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This article helps you understand and correct discrepancies you may notice during BoondManager billing preparation: difference between the billed quantity and the number of billable items, yellow triangle on an invoice, ordered turnover (CA commandé) overrun alert, effect of a credit note, and handling free days.
It is intended for users who prepare and issue invoices (sales administration, accounting, managers in charge of billing). Billing preparation is only available on Advanced and Enterprise plans.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites: to use billing preparation, you must have the Advanced or Enterprise plan, have initialized the synchronization of the Preparation view in the Billing module, and have access rights to billing preparation.
1 - Understanding Quantity and Billable Items
Billing > Preparation view > Billable items tab
To understand the quantity and billable items on an invoice, you need to know that these two values are not counted the same way in billing preparation. An invoice may therefore display more billable items than billed days, and this is normal.
Why does my invoice show more billable items than billed days?
Your invoice shows more billable items than billed days because quantity and the number of billable items measure two different things:
Quantity adds up the values entered in your employee's timesheet (CRA, activity report). Example: 1 + 0.5 + 1 = 2.5 days.
The number of billable items counts the filled cells in the timesheet. Each filled cell always gives 1 billable item, whether it contains 1 day, 0.5 day, or 0.25 day.
A half-day therefore counts as 1 full billable item, valued at half the Daily Rate. Example: with a Daily Rate of €500, a half-day gives 1 billable item of €250.
How many billable items for 18 billed days?
For 18 billed days, the number of billable items depends on the number of filled cells in the timesheet. The following table shows four timesheets for a time-and-materials project that all result in a quantity of 18 days on the invoice:
What your employee logs | Quantity calculation | Billed quantity | Number of billable items |
18 full days | 18 × 1 | 18 days | 18 billable items |
17 full days + 2 half-days | 17 + (2 × 0.5) | 18 days | 19 billable items |
16 full days + 4 half-days | 16 + (4 × 0.5) | 18 days | 20 billable items |
17 full days + 4 quarter-days | 17 + (4 × 0.25) | 18 days | 21 billable items |
In all four cases, the invoice is correct and no alert is displayed. The more your employee splits their days, the greater the gap between quantity and the number of billable items.
Invoice showing a quantity of 18 days and 19 related billable items
How are billable items counted on a project in work units?
On a project in work units (for example, in hours), the invoice quantity is expressed in the project's work unit, and each filled cell in the timesheet always gives 1 billable item.
Example 1: your employee logs 7 hours per day for 22 days. The invoice shows a quantity of 154 hours (22 × 7) and 22 billable items.
Example 2: your employee fills 19 cells for a total of 95 hours, or about 13.57 days. The invoice shows a quantity of 95 hours and 19 billable items. All three values are different, and that's normal: only the timesheet converts hours into days.
How are billable items counted for multiple projects, exceptional activity, or on-call duty?
For multiple projects on the same day, exceptional activity, or on-call duty, the rule remains the same: each filled cell or line gives 1 billable item.
Multiple projects on the same day: 4 hours on project A and 3 hours on project B on the same day give 2 billable items.
Exceptional activity: one exceptional activity line entered on a Sunday gives 1 billable item.
On-call duty: 15 days of on-call duty entered on a single line give 1 billable item.
Important
Important: it is not possible to split the quantity of a billable item in billing preparation. A half-day or a quarter-day always remains 1 full billable item.
2 - Understanding and Correcting the Yellow Triangle on an Invoice
Billing > Invoices view > Invoice details
The yellow triangle on an invoice indicates a discrepancy in amount: the invoice amount excluding taxes (ET) is different from the total of the related billable items. The yellow triangle never indicates a discrepancy between quantity and number of billable items.
What does the yellow triangle on my invoice mean?
The yellow triangle on your invoice means that the invoice amount excluding taxes does not match the total of the related billable items. The rule to remember: quantity and number of billable items may differ, but the invoice amount (ET) and the total billable items must always be identical.
When these two amounts differ, there are two possible explanations:
you have applied a discount on the invoice: the discrepancy is intentional and you do not need to correct anything;
a production entry was missed or not properly taken into account, for example after a timesheet modification.
For example, here you can see a yellow triangle on my invoice:
By clicking on it, I see a delta of €1,800 which is due to the fact that I changed the rate of the billable items from €600 to €500 on my invoice.
How do I correct an invoice after a timesheet modification?
To correct an invoice after a timesheet modification, create a credit note and then a new invoice: the updated billable items will then appear in billing preparation.
Ask your employee to correct their timesheet, then validate it.
Create a total credit note on the relevant invoice.
Go to Billing > Preparation view > Invoices to create tab: the corrected billable items will appear in the project basket.
Generate the new invoice from the basket.
Expected result: the new invoice does not display a yellow triangle, as its amount (ET) equals the total billable items. If the yellow triangle is still present, check that the timesheet was validated before creating the credit note.
Warning
Warning: avoid manually changing the quantity on an invoice. The related billable items remain those from the old timesheet, and the discrepancy persists even after correcting the timesheet.
How to remove the discrepancy if the quantity has already been changed manually?
If the quantity on your invoice has already been changed manually, you can remove the discrepancy by dissociating and then re-associating the billable items from the invoice.
Open the relevant invoice.
Dissociate all erroneous billable items.
Re-associate the billable items: BoondManager will retrieve the recalculated items from the corrected timesheet.
Expected result: the yellow triangle disappears and the invoice amount (ET) equals the total billable items. If the discrepancy persists, contact BoondManager support with the invoice number.
Here is the button to dissociate billable items.
3 - Understanding the Ordered Turnover Overrun Alert
Billing > Preparation view > Invoices to create tab
The ordered turnover overrun alert, displayed as a percentage (e.g., 130%), indicates the consumption of your purchase order if you validate the invoice in preparation. This is a projection, not a statement: your order has not yet been exceeded.
What does the percentage with a triangle in billing preparation mean?
The percentage with a triangle in billing preparation corresponds to the consumption of the ordered turnover after validating the invoice. Example: your order is consumed at 9.55% today. The alert shows 130% because the invoice in preparation, once validated, would exceed the ordered turnover by 30%. As long as you do not validate the invoice, the order remains consumed at 9.55%.
This alert can be perfectly normal, for example when your purchase order anticipated less time than was actually performed.
How to find invoices that exceed the ordered turnover?
To find invoices that exceed the ordered turnover, use the Ordered turnover filter in the Invoices to create tab. This filter isolates orders for which the turnover to be billed exceeds the ordered turnover.
Click the Filters button.
Select the value "Ordered turnover exceeded" in the Ordered turnover filter.
Apply the filter: only baskets that would exceed their ordered turnover are displayed.
What to do when an invoice exceeds the ordered turnover?
When an invoice exceeds the ordered turnover, the next steps depend on your agreement with your client:
Open purchase order or approximate ordered turnover: you can bill the overrun.
Client strict on the ordered amount: uncheck the extra billable items, bill only what fits in the order, then request a new purchase order from your client to bill the rest.
4 - Understanding the Effect of a Credit Note on Billable Items
Billing > Preparation view > Billable items tab
A total credit note cancels your invoice and releases the corresponding production: BoondManager then reads the timesheet again and brings up new billable items in billing preparation.
What happens to billable items after a total credit note?
After a total credit note, the billable items from the canceled invoice are released and new billable items are brought up from the timesheet. Example: you bill 12 days, then your employee indicates they worked 11 days. You create a total credit note for the 12 days:
The timesheet was corrected before the credit note: the 11 correct billable items are brought up and you bill 11 days.
The timesheet was not corrected yet: the same 12 billable items reappear. Have your employee correct the timesheet first.
How to handle billable items that reappear after a credit note, with no re-billing planned?
If you do not wish to re-bill after a credit note (for example, because the days are ultimately offered), the billable items remain to be billed in billing preparation. The table below presents three ways to handle these billable items:
Option | When to use it |
Create an invoice with a 100% discount (recommended) | Production is real but offered: your costs remain tracked. |
Ignore the billable items | Production is real but will never be billed. |
Delete the timesheet | Production should not exist. |
5 - Managing Free Days with Billing Preparation
To manage free days with billing preparation, you have three methods. The choice depends on two questions: do you know in advance which days will be free, and do you accept to create two services?
Which method to choose to offer free days?
The table below compares the three methods for offering free days with billing preparation:
Method | When to use it | Effect in billing preparation |
Two services (recommended) | You know in advance which days will be free. | The basket appears as "Partially ready" and the invoice is generated with a €0 line. No manual action. |
One service + negative additional turnover (recommended with a single service) | You want to keep a single service. | The negative additional turnover appears with the service. No discrepancy between production and billing. |
A single service without additional turnover | You do not know in advance which days will be free. | Manual adjustment at billing. A discrepancy between production and billing appears, which is normal. |
How to offer free days with two services?
To offer free days with two services, create one service for the free period and one service for the billed period.
Create a service for the free period, e.g., from October 1 to 3.
Create a service for the billed period, e.g., from October 4 to 31.
Make sure your employee logs time on the correct service for each period.
In Billing > Preparation view > Invoices to create tab, open the basket, which is in the "Partially ready" state.
Click the invoice issuance button in the sidebar to force billing.
Expected result: the invoice contains a €0 line for the free days and a line for the billed days.
Warning
Warning: with two services, your employee logs time in two different places. Choose clear service titles. If the free days fall in the middle of the month, you can place them at the beginning or end of the month to simplify periods.
How to offer free days with a single service and a negative additional turnover?
To offer free days with a single service, add a negative additional turnover equal to the number of free days multiplied by the Daily Rate. This is the preferred method if you want to keep a single service.
Calculate the amount: number of free days × Daily Rate. Example: 3 free days with a Daily Rate of €500 gives 3 × 500 = €1,500, i.e., a negative additional turnover of -€1,500.
Add this negative additional turnover for the relevant month, in the project or service.
Go to Billing > Preparation view > Invoices to create tab: the negative additional turnover appears with the service in the basket.
Generate the invoice, then rename the negative additional turnover line to "Free days" to clearly display the free nature to your client.
Expected result: the invoice shows the days performed and a "Free days" line of -€1,500, with no discrepancy between production and billing.
6 - FAQ
Why does my invoice show 5 billable items when I bill for 4 days?
Your invoice shows 5 billable items for 4 billed days because each filled cell in the timesheet gives 1 billable item. With 3 full days and 2 half-days, the quantity is 4 days (3 + 0.5 + 0.5) and the number of billable items is 5.
Why does a credit note line show "1 × -1"?
A credit note line shows "1 × -1" because of how BoondManager records credit notes. This format is not an error and the credit note amount is correct.
Can I get an alert before reaching my ordered turnover?
No, BoondManager does not provide an alert before reaching your ordered turnover (for example, "10% left to consume"). The overrun alert in billing preparation warns you at the time of billing, and the ordered turnover filter allows you to isolate the relevant orders.
Are my billable items duplicated when I dissociate them from an invoice?
No, your billable items are not duplicated when you dissociate them from an invoice. Dissociation deletes the old billable items and releases the production, then BoondManager brings up the recalculated items.
Does the "Free" label prevent billing a billable item?
No, the "Free" label does not prevent billing a billable item: it only adds a mention, and the item appears with its amount on the invoice. To offer free days, use one of the three methods in the "Managing Free Days with Billing Preparation" section.
Is the discrepancy related to free days on a single service an error?
No, the discrepancy related to free days on a single service without additional turnover is not an error: the free days are produced but not billed. If you want identical turnover in production and billing, add a negative additional turnover equal to the number of free days × Daily Rate.