Matching Items

After scanning an invoice, link each line item to your ingredients. This enables accurate costing and inventory tracking.

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Why Matching Matters

When invoice items are matched to ingredients:

Benefit	Description
Costs update	Ingredient prices reflect what you actually paid
Inventory tracks	Received quantities add to stock
History builds	See price trends over time
Future scans faster	Matched items auto-link next time

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The Matching Screen

After OCR processing, you'll see a resolution screen with each line item:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Invoice Item                          │ Match                   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ALL PURPOSE FLOUR 50LB                │ ✓ All Purpose Flour     │
│ SKU: 1234567  Qty: 2  Price: $25.99   │   Confidence: 95%       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ OLIVE OIL EXTRA VIRGIN 1GAL           │ ? Suggestions available │
│ SKU: 2345678  Qty: 1  Price: $45.00   │   Select match...       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ SPECIALTY ITEM XYZ                    │ ✕ No match found        │
│ SKU: 3456789  Qty: 3  Price: $12.99   │   Create new or skip    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Match Statuses

Status	Icon	Meaning
Matched	✓	Automatically linked to an ingredient
Suggestions	?	Similar items found, choose one
No Match	✕	Nothing found, needs manual action

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How Auto-Matching Works

The system matches items using (in order of priority):

1. Vendor SKU — Exact match on the vendor's item code
2. Previous matches — Items you've linked before from this vendor
3. Name similarity — Fuzzy matching on product names
4. Ingredient names — Direct matches to your ingredient database

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Resolving Each Item

Option 1: Accept the Match

If the auto-match is correct:

1. Review the suggested ingredient
2. Click Confirm or move to the next item

Confirmed matches are remembered for future invoices.

Option 2: Select a Different Match

If the suggestion is wrong:

1. Click the dropdown
2. Search for the correct ingredient
3. Select it

Option 3: Create New Vendor Item

If the product exists in your database but isn't linked to this vendor:

1. Select Create vendor item
2. Choose the ingredient to link
3. The vendor SKU is saved for future matching

Option 4: Create New Ingredient

If this is a completely new product:

1. Select Create new
2. Enter ingredient details (name, category, unit type)
3. The ingredient is created and linked

Option 5: Skip Item

If you don't want to track this item:

1. Select Skip
2. The item won't be imported

Use skip for non-food items (cleaning supplies, equipment) that don't need cost tracking.

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Editing Item Details

You can edit any field before finalizing:

Field	What to Check
Quantity	Number received
Unit	Unit of measure (case, lb, each)
Price	Unit price (not extended)
Case Qty	If buying by case, units per case

Understanding Quantities

Invoices often show complex quantities:

Invoice Shows	Meaning	How to Enter
"2 CS"	2 cases	Qty: 2, Unit: case
"50 LB"	50 pounds	Qty: 50, Unit: lb
"3 EA 18.45 LB"	3 items weighing 18.45 lb total	Qty: 18.45, Unit: lb
"2 CS/12"	2 cases of 12 each	Qty: 2, Unit: case, Case Qty: 12

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Building Your Match Library

Every confirmed match is saved:

Data Saved	Purpose
Vendor SKU → Ingredient	Auto-matches on future invoices
Product name → Ingredient	Improves suggestion accuracy
Vendor → Ingredient links	Shows all products from each vendor

The more invoices you process, the faster matching becomes.

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Bulk Actions

For invoices with many items:

Action	Description
Accept All Matches	Confirm all high-confidence matches at once
Skip Unmatched	Skip all items without matches

Use bulk actions carefully—review matches before accepting all.

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Common Questions

Q: What if I match to the wrong ingredient?
A: Edit the invoice item or delete and re-import. Future invoices won't use incorrect matches.

Q: Can I match multiple invoice items to one ingredient?
A: Yes. Different vendors often have different names for the same product.

Q: Why do some matches show low confidence?
A: The name was similar but not exact. Review these carefully.

Q: What happens to unmatched items?
A: You must resolve or skip each item before creating the invoice.

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Next Steps

• Receiving Invoices — Add matched items to inventory
• OCR Scanning — Scan more invoices
• Vendor Costs — Manage ingredient pricing