Overview

You can output PDFs from Company records to show Statements, using the Export to PDF button. You will then be presented with a list of templates, allowing you to generate the relevant statement Type. The Email PDF button will generate the same PDF and automatically attach it to an email which is ready to send to the client.

Requirements

You will need to set up the default PDF Templates in the Settings area of the system. Admin users are able to go into the Settings area and tweak templates to alter the output, but we recommend that your initial course of action is to establish exactly which templates you will need and to configure these.

Configuration

To set up the PDF templates, go to Settings > Communication Templates > PDF Templates

From here you are able to view the different PDF templates you currently have set up, grouped by module.

It is almost always easier to start by duplicating an existing template, rather than creating one from scratch. Similarly if you intend to make alterations to an existing template, we recommend that you duplicate the template to make your modifications and when you are happy you can then delete the template you wish to overwrite. This way, should anything go wrong in the set-up, you retain a copy of the original template.

The template is built in three parts - the header, the module fields (in this case invoice) available for selection, and the footer. For information on how to work with standard templates please refer to this FAQ: https://opencrm.co.uk/help/?kb=1126278&article=Can-I-customise-PDFs-which-are-produced-in-OpenCRM

Header Configuration

In order to create a Statement PDF, you need to set Show Linked Detail to Invoices:

This then opens an additional section on the template editor, allowing you specify the Statement Options. The picklist allows you to choose a time period:

The other options allow you to further configure which invoices are included or excluded from the desired statement.

Column Configuration

You can then drag and drop the invoice columns that you want to include on the PDF statement. The Invoice Number column is mandatory, without this column this section will display blank.

Footer Configuration

The footer shows the totals. These are generated and displayed using Merge Variables, which are designed to look up and display information from OpenCRM.

Once you have finished, hitting Save will return you to the list of PDF Templates.

To use the Template

From a Company record, hover over the Email button and select Export to PDF or Email PDF.

You will get a pop-up asking you which template you wish to use:

If you have chosen Export to PDF this will create the PDF document which you can then print out. If you have chosen to Email PDF you will be taken to the Email screen, with the Company automatically copied into the recipient "To" field (please ensure your company record has an email address for this to work!) and the PDF will be attached.

Additional Statement/ Balance information showing on the Company Record:

The Credit Control block also displays company balance information in a number of fields.

For further explanation on how this works please refer to this FAQ: https://opencrm.co.uk/crm-knowledgebase/kb2647399/How-are-the-balance-fields-on-the-Company-records-in-OpenCRM-calculated.html