Processing, this is where it all begins, and where users teach Lightyear the 'mapping rules' you want the system to follow forevermore. Watch this help video on the Processing Tab
The first time a PDF arrives in your Lightyear account, it will be presented in the Processing tab. It's here that you teach Lightyear the mapping rules you want followed for each document, automating the process the next time that document is sent from your supplier, in real time.
Screen Layout
The Processing tab shares the same 3-panel layout as the rest of the system, with panel 1 displaying summary information about the emails and attachments that have been received.
Panel 1 shows a list of the bills that are waiting to be approved.
Panel 2 shows the data extracted from the bill, the original email the bill arrived with, plus any notes that have been added to the bill. You can access these three levels of information via the three sub-tabs at the top of panel 2.
Panel 3 is a preview of the original bill.
An example of the Processing tab is shown below:
- From - Email Address of the sender. Files that arrive via the iOS/Android app, or are Uploaded via desktop will show the email of the Lightyear user.
- Received - the date and time the file was received.
- Type - the type of file attached
- Qty - the number of attachments
- Subject - the subject line of the original email. Lightyear will display a time stamped 'File Upload' here for files that arrive via the iOS/Android app, or are uploaded via desktop.
You may notice some icons on the rows in panel 1. These icons are outlined below:

This file needs to be typed using the 'Manual Entry' function.

No metadata detected, so Lightyear created it's own metadata by applying OCR technology

Receipt detected and is being processed (OCR is being applied to read the receipt)

Receipt detected and is being processed (OCR has been applied to present summary data)
What is a Map? A Mapping Rule, what?
Lightyear uses maps to extract data from a real PDF file. A map essentially tells Lightyear where certain fields of information is located in a file. So when we refer to mapping, we are simply talking about the process of either creating a map or applying a map to a file. A 'Mapping Rule' on the other hand, refers to the rules Lightyear follows once the process is complete (who can see the document, which supplier it belongs to, which data to extract, where it should be coded and so on).
Processing Real PDFs
Real PDF documents that arrive in the Processing tab can be handled 4 ways:
- Find Map - Choose to use a map to unlock the data in the file.
- Map For Me – Request a new map from our Mapping team.
- Manual Entry – Enter the data yourself
- Trash – Trash the file.
When you click on a PDF in panel 1, Lightyear will open the file and look for unique fields to isolate which supplier the PDF belongs to. If successful, Lightyear suggests working maps in Panel 2. If no map is suggested, this does not mean that none exist in our database. Click the 'Find Map' button and you'll be presented with this pop up:
Simply use your preferred search criteria to find a map for your supplier's PDF. Once you find one that extracts the data you need, you just use it. Different maps extract different data for different requirements, hence more than one map may exist for your document.
If there is no map that extracts what you need, you can request a new map via the blue Map for Me** button.
How To Find a Map to read your data:
- Select your file in Panel 1
- Click the green 'Find Map' button
- Enter the supplier name
- Click on the correct supplier displayed. If it is not there, click Map For Me**
- Lightyear will suggest available maps that extracts various criteria of data.
- If you wish to try a different map, select a map on the list then click Try Map.
- Again, if you are unhappy with, or no map exists for your file simply click Map for Me**
- Once you have chosen a map, select the relevant Lightyear supplier from the 'Supplier' dropdown list (if your supplier does not exist in your account yet, follow these steps on creating a new supplier card via this button in Panel 2

- With your existing or new supplier selected. Click the Use Map button to confirm the rule you want Lightyear to follow for this supplier document.
If the penny hasn't dropped yet, by doing the above Lightyear then remembers what to do/extract/assign/present for this document.... The next time
(and EVERY time) a supplier sends the same document type (bill, credit, statement...), the above is all applied automatically.
Accurate data extraction, presented to the chosen user(s), already coded... in 1, maybe 2 seconds.
Selecting a Supplier and Creating a new Lightyear Supplier Card:
You have found you're map, now connect you supplier.
Once your map shows the data that is extracted and you are happy with what data is showing, you need to apply and activate the supplier card (previously brought over from your accounting software) and connect it to your supplier information in Lightyear. To do this, you will see a few buttons to the bottom of your page:
Data looks Good? Choose your supplier- It is in this little section where, you can apply the default supplier details. clicking the drop down menu will open your currently active suppliers. When you find the one you need, click it to apply and then click the
"USE MAP" button. This will add the map, supplier defaults and even better, will remember these details the next time the invoice from this supplier comes in. It will auto apply and push straight through to your approvals workflow.
Supplier does not exist in Lightyear yet?
click the
icon to add Supplier, opening this screen:
Create Supplier Routine
Complete the following fields:
Lightyear Supplier - The name you want the supplier to be known as in Lightyear (useful when an entity resembles 'The Drinky McDrink Pty Ltd', but you know the Supplier as 'Drinks Co')
Accounting Supplier - The Supplier in your Accounting Software (this is where you link the two)
Supplier ABN - For users in Australia, Lightyear pre-populates this field and checks it with the Australian Business Registry (if its not showing you can type it).
Country - Will default to where you are, but can be overridden.
Currency - Set the default currency of this Supplier.
Registered for GST - Again, for Australian users we will tell check if the supplier is registered to charge you GST (user can override)
Accounts Email - Type the best email address to contact this supplier (optional)
Inventory Supplier - Select or create the Supplier as your external inventory software knows it (optional, for accounts with Inventory Exports activated)
Defaults:
GL Code - Assign the GL code that bests suits this supplier's goods and/or services.
Tax Code - Assign the Tax Code for this Supplier (e.g. GST 10%, GST on Expenses...)
Category (optional) - Assign a Category (or other tracking defaults from your accounting software)
Department - if using Departments, assign the supplier to a department/s to limit which users can see this Supplier
Number of Days Credit (optional) - If populated we will add this number of days to the extracted bill date to fill the due date (overrides any due dates extracted from a bill)
Finally, click 'Create Supplier'
Finally, if you trash a document from the Processing Tab, you can always retrieve it from the Archive for up to 30 days. Any trashed items in the Archive for more than 30 days will be deleted permanently.
Only Administrators (Admins) and Users accessing with Map status can view the Processing Tab tab and it is important they check the Processing tab regularly in order to manage files found here.
Splitting the Pages of Files Received
If you find a file containing multiple bills/credits/statements in one document, you can split that document in a variety of ways to create 2 or more bills by clicking More > Split all Pages.
