Match Rule

This page is accessed via Financials > Payment Rule Management > Match Rule.

Match rules specify the criteria used to automatically match payment invoices to buy shipments. You can specify the service providers, reference number qualifiers, and other criteria. Match rules can specify exact matches, or they can specify matches of similar or related service providers. For example, shipments from subsidiary companies can be automatically matched to the invoices of their parent firm.

In addition, match rules can specify matches to a single or set of shipment reference numbers.

Once you have created match rules, they must be assigned to match rule profiles. Then those profiles are attached to service providers.

Match Rule Definition

1. The Match Rule ID uniquely identifies the match rule and displays in match rule profiles.
2. The optional Match Rule Name and Match Rule Description more fully describe the match rule.
3. The Match Rule Type field specifies that the rule applies for normal invoice matching. No other selections are possible at this time.
4. Use the Match Rule Outcome drop-down list to specify if this rule is for matching the invoice with either a shipment, a ship unit, a ship unit line, or a shipment group.

Match Rule Criteria

This section allows you to specify certain criteria to be used as part of the matching process.

1. Use the Source Location Rule and the Destination Location Rule check boxes to define whether or not the system should check the source location and/or the destination information when looking for a match. For example, if Source Location is selected, the first stop on the buy shipment must match the first stop on the invoice.
2. Select Consolidated, Standard, or Both in the Consolidation Rule Type drop-down list to indicate the type of invoices matched using this rule.
3. Choose Buy, Sell, or Both in the Find Shipments Type drop-down list.

Service Providers

Service provider is the main criterion on which matching is performed. OTM looks at the service provider on the invoice and will only match the invoice to a buy shipment that has the same service provider. You have two options for configuring the service provider for matching:

1. The Exact Match option specifies that the Service Provider IDs, as well as the Service Provider Alias Qualifier IDs and Service Provider Aliases, on the invoices and shipments must match exactly. Usually, you should create at least one exact match rule to find invoices and shipments with identical service providers and reference numbers.
2. The Match Any in List option specifies that a match among any of the Service Provider IDs saved in the match rule constitutes a matching invoice and shipment. This option is useful for creating match rules that apply to related service providers. For example, you may do business with a group of carriers that are subsidiaries of a parent company, which does the billing for all its carriers. In that case, you can create a match rule including the Service Provider IDs of all the subsidiaries.
3. If you selected Match Any in List:
   1. Enter a Service Provider ID.
   2. Click Save for each service provider ID you enter.

Match Invoice Reference Numbers To

After OTM matches invoices to buy shipments based on service provider, it looks for a match between reference numbers on the invoice and the shipment. OTM looks at both the Reference Number Qualifier and the value. They must both match for the match to occur. Frequently, the Bill of Lading number or the customer order number is used, but and shipment reference number can be used.

Note: This section only appears when you have made a selection for the Match Rule Outcome drop-down list.

The fields that appear in this section are determined by the choice you make in the Match Rule Outcome field in the header section.

1. Select either the Match One Or More option or the Match All option.

   Note: The Match All option specifies that matching invoices and shipments must have identical reference numbers for all the Shipment Reference Number Qualifier IDs saved in the match rule. The Match One or More option specifies that matching invoices and shipments must have at least one matching reference number from among the Shipment Reference Qualifier IDs saved in the match rule.

2. In the following fields, select the proper qualifiers from the drop-down lists.

   If Your Match Rule Outcome Is	Then The Fields That Appear Are
   Shipment	Shipment Reference Number Qualifier ID
   Shipment Ship Unit	Invoice Reference Number Qualifier ID Shipment Ship Unit Reference Number Qualifier ID
   Shipment Ship Unit Line	Invoice Reference Number Qualifier ID Shipment Ship Unit Line Reference Number Qualifier ID
   Shipment Group	Invoice Reference Number Qualifier ID Shipment Group Reference Number Qualifier ID

3. Click Save. You can add as many reference numbers to the grid as you require.
4. Click Finished.