Understanding Matching

PeopleSoft eSettlements uses the PeopleSoft Payables Matching Application Engine process (AP_MATCH) to compare invoices with purchase orders and receipts to ensure that you are paying for what you ordered and received.

If buyers subscribe to notification for match exceptions, email notifications notify users that invoice exceptions exist. Depending upon the email subscription specified, suppliers may also receive email notifications indicating that invoices have match exceptions. These exceptions can be either partially or entirely overridden, the invoice can be placed on hold, or the exceptions can be left unchanged for future resolution. If the exceptions are overridden, the buyer is effectively agreeing to the discrepancies and the invoice then passes on to approval. If the invoice is placed on hold, the supplier receives email notification that an invoice is on hold and requires attention. If the exceptions are left unchanged, no notifications are sent and the invoice does not pass on to approval.

Note: Only users with match exception override capabilities on their user profiles can override exceptions.

Buyer Direct Model

In the Buyer Direct model, you specify the match rule control to be used in the Matching process—and create purchase orders—in PeopleSoft Purchasing. Then, when you set up agreements, the system does not retrieve purchase order matching terms from the agreement level. Rather, if a match rule control ID exists for the particular supplier, the system obtains purchase order matching terms from the supplier. If no match rule control ID exists for the particular supplier, the system obtains the matching terms from the PeopleSoft Purchasing business unit for the purchase order.

If you select the Standard Vouchers Allowed check box on the Review Agreement Details - Buyer page, invoices are not required to be associated with a purchase order. Use the standard voucher flag to control whether a purchase order is associated with an invoice. Whether matching is required depends on the values specified on the purchase order.

Business Service Provider Model

In the Business Service Provider model, the system interfaces buyer purchase orders and receipts electronically, comparing them to invoices from suppliers. Receipts can also be entered online. Suppliers also submit invoices electronically or enter the information online.

Purchase orders, receipts, and invoices are compared according to the specifications on the agreement, tolerances defined at the item category level, and the match rules. Match exceptions are routed to those users and roles that are set up to receive match exception notification, either at the buyer registration level, or at the agreement level if the exceptions have been overridden at this level.

You specify the match rule control ID at the buyer registration level and at the agreement level. When a purchase order is used, the system looks to the match rule control ID at the agreement level. The match rule control ID at the buyer registration level appears by default on the agreement, and you can also change it there.

If you select the Standard Vouchers Allowed check box on the Review Agreement Details - Buyer page, invoices are not required to be associated with a purchase order. If you select the Requires Matching check box and an associated Match Rule check box on the Review Buyer Details - Notifications and Approvals page, invoices go through the Matching process if they are associated with a purchase order.

Here's how matching applies in the Business Service Provider model at the agreement level, depending on your selections on the Review Buyer Details - Notifications and Approvals page and the Review Agreement Details - Buyer page:

  • If Requires Matching is selected and Standard Vouchers Allowed is not selected, then during self-service invoice creation and XML invoice integration, invoices must be associated with a purchase order. If no purchase order exists, a message is generated indicating that no purchase order exists on the VOUCHER_LINE table. If a purchase order does exist, the voucher goes through the Matching process.

  • If Requires Matching is not selected and Standard Vouchers Allowed is selected, then during self-service invoice creation and XML invoice integration, invoices do not have to be associated with a purchase order, and in such cases the Match Action flag on the voucher is set to No Match.

    If a purchase order does exist, the voucher goes through the Matching process.

  • If Requires Matching and Standard Vouchers Allowed are both selected, then during self-service invoice creation and XML invoice integration invoices associated with a purchase order go through the Matching process.

    If a purchase order does not exist, the invoice is created in the system, but doesn't go through the Matching process.

    You define processing options for the buyer administrator when you select the Manually Schedule Payments, Authority to Override Match, and Record Payment check boxes on the Procurement - Payables Online Vouchering page during buyer registration.