Manually create incoming documents
You can store external business documents in Business Central by attaching the document files to the related incoming document records. You can record an external document manually by following these steps:
Select the Search for Page icon in the top-right corner of the page, enter incoming documents, and then select the related link.
Select the New action. The available options here are:
Create from File action - On the Insert File page, select the Choose File action, select a file, and then select Open. The file is automatically attached.
New action - If this option is selected, you can perform one of the following tasks:
On the Incoming Documents page, select the Process action and then select the Attach File page.
On the Insert File page, select the Choose File action, select a file, and then select Open.
After the incoming document record has been created, you can process the document manually by selecting the Process action and then selecting Create Manually. You can choose to process the document as any of the following document types:
Journal
Sales invoice
Sales credit memo
Purchase invoice
Purchase credit memo
For example, if you select to process the document as a purchase invoice, a new document will be created where you need to fill in all the fields similar to how you would create a new purchase invoice manually. The Incoming Document Files FactBox allows you to view the file attached to the incoming document record from which you created the purchase invoice.
After you have processed the incoming document, you can select the record as processed, allowing you to get a better overview of the incoming documents. To indicate that the record is processed, select one or more incoming document records on the Incoming Documents page, select the Status action, and then select the Set To Processed action. The Set To Unprocessed action allows you to undo the Set to Processed action and makes sure that the incoming document is again added to the default view of the Incoming Documents page, which shows only unprocessed incoming documents.
If the document, such as a purchase invoice, didn't originate as an incoming document record, you can still create and connect an incoming document record to it later. You can also attach incoming document files to posted purchase and sales documents and to vendor, customer, and general ledger entries by using the Incoming Document Files FactBox in, for example, the Posted Purchase Invoices and Vendor Ledger Entries pages. This option also allows you to connect more than one incoming document to a document.
For example, if you want to create and connect an incoming document record from a purchase invoice, follow these steps:
Select the Search for Page icon in the top-right corner of the page, enter purchase invoices, and then select the related link.
Select the line for a purchase invoice that you want to attach a file to.
In the Incoming Documents File FactBox, select the Attach File action.
On the Insert File page, select the Choose File action, select a file, and then select Open.
From the Chart of Accounts and General Ledger Entries pages, you can use a search function to find general ledger entries for posted purchase and sales documents that do not have incoming document records. Then, you can centrally link to existing records or create new ones with attached document files.
To find posted documents without incoming document records, follow these steps:
Select the Search for Page icon in the top-right corner of the page, enter chart of accounts, and then select the related link.
Select a line for the general ledger account for whose general ledger entries you want to see posted purchase and sales documents without incoming document records. You can view these records by using either of the following paths:
Select the Actions action, select Periodic Activities, and then select the Posted Documents without Incoming Document action.
Open general ledger entries by selecting Account > Ledger Entries. On the General Ledger Entries page, select the Actions action and then select the Posted Documents without Incoming Document action.
The Posted Documents without Incoming Document page opens, showing posted purchase and sales documents without incoming document records that are represented by general ledger entries on the general ledger account that you opened the page for. The page can show a maximum of a 1000 lines. By default, the Date Filter field therefore contains a filter that limits the lines to entries with posting dates from the beginning of the accounting period to the work date.
Select the line for a posted document that you want to connect to an existing incoming document record, select the Incoming Document action and then select the Select Incoming Document action.
On the Incoming Documents page, select the incoming document record that you want to connect the posted document to, and then select OK.
On the Posted Documents without Incoming Document page, the selected incoming document record is now connected to the posted document, as shown in the Incoming Document Files FactBox.
Watch the following video which demonstrates how to manually create a purchase invoice for an incoming document.