Which reference types are used to tie a receipt trade operation to an expense invoice?

To understand why the reference type "Shipment number" is used to tie a receipt trade operation to an expense invoice, it's important to recognize the role of shipping in transaction processing within Oracle Cloud Cost Management.

When goods are received, they are typically associated with specific shipments that have been sent out to customers or brought into a warehouse. The shipment number serves as a unique identifier that links the receipt of goods to the associated invoice that reflects the cost of those goods. This linkage is crucial for ensuring accurate accounting and financial reporting, as it helps to match received inventory against the invoices that are generated for those transactions.

Using the shipment number allows organizations to track goods throughout their supply chain, from receipt to invoicing. This ensures that all items received are adequately accounted for and that the expenses linked to these goods are correctly captured in the company's financial systems.

In contrast, customer order numbers, invoice numbers, and sales order references, while relevant in the broader scope of transaction processing, do not serve the same specific function of directly connecting the receipt of goods to the expense invoice in the same way that a shipment number does. Each of those identifiers plays its role in different areas of the order-to-cash or procure-to-pay processes but does not provide the necessary linkage for expenses