A shared view of the next action, its owner and the evidence behind the decision.
Synthetic example. All records, amounts, roles and times below are invented. This is a fixed illustration, not a working invoice service or a client result. Times show sequence, not measured processing speed.
1. The starting evidence
Invoice SYN-034
Company / supplier
Demo Company / Demo Supplier A
Quantity and value
10 items × SAR 100 = SAR 1,000
Source
Invoice document INV-034; details checked against the original.
Purchase order PO-034
Agreed purchase
10 items at SAR 100 each, from Demo Supplier A.
Rule for this example
Hold the full invoice until all 10 items are confirmed received. No partial approval or override.
Receipt GR-034-A
Confirmed delivery
8 items at the first check.
Initial result
2 items are still outstanding. Purchasing owns the follow-up; finance holds approval.
Typed synthetic inputs; no document-reading system was tested. The amount excludes tax, delivery charges and discounts to keep this quantity example simple. Actual invoice and accounting requirements must be agreed by finance.
2. A route with clear responsibilities
Conceptual workflow. Questions stay open until supporting evidence is checked. The diagram does not authorize payment.
Receive and read. Retain the original document with its extracted details. Finance reviews uncertain readings.
Check the records. Confirm the supplier and required details. Review possible duplicates using the company, supplier and invoice reference. Compare the order, price and delivery evidence where applicable.
Resolve open questions. Assign a reason, owner and follow-up time. New evidence is checked before the invoice returns for approval. A reminder does not approve it.
Obtain approval. The authorized approver reviews the current documents under your company’s rules. A change to the invoice or supporting facts requires another review.
Confirm system receipt. Keep approval and accounting receipt as separate statuses. If no response arrives, check the destination before trying again. Retain the confirmed reference. Payment is outside this example.
3. The exception queue at 10:00
All three entries below need attention. They are not ready for approval. These are example records, not workload statistics.
Delivery difference
SYN-034
Reason
10 invoiced; 8 received.
Owner
Purchasing; receiving staff confirm arrivals.
Next action
Follow up the remaining 2 items with the supplier.
Follow-up
Today, 11:00; purchasing lead covers absence.
Release evidence
A checked record confirming receipt of all 10 items.
Possible duplicate
SYN-034 · second submission
Reason
Same company, supplier and invoice reference as the first entry.
Owner
Accounts payable reviewer.
Next action
Compare the original documents. Keep this submission on hold; do not create a second accounting entry.
Follow-up
Today, 12:00; finance lead covers absence.
Release evidence
Reviewer decision with the reason retained, including whether it duplicates the first invoice.
Missing evidence
SYN-035
Reason
No purchase evidence attached.
Owner
Purchasing requester.
Next action
Supply the order, or finance must establish the applicable approval route if there is no order.
Follow-up
Today, 12:00; purchasing lead covers absence.
Release evidence
Required evidence checked under the agreed route.
4. Why SYN-034 moved forward
Illustrative record for 2 October 2026, UTC. Actor labels stand for separate authorized staff or system events; real records need attributable user identities, access controls and retained original documents.
Invoice received and details checked
INV-034 recorded 10 items at SAR 100. Supplier and PO-034 matched. GR-034-A showed 8 received.
Held for delivery difference
Assigned purchasing to follow up 2 outstanding items. Approval remained blocked; the original invoice was retained.
New delivery evidence added
GR-034-B confirmed the remaining 2 items arrived. Receipts A + B now total 10; record A was not overwritten.
Difference resolved after rechecking
10 invoiced = 10 ordered = 10 received. Required details and price matched; duplicate review confirmed the second submission was the same invoice and kept it excluded. SYN-034 became ready for approval.
Invoice approved
Approved the unchanged invoice using PO-034 and receipts A and B. This approval did not record or authorize a payment.
Accounting receipt uncertain
Submission sent, but no confirmation returned. Status stayed “receipt unconfirmed”; no automatic resend was made.
Receipt checked and confirmed
Found the existing record AP-034 in the destination and confirmed that it matched the approved invoice. Recorded its reference without resubmitting.
Final status: approved invoice received by accounting, reference AP-034. Payment status is not assessed here. The duplicate submission stays excluded with its review decision, and SYN-035 stays on hold.
5. Agree what your team will own
Which evidence does each invoice type need, including invoices without an order?
Who can resolve questions, who can approve, and who covers each absence?
Who follows up overdue items and uncertain accounting receipts?
Where are originals, changed documents and decision records retained, and who can access them?
This illustration does not test software, security, accounting treatment or legal compliance. It demonstrates a chosen rule and visible handoffs. Adapt and test those rules with finance before real invoices enter the process.
