Invoice preparation

Build a draft from eligible time, expenses or a billing schedule. An invoice header identifies the project, customer, contract and billing period. Its lines distinguish time rollups, expense rollups, fixed fee, milestone, retainer, true up, adjustment, tax and discount. Source references connect a schedule or milestone to its line; source junctions connect rolled up work. The draft is the place to inspect the charge before it enters approval.

• Identify the project. Confirm the customer, contract and project belong to the same engagement.
• Check the source. Compare dated source records with the period and amount under review.
• Keep the decision. Record the person, status and reason at each approval or exception.

Agree whether the billing period is inclusive, how retainer and true up amounts are presented, and who checks tax and discount lines. Project manager reviews the draft against the delivered work. A schedule already marked invoiced or a source item tied to another invoice should be investigated before submission.

For a monthly contract, billing specialist checks the active contract, any active hold and the period of eligible work. The team groups hours and expense recovery into invoice lines, then traces a sample line back to its source entries. For a completed milestone, compare the pending schedule date and amount with the draft line. When the amount differs from the customer’s expectation, follow the linked source and decision records with the responsible person. A dated approval or status change should explain the next action. Keep corrections visible to the next person in the cycle, and confirm the project and customer match before the invoice leaves the team.

Select an active contract and a billing period before collecting eligible work. Billing specialist compares the source work with any pending schedule line and active project hold. The invoice lines identify their charge type, amount and currency. Source junctions keep the approved time or expense behind each rollup; a schedule or milestone link explains fixed fee work. A completed milestone uses its matching pending schedule, while a monthly contract may include a retainer and true up. Project manager receives the draft for charge review.

• My Draft Invoices — My Draft Invoices shows the invoice period and project for drafts awaiting review.
• Invoice Status Board — Follow the invoice status from draft through sent after the team checks its source and approval.

Start with project terms, then follow invoice preparation and period close. The data model shows the record links used at each handoff.