Updated Aug 2021

Overview

The default method of transmitting supplier invoices to IndiCater for our mutual clients is by setting up an EDI integration with us using the GS1 standard. For more information click Integration via GS1 fact sheet.

For suppliers unable to provide such an integration we have developed the following 'EDI Lite' alternative. This is a free of charge service which enables you to submit an electronic invoice without the need for anything other than access to IndiCater's Supplier Portal.

As a supplier using EDI Lite, you can view your customers' orders and credit note requests, send your customer updated information about the order being delivered via an ASN ( Advanced Shipping Notice) and easily convert these orders to invoices/credit notes. The ASN option is not a compulsory task but gives you an opportunity to send the customer updated information about what is being delivered. 

EDI Lite has been designed for smaller suppliers dealing with a low number of orders and invoices. It is activated at the request of our mutual clients and so might be available for one of your customers but not another.

Once logged in to the portal, your designated user will have access to the Order Management tab. In this area you will be able to:

• See orders placed by your clients
• See credit note requests made by your clients during the booking off/goods receipting process
• Filter by client
• Download orders
• Update orders, via Advanced shipping notice
• View the client's status of the orders
• Create Invoice or Credit Note

Benefits of full integration over EDI Lite

• Full integration enables you to receive the order into your stock/order management system. Without full integration, orders are transmitted via email. The IndiCater portal does give you the option to download orders into a csv or excel file but this is a set format and not customisable. 
• Order confirmation - full integration enables you as the supplier to send an order confirmation to your customer which can include out of stock and substitute information.
• Invoices and credit notes can only be generated in EDI Lite once the customer has completed the booking off/good receipt process. They can be sent at any time with full integration
• Invoices and credit notes can be sent without a matching corresponding PO number with full integration. For example, you can send an invoice with reference 'PO1345 - 2nd delivery'. With EDI Lite you can only convert the orders made within IndiCater into invoices. Once you have converted an order, you can't send a second invoice for that order.

Video Guide

To watch a video about how to use EDI Lite, please click the below link

EDI Lite video.mp4

Step-by-Step guide

To view orders

1.Once logged in to the portal, you will see the tab

2. Click on the tab and you will, be taken to the EDI Lite page to manage the orders your customers have placed with you.

3. You will see a dashboard of orders which have been placed with you, starting with the most recent.

4. You can limit the view to just one customer or see all.

5. You can sort the data by clicking on the column headers.

6. To see the details of an order, you can click on the printer icon on the right of each line.

To download orders into an excel or csv file

1.Once logged into the IndiCater supplier portal, you will see the tab

2. Using the date picker select the dates required for the orders you need, select 'All Clients' or select the client, then select the file format required. The file will be downloaded

To update orders - Advance shipping notice

1. Select the Order Management tab and you will see a column called ASN. An ASN is an Advanced Shipping Notice and enables you to update the quantities being delivered. This is not essential (unless communicated as required by the customer) and is not activated for all clients but gives the customer useful information if you are able to use it.

2. You can create an ASN if the order hasn't yet been booked off/goods receipted by your customer. You will see if they have booked off their order in the Status column. In this instance, your next step will be to create the invoice.

3. To create an ASN, click Create ASN

4. You can see the details of the order and can amend the quantities. This doesn't change the order but lets the user know what quantities will be delivered. 

5. You can use the green cross button to add additional items which are being delivered with the order

6. Once you have made any changes, click Create ASN

7. The customer will now be able to see if their order has been updated and will see the quantity they ordered and the quantity you are going to delivery.

8. Once the customer has booked off (goods receipted) their order in IndiCater you can create your invoice.

To Create Invoice or Credit Note

1.Select the Order Management tab, you will see a column called Status. You can only create an invoice or credit note, if the status is showing as Create Invoice/Create Credit Note

2. Click on Create Invoice (or Credit Note) and a new box will open up. 

3. If you agree with the suggested invoice value which is based on the products booked off/goods receipted, enter your invoice number, add any VAT and click Create Invoice. Nothing else is required. Some clients only ask for the VAT total but others have itemised VAT activated like the above.

4. If you don't agree with the suggested invoice value, you can amend the quantities and /or the unit prices to get to the required amount. You will also need to amend the Net Invoice Total. 

5. You can add additional items by clicking on the green plus sign.

6. Once completed, click Create Invoice.

7. If your invoice value differs from the Booked off amount, the client will need to approve your invoice in their system and the status in this dashboard will reflect that.

8. Once the invoice has been approved, either automatically or manually by the customer, it will move to the invoice tab on the Order Management page. They will see a mock up the invoice including your VAT number (as long as they have entered it in their supplier record) which can be printed off for their records, you can also access this via the printer icon on the Invoices/Credit Notes page

9. There is nothing else for you to do, the rest will be dealt with by the client. 

To manage back orders

Please note that second and third etc invoices can only be entered for back orders if the client is using the back order functionality in IndiCater

If the client has the back order functionality activated and has chosen to use it, they will create an additional PO number when goods receipting a delivery. For example PO ABC12345 will be processed against the 1st delivery and PO ABC12345(1) will be created for the second delivery and so on. Invoices for the back orders are created in the same way as all other invoices.

This will appear in EDI Lite like this:

If the user doesn't use the back order functionality you won't be able to enter the additional invoices so you will need to discuss this as a requirement with your client.

Please note:

Invoices cannot be entered for Telesales orders. Clients using this system should be placing all orders through IndiCater.

Only 1 invoice can be submitted for each order unless the client has created a separate back order for a second invoice. If you generate back orders and so multiple invoices, please speak to the client to ensure they are using back orders in IndiCater.

Credit notes are handled in the same way as invoices.

EDI Lite cannot be used for consolidating multiple orders into 1 invoice.

There is no cost for using EDI Lite.

There is no development or integration required, you simply log on to the website.