Document Numbering: Automatic and Supplier Document Numbers

Scope: This article applies to all FirstBIT Software configurations.

When working with documents in FirstBIT Software, it is important to distinguish between the internal document number assigned by the system and the number of the original document received from a supplier.

This distinction applies to documents such as Invoice, Invoice Received, Proforma Invoice, and Proforma Invoice Received.

What does <Auto> in the Number field mean?

The <Auto> value in the Number field indicates that the document number is assigned automatically when you save the document.

After the document is saved, the system assigns an internal number according to the configured numbering rules.

Why is the internal document number used?

The Number field is used to identify a document within the FirstBIT Software system. The internal number, together with the document date and time, helps the system maintain the document sequence and distinguish documents of the same type.

Automatic numbering allows the system to assign document numbers according to the configured numbering rules and maintain the required numbering sequence and uniqueness.

The company may configure its own numbering rules according to its business requirements. For example, different numbering sequences, prefixes, or other numbering settings can be used for different document types or Entities.

The internal document number is also used when generating a document barcode. The barcode includes the document prefix and the internal reference number. In other words, it contains the internal document number displayed in the document's Number field, including the configured document prefix. This allows the document to be uniquely identified by scanning its barcode. For more information, see How to work with document barcodes.

Therefore, the number automatically suggested by the system should normally be kept unchanged unless there is a specific business requirement to use another number and the corresponding numbering rules have been configured.

Why does a warning appear when editing the Number field?

If automatic numbering is enabled and you try to manually edit the Number field, the system displays the following warning:

Number is filled in automatically when saving. Continue editing?

This warning informs you that the document number is normally assigned automatically by the system.

What can happen if users manually change automatically assigned numbers?

If users manually replace automatically generated numbers without following a common numbering rule, the document numbering sequence may become inconsistent.

This may result in:

• gaps or unexpected changes in the numbering sequence;
• difficulties in identifying and searching for documents;
• duplicate or conflicting numbers if the configured uniqueness rules are not followed;
• inconsistent numbering between users or Entities.

For this reason, users should normally allow the system to assign the Number automatically. If the purpose is to record the number from an original document received from a supplier, use the In doc # field instead.

Where should I enter the supplier's invoice number?

If you need to enter the number shown on the original invoice received from your supplier, do not use the Number field.

The supplier's invoice number may also be referred to as the vendor invoice number, supplier document number, vendor document number, external document number, original document number, or invoice reference number. Users may also refer to it as an incoming invoice number or incoming document number.

For mentioned documents, enter the supplier's document number in the In doc # field:

1. Go to the Additional Information tab.
2. Enter the supplier's invoice number in the In doc # field.
3. Specify the document date in the From field, if required.

The In doc # field is intended for entering the number of the original document provided by the supplier and can be filled in manually.

What is the difference between Number and In doc #?

Therefore, if you receive a notification while editing the Number field, first check whether you are trying to enter the supplier's invoice number. In this case, use the In doc # field on the Additional Information tab instead.

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