The Role of the First Approver

First approvers are the users who are selected to review an Invoice before all other approvers. They must validate and code the Invoice before it's passed to the other approvers.

Every Building has a first approver. The first approver can be different for each Building or the same across the Organisation's portfolio. First approvers can be changed at any point in time.

Contents

• First Approver Process
• Duplicate Invoices
• Message Stakeholders

First Approver Process

The first approver will receive email and in-app notifications when there's an Invoice that requires their approval. 

Within the Document Management System, the number of any Invoices pending review will appear in red in the right corner of the 'Invoices' tab.

Approve an Invoice

First approvers can approve an Invoice from the Document Management System. Click the Documents Icon to go to the Document Management System.

Search for an Invoice by Plan Number or Contractor then click the PDF Icon to open the Invoice page.

When the Invoice page opens, check that the Creditor and Invoice Details match the information in the file preview.



If changes need to be made, select 'Edit' (to the right of the Invoice Number at the top of the page) then update the information that's incorrect.

If there are multiple matching ABNs in Strata Master, look under 'Creditor Details' and choose the correct creditor from the 'Payment Method' drop-down.



Note: Creditors are only imported from Strata Master to the Portal when there's a valid ABN.

To add GL codes to the Invoice, scroll down to 'Row Items' then select '+ Add Item'. The GL code drop-down will display the five most recent GL codes for the Plan Number. Prefixes for the budget fund are displayed as Admin, CWF (Capital Works Fund) or All.

Multiple GL codes may be selected.

Select the GL Code or codes then enter a Description and Amount for the item. If the Invoice is linked to a Job, the Job title will auto-populate in the Description box.

If there's a Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the creditor, it will be automatically updated.



Check the 'Approvers' box to view all approvers of the Invoice. If an approver is no longer a Committee Member or Owner for the Building, go to the 'Invoice' tab in Building Rules and replace them with a current Committee Member or Owner. 

Verify that the information is correct then click 'Approve'.

Cancel an Invoice

After completing their review, Strata Managers may decide that an Invoice should be cancelled. Cancelled Invoices can no longer be processed for payment but can be reopened if necessary.

To cancel an Invoice in the Document Management System, click the PDF Icon of an Invoice to go to the Invoice page. When the Invoice page opens, click the three dots at the top right of the page and select 'Cancel Invoice'.

A pop-up will appear to confirm cancellation.

Enter a note explaining to the Service Provider why the Invoice has been cancelled then click 'Cancel Invoice'.

Reject an Invoice

Strata Managers should reject an Invoice if there are errors that need to be corrected by the Service Provider.  This option is only available if the Invoice is linked to a Job in the Portal.

To reject an Invoice in the Document Management System, click the PDF Icon of an Invoice to go to the Invoice page. When the Invoice page opens, click the three dots at the top right of the page and select 'Reject Invoice'.

A pop-up will appear to confirm rejection.

Enter a message explaining to the Service Provider why the Invoice has been rejected then click 'Reject Invoice'.

Service Providers can update the information based on feedback and resubmit the Invoice for approval.



For more information, please see How to Approve or Reject an Invoice.

Duplicate Invoices

When an Invoice has a duplicate, there will be a red 'Duplicate' flag next to the Invoice Number in the list view and on the Invoice page. The 'Status' column will also be marked 'Duplicate'. 

List View 

Invoice Page



For more information, please see View and Bulk Cancel Duplicate Invoices.

Message Stakeholders

When reviewing an Invoice, Strata Managers may want to discuss the information with the other approvers.

To confer with other approvers, select the 'Message Stakeholders' button at the bottom of the page.



When the 'Message Stakeholders' window opens, Strata Managers can open a chat with selected users and contacts about the Invoice.

This will automatically add all of the other approvers to the thread, including any Building Contacts that are external approvers.
To remove a contact from the chat, click the 'Select Contacts' menu and find the contact then click the 'X' to the right of their name.

To open the chat, select 'Get Started'.



For more information, please see Messaging and Chatroom and Invoice Approval Process.

Strata Managers should contact us with any further questions regarding this process.