When you upload a supplier invoice to Alaan Payables, you can match it to its purchase order in your accounting system by linking each invoice line to the order line it covers. Once the bill is approved, Alaan creates it in your accounting system already linked to that purchase order, and your accounting system updates the order as it gets billed.
This feature is supported for Zoho Books and Odoo integrations. To use purchase order matching, Vendor Mapping must be enabled, and the feature must be activated by an admin or accountant.
Steps to enable purchase order matching
An admin or accountant can enable purchase order matching once Vendor Mapping is turned on. The purchase order setting will only appear after Vendor Mapping has been enabled.
Go to Accounting → Settings → Platform → Bills & Payments.
Turn on Import Purchase Order.
Alaan then imports your open and partially billed purchase orders. Draft, cancelled and fully billed orders are excluded.
Purchase orders automatically sync every night at 2 AM (UAE time). If you create or update a purchase order and need it immediately, you can manually sync using the Sync button on the Integrations page.
Steps to match a bill to a purchase order
Step 1: Upload the supplier invoice in Alaan Payables as usual.
Step 2: Select the recipient. If they aren’t linked to a vendor in your accounting system yet, Alaan asks you to map them first. This is a one-time step per vendor.
Step 3: Select the purchase order. Alaan lists the open and partially billed orders for that vendor, along with how much of each has already been billed. Orders in a different currency from the bill are greyed out.
Step 4: For each bill line, open the PO Line Item dropdown and choose the order line it belongs to. Alaan fills in the quantity left to bill and the rate, plus the category and tax if the order line has them. You can still edit the category and tax. Each order line can be used once per bill.
Step 5: Leave lines that aren’t on the order unmapped, such as a delivery charge, and enter their amount yourself. At least one line needs to be mapped.
Step 6: Submit the bill for approval.
Matching is based on quantity, not amount. You can’t bill more than the quantity still open on an order line, and Submit stays blocked until the quantity fits. The rate works differently. If the supplier charged a different price, you can edit it, and Alaan shows a Flagged by Alaan Intelligence note with the difference. It’s a warning only and won’t stop you submitting. On mapped lines, the amount is always quantity × rate.
What happens after you submit the bill
The approver sees how much of the order was billed before, how much this bill covers and what’s left. If the bills add up to more than the order total, an Overbilled figure appears, but they can still approve.
Before approving a bill, Alaan checks the purchase order against your accounting system to ensure it is still valid.
Approval will be blocked if:
The purchase order has been cancelled, deleted or closed in the accounting system.
A purchase order line has been removed.
The remaining open quantity is insufficient to cover the bill.
Alaan is unable to connect to the accounting system to complete the validation.
If approval is blocked, the approver can select Move Bill Back To Bill Inbox. The bill will then return to the Bills Inbox, where it can be corrected and resubmitted for approval.
Once approved, the bill is created in Zoho Books or Odoo and linked to the corresponding purchase order. Zoho Books closes the purchase order once it is fully billed, not when the payment is completed. Odoo marks the purchase order as Fully Billed.
What purchase order matching doesn’t cover yet
Matching one bill to more than one purchase order
Matching purchase orders to card expenses, or to bills imported from your accounting system. Matching only works on bills uploaded into Alaan Payables.
Xero, QuickBooks Online and NetSuite
Creating purchase orders in Alaan. Orders need to be raised in your accounting system first.
Three-way matching, which checks bills against both the purchase order and the goods actually received
FAQ
Why can’t I see my purchase order?
Why can’t I see my purchase order?
The purchase order must belong to the same vendor and use the same currency as the bill.
Draft, cancelled and fully billed orders are not imported.
If you've recently created or updated a purchase order, use the Sync button on the Integrations page to import the latest information.
How often do purchase orders sync?
How often do purchase orders sync?
Purchase orders automatically sync every night at 2 AM (UAE time).
You can also manually sync purchase orders using the Sync button on the Integrations page whenever you need to import new or updated orders.
Does Alaan close the purchase order?
Does Alaan close the purchase order?
No. Your accounting system manages the purchase order status.
Zoho Books closes the purchase order once it is fully billed, regardless of whether payment has been completed.
Odoo marks it as Fully Billed.
What if the supplier charged a different price from the order?
What if the supplier charged a different price from the order?
Edit the rate on the bill line.
Alaan flags the difference so the approver can see it, but it won’t block the bill.
Can I bill more than what’s on the order?
Can I bill more than what’s on the order?
Not for quantity. You can’t bill more units than are still open on an order line. If a rate change pushes the total above the order amount, the approver sees an Overbilled figure but can still approve.
Can I bill one purchase order across several bills?
Can I bill one purchase order across several bills?
Yes. You can match several bills to the same order until nothing is left on it. Quantity is reserved when a bill is submitted, so if two bills claim the same units, the first one submitted goes through and the second is blocked.
Can I edit a bill after matching it?
Can I edit a bill after matching it?
Yes, until you submit it for approval. If the bill is moved back to the Bills Inbox during approval, you can edit it again before resubmitting.
Can a bill include charges that aren’t on the purchase order?
Can a bill include charges that aren’t on the purchase order?
Yes. Leave those lines unmapped and enter the amount yourself. They’re billed alongside the matched lines.
Can I match a purchase order to a card expense or an imported bill?
Can I match a purchase order to a card expense or an imported bill?
Not yet. Matching only works on bills uploaded into Alaan Payables.
What happens if a purchase order changes after I submit a bill?
What happens if a purchase order changes after I submit a bill?
Before approval, Alaan validates the purchase order against your accounting system. If the order has been cancelled, deleted or closed, a line has been removed, or the remaining quantity is insufficient, approval will be blocked.
Approval will also be blocked if Alaan cannot connect to your accounting system to complete the validation.
The approver can select Move Bill Back To Bill Inbox to return the bill for correction and resubmission.
Need help? Drop us an email at [email protected].