Initiating the Matching Application Engine Process

This topic provides an overview of the matching engine.

Page Name

Definition Name

Usage

Match Request Page

MTCH_RUN_CNTRL

Define the run control for the Matching Application Engine process (AP_MATCH).

Messages Page

AP_MESSAGE_LOG

View messages generated during the Matching process. The Message Log page displays messages by process instance.

See Match Request Page

Invoice Information Page

VCHR_EXPRESS1

Enter voucher information.

Match Workbench (To Be Matched selection) Page

AP_MTCH_WB

View a list of vouchers and match information, according to specified search criteria. You can override exceptions, correct errors, create debit memos, put vouchers on a match hold, initiate the Matching process, undo matched vouchers, and send notifications.

The Matching process runs through various steps. These steps are part of the Matching engine and include:

  • Match run control.

  • Document association module.

  • Rule application processor.

  • Status update validation.

  • Final update maintenance engine.

  • Notification and routing.

These steps are discussed in detail in the sections that follow.

Match Run Control

The first step in the Matching process is the match run control. The match run control uses the criteria defined on the Match Request page, on the Match Workbench, or on the Voucher component, to select vouchers. The match run control:

  1. Selects vouchers based on the selection parameters specified by the user.

  2. Populates the voucher match table (AP_MTVCHR_T) with all eligible vouchers selected for the Matching process.

Document Association Module

The next step in the Matching process is the document association module. When the Matching process runs, the document association module finds receipts automatically for vouchers that have a purchase order reference. The document association module uses the criteria you define on the Document Association page to associate receivers to voucher lines. In addition to defining document association rules to handle exact matches, you can define rules to handle non exact match and amount only purchase order scenarios.

The document association module steps are included in the AP_DAM Application Engine library which is called from the Matching process. The AP_DAM library calls the AP_DAM_ALG library which contains all of the necessary steps for algorithms that are specified on the document association rule.

Prior to associating documents, the system deletes records from the following tables: AP_MTCH_EXCPTN, VCHR_MTCH_DETLS, AP_VCHR_LN_SUM, AP_VCHR_HDR_SUM, TSE_VCHRLN_FLD, TSE_VCHR, and VCHR_RECV_MTCH.

Note: The system deletes the records from the VCHR_RECV_MTCH table only if they were associated earlier by the document association process. If you manually associated the receipts, the system does not delete those records.

Document association is comprised of three major functions:

  1. Association preprocessing populates the voucher, purchase order, and receiver match temporary tables (AP_DAMVLINE_T, AP_DAMPOLN_T, and AP_DAMRCVLN_T).

  2. Unit of measure and currency conversion logic converts voucher data to the purchase order unit of measure and currency or to the receiver unit of measure and currency for non purchase order receipts.

    Note: These steps are contained in the AP_MTCHCOM library since unit of measure and currency conversions are common activities.

  3. Document association rules logic associates the voucher, purchase order, and receiver lines and populates header and line level summary tables (AP_VCHR_HDR_SUM and AP_VCHR_LN_SUM) and the voucher match details table (VCHR_MTCH_DETLS).

Once the system finds an association the process is complete. If the document association functionality does not associate a receipt with a voucher line, you can use the Voucher component to manually associate the receipt with the voucher line by:

  • Using the Copy from a Source Document option on the Invoice Information page to copy a PO receipt or a non PO receipt.

  • Manually associating individual receivers with the voucher line by using the Associate Receivers page.

Rule Application Processor

Following the document association module step in the Matching process is the rule application processor. During the rule application processor step, the Matching process determines if the voucher lines and their associated purchase orders and receivers satisfy all the match conditions.

The rule application processor steps are included in the AP_MATCH_RAP Application Engine library which is called from the Matching process.

Prior to applying match rules, the system populates header summary and line summary temporary tables (AP_VCHRHSUM_T and AP_VCHRLSUM_T). These temporary tables contain the copy of all vouchers selected in the current match run control.

The rule application processor:

  1. Determines the match rule level.

    If the match rule level is at the header summary level, the system inserts all the records from the AP_VCHRHSUM_T table into the AP_MTHSUM_T table for the condition specified on the match rule.

    If the rule is at the line summary level, the system inserts all the records from the AP_VCHRLSUM_T table into the AP_MTLSUM_T table for the condition specified on the match rule.

  2. Determines the action applicable to the match rule.

    If the action is Debit Memo, the system sets DBMEMO_FLAG to Y, and either DMEMO_CAT_PRICE to Y, or DMEMO_CAT_QTY to Y on the AP_VCHRLSUM_T table.

    If the action is Exception, the system sets EXCEPTION_FLAG to Y on the AP_VCHRHSUM_T table or the AP_VCHRLSUM_T table depending on the level of the match rule. The system retrieves the necessary fields based on the fields that are specified on the Match Rules - Workbench page for the Match Workbench and populates the AP_MTCH_EXCPTN table.

Status Update Validation

Following the rule application processor is the status update validation step. The status update validation step determines the match action applicable to the voucher line.

The status update validation steps are also included in the AP_MATCH_RAP Application Engine library which is called from the Matching process.

Status update validation applies the final match action to the voucher line. Final match actions include Debit Memo, Exception, Match, Override, and Warning.

Note: If the action is Debit Memo, the Matching process determines if the supplier is set up for debit memo processing. If so, the system creates a debit memo adjustment voucher. If not, the system sets the debit memo flags to N and no debit memo adjustment voucher is created.

Final Update Maintenance Engine

After the status update validation step, the final update maintenance engine populates the appropriate voucher, purchase order, and receiver tables.

The final update maintenance engine steps are in the AP_MTCH_FUME Application Engine library which is called from the Matching process. The AP_MTCH_FUME library calls the AP_MTCH_DM library which contains all of the necessary steps to perform debit memo processing.

The final update maintenance engine:

  1. Populates the voucher information in the voucher table (VOUCHER)

  2. Populates the purchase order information in the PO line ship table (PO_LINE_SHIP) and the PO header table (PO_HDR).

  3. Populates the receiver information in the receiver line ship table (RECV_LN_SHIP) and the receiver header table (RECV_HDR).

  4. Populates the matching information in the receiver voucher match table (RECV_VCHR_MTCH), the receiver line ship match table (RECV_LN_SHP_MTH), the PO line match table (PO_LINE_MATCHED), and the PO line ship match table (PO_LINE_SHIP_MTCH).

  5. Populates the debit memo information in the VCHR_HDR_STG, VCHR_LINE_STG, VCHR_DIST_STG, and VCHR_PYMT_STG staging tables.

Notification and Routing

As a final step, notification and routing use the workflow parameters defined at the match rule type and match rule levels to generate worklist entries and email notifications.

Note: You can also dispatch debit memo information to notify your suppliers that adjustments were made to their invoices. Dispatch debit memo information from the Dispatch Debit Memo page or the Voucher component.

Use the Match Request page (MTCH_RUN_CNTRL) to define the run control for the Matching Application Engine process (AP_MATCH).

Navigation:

Accounts Payable > Batch Processes > Vouchers > Matching > Match Request

Field or Control

Description

Match Workbench

Click to access the Match Workbench page to view voucher match information. You can override exceptions, correct errors, create debit memos, put vouchers on a match hold, initiate the Matching process, undo matched vouchers, and send notifications.

Match Action

Select a match action to run. Options include:

Matching: Runs the Matching process and matching is performed. No email notification or workflow worklist items are created.

Workflow/Email Notify: Runs the Matching process only to call the Matching Notification process. The Matching Notification process calls the Process Match Exceptions process if workflow worklist items exist. No matching is performed.

Matching & Workflow/Email: Runs the Matching process and sends email notifications and creates worklist items.

Note: The Matching Notification and Process Match Exceptions processes generate workflow notifications and worklist items based on the workflow parameters defined on the Match Rule Type and Match Rules - Workflow pages. You can also run these processes from the Match Workbench.

Important! Match Action option will be hidden if Enable Match Collaboration has been selected at the Installation option level, you are using PeopleTools 8.58 or higher and Match Exceptions Collaboration Notifications has been installed. The existing Workflow worklist/email will not be supported and instead PeopleTools Notification framework will be used.

For additional information, see Understanding Match Exception Collaboration Center

Options

Select the level at which the system runs the Matching process. Options are All Business Units, Business Unit, Control Group, Origin, and Voucher.

As of Date

Enter the date for which the Matching process includes data. The system selects vouchers with a match due date on or before the as of date.

Note: If you enter an as of date, the Matching process uses that date until you manually change it. If you leave the As of Date field blank, the system uses the current date every time you run the Matching process, but the system does not actually populate the field.

Run Document Association Only

Click to run the document association subprocess only.

Note: For improved efficiency, you should run the document association subprocess more frequently than the entire Matching process.

Note: Do not run more than one Matching process simultaneously unless the data is organized so that neither Matching process needs the other's purchase orders or receivers.

When you click Run, the matching processing option appears on the Process Scheduler Request page:

Field or Control

Description

AP_MATCH (accounts payable matching)

Select to run the Matching process and all associated subprocesses.

To access the Messages page, use the navigation: Accounts Payable > Batch Processes > Vouchers > Matching > Match Request - Messages

Use the Invoice Information page (VCHR_EXPRESS1) to enter voucher information.

Navigation:

Accounts Payable > Vouchers > Add/Update > Regular Entry > Invoice Information

Run the Matching process as part of a real-time process group, using the Action field on the Invoice Information page.

Use the Match Workbench page (AP_MTCH_WB) to view a list of vouchers and match information, according to specified search criteria.

You can override exceptions, correct errors, create debit memos, put vouchers on a match hold, initiate the Matching process, undo matched vouchers, and send notifications.

Navigation:

Accounts Payable > Review Accounts Payable Info > Vouchers > Match Workbench > Match Workbench

Run the Matching process real-time using the action fields on the Match Workbench page, the Match Exception Workbench Details page, and the Match Overridden Workbench Details page.