Basware Purchase-to-Pay 20.5 New Features


Contents

1 Introduction

This document contains descriptions of new features in Basware Purchase-to-Pay 20.5 and its maintenance releases.

2 Procurement

2.1 Enhanced Buyer Managed Content in Product Manager

Module(s): Marketplace
Feature ID: ALUSTA-68276
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Customer can take into use (see instructions here)

This development provides improvements to buyer-managed content. Buyer-managed content in Product Manager gives buyer administrators the ability to create agent agreements and manage purchasable content on behalf of their suppliers.

With these enhancements, buyer admins can:

Manage Agreements page with buttons to edit Content Tags and Items

Create Item on an agent agreement

 

2.2 Combine “Status” and “Sub-status” as one document status field in purchase requisition

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-63055
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Purchase requisitions have both a status and sub-status. In many cases, the status stays the same while the document progresses through several sub-statuses. Now, the purchase requisitions list view shows either the status or the sub-status in the Status column, depending on which information is more precise. This enhancement is on the list views for personal users’ document search and for professional users.  

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-65078
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

When searching documents, users were shown an unknown error when searching took a long time and caused a timeout. Now, the user is shown an error message informing them of the timeout and requesting that the user retry the search with more specific criteria. The error message is displayed on both the Purchase Professional Tools search and the personal users’ document search.

2.4 Order response handling aligned for different purchase order states

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-68301
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Basware P2P Purchase now properly receives order responses at any state of the actual order. When using PEPPOL ordering, the supplier can send multiple order responses for one order, and the buyer can receive updates to the order at any point. To handle this, Basware P2P’s order response handling has been improved. Also, clearly incorrect order responses will be ignored and noted in the order history, and an email will be sent to the purchase order owner in these cases. 

2.5 Split requisition to unique purchase orders based on delivery address

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-58745
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Customer can take into use (see instructions here)

Organizations can now choose to create separate purchase orders from a purchase requisition for items with different delivery addresses. This setting is available at Data management > Document creation settings. (Note that Document creation settings was previously called Document numbering.)

To change this setting, you must have the Manage purchase documents user right for at least one organization. 

Note: separate purchase orders are always created for items on a requisition with different suppliers, payment terms, or contract references. 

2.6 Improved handling of failed interactions between buyer and supplier

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-67670
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

When sending Basware Network purchase orders to suppliers, if the original order sending failed, Basware P2P provided adequate messaging about the failure. However, if any other supplier interactions failed, such as changing or cancelling an order, the user guidance in these cases was less clear. 

Now, unique messages are displayed in the order status, history text, workflow panel text, and available actions depending on which interaction with the supplier failed. The covered scenarios are original order sending, order update, order cancellation, rejecting supplier’s order response, and accepting supplier’s order response.

Note that order actions rarely fail - they may do so if, for example, the server is down. However, quick recovery from those cases depends on the user having more detailed information, which is now provided.

2.7 Marketplace handles both tax category and tax percent from PEPPOL/EHF catalogs

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-68943
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Earlier, Marketplace only handled the tax category from PEPPOL/EHF catalogs. Based on that information, tax percentage was calculated and sent to Basware P2P Purchase. Now for PEPPOL/EHF 3.0 catalogs, Marketplace sends both the tax category and the tax percent from PEPPOL/EHF 3.0 catalogs and sends that information to Basware P2P Purchase. 

2.8 Order response from supplier can divide one purchase order line to several lines

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-68858
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Basware P2P Purchase now supports cases in which the order response from the supplier includes more lines than the original purchase order. New lines in the response always refer to an existing line in the original order. This feature may be used, for example, in cases where part of the order will be delivered on one date and part of the order will be delivered on a later date. The deliveries are in separate lines in the order response and can be received separately.

This functionality complies with PEPPOL ordering specifications.

2.9 Recognition for Marketplace suppliers with identifiers other than DUNS

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-68942
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Basware P2P Administration can now handle supplier identifiers other than DUNS. Earlier, suppliers using punchouts have always provided a DUNS number by which the suppliers could be identified. Now, Marketplace can provide an Identifier key and Value for supplier identification, meaning that any identifier in P2P Administration’s supplier data can be used to recognize the supplier. The use of new identifiers require implementation in Marketplace, but in Basware P2P Purchase the implementation is generic. Currently, DUNS and NO:ORG are the values supported by Marketplace. NO:ORG is used in the context of Norwegian PEPPOL/EHF catalogs.

2.10 Purchase order responses with backorder quantities

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-65539
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

A backorder occurs when a buyer orders a certain quantity of goods and the supplier accepts the order but does not yet know when they can deliver the full ordered quantity. Part of the order may be delivered immediately, and the rest of the order becomes “backorder quantity”. Basware P2P Purchase now allows suppliers to inform buyers of a backorder.

The supplier uses a new order response to notify the buyer of the delivery date for the backorder quantity. The order response includes a new line for the backorder quantity, although the purchase order document does not show the backorder quantity separately. In the order history, the user can see that the supplier will notify them later of details for the backorder quantity.

2.11 Suppliers can change purchase order line content in PEPPOL order responses

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-65537
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Basware P2P Purchase now supports purchase order line content changes in PEPPOL order responses from suppliers. The functionality differs from non-PEPPOL order responses only in that the changed line content is in a different section of the XML message.

2.12 Improved handling of tax category and percents from order responses

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-69821
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

In Basware P2P Purchase, tax codes consist of the tax category and either one or two tax percents. Basware P2P Purchase receives tax information when an item is added to a requisition and when the supplier changes the product information in an order response. Typically only the tax percent is received, but sometimes both the category and percent are received, and sometimes only the tax category is received. Now there is a common method for handling all sources of partial and full tax information.

2.13 Receive suppliers’ accept/reject responses for PEPPOL and EHF orders

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-63056
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Basware P2P Purchase now shows suppliers’ “accept” and “reject” responses for PEPPOL and EHF purchase orders and order lines. The user interface is the same as for non-PEPPOL orders. Basware P2P Purchase also supports Peppol’s functionality for the supplier to acknowledge receipt of the order and to inform the buyer of some lines that are already delivered. The PEPPOL and EHF interactions with suppliers all display in the purchase order history. 

3 AP Automation

3.1 AP Pro - Handling time of pending tasks is displayed

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-56120
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

AP Pro’s list of invoices in Workflow now shows the column Pending Time. This column displays the time for which a task for that invoice has been pending. By providing this information, AP Pro makes it easy for users to find tasks that have been pending for a long time, so the user can follow up with the task recipient and get the tasks completed. 

If several tasks are pending for one invoice, the time for the oldest task is shown and the time for all tasks can be seen by hovering over the table cell. 

 Pending time is also displayed in the Task management panel for each task.

3.2 AP Pro - Indication of duplicate invoices in list view

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-67396
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

In AP Pro, invoice lists have been enhanced by displaying an error icon and text for duplicated invoices. Earlier, the duplicate invoices were only indicated as invalid. This new error text makes it easier for users to identify duplicate invoices and also enables users to filter duplicate invoices from the list. 

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-64434
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Now it is possible for users to link invoices to each other directly from the invoice list in AP Pro. The action is available after the user selects between 2 and 10 invoices on the list. For example, this feature can be used to link a credit memo to a related debit invoice.

3.4 AP Pro - Timestamps in user’s local time, not UTC

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-62021
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

Timestamps have been improved in AP Pro and Edge. In some cases, timestamps in the invoice header and in list view fields such as Creation time, Dispute date, or Transfer date previously displayed UTC time instead of local time. Now all timestamps are shown in the user’s local time. Searching for invoices using local time also works, so users don’t need to convert the time when performing searches.

3.5 Find and act on invoices in automatic processes

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-66389
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

A new search criteria, Invoices in automatic process, has been added in the Advanced search. The criteria can be used for finding invoices currently in any automatic process. The user can then comment, print, or edit the process, or remove the invoices. For example, this is useful if an invoice has gone into the wrong process and needs to be returned, or if an invoice has not moved forward in the process as expected.

No new user rights are needed to view invoices in automatic processes. However, any possible actions on the invoices require the respective user rights.

3.6 Prebook invoices using OpenAPI

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-27384
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Basware consultant work is needed

The invoice process has been enhanced with a new activity that automatically prebooks an invoice using OpenAPI. The Automatic Prebook activity can be set anywhere in the invoice process and works only when OpenAPI is in use.

3.7 Automatically unmatch invoices in post-matching

Module(s): Match Orders
Feature ID: ALUSTA-66241
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Basware consultant work is needed before customer can take into use

A new activity has been added to the invoice process that automatically cancels previous matching activities for an invoice. This new activity is used as part of the downpayment process for invoices that are first matched without goods receipts, automatically unmatched, and then matched again with the goods receipts.

3.8 Manual Matching - Basic purchase order search criteria is saved for next searches

Module(s): Match Orders
Feature ID: ALUSTA-68800
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

In AP Pro, when a user searches for purchase order items for manual matching, the basic search criteria are preserved so that the same criteria can be used later. This helps the user to find the right purchase order items faster if accounts payable is working with similar invoices.

In the search criteria, the purchase order number and delivery note number are taken from the invoice, and all other search criteria persist from the previous search.

3.9 Manual Matching - Invoice lines show available sum and quantity to match

Module(s): Match Orders
Feature ID: ALUSTA-68734
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Basware consultant work is needed

Two new fields have been added to the invoice line: Available Quantity to Match and Available Sum to Match. The user can now see the invoice line’s original values and available values when the invoice line is partly associated.

3.10 Manual Matching - Request approval for invoice

Module(s): Match Orders
Feature ID: ALUSTA-38426
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

In Manual Matching, if an AP clerk wants to send an invoice for additional approval, they can choose to do so from the invoice actions. The approver for the invoice can come from the approval process configuration, or the AP clerk can manually select an approver.

3.11 Manual Matching - Import and export invoice lines

Module(s): Match Orders
Feature ID: ALUSTA-46643
Release: P2P 20.5
Feature Implementation: Feature is in use automatically

In Manual Matching, users can now import invoice lines from an Excel spreadsheet and export invoice lines to an Excel spreadsheet.