What are Match Elements?

Match elements are the line item details that will be used in Detail Match. Line item details are the information used to compare invoice lines to receipt/purchase order lines when you are performing a Detail Match.

A match element is a component of your overall matching structure. For example, elements can be defined to represent such things as a department, merchandise class or category, or an item number. A match element consists of the following components:

• Element name

• Item indicator

• Data type (alpha or numeric)

• Field size (1:32)

• Element type (user-defined or Lawson defined)

• Status (active or inactive)

During match element and match class setup, consider whether your company needs to match invoice lines to receipt details using something other than the item number (such as SKU numbers). If your company does not need multiple elements in item detail, set a single element to a single match class. If your company needs multiple elements, these are assigned to the match class in the preferred order.

Each match element that you define will have a type of U (user-defined). Predefined elements will have a type of L (Lawson defined). Predefined elements include Item and Field Size. You assign match elements to match classes. Item is a required, predefined field and defaults to 32 characters.

Element values, after they are defined, let the application validate that the element added is a valid element in the application.

Element groups and element group relations are a means to setting up accounting structures or other relations for interfacing Purchase Order to Invoice Matching to Accounts Payable. They are also used for data analysis.

Element values and groups, and element group relations are all optional features.