Basware Purchase-to-Pay 16.3 - New Features


Contents

1 Introduction

This document contains descriptions of new features in Basware Purchase-to-Pay 16.3.

2 Platform

2.1 Notification to update browser if old IE used

Module(s): Platform
Feature ID: ALUSTA-7215

A notification has been added for users using unsupported Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers (release 10 or older). The notification suggests that the old Microsoft Internet Explorer browser is upgraded to a newer version. The notification does not require immediate actions from the users, but it is recommended that browsers are upgraded to avoid issues in the future.

2.2 Support for SQL Server 2014

Module(s): Platform
Feature ID: ALUSTA-4277

Microsoft SQL Server 2014 has been added to the list of officially supported database platforms. Support for earlier SQL Server releases is continued without changes.

3 General

3.1 Backup user enhancements

Module(s): P2P Admin
Feature ID: ALUSTA-5126

When backup person’s user rights are used (see the image below), a user in a higher organization level with less rights cannot be set as backup person. Users must have adequate rights to be a backup person, that is, similar or higher rights than users they are backing up.

For example, if you want to select User A as the backup person for User B, then User A must have similar or higher rights than User B. This applies even if User A is from a higher organization level.

4 AP Automation

4.1 Approval password

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-3375

The Edge client now supports the use of approval password in invoice processing.

If a user has an approval password set for the approval activity, the password is asked every time the user tries to execute one or many approval (header and/or row level) tasks requiring it. 

The same approval password is used also in the Workplace client and password reset and expiration procedures are the same as in the Workplace client.

4.2 View the contents of a selection list

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-3032

In the Edge client, the selection lists in invoice coding fields have been enhanced so that now it is possible to view and scroll the whole selection list.

 

4.3 Organization unit picker

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-2894

The organization selection list has been enhanced by including a search field. Users can now filter the list of organizations with a search string everywhere in Basware Purchase-to-Pay.

4.4 Summarized coding rows

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-2834

Invoice coding in the Edge client has now been enhanced to show first a summary of coding rows in the details view. This improves the readability of coding data especially on small screens.

 A user can then expand the row to view the all details.

4.5 Prevent double approval tasks with recipient resolvers

Module(s): Invoice Automation, Match Orders, Match Plans
Feature ID: ALUSTA-2811

Earlier it was possible to select a user as a recipient for an invoice task even if that user had already performed another task on the same invoice. This caused an error situation where the user was unable to perform the new task.

Now this situation has been prevented by omitting users who cannot perform the next task from user selection dialogs and also from recipient resolvers. This enhancement covers also cases where an incorrect user is set as a backup person by redirecting the invoice to the backup’s supervisor.

4.6 Best-fit association for header level invoices

Module(s): Match Orders
Feature ID: ALUSTA-858

New recognition methods in Basware Match Orders are now available for invoices without invoice line details. With these new recognition methods, the system can compare invoice net total with:

The recognition starts in the same way as in the previous versions, the system first searches for purchase orders or delivery items that are referenced in the invoice header data. After the referenced items have been found, the rules are executed in priority order and the system tries to find a purchase order item that has the exact or closest matching total compared to the invoice total. When a pair is found, the system generates line details to the invoice that will be automatically matched.

This feature does not support gross sum based calculation yet. Recognition methods should not be enabled if the gross sum is selected as a basis for matching on the OM Configuration page in Basware Configuration Tool. 

4.7 Advanced validation support for Edge Invoice

Module(s): Invoice Automation
Feature ID: ALUSTA-2843

The Edge client now supports the same advanced validation logic for invoices as the Workplace client.

5 Analytics

5.1 Analytics capabilities for Procurement

Module(s): Analytics
Feature ID: ALUSTA-4097

To provide initial visibility to purchase data for our customers, two new dashboards have been created:

The Purchase Overview dashboard provides a similar overview of the purchasing functions as the AP KPI Overview dashboard provides on the invoicing functions. The decidedly simplified dashboard concentrates on the most important measures and dimensions only. The available filtering and parameter options provide a light analytical capability, mostly enabled through action-based clicking of items on the sheets. A new data source has been created for the dashboard. The dashboard enables the following analytical features:

The Purchase Process dashboard follows similar flow and function as the AP Process dashboard. The familiar design elements make it easy to use the dashboard, although the function is different. The dashboard also contains a few more parameters to control the division between purchase requisitions and orders. Generally, the dashboard allows the user to analyze purchase requisition and order process measures as well as users and their tasks and activities. A new data source has been created for the dashboard. The dashboard enables the following analytical features: 

On-site customers can take these reports into use by installing the 15.12 version of Basware Purchase-to-Pay with Analytics module. SaaS customers will get the update automatically, if they already have the Analytics module.

6 Procurement

6.1 URL format change in Edge

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-7130

All URLs in the Edge client are changed to a clearer format (for example, /edge/#/invoicedetails/  –  /edge/#/invoice-details/).

This change breaks links and bookmarks created to Edge and they should be updated to match the new URL format.

6.2 Supplier and purchasing category determination rules for items from external webshops

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-6633

This feature changes the earlier supplier determination rules in case of an item from an external webshop. Now, if an item from an external webshop is returned to the shopping basket, the system first checks the OCI NEW_ITEM_VENDOR field of the OCI inbound message. If a matching DUNS number is available in P2P Administration, the supplier is shown. Otherwise, the supplier configured for the external webshop (if existing in Data Management > Purchase > External Webshops) is shown. Also, if there is no supplier data returned in OCI, the supplier configured for the external webshop (if existing in Data Management > Purchase > External Webshops) is shown.

The purchasing category determination rules are changed similarly. Now, if an item from the external webshop is returned to the shopping basket, the system first checks the OCI NEW_ITEM-EXT_SCHEMA_TYPE and NEW_ITEM-EXT_CATEGORY_ID fields of the OCI inbound message to determine the purchasing category of the item. If matching cross-reference data is available in Data Management > Purchase > Cross-References, this purchasing category is shown. Otherwise, the purchasing category configured for the external webshop (if existing in Data Management > Purchase > External Webshops) is shown. Also, if there is no purchasing category data returned in OCI, the purchasing category configured for the external webshop (if existing in Data Management > Purchase > External Webshops) is shown.

Self-service instructions to take the feature into use

6.3 Summary email lists max. ten tasks per document and includes informative GR tasks

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-6348

Users, who get a daily summary email for their open tasks, now see a maximum of ten tasks per document type (Invoice, Payment plan, Purchase requisition, Goods receipt). The total number of pending tasks is shown at the end of the summary along with a link to the My Tasks page. Informative goods receipt tasks are now in the listing of goods receipt tasks.

6.4 Hiding "Order Now" button and adding "Edit Requisition" button

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-3195

Consultants can now configure in Configuration tool if the Order/Order Now button is available in Shop. Now it is possible to configure also an Edit Requisition button for Shop. These two buttons are available in Shop's Product search, Comparison, Shopping basket, and Free-text form views. It is now easier for the needers to complete the entire order data in Shop before sending the purchase requisition to process.

6.5 GR export

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-3049

The Purchase process now supports the communication of the GR document to an external party by creating a UBL 2.0 compliant ReceiptAdvice document at the moment the goods are received.

The UBL 2.0 ReceiptAdvice document contains all relevant data available on the goods received action, including both the header level data (like the PO number, recipient, and supplier) as well as the received line level data with one line per received item type (like product identification, received quantities and units, and possible faults noticed).

6.6 Inheriting catalogs to lower level organizations

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-3048

Earlier, a user could publish a product catalog to one organization at a time. For each publishing organization, the user needed to make routing settings in BT. This required a lot of manual work if there are many organization units. Now we want to introduce inheritance, which is supported in Buyer Catalog Manager as well as in Basware P2P, which enables that with one publishing and with one BT routing, you can publish a product catalog and its products for all users who belong to the publishing organization or any organization below it. Exclusion of some lower level organizations is not yet available.

Self-service instructions to take the feature into use

6.7 Approve valid requisition task from My Task list in Edge

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-2320

In the Edge client, approvers can now see all their valid approval tasks that do not require editing or selecting a recipient. The approver can also expand the view to see a summary of all lines in that document. The lines assigned to the approver and requiring an action are indicated. Based on that data, the approver can perform (approve or reject with a comment) the task, covering all lines waiting for an action. In a mobile device, the header data of a task is visible and based on that, the task (covering all lines waiting for an action) can be either approved or rejected.

6.8 Total max. size of external attachments

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-1272

In Purchase, the user can include external attachments to purchase documents. These attachments are delivered to the supplier with the purchase order. The existing 10 MB limit of external attachments is changed so that the combined amount of external attachments on the purchase order header and rows cannot exceed 10 MB. This is because the external systems which will receive the purchase order from Purchase (for example mail servers) might not able to manage large amount of data, and thus, discard the purchase order from the supplier completely.

6.9 Receive all quantities in Edge

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-951

This feature extends the My Tasks function in Edge. The users can receive all the remaining quantity of ordered goods or services.

6.10 Budget check with external validation

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-814

The purchase process can now be guided by the availability of a budget related to a certain purchase requisition line. Based on the set budget rules and the dimensions of the purchase requisition line, Purchase, if configured so, will search for a budget for each purchase requisition line. Depending on the purchase requisition line total amount and the available budget, Purchase will either prevent the user from proceeding with the purchase or just warn or inform the user on the situation related to the budget.

The budgets used are by default imported from an external system, like ERP system, and the consumption of the budgets by the purchase requisition’s is communicated back to the external system. For the export and import operations, anyERP is utilized with appropriate configuration.

6.11 Free-text requisitioning in Edge Shop

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-510

Free-text requisitioning allows users to describe their needs and make purchase requisitions with forms that can be configured to support different kinds of purchasing. Users can access and use the forms with different devices and browsers as the forms adapt to different screen sizes.

Forms are configured in the Data Management view in Professional Mode in the same way as in previous versions. In addition, hyperlinks can now be inserted into the form instruction texts.

Note that in this release there is a limitation that selection list (for example, supplier) default values are not set or possible list values are not filtered based on user’s selections (for example, category).

6.12 Purchase Professional Tool: basic PR, PO and GR list & details views

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-8145

With the first version of the Purchase Professional Tools module, we introduce a good visibility of purchase documents within the organization’s purchase process. A user with the professional buyer user rights can navigate to Purchase Professional Tools. On the tool, the user can use the basic search to find purchase documents, sort, and filter the result set. The user can also drill down to a specific purchase document to view the details of the document. This way, the user gains a better understanding of the purchase related to the document.

6.13 Additional fields can be configured in CT as read-only

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-8344
Release: P2P 16.3.1

Now it is possible to configure if certain purchase requisition and purchase order fields are editable or read-only. The editability can be defined on the entity level or screen-specifically. This means that fields can be edited, for example, in the draft phase, but not during the approval workflow. The editable fields are category, product name, price type, net unit price, and gross unit price. The editability of the category and product name fields can be defined for external and free-text items (both having the same settings), but in catalog items these fields are still always read-only. The read-only settings for price type, net unit price, and gross unit price fields can screen-specific, if needed. This update can affect the editability of fields listed above in the current setups.

6.14 Two additional budget dimensions

Module(s): Purchase
Feature ID: ALUSTA-8343
Release: P2P 16.3.1

The budget rules have been enhanced with the addition of two new rule dimensions.