What the system checks, what it flags, and what a clean close looks like. This is the detail behind the proposal — not required reading to get started, but essential once the build begins.
Every reconciliation run checks both directions independently. Side 1 asks whether vendors are billing correctly. Side 2 asks whether we are. Both must pass before a close is recommended.
These exceptions fire when something on the incoming side doesn't add up. Catch these before close or you risk overpaying a supplier or carrying an unapproved liability on the books.
| # | Exception | Email subject | Body | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Price variance | ⚠️ Price variance — Carr's Flour INV #CF-28847 | Charged £1.35/kg for WHITE-25KG, agreed rate £1.20/kg. Exposure: £7.50 | Chase supplier, request credit note |
| 2 | Short delivery | ⚠️ Short delivery — Arla Foods INV #AF-91033 | Invoiced 25kg butter, only 20kg confirmed received. Gap: 5kg / £17.00 | Dispute or await balance delivery |
| 3 | Duplicate vendor invoice | ⚠️ Duplicate — Carr's Flour INV #CF-28847 | Already processed 24 May. Potential double payment: £87.50 | Hold payment, verify with supplier |
| 4 | Unapproved bill at close | 🔴 Close blocked — 2 bills pending approval | Carr's Flour £87.50 and Arla Foods £85.00 still awaiting approval in Bill.com | Approve or escalate before closing |
These exceptions fire when the outgoing side doesn't reconcile against what was actually received. Miss these and you're either leaving revenue on the table or carrying an overbilling liability.
| # | Exception | Email subject | Body | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Unbilled units | ⚠️ Unbilled stock — BUTTER-25KG w/e 27 May | 14.9kg butter received, no matching customer invoices. Revenue at risk: ~£124 | Check for uninvoiced orders in QBO |
| 6 | Overbilled units | ⚠️ Overbilling — Edinburgh Larder INV #WHB-3849 | Billed 240 croissants, ingredients support 198. Over-billed: 42 units / £117.60 | Issue credit note or verify delivery records |
| 7 | Missing AP record | ⚠️ No AP match — QBO INV #WHB-3851 | Customer invoiced for flour products but no vendor bill found this period | Check if supplier invoice is missing or unapproved |
Exception 5 is the revenue leak. Exception 6 is the liability. Exception 7 is the most ambiguous — one side of the books has no backing and the cause could be on either side.
The alert only fires on exceptions. When both sides reconcile cleanly, you receive a confirmation instead — making the email a close checklist item, not just a warning system.