Data Template: Accounts Payable Invoice Processing

The Activity Name describes a specific action, status change, or milestone in the invoice processing lifecycle. Each recorded event for an invoice, such as 'Invoice Validated', 'Submitted For Approval', or 'Payment Executed', is represented by a distinct activity name.

This attribute forms the backbone of the process map, where each unique value becomes a node in the visualized process flow. Analyzing the sequence, frequency, and duration between these activities is the core of process mining, helping to identify common paths, deviations, and rework loops. It is essential for understanding what is actually happening in the process.

Defines the steps in the process map, allowing for visualization and analysis of the process flow, bottlenecks, and variations.

Typically derived from transaction codes, event logs, status change fields, or specific user action records within the source system.

Event Time captures the exact moment a specific activity took place in the invoice's lifecycle. Every activity, from 'Invoice Received' to 'Invoice Cleared', has an associated timestamp.

This attribute is crucial for performance analysis. It allows for the calculation of cycle times between activities (e.g., approval time, payment time) and the total end-to-end processing time for each invoice. By analyzing these durations, organizations can identify bottlenecks, measure performance against service level agreements (SLAs), and pinpoint opportunities for acceleration. It also enables the chronological ordering of events to reconstruct the process flow accurately.

This is essential for calculating cycle times, identifying bottlenecks, and analyzing the chronological sequence of process events.

Found in system logs, transaction creation/change date fields, or event timestamp records associated with invoice documents.

The Invoice ID is a unique alphanumeric code assigned to each invoice received from a vendor. It acts as the central reference point for all activities and data related to that specific invoice, from its initial receipt to final payment and clearing.

In process mining, the Invoice ID is fundamental. It functions as the Case ID, allowing the software to stitch together the sequence of events (like 'Invoice Received', 'Approved', 'Paid') into a coherent process flow for a single invoice. This enables the analysis of process variants, cycle times, and bottlenecks on a per-invoice basis, providing a clear view of how each invoice is handled.

This is the most critical attribute as it connects all related process steps into a single case, enabling end-to-end process analysis and visualization.

Typically found in the header data of the invoice or accounts payable transaction tables in the source system.

The Last Data Update timestamp indicates the most recent time the data was extracted from the source system and loaded into the process mining environment. It does not represent when the business event happened, but rather the freshness of the data being analyzed.

This attribute is important for data governance and for users to understand the timeliness of the insights. It helps confirm that the analysis is based on up-to-date information and can be used to monitor the health and frequency of the data pipeline. It ensures that stakeholders are aware of the data's recency when making decisions based on the process dashboards and analysis.

Crucial for data governance and ensuring that users are aware of the freshness of the data they are analyzing, which builds trust in the insights.

This timestamp is typically generated and added during the data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) process.

This attribute identifies the original IT system where the event data was generated or recorded, such as an ERP, a document management system, or a workflow tool. In environments with multiple systems involved in the AP process, this field helps distinguish the origin of different activities.

Analyzing data by Source System is useful for understanding process fragmentation and data integration challenges. It can highlight if delays or issues are associated with handoffs between different systems. It's also critical for data governance and validation, ensuring that the process view accurately reflects the contributions of each system.

Provides context on data origin, which is crucial for data validation, troubleshooting, and analyzing process variations across different systems.

Typically a static value added during the data extraction process or available in system log headers.

The Company Code is a unique key that represents a distinct legal entity or company within an organization. Invoices are processed and booked on behalf of a specific company code.

This attribute is a fundamental dimension for comparative analysis in multi-entity organizations. It allows for benchmarking AP process performance across different companies, subsidiaries, or business units. Analysis can reveal whether certain entities are more efficient, have higher automation rates, or suffer from more payment blocks. This helps in standardizing best practices and identifying region-specific or entity-specific problems.

Allows for benchmarking processes across different legal entities or business units, helping to standardize practices and identify localized issues.

Located in the header of financial or invoice transaction documents, representing the posting entity.

Invoice Amount represents the total gross value of the invoice as submitted by the vendor. This is a key financial metric for each case.

This attribute is used extensively in financial and performance analysis. It allows for filtering processes based on materiality (e.g., analyzing high-value invoices separately), identifying approval bottlenecks for invoices over a certain threshold, and calculating the financial impact of process inefficiencies. For example, it can be used to quantify the value of blocked invoices or to prioritize automation efforts on high-volume, low-value invoices. It is a fundamental dimension for almost all AP dashboards.

Allows for financial impact analysis, such as quantifying the value of blocked payments, and helps prioritize invoices based on materiality.

Typically found in the header or line-item tables of the invoice transaction data.

The Invoice Due Date is the calculated date on which payment must be made to the vendor to be considered on time and to avoid potential late fees or penalties. It is typically derived from the invoice date and the agreed-upon payment terms (e.g., Net 30).

This attribute is essential for measuring payment performance. It is the basis for calculating the On-Time Payment Rate KPI and for identifying late payments. Comparing the due date with the actual payment date allows for the analysis of payment timeliness, helping organizations improve vendor relationships, avoid penalties, and strategically manage cash flow.

This is critical for measuring on-time payment performance, managing cash flow, and avoiding late payment penalties.

This date is often calculated by the source system based on the invoice date and payment terms, and stored in the invoice header.

The Purchase Order Number is the reference ID for the document that initially authorized the purchase of goods or services from the vendor. Invoices can be PO-backed or non-PO.

This attribute is critical for analyzing the invoice matching process. It allows for distinguishing between PO-based and non-PO-based invoices, which often follow very different process paths. Analysis can focus on the efficiency of the three-way match (PO vs. goods receipt vs. invoice), identify reasons for match failures, and measure the First-Pass Match Rate KPI. A missing PO number for an invoice that should have one is often an indicator of a process compliance issue.

Crucial for analyzing invoice matching efficiency, differentiating PO vs. non-PO invoice processes, and identifying compliance issues.

Found in the invoice transaction data, often in a reference field linking it to the purchasing module.

The User Name identifies the individual employee or system user responsible for executing a given process step, such as invoice entry, approval, or posting. For automated steps, this may be a system or batch user ID.

This attribute enables a human-centric view of the process. It is used to analyze workload distribution, individual or team performance, and identify training needs. By tracking activities by user, organizations can uncover rework loops caused by specific individuals, pinpoint where approvals are getting stuck, and ensure proper segregation of duties. It's a key attribute for understanding the human element of the AP process.

Enables analysis of team and individual performance, workload distribution, and helps identify training opportunities or compliance issues.

Typically found in event logs or 'Changed By' / 'Created By' fields in transaction tables.

The Vendor Name identifies the legal or trading name of the supplier providing the goods or services. This attribute provides crucial business context to each invoice.

In analysis, segmenting the process by Vendor Name allows for the evaluation of performance and relationships with specific suppliers. It can help answer questions like: 'Which vendors have the longest approval times?', 'Do we frequently have invoice discrepancies with certain vendors?', or 'Are we capturing early payment discounts effectively for our key suppliers?'. This view is vital for procurement and supplier relationship management.

Enables performance analysis by supplier, helping to identify problematic vendor relationships, payment term compliance, and process variations by vendor.

Located in the vendor master data tables and linked to the invoice transaction data via a vendor ID.

A Blocking Reason is a code or text that explains why an invoice has been intentionally stopped from proceeding to the payment stage. Common reasons include quantity or price discrepancies, a missing goods receipt, or a required quality inspection.

This is a vital attribute for root cause analysis of exceptions and rework. By analyzing the frequency and impact of different blocking reasons, organizations can identify the most common sources of inefficiency in their AP process. This allows for targeted improvement initiatives, such as improving PO accuracy with vendors or streamlining the goods receipt process. Reducing payment blocks is a key driver for improving the Straight-Through Processing (STP) rate.

Essential for root cause analysis of payment blocks, helping to identify the biggest drivers of inefficiency and rework in the process.

Found on the invoice document or in a related status table, often populated when a 'Blocked' activity occurs.

The Invoice Currency specifies the unit of money in which the invoice amount is denominated. This is particularly important for multinational organizations that deal with suppliers in different countries.

In analysis, this attribute is essential for correctly interpreting the Invoice Amount and for performing accurate financial calculations. It allows for filtering the process by currency to understand regional differences or currency-specific challenges. When combined with exchange rate data, it can be used to normalize financial values into a single reporting currency for consistent global analysis.

Provides necessary context for the invoice amount, enabling accurate financial analysis and process segmentation for global organizations.

Typically located in the header of the invoice transaction table alongside the invoice amount.

This boolean attribute indicates whether a specific process step was executed by a system user (automation, workflow, batch job) or a human user. This helps differentiate between manual and automated activities.

Analyzing this attribute is fundamental to understanding the level of automation in the AP process and measuring the success of digital transformation initiatives. It helps calculate the Straight-Through Processing (STP) rate by identifying invoices that are handled without manual intervention. Comparing the performance of automated vs. manual paths can build a business case for further automation investments by quantifying time and cost savings.

Allows for the measurement of automation levels (e.g., Straight-Through Processing rate) and helps quantify the impact of automation on process efficiency.

Often derived by checking if the 'UserName' for an activity corresponds to a known system or batch user ID.

The Payment Date is the timestamp that marks when the funds were disbursed to the vendor for a specific invoice. This is a key milestone that often signifies the end of the main processing flow.

In process mining analysis, this date is compared against the Invoice Due Date to determine if a payment was on-time, early, or late. It is a core component for calculating critical KPIs like the On-Time Payment Rate and for analyzing early payment discount opportunities. Understanding the gap between invoice approval and the payment date can also reveal inefficiencies in the payment execution or treasury functions.

Essential for calculating on-time payment rates, analyzing payment behavior, and identifying opportunities to capture early payment discounts.

Found in the payment or clearing document data, which is linked to the original invoice transaction.

Payment Terms define the conditions under which an invoice should be paid. This often includes the net due days (e.g., 30 days) and any potential discounts for early payment (e.g., 2% discount if paid in 10 days).

This attribute provides critical context for financial performance analysis. It is used to calculate the Invoice Due Date and to identify opportunities for capturing early payment discounts. By analyzing process performance by payment terms, organizations can see if they are systematically missing discount opportunities due to long internal cycle times. This analysis directly links process efficiency to financial savings.

Drives the calculation of the invoice due date and is key to analyzing early payment discount capture rates, linking process efficiency to cost savings.

Typically sourced from vendor master data and copied to the invoice transaction header upon creation.