Connected Care: Provisional claim items and supplier invoice matching

This guide explains how provisional claim items work under Connected Care, how to configure the setting that creates them, and the different ways to reconcile a supplier invoice against them. It also covers generating an ad hoc invoice for urgent supplier payment, and tracking outstanding supplier invoices.

 

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The word "invoice"

It can mean a few different things here, so this article names the type each time.

• A supplier invoice is the document your supplier issues, which you upload and match.
• A provisional claim item is the estimated cost entry Lookout creates before that supplier invoice arrives.
• An internal Lookout invoice is the document Lookout produces for a billing run (or generated ad hoc).

Lookout manages the claim and produces the internal documents; Member-facing invoices are generated by your external finance system from exported data.

 

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How provisional claim items behave

When provisional claim items are switched on, marking a service as delivered by the supplier, or by your organisation on their behalf, automatically creates a provisional claim item (an estimated cost entry) without needing the supplier invoice up front.

A completed item with a provisional claim item is held back from billing runs until you match it to a supplier invoice. Until it's matched, the charge isn't released into a billing run, so a Member isn't billed and a government claim isn't submitted before the actual cost is confirmed. This provides finance teams with a clear reconciliation step between service completion and billing or claims.

 

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Before you start

Before you begin, make sure:

• Connected Care is enabled.
• Rostering → Access to purchase orders is set to Read & write (to edit purchase orders).
• Financial access → Manage invoices is set to Read & write (to create and manage invoices).
• You have a purchase order already created, and the supplier invoice on hand.

 

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Configuring the provisional claim item setting

To choose how provisional claim items are created:

1. From your home dashboard, navigate to the overflow menu by clicking the ellipsis (...) next to your name in the bottom left-hand corner.
2. The overflow menu will open - click Settings.
3. Scroll to the Finance section and click Finance settings.
4. On the Finance settings page, click Edit in the top-right corner, then scroll to Automatically generate provisional claim items (third-party invoices).
5. Choose the behaviour you want, then click the Save button in the top-right corner.

The options are:

• Don't create provisional claim items - the default when you first enable Connected Care with Confirmation of delivery. No provisional claim items are created, and you reconcile supplier invoices manually (see Pathway 4).
• Create on confirmation of service completion - a provisional claim item is created when the service is marked complete. It's held from billing runs until a supplier invoice is received and matched.

 

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Where to find provisional claim items on a purchase order

• Open the purchase order (via its ticket) to see the line items.

• Items already sent to the supplier - and confirmed, or completed on their behalf - show at the top.

• Scroll down to the provisional claim items and supplier invoices area, which also shows your current setting status.

Each row is a provisional claim item or supplier invoice, covering one or more line items. For each row, you'll see:

• An Upload supplier invoice link (or the pencil/edit icon - both open the same form)
• A gross supplier total (including tax)
• A service price total (the amount the Member will be charged once completed)
• A red delete trash icon to remove the provisional claim item.

 

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Reconciling a supplier invoice

There are four ways to reconcile, depending on what the supplier invoice covers and whether provisional claim items are switched on. Use the table to pick the right one.

Your situation	Use
One supplier invoice for one completed session	Pathway 1
One invoice that also covers items not yet completed	Pathway 2
One invoice for several items that are already completed	Pathway 3 (delete the provisional claim items first)
No provisional claim items (setting off, or manual workflow)	Pathway 4

 

Pathway 1: Match one supplier invoice to a single session

Use this when one supplier invoice covers one completed line item.

• On the line item, click Upload supplier invoice (or the pencil icon).
• Complete the invoice details:

  • Invoice file - upload the supplier's invoice. The upload checks the file type is valid, but doesn't read its contents. Keep your own archival copy as well. Anyone with Manage invoices (Read & write) can download it again.

  • Reference number - the supplier's invoice document number (for example, INV-123). This is the reference you pay the supplier on.

  • External ID (optional) - for additional reporting; not mandatory.

  • Issue date - the date on the supplier's invoice. It must be today or earlier; future dates can't be saved.

• Under Purchase order line items, the item that created the provisional claim item is selected by default. Review and, if needed, adjust:
  • Actual delivery date - supplied by the supplier where permitted; override via the calendar icon if the invoice differs. The estimated delivery date is shown for reference.
  • Quantity and supplier unit price.
  • Service unit price (the Member price) - editable only for some pricing configurations. With dynamic unit pricing, it's calculated from the supplier unit price and can't be edited; with a custom price, it can.
• When ready, click Save.

Once saved, the line shows the supplier invoice as uploaded and awaiting a billing run, with the reference number and a download link. The provisional claim item is released and can be picked up in the next billing run, or refreshed into a current open one.

 

Pathway 2: Include incomplete items on the same invoice document

Use this when one supplier invoice also covers other line items that haven't been completed yet.

• In the same upload form, alongside the provisional claim item, the page surfaces any incomplete purchase order line items (those without confirmation of delivery).

• Tick the additional items this invoice covers, review each item's details as in Pathway 1, and Save.

• All selected items are captured on the one supplier invoice.

 

Pathway 3: Group several completed items under one invoice

Use this when a single supplier invoice covers several items that are already completed, each with its own provisional claim item. For example, sessions delivered on different days at different prices, billed together.

Because completed items with a provisional claim item don't appear in the multi-select, first remove those provisional claim items:

• On each relevant line item, click the red delete trash icon and confirm. This only removes the placeholder - it doesn't affect the confirmation of delivery.
• Scroll to Add supplier invoice at the bottom of the section. This surfaces any items that are incomplete, and any items whose provisional claim item you've removed.
• Complete the invoice details, tick the line items this invoice covers, and review each item.
• When ready, click Save.

 

Pathway 4: Reconcile manually (no provisional claim items)

This is the behaviour when the setting is Don't create provisional claim items - the same as the older manual workflow. No provisional claim items are created, so you reconcile every supplier invoice through Add supplier invoice.

Every line not yet matched to a supplier invoice is listed here, with its delivery status (for example, Delivery confirmed or Service cancelled).

• Complete the invoice details, tick the line items the invoice covers.

• Be sure to review each item.

• When ready, click Save - exactly as in Pathway 3, without the delete step.

 

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Correcting a matched invoice

Once a supplier invoice is matched, the line item's details are locked, except a few details needed for claiming and rostering, such as the claiming code, unit type and delivery times. Services, dates, quantity, price and Exclude from claiming are locked.

To change other details after a mistake:

1. Remove the uploaded supplier invoice (red trash icon) and confirm. This also deletes the provisional claim item and any unpublished internal invoice. You can't remove it once the internal invoice is published, or while a billing run is processing.
2. Open the line item by clicking its ellipsis (...) button and Edit from the drop-down options menu
3. Make your changes (for example, pricing or quantity), and Save.
4. Re-run Add supplier invoice to re-attach the invoice and its details.

 

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Generating an ad hoc invoice (immediate supplier payment or claiming)

When you need to pay a supplier or claim immediately - ahead of the normal billing run - you can generate an ad hoc invoice for any provisional claim item or supplier invoice that has no internal invoice yet. It covers every line on it.

1. Open the line item's edit menu by clicking the pencil icon.
2. In the top right, click Generate ad hoc invoice.
3. The confirmation screen will note this is for immediate supplier payment. Click confirm to proceed.

An internal Lookout invoice is created in Draft, stamped ad hoc. It doesn't affect your other line items - they keep awaiting the billing run.

To publish the ad hoc invoice:

1. Click the invoice ID, then Publish
2. Confirm your actions.

Once published, the ad hoc invoice is still captured within the billing run's time period, but because it's already published it isn't published in cycle with the other items.

 

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Tracking outstanding supplier invoices

To monitor completed work that's waiting on a supplier invoice, use the Supplier invoices view: expand the menu, go to the Finance section, and open Supplier invoices. You can also reach it from the tabs at the top of the purchase order screen.

Filter to find what you need:

• Invoice status - with invoice / without invoice (these refer to internal Lookout invoice documents). Selecting "without invoice" leaves provisional claim items and items uploaded but awaiting a billing run.
• Delivery status - fully delivered / partially delivered / not delivered. To find completed work with no supplier invoice yet, filter to fully delivered.
• Plus external ID, Member and supplier names, service delivery date, and reference number (the supplier's invoice document number).

Use this as a watch list for completed work not yet released to billing, and follow up with suppliers for the invoices you're still waiting on.

 

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What happens next?

• A matched item is released for billing: it can be captured in the next billing run, or refreshed into a current open one.
• From the line's summary, you can see any invoices or credit notes raised against it - including, for Support at Home, any adjustments - and download the supplier invoice PDF.
• Once the internal Lookout invoice is published, the line item can no longer be edited. Any further changes must be made through credit notes or a reversal from the billing run screen.

 

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Troubleshooting

An uploaded supplier invoice is still showing "Awaiting billing run

An uploaded supplier invoice is picked up by the next billing run whose period includes its issue date. If it hasn't appeared yet, check:

• The draft billing run has been updated since you uploaded it. Open the draft billing run and click Update draft. If draft billing runs are generated automatically, the draft also updates every morning.

• The issue date falls within the billing run's period. A supplier invoice dated after the period ends is picked up by a later billing run. If the date is wrong, edit it with the pencil icon. You can do this until the internal Lookout invoice is published.

• The billing run's issues list. If the supplier invoice couldn't be invoiced, the billing run lists it as an issue. For example, the Member has no funder, or a Support at Home service code or quantity is invalid. Fix the issue, then click Update draft.

• Issue dates must be today or earlier; future dates can't be saved.

 

I can't see a completed item to add it to an invoice

Items that are already complete and have their own provisional claim item won't appear in the multi-select. Delete their provisional claim item first (the red trash icon), then use Add supplier invoice - see Pathway 3.

 

I'm getting an error about the reference number

Reference numbers must be unique per supplier. If you're matching a second invoice for the same supplier, give it a distinct reference (for example, append the Member's surname or the date).

 

My supplier invoice file won't upload

The file must be a supported type, such as PDF, an image or an Office document, and must be attached before you can save. If it's rejected, save it as a PDF and try again.

 

I can't edit the service (Member) unit price

With dynamic unit pricing, the service unit price is calculated from the supplier unit price and can't be edited. It can only be edited where a custom price is configured.

 

I made a mistake, but the line item is locked

Once matched, most details are locked. Remove the uploaded supplier invoice (red trash icon) to unlock the item, make your changes, then re-run Add supplier invoice. If an ad hoc invoice has already been published, the item can't be edited at all - use a credit note or a reversal from the billing run screen.

 

I can't upload or edit invoices at all

Check your permissions: Manage invoices must be set to Read & write to create and manage invoices, and Access to purchase orders must be Read & write to edit purchase orders.

 

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Still need help?

If you're still experiencing issues, please contact our Support Team and include:

• Screenshots (if possible)
• The Member's name
• The reference number of the supplier invoice
• The exact steps taken
• Any error messages received