Create preview invoices that billing personnel, fee earners and partners can review in making sure everything is correct before sending to the client.
When creating Preview Invoices in bulk, you should first understand how to do bulk invoicing, which you can learn how to do by clicking here.
Once you have edited the invoices necessary, you are are able to start the preview process.
Creating Preview Invoices
1. In the bulk invoicing window, select the invoices you want to preview. You can either tick the checkbox at the very top to select all matters to invoice, use the filters, or you can check individual checkboxes to preview only certain invoices. Using the filters in this stage is helpful to filter by things like matter owner if there are different designated approvers for different matters.
2. Click on the Bulk Preview button.
3. You will receive a popup that will allow you to either View all, view each individually, download all or download each individually.
4. From here you can decide how you want to receive approval for these invoices.
There are two options, paperless or traditional. Paperless helps saves money and time, while traditional requires printing out the invoices and handing them over to the approver and reviewing them.
Traditional
1. From the above window, click on the download all button. This will download each previewed invoice into a zip file.
2. Open the zip file and print all of the invoices to give to the approver for review.
3. Once reviewed, the approver will physically hand these back to the appropriate billing staff member to make any additional changes, or, if approved, send out.
4. Repeat this process if necessary until all preview invoices have been given final approval.
Paperless via email
1. From the above window, click on the download all button. This will download each previewed invoice into a zip file.
2. Email the zip file to the approver for review. (the approver will need to unzip the file to review each invoice)
3. The invoices are created in PDF and assuming the approver has suitable software on their computer, they are able to 'draw' on the document to make notes or amendments.
4. When reviewed (either all at once or if there are many, in smaller batches) the approver will email the preview invoices back to the appropriate billing staff member to make any additional changes, or, if approved, send out.
5. Repeat this process if necessary until all preview invoices have been given final approval.
Paperless through SILQ (Quickest)
This process involves the approver logging into the bulk invoicing window in SILQ using their own user login so that they can review their own preview invoices.
If one approver, approves all invoices in the firm:
1. Use the filters to show all for matter owner, all for fee owner and all for matter class.
2. Ensure the invoice up to date is using the correct date (e.g. the last day of last month)
3. Assuming all invoices will use the same invoice and email templates, choose the appropriate ones. If different templates need to be used, change the filters in step 1 and review only those invoices using template 1 for example, then re-apply the filters and review those using template 2 etc.
4. Tag all invoices you would like to approve and click on Bulk Invoice.
5. Click on the "View All" button.
6. This will open up all PDF's in a new tab in your browser.
7. The approver can review each one by one.
8. If an edit needs to be made, the approver can navigate back to the bulk invoicing window and make the necessary change immediately. If there are no further edits to be made, the approver can also send that particular invoice out on the spot, using one of the below buttons. If they opt to do it this way, the invoice that has been generated and emailed will no longer appear in the matters list within the bulk invoicing window.
9. Once all have been approved, the approver can either click on the 'Create & Email Bulk Invoices' button or direct a billing staff member to do this.
If there are multiple approvers (e.g. Partners) who approve only the matters where they are the Matter Owner:
1. In the matter owner filter, the approver should chose themselves from the list. The primary fee earner and matter class filters should be set to all.
2. Ensure the invoice up to date is using the correct date (e.g. the last day of last month)
3. Choose the appropriate invoice & email templates.
4. Tag all invoices you would like to approve and click on Bulk Invoice.
5. Click on the "View All" button.
6. This will open up all PDF's in a new tab in your browser.
7. The approver can review each one by one.
8. If an edit needs to be made, the approver can navigate back to the bulk invoicing window and make the necessary change immediately. If there are no further edits to be made, the approver can also send that particular invoice out on the spot, using one of the below buttons. If they opt to do it this way, the invoice that has been generated and emailed will no longer appear in the matters list within the bulk invoicing window.
9. Once all have been approved, the approver can either click on the 'Create & Email Bulk Invoices' button or direct a billing staff member to do this.