Bottomline Basics

You’ve asked the question: what happens to invoices once they leave our hands and head to Bottomline? It’s a mystery what happens after they leave us.

Say no more—we’re here to demystify the process for you.

Step 1: Document Processing

The Document Management team processes each invoice through TAC (Transform Active Capture). During this stage, Renee Camorlinga and her team review each document to confirm whether it is indeed an invoice. Sometimes they get an invoice before the vendor has been set up in JDE. If that happens, they will reach out to the appropriate team and remind them to submit their vendor request so that the invoice can be processed. They also verify that the system has correctly imported key information such as the invoice number, vendor name, invoice date, and amount. If any information is incorrect, they update it manually to ensure accuracy.

 Side note: The team processes more than 10,000 invoices every month—that’s over 120,000 invoices a year.

Step 2: Queue Assignment

Once processed, the invoice is sent to the group’s Bottomline queue, where anyone on the team with a Champion/Coder role can access and process it.

Step 3: Coding and Routing

The coder reviews the invoice and sends it down the appropriate approval route and organizational hierarchy.

Step 4: The Approval Process

Approvers have 6 business days to approve, reject, or place a hold on an invoice. Here’s how the timeline works:

• Day 1 – Invoice is sent for approval
• Days 2-3 – Waiting period
• Day 4 – Escalation warning is sent to the approver
• Days 5-6 – Final waiting period
• Day 7 – Invoice automatically escalates at 12:00 AM if not processed

The number of approvers required depends on the invoice amount and each approver’s assigned limit. For example:

• A CD/GM at a property has a $1,500 approval limit
• A Regional has a $10,000 approval limit

This means:

• A $500 invoice only needs CD approval
• A $9,000 invoice needs approval from both the CD and Regional
• A $12,000 invoice needs approval from the CD, Regional, and Monica

Step 5: Accounts Payable Processing

Once all required approvals are digitally gathered, the invoice lands in AP’s queue. Before a check can be produced, several conditions must be met:

• The vendor must be properly set up with current licenses and insurance
• The payee company must be set up in the system
• The account must be funded

If the work requires a contract, that must also be created and executed.

Step 6: Final Review and Payment

• Invoices under $5,000 are electronically signed and then sent out or mailed according to any specific instructions for that vendor, invoice, or check request
• Invoices over $5,000 go through an additional review and require a second signature before being sent out or mailed

And that’s it: your invoice has completed its journey from submission to payment.

So, the next time someone asks where their invoice went, you can confidently say: “Oh, it’s probably on Day 4 of the approval process, about to send an escalation warning.” Turns out your invoices have been on quite the adventure, maybe next time they’ll send a postcard.