guide
How should partial delivery change PO, receipt and invoice matching?
Track each receipt and the open order balance while keeping invoice exceptions visible for human approval.
A partial delivery should leave the original purchase order visible, record each receipt separately, and match an invoice only to the quantity eligible under the company's agreement and acceptance rules. The undelivered balance remains open until the parties close or amend it; a single 'received' flag loses essential detail.
Follow one order through two deliveries
A purchase order is for 200 units. The first delivery brings 120; the receiving team accepts 115 and rejects 5 as damaged. The second delivery is expected later. A first invoice bills 120. The system should show ordered 200, delivered 120, accepted 115, invoiced 120, and an open order balance. It should flag the 5-unit accepted-versus-invoiced difference for review.
If the supplier later sends 80 units, enter a second receipt rather than changing the first receipt to 200. Preserve dates, delivery references and any damaged units. This gives purchasing and finance a traceable history rather than an end-state number.
Decide what can be matched
Match at the purchase-order line, delivery and invoice line level, with units and prices aligned. Check whether the contract allows partial invoicing, whether the invoice refers to the first delivery, and whether tax or freight lines need separate treatment. A quantity match by itself is not approval to pay.
Handle the open balance
Keep the remaining quantity and expected date visible. If the supplier cancels the rest or substitutes goods, record an approved order change. If a credit note or corrected invoice arrives, link it to the original exception rather than deleting the first document.
The SIEMA purchasing demo illustrates this sort of evidence chain: /demo. Kaliits's purchasing mismatch application is available for controlled pilot implementation. A real pilot should test partial receipts, rejections, corrections and approval rules with your team before any invoice is released. Request a diagnostic: /contact.
Questions to settle before automation
Who enters physical acceptance? Who can change an order? Can finance pay a partially matched invoice? What happens after a late second shipment? These answers are process rules, not something an OCR model can infer from documents.