Invoices in ESC can be generated multiple ways and in multiple forms. An invoice can be created from a quote, from a dispatch, from a service agreement or directly from the customer's record; and these invoices can be one of many types.
From a Dispatch
Most likely, the majority of the invoices you'll be creating for your company will be based on services provided by your technicians. In ESC, you'll want to turn those dispatches directly into invoices in order to carry over as much information as possible.
If you have the dispatch open on the screen, you'll simply click the Create an Invoice button on the toolbar (or from within the Activities menu). This will carry the customer's information to the invoice, as well as the working times for each technician.
Another way to invoice your dispatches is from the Invoice List. Click on the Add button on the toolbar and select Create Invoice from Dispatch. A small window will open and display a list of all dispatches completed within the past 30 days. Select the dispatch you want to create the invoice from and click OK.
If you need to locate and invoice a dispatch that was completed more than 30 days prior, you'll head to the Dispatch List. Open the Views panel and select the Uninvoiced view. This will show you all dispatches that have been completed in ESC, but have not yet been invoiced. From here, you'll open the dispatch of your choice and click the Create an Invoice button on the toolbar. Note: a dispatch is marked as invoiced only when the invoice is created from the dispatch. Adding an invoice number to the dispatch will not mark the dispatch as invoiced.
From a Quote
If a quote is created within ESC and the customer accepts the quote, you definitely want to make sure that the resulting invoices is tied back to that quote to make sure the quote gets marked as 'Billed'. One way to accomplish this would be to open the quote itself and click the Bill button on the toolbar. You may then select Convert Quote Into Invoice to carry all of the information and items from the quote into an invoice.
The Bill button on the Quote toolbar also has a Progressive Bill option which allows you to break the quote into multiple invoices. This is called Progressive Billing and allows the customer to pay off a large amount in phases or partial payments.
Another great way to ensure your quote gets billed properly is to dispatch it. Once the customer accepts the quote, you'll want to open the quote on the screen and go to Activities → Create Dispatch. This will give you the opportunity to carry the items on the quote to the dispatch. When the dispatch is completed and invoiced, the quote will be marked as billed.
From the Customer
It may be occasionally necessary to create an invoice for a customer without first making a dispatch or quote. This can be accomplished by finding the customer in the Customer Center, right-clicking on their name and selecting the Add Invoice option. If you have the customer open on the Customer screen, you can also go to Activities → Create an Invoice.
Comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.