Reference Fields

Eight fields in the PS_PENDING_ITEM table contain related document information that the system uses for processing or page displays:

  • DOCUMENT (and DOCUMENT_LINE)

  • PO_REF

  • BILL_OF_LADING

  • ORDER_NO

  • CONTRACT_NUM

  • INVOICE

  • LC_ID

  • AG_REF_NBR

The maintenance worksheet uses the Document field to facilitate matching unless you enter your own matching criteria. When you specify on the worksheet that the system match items, it matches by comparing the item ID and item line number with the document and document line number of each item in the worksheet. Oracle designed this matching capability for instances in which subsequent activity against an invoice, such as a debit or credit memo, is assigned its own item ID by the originating billing system, with the original item ID supplied as reference information.

If you have this requirement in your application and want to use the matching feature in the maintenance worksheet, you should use the Document field—and line item, if necessary—to hold this information when you create pending items for debit memo and credit memo transactions.

You can display all of the fields on the preceding list without customization on the Item List inquiry page and on the worksheet application pages (payment, draft, maintenance, and transfer). If you have reference-type information for your business that requires this type of display, you may want to use one of the reference fields on the preceding list rather than a user field to hold critical application reference information.

One additional consideration when you are processing subsequent debits and credits from a billing system is whether to swap the document reference and item ID as part of your interface program. For example, your billing system assigns subsequent debit and credit memos their own item ID, but also supplies the original item ID in a reference field. Consider setting up your interface so that it can detect this condition, and have it place the document reference in the Item ID field (with a line number if appropriate) and the item ID in the Document reference field.

The Receivables Update process automatically matches the subsequent activity to the original item and saves you online maintenance activity.