If your organization operates across multiple regions or has several entities working under one group structure, intercompany billing likely plays a major role in your financial workflows. But as every finance or operations leader knows, manually handling intercompany payables can quickly become an obstacle, especially when invoices must align with job milestones, accruals, and compliance rules.
This is where CargoWise’s “Import AP Invoices issued by Other Group Companies (ISI)” workflow trigger action becomes a powerful automation tool. Instead of waiting for accounts teams to manually import intercompany invoices, the system can automatically bring those AP invoices into the receiving company’s books the moment the correct milestone is reached.
When used correctly, this trigger delivers more timely postings, fewer mismatched costs, and stronger financial transparency across group companies. Let’s break down how it works, why it matters, and how logistics businesses can use it to strengthen their internal financial operations.
What does the ISI Workflow Trigger Actually Do?
The ISI trigger reads invoices issued by one group company (AR invoices) and imports them into another group company as AP invoices automatically, without any user needing to manually enter the details.
It can be set at either of the following:
Shipment level — imports AP invoices only for the specific job
Consol level — imports AP invoices for all attached shipments
As soon as the configured workflow milestone occurs, CargoWise checks for intercompany AR invoices and imports them into payables automatically.
This trigger functions independently of the Auto Import Sister Company AR Invoices as an AP Invoices registry item. You should enable only one method to avoid duplication.
Why Automate Intercompany Payables in the First Place?
Intercompany billing is a constant activity in global logistics. Forwarding offices often rely on sister entities for handling, trucking, warehousing, customs, or destination delivery. Every service generates an invoice that must be passed across countries, currencies, and compliance frameworks.
Manual handling creates several pain points:
- Delays in AP postings
- Missed cutoffs between job milestones
- Accrual mismatches
- Higher risk of cost variances
- Duplicate data entry
- Email-dependent workflows
Automation solves these challenges by synchronizing operational milestones with financial postings. This ensures that intercompany AP invoices enter the system exactly when they should, not days or weeks later.
How the Workflow Trigger Works in Real Operations?
To understand how the trigger behaves, imagine this example:
- One group entity issues an AR invoice for a shipment (e.g., value: $650).
- The receiving company has accrued $600 for this expected cost.
When the shipment reaches the configured milestone, for example, Actual Arrival, the trigger imports the AR invoice as an AP invoice.
Once the arrival date is entered and saved, the system automatically starts the import.
During this import, CargoWise references two key registry settings to validate the invoice:
1. Cost Variance Style & Approval Thresholds
This setting controls:
- Whether variances between accruals and invoices can be posted
- What dollar threshold is considered acceptable
- Which invoices need manual approval
If the imported AP invoice exceeds the accruals beyond the defined tolerance, the system flags it for approval.
2. Intercompany Posting Configuration
This registry identifies all group companies and assigns variance approval levels. CargoWise checks whether:
- The invoice falls within the accepted variance threshold
- The sending entity has special approval conditions
- A higher-level approval is required
If variances exceed the threshold, the invoice moves into the Intercompany Transaction Approval module for review.
If everything is within tolerance, the AP invoice posts automatically and becomes visible in the Payables Transactions Search.
What Happens if the Import Fails?
Automation doesn’t eliminate errors, it just makes them easier to catch.
If the import fails for any reason, CargoWise sends a system-generated email to the Intercompany Transactions Import Notify Group, detailing:
- Invoice values
- Job references
- Reason for failure
- Required corrective action
Common failure cases include:
- Date restrictions
- Missing or unmapped charge codes
- Accrual vs invoice mismatch
- Missing job headers on the receiving company
- Incorrect organizational mapping
When this happens, authorized users can manually approve and post the invoice once issues are fixed.
Why This Process Matters to Finance and Operations Leaders?
Intercompany AP automation is very important, and it directly impacts:
1. Financial Accuracy
Connecting operational milestones with AP postings ensures costs appear exactly when jobs require them. This strengthens month-end accuracy and improves cost-of-service analysis.
2. Faster Job Closure
When AP invoices are posted automatically, jobs move faster through settlement and invoicing.
3. Reduced Manual Intervention
Teams avoid repetitive data entry and reduce dependency on email exchanges.
4. Stronger Internal Governance
Cost variances, approval levels, and thresholds ensure that imported invoices always comply with company rules.
5. Improved Group-Level Visibility
Finance leaders gain clearer insight into cost flows between sister companies, improving P&L accuracy across regions.
When Should You Use This Workflow?
This trigger is most effective for companies that:
- Operate across multiple regions with frequent internal billing
- Follow strict accrual-based costing
- Need AP postings to match operational events
- Want tighter control over intercompany variances
- Prefer automated workflows over manual import tools
- Using milestone-driven workflows in Forwarding
If your teams currently import intercompany invoices manually or rely heavily on email and shared folders, this automation can eliminate a significant amount of admin time.
Tips to Ensure Smooth Implementation
To get the best results, ensure the following:
Workflow & Milestones
Define clear milestones that correlate to when costs should appear on jobs (arrival, departure, handover, etc.).
Accrual Practices
Make sure accruals are created accurately, as the import process compares invoices against them.
Charge Code Mapping
Avoid mapping issues by ensuring all charge codes match across entities.
Intercompany Setup
Verify that all group companies are correctly defined in the Intercompany Posting Configuration registry.
Event Log Walker Services
Ensure LWK and LWM services are running, without these, the trigger won’t execute.
Conclusion
The ISI workflow trigger offers logistics companies a structured, reliable, and efficient way to automate intercompany AP invoice imports. Instead of relying on manual uploads or scattered approvals, teams can connect operational milestones directly to financial postings.
As a result more accurate job costing, better controls, faster processing, and a smoother intercompany financial ecosystem.
If your business wants to simplify CargoWise workflows and reduce financial friction across your global structure, schedule a demo with a CargoWise consultant. Elicit can help you configure, customize, and scale this automation effectively.
