or digital products
Services: Consulting services or professional work
Time Entries: Hours worked from acceptance protocols
Expenses: Reimbursable expenses
Custom Items: Manually entered items

Item Details:

Description: Item name or service description
Quantity: Number of units or hours
Unit Price: Price per unit or hourly rate
Total: Calculated total for the item
Tax: Applicable taxes

Acceptance Protocol Integration

Linking Acceptance Protocols:

Select Acceptance Protocol: Choose from available acceptance protocols
Import Time Entries: Automatically import hours worked
Review Entries: Verify time entries before invoicing
Adjust Rates: Apply different rates if needed

Payment Terms

Configuring Payment Terms

Payment Terms

Screenshot: Payment terms configuration options

Standard Terms:

Net 30: Payment due within 30 days
Net 15: Payment due within 15 days
Due on Receipt: Immediate payment required
Custom Terms: User-defined payment conditions

Custom Configuration:

Due Date Calculation: Automatic due date calculation
Late Fees: Configure late payment penalties
Discounts: Early payment discounts
Payment Methods: Accepted payment methods

Invoice Numbering

Numbering System

Automatic Numbering:

Sequential Numbers: Automatic increment (INV-001, INV-002)
Year Prefix: Include year in numbering (2024-001)
Customer Prefix: Include customer code (CUST-001)
Custom Format: User-defined numbering format

Numbering Configuration:

Starting Number: Set initial invoice number
Prefix/Suffix: Add custom prefixes or suffixes
Reset Options: Reset numbering annually or manually
Gap Handling: Handle gaps in numbering sequence

Sending Invoices

Email Integration

Send Invoice

Screenshot: Invoice sending interface with email options

Email Features:

Template Selection: Choose from email templates
Custom Message: Add personalized message
PDF Attachment: Automatically attach PDF invoice
Tracking: Track email delivery and opens
Reminders: Set up automatic payment reminders

Email Templates:

Standard Template: Professional default template
Custom Templates: User-defined email templates
Branding: Include company logo and styling
Localization: Support for multiple languages

Payment Tracking

Payment Management

Payment Tracking

Screenshot: Payment tracking interface showing payment history

Payment Features:

Payment Recording: Record received payments
Partial Payments: Handle partial payment scenarios
Payment Methods: Track different payment methods
Payment History: Complete payment transaction history
Reconciliation: Match payments to invoices

Payment Status:

Pending: Payment expected but not received
Partial: Partial payment received
Paid: Full payment received
Overdue: Payment past due date
Disputed: Payment under dispute

Invoice Reports

Financial Reporting

Invoice Reports

Screenshot: Invoice reporting dashboard with analytics

Report Types:

Revenue Reports: Monthly and annual revenue analysis
Aging Reports: Outstanding invoice aging analysis
Customer Reports: Invoice history by customer
Payment Reports: Payment performance analysis
Tax Reports: Tax collection and reporting

Export Options:

PDF Export: Generate PDF reports
Excel Export: Export data to Excel format
CSV Export: Export data for external analysis
Email Reports: Automatically email reports

Best Practices