I have a number of recurring purchase invoices that have amounts that vary slightly from month to month. Currently, I have to first edit the recurring purchase invoice, update it, return to the list, click the checkbox beside it, then click “Batch Create” to create the invoice. This seems like a lot of steps.
I propose adding a button on the Edit screen that says “Update and Create” so the user can edit the amount or other details, then create the recurring purchase invoice immediately, rather than having to return to the list to do this.
I think you are misunderstanding the concept the program uses. When you are editing, based on your description, you are only editing the recurring invoice template. You are not editing a transaction. You cannot edit a transaction until it has been created.
Since your amounts vary from month to month, a better workflow would be to create the invoices, then edit them. That leaves your template unchanged.
I don’t think I’m misunderstanding the concept, but suggesting a way to make the concept more flexible for different real-world use cases. I understand that the recurring invoices list is a list of templates, but I don’t think I am the only one who has recurring invoices that vary in amount each time they are created. Making this simple change would expand the usefulness of the feature and make the workflow more streamlined.
My suggestion would allow a user to edit and create a recurring entry in one step rather than several while still preserving the original functionality of the feature. Seems like a win-win to me.
Nowhere else in the program does such a double action occur. You update, create, or delete a record. You never do two things to two different records at once.
Alright. How about this then? You add a button to each line of the recurring purchase invoices list that says “Create and Edit” that opens up the newly created invoice for editing? This would accomplish the same functionality and only edit one record at a time.
Even if the button on each line just said “Create” and it opened up the new purchase invoice for editing, that would be consistent with how the rest of the app works.
What you are asking reverses the batch creation concept that many advocated for a long time. The demand was to be able to create all desired recurring transactions at once rather than one at a time.
When you are typically going to edit an invoice, you would be better off to clone an earlier one and edit that than use recurring invoices anyway. Recurring transactions were designed for situations like monthly subscriptions that don’t change very often, if ever.
I have a number of recurring subscriptions that are charged to my credit card in a foreign currency, but because the exchange rate changes, the amount I am charged varies slightly per month. This is why recurring purchase invoices are convenient for me. The account splits and dates are consistent, but the amounts vary a little each month.
Up until recently I’ve been using the feature to clone previous invoices and edit them, but the recurring invoices feature is more convenient because it puts them all in the same place and sets the date for me rather than making me hunt through the list of all purchase invoices to find one to clone.
I’m surprised the app is so rigid that it can’t accommodate both batch and single invoice creation methods and you are forced to only implement one of them. But if it’s not possible to do this, then that’s the way it is.
I don’t really understand what you are requesting… when you are viewing recurring purchase invoices to be converted to purchase invoices, there is Edit button so you can change the amounts before the purchase invoice is created.
I was told by Tut that this was not the way to do this because that is just editing the template. Also, it requires multiple steps for the user when it could be done with just one button.
I recommend adding this column of buttons. Clicking “Create” creates the new invoice from the template and opens it for editing in one step. It is an alternative to “Batch Create” for those who want to edit the invoice immediately.
I think if recurring purchase invoices screen would show total invoice amount, it would be easier just click Edit. Update recurring invoices where needed and then continue with Batch Create.
Yes that’s what I’m doing now. I click Edit, edit the template, then go back, click the little checkbox and then click “Batch Create” to create the single invoice.
My suggestion would reduce that to a single click on “Create” which would open a new purchase invoice immediately for editing. It just saves a few steps, but it can add up to a lot when you have multiple invoices to do every month.
It also just makes sense to have a “Create” button because the existence of a “Batch Create” button implies the existence of single “Create.”
Having the total invoice amount will definitely help though.
I don’t see how it can add up. You always have to edit each invoice whether you have Create button or not. The only difference is that with Create button you wouldn’t need to select all invoices and click Batch Create at the end but that is just two extra clicks regardless how many purchase invoices you are creating.
I agree seeing total invoice amount column on that screen would be useful and that suggestion is in ideas category. I don’t agree with Create button making anything faster regardless how many purchase invoices you have.
Not wanting to beat a dead horse, and of course it is your decision to do the work or not. But here is the workflow as it is:
Click on Edit
Edit the Template
Save the Template and return to the list
Click the checkbox
Click Batch Create
Proposed workflow:
Click on Create
Edit new invoice
Save invoice
Again, it’s your decision to do the work or not, but it’s clear that doing 5 steps instead of 3 adds up over time. I’m just making a usability suggestion.
But steps 4 and 5 you do only once for all invoices. So if you are doing 5 purchase invoices, that’s 15 steps in your proposed workflow and 17 steps in current workflow.
If I have 10 different recurring invoices with amounts that change monthly due to currency fluctuations, for example, that means 50 steps per month in the current workflow vs. 30 steps in my propose workflow.
The real world use of this is a bit different, I think. Because of the possibility of making errors or missing something using the current batch workflow, I would probably just do one at a time to make sure I’m not forgetting to do one. Adding the total amount column will definitely help, but adding a “Create” button as well would create a lot more flexibility.
I hope I am not breaking the flow of discussion here but I would like to show support to the OP but idk if we both have the same reasons.
My logic goes as follows:
Sometimes I need a recurring invoice with no amounts, because I am not sure about the amount. The users will quickly realize that the invoice is incomplete and fill the amounts but in case they don’t then they just sent the customer a blank document, no biggie. However, when I edit the recurring invoice once and I am stuck with a number afterwards, the template would look complete and we might be in quite an unpleasant situation with the customer.
People who have no access to Settings → Recurring Document will not be able to edit the invoice until it has already been created. Then they will have to manually search for the created invoices and they might miss a few, especially when they are 0 valued. The alternative is to give them access to the setting which isn’t good for security.
No unintentional changes to the template. You can only edit the template from Settings → Recurring Document. Any changes has to be deliberate and not by mistake.
