Do Invoices need to have Form Numbers?

Hello, I'm new to this site and new to ISO. I have learned a lot, but have a lot to learn! I've assigned form #'s to all applicable doc in the quality system, EXCEPT the invoice. How does one handle that. I have not been able to find any reference material concerning this issue. Maybe the invoice should not be part of the quality plan? The numbers and revision info is not very attractive to be mailing. I appreciate any help in this matter and also Thank you all for all I have learned from this site.

Hii Newbi,
Invoice is a commercial document and then a record and most likely the process owner is the finance department or commercial department. Being an accounting document, there are some requirements which have to be on the invoice sheet and the finance department who know it best would have decided and made the invoice format.
Now if your QMS also covers the functions and process of finance (or say accounts which means payables and receiveables) this department can involve and look at how the invoice is standardized and accordingly numbered / controlled and used.
If not just leave it alone ...

Isn't it unfortunate that nothing is cut and dried in the world of quality! Sometimes it would be easier if it was! We are not a large company, and we have no procedures for finance, just an AP/AR gal. I do have it in the list, but it seems to not fit in, without a number. By leave it alone, do you mean to leave it on the list or remove it from the system? Seems to me it's the final record that ties it altogether. Thank you!

P.S. Give me CARS & PARS anyday over these small indecisive issues!

.. Quality is not such an object that can be cut and dry. No two QMS will be same though they address (or map to ) the same standard. If your organization has the will and desire to bring in the finance activities into the QSM please do it. Else do not be unduly concerned. You will have a lot of tasks up both your hands with the standards requirements as such.
Good luck >>>

Yes! my hand are full enough! Thanks!

As pointed out by Soma, invoices belong to another system (accounting) and the primary control is running numbers. In practice, dates are inserted too and you can trace them through these two items.

By itself, it is 'controlled' by another system and there is no need to duplicate it by having form numbers.

Newbi said:

Hello, I'm new to this site and new to ISO. I have learned a lot, but have a lot to learn! I've assigned form #'s to all applicable doc in the quality system, EXCEPT the invoice. How does one handle that. I have not been able to find any reference material concerning this issue. Maybe the invoice should not be part of the quality plan? The numbers and revision info is not very attractive to be mailing. I appreciate any help in this matter and also Thank you all for all I have learned from this site.

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Hi Newbi, I would say no, the way I understand doc control, its all doc's that effect your process and management systems, so personnally I would not issue form no. to your invoice (if you want to you can but that is how they would say way above and beyond or overkill)

How about a simple answer?

NO!

Invoices are just another system document that will eventually become a record and they only need to be effectively controlled according to your procedures under 4.2.3 & 4.2.4.

Now if there is some external requirement for numbering then the answer would be yes and you would stillneed to apply 4.2.3 & 4.2.4 respectively

All of you on this site are just fantastic!! I wish I knew about you all a long time ago. My access to time and information is limited right now so to be able to discuss issues while I'm reading is such a great thing. Reading can be boring and it's not until I try to apply the information that I wake up and get excited about these issues, so I find I'm working backwards a lot! Learning the hard way, but learning....