LoopfourMatch purchase orders, receipts and invoices
Set up a three-way match that checks each vendor invoice against its purchase order and goods receipt in NetSuite and sends mismatches for a decision.
The job
Before a vendor invoice is posted, AP checks it against the purchase order and confirms the goods arrived. Most invoices agree. The few that do not need a person, and they hold up the whole batch when checked by hand.
By hand
With Loopfour
How the workflow runs
- TriggerA vendor invoice is receivedYour developer or AP inbox sends each invoice PDF to the workflow.
- StepExtract invoice dataThe AI Agent step reads the PO number, lines and total from the PDF.
- StepFetch the PO and the goods receiptBoth come from NetSuite.
- DecisionDo they agree?The invoice total equals the PO total, and the goods are received.
- OutputPost the matched billA vendor bill is created in NetSuite.
- ApprovalAP manager reviews the exceptionMismatches wait up to five days for a decision. This path does not post a bill.
What you need
- Template: Three-way PO match, in the AP area of Workflows > Templates.
- Systems to connect: NetSuite, which holds the purchase orders, receipts and bills.
- Who approves: your AP manager, by email address. The template asks for it as AP manager email.
Set it up
Open the template
Go to Workflows, open the Templates tab and choose AP. Select Three-way PO match.
Choose NetSuite as the AP source
In the Recipe view, set the AP system to NetSuite. Other AP systems in that list cannot run this template, and Studio shows Unavailable while one is selected. When you change a system, select Duplicate & edit to save your own copy.
Check the steps
The Recipe view describes a fuller process, including tolerances and payment runs. Select Flow to see what the workflow actually runs: the six steps shown above.
Create the workflow
Select Run workflow. Studio opens chat, checks your NetSuite connection and asks for the AP manager email before it creates your workflow.
Choose how invoices arrive
The template starts when an invoice is sent to the workflow by another system. If vendors email you PDFs, ask chat to start the workflow from an email instead. See Start a workflow when an email arrives.
Deploy, then test
Use test records, then select Deploy. Send the workflow one invoice you know matches and one you know does not. Check that the first creates a bill and the second reaches Approvals. See Deploy, test and change a workflow.
Run works only when the workflow is Active. Deploying also switches on its trigger; choose a safe schedule or test source before deploying. Runs make real changes in connected systems.
What you review
- Exceptions: mismatches wait under Approvals with the PO number in the reason. Approving records the decision. It does not post the bill, so resolve the difference in NetSuite.
- Each run: under Runs, each run shows the extracted invoice, the PO and receipt it found, and which path it took. See Read a run.
- Who did what: the Audit trail tab under Runs records workflow changes and decisions made in Studio. Decisions from email or Slack are kept on the run. See Export the audit trail.
Adapt it
- Allow a tolerance: the template compares totals exactly. Ask chat to accept small differences, such as up to $50, and to compare quantities line by line.
- Post after approval: add a step after the approval that creates the bill when the manager approves it.
- Tell the buyer: add an email to the PO requester when an invoice does not match.
Approve vendor bills before they post
Build a workflow that reads each vendor bill from email, applies your approval limits, and creates the bill in QuickBooks only after it is approved.
Reconcile bank transactions
Build a workflow that syncs bank transactions into a table each day, matches them against your ledger, and lists the items left to explain.