Your Purchase to Pay - Invoice Processing Data Template

The Activity Name describes a single step or milestone in the invoice processing journey. Examples include 'Invoice Received', 'Invoice Sent for Approval', 'Payment Block Placed', and 'Payment Executed'. This attribute provides the narrative for the process, outlining what happened to the invoice over time.

In process mining, this attribute is used to generate the process map, which visually represents the workflow. Analyzing the sequence, frequency, and paths of these activities helps identify common process flows, deviations, bottlenecks, and rework loops. The quality and granularity of activity names are critical for creating a meaningful and actionable process analysis.

This attribute defines the steps in the process, forming the backbone of the process map and enabling all flow-related analysis.

This information is often derived from status change logs, event tables, or transaction codes within the source system.

The Event Time, or Start Time, records the exact date and time that a business activity took place. Each activity in the process, from 'Invoice Received' to 'Payment Executed', has an associated timestamp. This chronological information is essential for ordering events and calculating durations.

This attribute is used to sort events chronologically to build the process flow for each case. It is the basis for all time-based analysis, including calculating cycle times between activities, identifying bottlenecks where time is lost, and monitoring performance against service level agreements. Accurate and precise timestamps are crucial for the reliability of any process mining analysis.

It provides the chronological order of events and is the foundation for all performance and duration-based calculations, such as cycle time.

This is typically found in event logs or as a 'Creation Date' or 'Entry Date' field associated with each transaction or status change.

The Invoice Number is the unique alphanumeric code assigned to an invoice by a supplier. In process mining, this attribute is fundamentally important as it typically serves as the Case ID, uniquely identifying each invoice's journey from receipt to payment.

By using the Invoice Number as the Case ID, all related activities, such as 'Invoice Received', 'Invoice Approved', and 'Payment Executed', can be linked together to reconstruct the end-to-end process for that specific invoice. This allows for detailed analysis of cycle times, paths, and deviations for each individual case, forming the foundation of the entire process analysis.

It is the essential Case Identifier that connects all related events, making it possible to trace the end-to-end lifecycle of a single invoice.

This is a primary field typically found in the header of an invoice transaction table.

This attribute records the date and time when the data was last extracted or refreshed. It serves as a metadata field that indicates the freshness of the dataset being analyzed.

While not used directly in drawing the process map, this information is critical for understanding the timeliness of the analysis. It helps users know if they are looking at real-time data or a snapshot from a specific point in time, which is essential for making informed operational decisions. It is also vital for monitoring the health and frequency of the data pipeline.

It indicates the freshness of the data, allowing users to understand how current the process analysis is.

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

The Source System attribute identifies the application or platform where the invoice processing event was recorded. In complex IT landscapes, an invoice's journey might span multiple systems, such as a scanning solution, a workflow tool, and an ERP system.

Understanding the source system provides context for the data and helps in troubleshooting data quality issues. It also allows for analysis of processes that cross system boundaries, highlighting potential integration challenges or delays caused by handoffs between different applications. This can be particularly useful when consolidating data from legacy and modern systems.

It provides context about data origin, which is crucial for data validation and for analyzing processes that span multiple IT systems.

This is often a static value added during data extraction or a field available in system logs that indicates the application name or ID.

This attribute captures the specific reason why an invoice's progress was halted, either through a rejection during the approval workflow or a payment block after approval. Reasons can range from 'Incorrect Quantity' and 'Price Mismatch' to 'Missing PO Number' or 'Duplicate Invoice'.

This is one of the most important attributes for root cause analysis. By analyzing the frequency of different reasons, organizations can pinpoint the most common sources of friction and inefficiency in the invoice process. This data-driven insight allows them to address underlying issues, such as improving communication with vendors, enhancing PO compliance, or providing better training to staff.

This is crucial for root cause analysis, helping to identify the most common reasons for processing delays, rework, and inefficiencies.

This information is found in specific 'Reason Code' or 'Hold Reason' fields in the invoice transaction data or associated approval logs.

The End Time attribute records the precise moment a process step concludes. It is crucial for accurately calculating the duration of activities, which is a fundamental metric in process mining. By comparing the Start Time and End Time, analysts can measure how long each step takes, identifying bottlenecks and areas for efficiency improvement.

In analysis, End Time is used to calculate cycle times for individual activities and entire process segments. For example, the duration of the 'Invoice Approval' step can be determined by subtracting the Start Time from the End Time of the 'Invoice Approved' activity. This data helps in building performance dashboards, setting benchmarks, and monitoring the impact of process changes.

It enables the precise calculation of activity durations, which is essential for identifying bottlenecks and measuring processing efficiency.

Found in system logs or transaction data, often as a 'Completion Date', 'Change Date', or a separate timestamp field for activity completion.

Invoice Amount represents the total value of the invoice, including all line items, taxes, and fees. This is a fundamental financial attribute that defines the monetary significance of each case. It is often analyzed in conjunction with other attributes to understand its impact on the process.

This attribute is critical for financial analysis and prioritization. By filtering invoices based on their amount, analysts can investigate if high-value invoices follow a different, more stringent approval path or if they are more prone to delays. It is also essential for dashboards that track total invoice throughput value and for KPIs related to discount capture, where the potential savings are a percentage of the invoice amount.

It enables financial impact analysis, prioritization of high-value invoices, and helps identify if invoice value affects processing time or path.

This is a standard field found in the header of an invoice transaction table.

This attribute specifies the currency in which the Invoice Amount is denominated. It is essential for organizations that operate internationally and deal with suppliers from different countries. The currency code, typically following the ISO 4217 standard, ensures that financial data is interpreted correctly.

In analysis, Invoice Currency is used to segment data for regional or country-specific views. It is crucial for financial reporting to ensure amounts are aggregated correctly, often requiring conversion to a standard reporting currency. Analyzing process variations by currency can also reveal complexities related to international payments or foreign exchange management.

It provides necessary context for invoice amounts, enabling accurate financial analysis and segmentation for global operations.

This is a standard field found in the header of an invoice transaction table.

The Payment Due Date is a critical date calculated based on the invoice date and the agreed-upon payment terms. It represents the deadline for payment to the vendor to maintain good standing and avoid late payment penalties.

This attribute is fundamental for performance monitoring related to on-time payments. It is used to calculate KPIs like the On-Time Payment Rate and to identify invoices that are at risk of becoming overdue. Analyzing the gap between the invoice approval date and the payment due date helps assess the efficiency of the final payment scheduling and execution steps.

It is essential for measuring on-time payment performance and analyzing the causes of late payments.

This date is typically found in the invoice transaction details. It may be entered directly or derived from the invoice date and payment terms.

The User attribute identifies the individual or automated system responsible for executing a specific step in the invoice processing workflow. This could be an accounts payable clerk who entered the invoice, a manager who approved it, or an automated bot that performed a matching task.

Analyzing data by user is essential for understanding workload distribution, individual performance, and identifying training needs. It allows for filtering the process map to see how different teams or individuals handle invoices, revealing variations in their workflows. This analysis can uncover top performers, highlight routing issues, or pinpoint users who may require additional support or training on company procedures.

It helps analyze workload distribution, user performance, and process variations between different teams or individuals.

This information is typically available in transaction details, often labeled as 'User Name', 'Entered By', 'Changed By', or 'Approver'.

This attribute captures the name of the external party that issued the invoice. It provides critical context, linking the financial transaction to a specific supplier relationship. Consistent and clean vendor data is vital for accurate reporting and analysis.

In process mining, Vendor Name is a key dimension for segmentation. Analysts can filter the process to examine invoice handling for high-volume or problematic vendors. This helps identify suppliers who frequently submit invoices with errors, leading to delays and rework. It also supports strategic initiatives like vendor performance management and identifying opportunities for preferred supplier programs.

It allows for segmenting the process to analyze performance by supplier, which is key for vendor management and identifying sources of problematic invoices.

This is typically found in the invoice header data, linked from a vendor master data table based on a vendor ID.

The Company Code represents a specific legal entity or subsidiary within a larger corporation. In many financial systems, transactions are segregated by company code for accounting and reporting purposes.

This attribute enables comparative analysis across different business units. By segmenting the process map by Company Code, analysts can benchmark performance, identify best practices within one entity, and uncover systemic issues in another. It is a fundamental attribute for any organization with more than one legal entity to understand process variations and ensure corporate-wide compliance.

It allows for benchmarking and comparing processes across different legal entities or business units within an organization.

This is a fundamental organizational field typically found in the header of all financial transaction tables.

The Invoice Date is the date provided by the vendor on the invoice document itself. It marks the official start of the payment lifecycle from the vendor's point of view and is often the basis for calculating the payment due date according to the agreed payment terms.

Analyzing the time lag between the Invoice Date and the 'Invoice Received' or 'Invoice Entered' activity is crucial for identifying delays in invoice submission or ingestion. This 'invoice receipt lag' can be a significant hidden component of the total cycle time, and reducing it can improve on-time payment performance and increase opportunities to capture early payment discounts.

It helps measure the 'invoice receipt lag' between when a vendor issues an invoice and when it is entered into the system.

This is a standard date field in the invoice header data, often labeled 'Document Date' or 'Invoice Date'.

Invoice Status provides a snapshot of where an invoice is in its lifecycle at the time of data extraction. Common statuses include 'In Process', 'Approved', 'Paid', 'Rejected', or 'Blocked'. This attribute gives a high-level overview of the invoice's current condition.

While process mining reconstructs the full journey, the current status is valuable for operational dashboards that monitor the active workload. It helps managers understand the volume of invoices in each stage, such as how many are awaiting approval or are blocked. This allows for proactive management of the invoice pipeline to prevent bottlenecks and delays.

It provides a snapshot of the current workload, helping to monitor invoice volumes at different stages like 'Awaiting Approval' or 'Blocked'.

This is typically a status field in the invoice header table that is updated as the invoice moves through its lifecycle.

Payment Terms are the conditions agreed upon with a vendor for paying an invoice. These terms are typically expressed in a standardized format, such as 'Net 30' (payment due in 30 days) or '2% 10, Net 30' (a 2% discount if paid within 10 days, otherwise the full amount is due in 30 days).

This attribute is essential for financial strategy and performance analysis. It is the basis for calculating the Payment Due Date and identifying opportunities for capturing early payment discounts. Analyzing the process by different payment terms can reveal if certain terms are correlated with processing delays or if the organization is effectively capitalizing on favorable discount opportunities.

It is critical for analyzing on-time payment performance and identifying opportunities to capture early payment discounts.

This information is usually sourced from the vendor master data and specified in the invoice header.

The Purchase Order Number links an invoice to a pre-approved procurement document. This connection is central to the matching process, where the system verifies that the invoice details, such as quantities and prices, align with what was ordered in the PO.

This attribute is crucial for analyzing the efficiency of the matching process. A high rate of PO-backed invoices that are processed straight-through indicates a healthy procurement process. Conversely, analyzing invoices without a PO can reveal maverick buying or areas where procurement policies are not being followed. The presence or absence of a PO is a common way to segment the process to compare efficiency.

It helps differentiate between PO and non-PO invoices, which often follow different processes and have different efficiency levels.

This identifier is typically found in the line item or header details of the invoice transaction, linking it to the purchasing document.