Many customers ask for an order reference on the invoice. The use of the correct order reference is required for the automated processing of an e-invoice.
Why does the order reference need to be on the e-invoice?
Many customers register an order in their purchasing system when they place an order. This order contains information about goods they are going to receive and invoices they are going to receive for them.
When a customer receives an invoice, they look up the corresponding order and check whether the order and the invoice match. An order number then helps to find the order in question.
How do I know if my customer wants an order reference?
Many customers ask the supplier to include a reference during the purchasing process. However, customers often use different indications for this reference, such as:
- Order number or reference (ordernummer- of referentie)
- Project number (projectnummer)
- Obligation number (verplichtingennummer)
- Trace number (routenummer)
- Customer reference (klantreferentie)
How do I get the order reference and how do I save it?
Customers often provide the order reference when placing the order. This order reference can be stored by the Supplier in the ERP package in a field, often with the name 'order number' or 'order reference'.
Within the tradeinterop online portal, the order number can be added in the 'customer order number' field.
What if I forget to fill in the order reference?
Many customers cannot automatically process an invoice without an order reference. The invoice ends up in a waste bin and has to be selected manually. This is a time-consuming process.
More and more customers are therefore rejecting an invoice without an order reference and are asking the supplier to send another invoice with a correct order reference.