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Configuring AP Routes

AP routes designate where and how approved invoice information is sent. The route configuration specifies rules regarding how approved invoice information is handled, including where approved invoice information for the matter is sent, the files that are sent, the delivery method, and the recipients.
The
AP Route
 field is part of the profile for every matter. Every company must have at least one AP route.
AP Batch File Formats
Each AP route has specific rules for handling the AP batch. The AP batch refers to the approved invoice information that is processed and made available in three formats:
  • Invoice Spreadsheet: A .csv file that contains all the information necessary to pay the approved invoices. The contents of this file are customizable.
  • Approved Invoices: A .zip file containing copies of all approved invoices. You can also add supporting documents to this .zip file of invoices.
  • Invoice Summary Pages: Tracker automatically generates an invoice summary page for each approved invoice. The AP batch can include a .zip file containing all invoice summary pages. The summary page content is also customizable. One advantage to invoice summary pages is that the summaries contain the same information regardless of the format of the underlying invoice (LEDES or any other format). This ensures that AP departments receive all invoice information in a consistent format. You can also add Supporting Documents to this zip file of invoice summaries.
AP Batch File Delivery Methods
After the AP batch has been run, it can be delivered in one of four ways (the delivery options are separate from the format options):
  • Manual Download: Tracker users can sign in to Tracker and download the invoice information. The user selects which file types to download.
  • Email: Tracker can send an email with attached AP batch files. The recipient does not need to be a Tracker user. You must select which file types will be attached to the email when you configure the AP route.
  • SFTP: If Report Scheduler is enabled and SFTP connections are configured, Tracker can send the AP batch files to a secure location on your company's servers.
  • Web Services: The Web Services account can sign in to the Tracker AP Data Exchange Web Service and retrieve the AP batch.
When to Create Multiple AP Routes
There are several reasons a company might want to create multiple AP routes:
  • If a company has more than one AP department with different preferences for receiving approved invoice information.
  • If a company has more than one AP system.
  • If a company uses special payment methods for some matters. For example, some companies pay international law firms via a wire transfer rather than by check.
For these reasons, Tracker enables law departments to create as many AP routes as they need. For example, assume Acme Corporation has three accounts payable departments: New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. A separate AP route can be created for each of these accounts payable departments, which will then be selectable in a drop-down menu in the AP Route field in the matter profile. When a user creates a matter, the user can use this drop-down menu to assign an AP route to the matter.

Creating and Editing AP Routes

Setting up AP routes is part of the process of setting up the AP data exchange.
To create or edit an AP route:
  1. Select
    Settings
    in the left navigation.
  2. In the
    Accounting and A/P Settings
     section, select
    AP Route Configuration
    .
  3. Under
    Step 3: Routing
    , click
    Create new AP Route
     or click the name of the route you want to edit. The AP Route (new) or AP Route (edit) page opens.
  4. If you are editing an AP route, leave the
    Active
    check box selected.
  5. Under
    Step 3A: General Options
    , you name the route and specify invoicing information. If you are editing an AP route, leave the
    Active
    check box selected.
    Task
    Description
    Naming the AP route
    In the
    AP Route Name
    field, type a name for the route. This is the name of the AP route that will be available to matter creators when they assign a route to new matters. You should give the route a descriptive name to help matter creators know which route to select.
    Set up invoicing information
    1. Next to
      Invoice Spreadsheet
       and
      Invoice Summary formats
      , select the invoice spreadsheet and summary formats you would like to use in this route from the drop down lists Configuration page.
    2. Next to
      Zip File Output for LEDES Invoices and/or Invoice Summaries
      , select one of the file format options for the zipped files of LEDES invoices and invoice summaries. The zipped files are attached to an email message that is sent to your AP department.
    3. Next to
      Zip File Font Size & Zip File PDF Page Orientation
      , select the font size for the HTML/PDF files and/or select the page orientation (landscape is the default) for the PDF file output. A file in the .pdf format is much larger than an .html file and the zipped file will also be larger
    Requiring office vendor numbers
    In the
    Required Office Vendor Number
     field, specify any vendor numbers what will be required. Because some companies have several AP departments that use different vendor numbers for the same law firm, this lets you insert the vendor number that is appropriate for this route.
    Internal Notes
    Type any notes you want to be available for future users who may need to edit the AP route. These notes are not displayed anywhere else in Tracker. The limit is 500 characters.
  6. Under
    Step 3B: Scheduling Options
    , you can select the schedule for the automatic batch runs. (This option is available only if automation is enabled.) You can specify whether you want the AP Batch to run Daily, Weekly, or Monthly, The Tracker default is 5:00 US Pacific Time, every Friday. Note that if you disable automation for any reason, the schedules do not reset to the default. If you re-enable automation, your schedules will resume as you had previously set them.
    • If you select Weekly or Monthly, more options appear for selecting the specific day for the batch run. You can elect to have Tracker run AP Batches automatically for all AP routes. To do so, in
      Step 1: Automation of the AP Route Configuration page
      , select
      Yes
      , then click
      Save
      .
    • If you have enabled automated AP Batch runs, then you need to set the AP Batch run schedule. When automation is enabled, Tracker runs the AP Batch every Friday at 5:00 PM Pacific time by default.
  7. Under
    Step 3C: Delivery Options
    , select an option for how the AP batch will be delivered to the AP department or other recipients. There are four delivery options.
    Manual Download
    requires users to manually download the AP files. Select
    ADVANCED OPTIONS
     to choose Email, SFTP, or Automated Transfer (Web Services). Regardless of which delivery option you choose, the related email messages will be sent out shortly after the AP Batch is run, whether the AP Batch is run automatically or manually.
    Field
    Description
    Manual Download
    Tracker sends AP Route Managers an email message notifying them that the AP Batch files are available for download. Users then sign to the system and download the AP Batch files. Non-Tracker users will not be able to retrieve the AP Batch files.
    If you select the Manual Download option, the AP Route Managers receive an email message every time an AP Batch is run, and then they must sign in to Tracker and download the AP Batch files.
    AP Route Managers and Company System Administrators can sign in and download AP Data Batch files at any time. If a user has adequate credentials, then they can sign in and download AP Batch files at any time.
    Advantages
    • Because the user retrieves invoice information during Tracker session, all information is encrypted using SSL.
    • Recipient selects which file types to download.
    Disadvantages
    • Recipient must have a Tracker User ID to receive invoice information.
    • Less convenient-recipient must sign in to Tracker to receive information.
    Advanced Options
    : Email
    Tracker can send an email with attached AP batch files. The recipient does not need to be a Tracker user. You must select which file types will be attached to the email when you configure the AP route.
    • Recipient automatically receives invoice information.
    • Recipient does not have to have a Tracker User ID.
    • Invoice information is sent via unencrypted email.
    • Recipient cannot choose the file type they want to receive.
    Advanced Options
    : SFTP
    If Report Scheduler is enabled and SFTP connections are configured, Tracker can send the AP batch files to a secure location on your company's servers.
    Advantages
    • Files are pushed to a secure location on your company's server, no email transmission.
    • Recipient who picks up the file from the SFTP location does not have to have a Tracker User ID.
    Disadvantages
    • Report Scheduler must be enabled and SFTP connections must be configured, which requires information from your IT department.
    • Recipient cannot choose the file type they want to receive.
    Advanced Options
    : Automated Transfer (Web Services)
    The Web Services account can sign in to the Tracker AP Data Exchange Web Service and retrieve the AP batch. Companies specify which of the Batch files will be downloaded and can opt to send an email message to the AP Route Manager when the AP Batch has been run and the files are available for download.
    Advantages
    • Data transfer is completely automated.
    • Highly secure, encrypted transaction-people cannot alter data during transfer.
    Disadvantages
    • Requires development of a custom program to interact with Tracker Web Service.
  8. Select the AP Route Managers, and if you are using the email delivery method and you want to send the email to people other than Tracker users, type their email addresses in the Additional Recipients fields.
  9. On the toolbar, select
    Save & close
    .

Scheduling AP Batches to Run Automatically

To schedule an AP batch to run automatically:
  1. Select
    Settings
    in the left navigation.
  2. In the
    Accounting and A/P Settings
     section, select
    AP Route Configuration
    .
  3. In the
    Step 1: Automation
     collapsible section,
    Yes
    appears next to
    Run AP Batches automatically?
     if routes are scheduled to run automatically. If you want to change this setting, select
    Edit
    .
    • Select
      No (manual)
       if you want batches to run manually.
    • Select
      Yes (automated - schedule set in each AP Route)
       to run batches on a schedule.
  4. Select
    Save
    .

Deactivating an AP route

By default, when you create an AP route, it is active and can be assigned to matters. However, there may be cases when you need to deactivate an AP route to prevent users from assigning it to matters.
To deactivate an AP route:
  1. Select
    Settings
    in the left navigation.
  2. In the
    Accounting and A/P Settings
     section, select
    AP Route Configuration
    .
  3. Under
    Step 3: Routing
    , click the name of the route you want to deactivate. The Edit AP Route page opens.
  4. Under
    Step 3A: General Options
    , clear the
    Active
    check box.
  5. On the toolbar, select
    Save & close
    .
Deactivating an AP route removes it from the list of routes. The inactive route can no longer be selected when creating a new or updating an existing matter. However, existing matters using the inactivate route are unaffected, and the inactive AP route is still shown on the matter profile.
  • If there is a pending invoice posted to a matter with an inactive AP route, the invoice cannot be finally approved unless you select an active AP route, or the matter to which the invoice is posted is updated with new active AP route.
  • If there is an approved invoice that has not been batched and sent to AP yet, the invoice will not be batched until you select an active AP route. (You can edit the matter’s default AP route or select a new AP route on the
    Accounting
    tab).
Tip | You can run the pre-configured AP Batch Preview report to find out if there are any invoices still assigned the inactive AP route.
You can also use the Matters Bulk Update to locate and update all matters currently assigned to an inactive AP route. Updating a matter with new AP route affects all pending or approved invoices, but not batched invoices that use the matter’s default AP route. See Bulk Updating Matter Data for help.
Tip | To view a list of deactivated routes, at the top of the page, select
Inactive Only
from the drop-down list, and then click
Change View
 .

Reactivating an AP route

  1. Select
    Settings
    in the left navigation.
  2. In the
    Accounting and A/P Settings
     section, select
    AP Route Configuration
    .
  3. Select
    Inactive Only
     from the drop-down list, and then click
    Change View
    .
  4. Under
    Step 3: Routing
    , click the name of the route you want to re-activate. The Edit AP Route page opens.
  5. Under
    Step 3A General Options
    , select the
    Active
    check box.
  6. On the toolbar, select
    Save & close
    .

Viewing the AP Route Audit History

You can view a list of all actions taken on the configuration of an AP route, from creation to changing the Route Managers or the file formats.
To view the AP Route Audit History:
  1. Select
    Settings
    in the left navigation.
  2. In the
    Accounting and A/P Settings
     section, select
    AP Route Configuration
    .
  3. Under
    Step 3: Routing
    , click the name of the route whose audit history you want to view. The Edit AP Route page opens.
  4. On the toolbar click the three small dots three small dots icon to expand out the menu and select
    View History
    .

This article applies to:

  • Product: Legal Tracker
  • Subject: Accounts Payable
  • Audiences: Company