Your Purchase to Pay - Invoice Processing Data Template

The Activity Name describes a single step within the invoice processing workflow, such as 'Invoice Received', 'Invoice Approved', or 'Payment Executed'. Each activity represents a business event that moves the invoice closer to completion.

In process mining, the sequence of these activities forms the process map. Analyzing these activities helps identify the most common process paths, deviations from the standard procedure, rework loops like discrepancy handling, and automation opportunities.

This attribute is the foundation for visualizing the process map, discovering process variants, and identifying rework or bottlenecks.

Generated from system event logs, status changes, or user actions captured within SAP Ariba. This data often comes from workflow or document history tables.

The Event Time, or timestamp, records when a specific activity took place. This data is fundamental for performance analysis, as it allows for the calculation of durations between activities and the overall case cycle time.

Process mining tools use these timestamps to order events chronologically and build an accurate representation of the process flow. It is essential for measuring KPIs like Invoice Approval Cycle Time and Payment Block Resolution Time, enabling analysis of delays and efficiency.

It enables the calculation of all time-based metrics, such as cycle times and durations, which are critical for identifying process delays.

Automatically logged by SAP Ariba for every status change, user action, or system event. It is typically found alongside the activity name in event logs or history tables.

The Invoice Number is the unique reference assigned by a vendor to an invoice document. In process mining, this attribute is critical as it functions as the Case ID, linking all related activities from invoice receipt to final payment.

By tracking this identifier, analysts can reconstruct the complete, end-to-end lifecycle of every invoice. This enables detailed analysis of process flows, identification of bottlenecks, and measurement of key performance indicators like cycle time for individual invoices.

It is the essential key that connects all process steps for a single invoice, making it possible to analyze the end-to-end processing time and path.

This is a primary field on the invoice document and within the SAP Ariba Invoicing solution. It is typically found in invoice header tables or transaction data.

The Approver is the individual or user group assigned to review and approve an invoice. Invoices often require one or more levels of approval depending on their value or type.

This attribute helps analyze the performance of the approval workflow. By segmenting the 'Invoice Approval Cycle Time' by approver or approval group, it's possible to identify individuals or teams that are bottlenecks in the process. This information is key to balancing workloads and improving approval efficiency.

It helps identify bottlenecks in the approval process by showing which users or teams have the longest approval cycle times.

Captured in the workflow or approval history logs for an invoice in SAP Ariba. It may be recorded as a user ID.

The Invoice Amount represents the total payment requested by the vendor. This is a fundamental financial attribute for analyzing the invoice processing workload.

In process mining, this attribute is used to filter analyses for high-value invoices, which may follow different approval paths or have stricter controls. It can also be used to prioritize process improvement efforts on invoices that represent the highest financial impact. Dashboards often use this to show the total value of invoices in different stages of the process.

This allows for financial impact analysis, such as filtering for high-value invoices or understanding the monetary value tied up in process bottlenecks.

A standard field in the invoice header data within SAP Ariba.

The Invoice Status provides a snapshot of where the invoice is in its lifecycle at the time of data extraction, or its final outcome. This is a case-level attribute that summarizes the overall state of the invoice.

In process mining, this attribute is useful for filtering cases to analyze only completed (Paid) or problematic (Rejected) invoices. It helps in understanding the final outcomes of different process variants and can be used to measure the proportion of invoices that reach a successful conclusion.

It provides the final outcome of the invoice process, allowing for analysis focused on successfully paid versus rejected invoices.

This is a standard status field on the invoice header in SAP Ariba.

When an invoice is blocked from payment, this attribute provides the reason, such as 'Price Discrepancy', 'Quantity Mismatch', or 'Missing Goods Receipt'. These reasons are often standardized codes or descriptions within the system.

Analyzing the frequency of different block reasons helps to pinpoint the root causes of payment delays. For example, a high number of 'Price Discrepancy' blocks might indicate issues with master data accuracy. This attribute is crucial for the 'Payment Block Resolution Time' dashboard to prioritize fixing the most common and time-consuming issues.

It provides the root cause for payment delays, enabling targeted improvements to prevent common issues like price or quantity mismatches.

This information is set when a payment block is applied to an invoice in SAP Ariba or the connected ERP.

The Payment Due Date is the contractually agreed-upon date for settling an invoice. This date is typically calculated based on the invoice document date and the agreed payment terms (e.g., Net 30).

This attribute is essential for the 'On-Time Payment Rate' KPI. By comparing the 'Payment Executed' timestamp with the Payment Due Date, the analysis can identify late payments, measure vendor payment performance, and help organizations avoid late fees and maintain good supplier relationships.

It is the baseline for calculating the on-time payment rate, a critical KPI for vendor relationship management and financial compliance.

This date is either present on the invoice document or calculated based on the 'DocumentDate' and 'PaymentTerms' fields in SAP Ariba.

The Purchase Order (PO) Number links an invoice to the corresponding purchasing document that authorized the procurement of goods or services. Not all invoices are PO-backed, but for those that are, this link is vital.

Analyzing invoices by PO Number helps in understanding three-way matching performance (PO, Goods Receipt, Invoice). It is key to identifying discrepancies and supports analysis of PO-based versus non-PO-based invoice processing, which often follow different paths and have different efficiency levels.

It connects the invoice to the procurement process, enabling analysis of matching discrepancies and comparing PO vs. non-PO invoice flows.

Available as a standard field on PO-backed invoices within SAP Ariba. Found in invoice line item or header data.

The Vendor Name identifies the supplier that is requesting payment. This is a primary dimension for analysis, allowing teams to segment invoice processing performance by vendor.

This attribute is used to create dashboards that track vendor payment performance, identify vendors with high discrepancy rates, or analyze processing times for strategic suppliers. Understanding vendor-specific issues can help improve supplier relationships and streamline collaboration.

It allows for performance analysis by vendor, helping to identify which suppliers have frequent invoice issues or delayed payments.

A standard field in the invoice header data, linked from the vendor master data within SAP Ariba or the connected ERP system.

This calculated metric measures the duration of the approval subprocess. It is calculated as the time difference between the 'Invoice Sent for Approval' activity and the corresponding 'Invoice Approved' or 'Invoice Rejected' activity.

This attribute is a direct measure of the 'Invoice Approval Cycle Time' KPI and is vital for the associated dashboard. It helps to isolate and quantify delays specifically within the approval stage of the process, which is often a major contributor to overall processing time. It can be analyzed by approver, department, or invoice amount to find specific bottlenecks.

It isolates the performance of the approval workflow, making it easy to identify bottlenecks caused by approvers or complex approval chains.

Calculated during data transformation by finding the relevant approval start and end events for each invoice and calculating the time difference.

The Company Code is a standard organizational unit in SAP environments, representing an independent legal entity for which financial statements are prepared. Invoices are always booked to a specific company code.

This attribute allows for process performance to be compared across different business units or legal entities. It helps identify if certain entities are more efficient than others and supports the standardization of processes across a global organization.

It allows for performance comparison across different legal entities or business units, helping to identify regional or departmental inefficiencies.

A fundamental organizational field on the invoice document in SAP Ariba, inherited from the purchase order or entered during non-PO invoice creation.

The Country attribute provides a geographical dimension for the analysis. It is usually derived from the company code to which the invoice is posted or from the vendor's address.

Analyzing the process by country helps to uncover regional differences in performance, compliance, and process execution. It can highlight whether certain country offices are facing unique challenges or have adopted best practices that could be shared globally. This is valuable for standardizing processes in a global shared services environment.

It enables geographical analysis to compare process performance and compliance across different countries or regions.

Derived from the Company Code master data or Vendor master data in SAP Ariba or the connected ERP system.

This attribute specifies the currency in which the Invoice Amount is denominated. For global organizations, invoices are received in many different currencies.

Having the currency is crucial for any financial analysis to ensure amounts are compared correctly. In process mining dashboards, it allows for proper aggregation of financial values, often requiring conversion to a single reporting currency. It provides necessary context for the 'Invoice Amount' attribute.

It provides essential context for the 'Invoice Amount' attribute, ensuring financial values are interpreted correctly, especially in a multi-national context.

A standard field in the invoice header data, typically located next to the invoice amount field in SAP Ariba.

The Document Date is the date the vendor created the invoice. It is distinct from the 'Invoice Received' date, which is when the invoice entered the processing system. The lag between these two dates can be significant.

This attribute helps in analyzing supplier performance and identifying delays in invoice submission. A long delay between the document date and the received date can shorten the effective time available to process the invoice and capture early payment discounts. It's also often the starting point for calculating the Payment Due Date.

It helps analyze delays between when a vendor issues an invoice and when it is received, which can impact the ability to pay on time.

A standard field in the invoice header data, captured from the physical or digital invoice document.

This metric measures the end-to-end cycle time for each invoice case. It is calculated by taking the difference between the timestamp of the first activity (e.g., 'Invoice Received') and the last activity (e.g., 'Payment Executed').

As a primary Key Performance Indicator (KPI), it provides a high-level measure of the overall efficiency of the invoice processing operation. Analyzing this duration helps identify which types of invoices or which vendors are associated with longer processing times, guiding process improvement initiatives.

This is a critical KPI for measuring overall process efficiency and its impact on working capital and vendor relationships.

Calculated during data transformation by subtracting the minimum 'EventTime' from the maximum 'EventTime' for each 'InvoiceNumber'.

The Invoice Type classifies invoices into different categories that often follow distinct processes. The most common distinction is between PO-backed invoices, which can be matched against a pre-approved order, and Non-PO invoices, which require more extensive coding and approval.

This attribute is crucial for process analysis because PO and Non-PO invoice processes are fundamentally different. Separating them allows for a more accurate view of performance for each path, preventing misleading aggregated metrics. It helps in understanding the efficiency and compliance of each distinct flow.

It separates invoices into distinct process flows (e.g., PO vs. Non-PO), which is crucial for accurate performance measurement and analysis.

This is often a standard field on the invoice document in SAP Ariba or can be derived based on the presence of a 'PurchaseOrderNumber'.

This attribute is the result of a calculation that first identifies if an invoice was eligible for an early payment discount based on its 'PaymentTerms'. Then, it checks if the 'Payment Executed' event occurred within the specified discount period.

This flag is crucial for measuring the 'Early Payment Discount Capture Rate' KPI. It directly quantifies the financial success of the treasury and accounts payable functions in optimizing working capital. Analyzing cases where this flag is false helps uncover the reasons for missed savings, such as slow approvals or other process bottlenecks.

Directly measures the success in capturing cost savings and helps identify reasons for missed discount opportunities.

Calculated during data transformation by parsing 'PaymentTerms' and comparing the 'Payment Executed' timestamp against the calculated discount deadline.

This calculated attribute compares the timestamp of the 'Payment Executed' activity with the 'PaymentDueDate'. If the payment date is on or before the due date, the value is true; otherwise, it is false.

This flag simplifies the analysis of payment performance. It allows for easy filtering and aggregation to calculate the 'On-Time Payment Rate' KPI. Dashboards can use this attribute to quickly visualize performance by vendor, country, or company code, helping to identify areas with chronic late payment problems.

It simplifies the calculation of the on-time payment rate KPI and allows for easy filtering of late invoices for root cause analysis.

Calculated during data transformation by comparing 'EventTime' of the payment activity against the 'PaymentDueDate' attribute.

This attribute provides the date and time of the most recent data pull from the source system. It is a metadata field that is essential for data governance and for understanding the freshness of the analysis.

Analysts use this information to confirm they are working with up-to-date data and to understand the potential lag between an event occurring in the source system and its appearance in the process mining tool. It is critical for managing data refresh cycles and ensuring the reliability of the insights.

It provides crucial context about data freshness, ensuring that analyses are based on current and relevant information.

This timestamp is typically generated and appended to the dataset during the data extraction (ETL) process.

Payment Terms define the rules for paying the vendor, such as 'Net 30' (payment due in 30 days) or '2% 10, Net 30' (a 2% discount if paid in 10 days, otherwise due in 30). This information comes from vendor master data or the purchase order.

This attribute is essential for the 'Early Payment Discount Opportunities' dashboard and the related KPI. The analysis uses these terms to identify invoices eligible for a discount and determines if the payment was executed within the discount window, highlighting opportunities for cost savings.

It is essential for identifying opportunities to capture early payment discounts, which can lead to significant cost savings.

Stored in the vendor master data and copied to the invoice details within SAP Ariba or the ERP system.

When an approver rejects an invoice, they typically provide a reason. This attribute captures that information, which could be values like 'Incorrect Price', 'Duplicate Invoice', or 'Policy Violation'.

This is a key attribute for the 'Invoice Rejection Analysis' dashboard. By analyzing the most common rejection reasons, organizations can identify upstream issues, such as problems with vendor invoice quality or internal data inconsistencies. This insight helps reduce rework and improve the first-time-right rate for invoice processing.

It explains why rework occurs, providing direct insight into the root causes of process inefficiencies and invoice quality issues.

Captured from the workflow log or notes field when an 'Invoice Rejected' activity occurs in SAP Ariba.

This attribute identifies the originating system for each event, such as 'SAP Ariba', 'SAP S/4HANA', or a third-party scanning solution. In modern enterprises, invoice processing can span multiple applications.

Understanding the source system is valuable for diagnosing data quality issues and for analyzing process handoffs between different platforms. It helps clarify where specific activities, like invoice scanning versus invoice approval, are performed.

It helps differentiate activities that occur in different systems, which is crucial for understanding integration points and system-specific bottlenecks.

This is typically added during the data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) process, where a static value is assigned based on the data source.