Document numbering

Invoice numbers that tell you when, where and which.

Every invoice, order, payment and voucher gets a unique number in sequence, dated by the document’s own month. Number per branch with a branch code, carry the financial year, set the digits, and continue from the number your old system stopped at.

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Dated numbers out of the box: INV-2610-0001
One series, or a series per branch
Monthly, yearly, financial-year or running
Continue from your previous system’s last number

What is Document numbering in Flowyana?

Flowyana document numbering sets the invoice numbering format for your business and gives every invoice, order, payment and voucher a unique number in sequence. Out of the box, transaction documents carry the year and month, such as INV-2610-0001; you can number per branch, carry the financial year, and build your own pattern. It is for businesses in India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and beyond whose accountants and tax rules expect clean, sequential series.

Numbering is one of those things nobody thinks about until it goes wrong: two branches both issue INV-0412, a gap appears in the series, or the new system starts again at 1 when the old one was at 4,000. Flowyana issues every number once, in order, takes the date part from the document itself, and lets you continue from where you were.

When a business opens a second branch, numbering per branch switches on by itself, so each branch’s invoices carry its code and its own count. The owner can switch it back to one shared series at any time.

What it does

Document numbering, in practice.

Numbered from day one

Invoices, orders, delivery notes, receipts, bills, payments, returns, notes, expenses and vouchers get dated numbers such as INV-2610-0001.

Dated by the document

The year and month in the number come from the document’s own date, so an invoice dated last month carries last month’s number.

Per branch or shared

Switch documents to number per branch and each branch runs its own series with its code, such as INV-DXB-2610-0001.

Switched on for you

When a second branch is added, branch-wise numbering is turned on automatically, and you can switch back to one series.

Patterns to choose from

Monthly, financial year, branch and month, branch and financial year, or a plain running number.

Build your own

Combine a prefix, the branch code, the year, the month, the financial year and the running number, with -, /, _ or . between them.

Digits and starting point

Pad the running number to the digits you want, and continue from the last number your previous system issued.

Restarts that make sense

A pattern with the month starts again at 1 each month; with the financial year, each year; with neither, it never restarts.

Till bill numbers

Point-of-sale bills carry the counter code and their own series, so each till numbers its bills even when offline.

Records keep it simple

Customers, products and other records keep one running number for the whole business.

Numbering on every plan

Dated document numbers and branch-wise numbering come with every plan. Writing your own number patterns is part of customization, included on each product’s top plan and on Growth for Retail and Restaurant.

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How it works

Document numbering, step by step.

1
Start with the default
Documents are numbered from the first day with a dated pattern; nothing to set up.
2
Give branches a code
Set a short code on each branch, such as DXB or MUM, so per-branch numbers read clearly.
3
Choose per branch or shared
On the Branches page, choose whether documents number per branch or as one series.
4
Pick a pattern
In a module’s Numbering tab, choose a preset or build your own, and set the digits.
5
Continue from your old system
Enter the number to continue from, and check the live example before saving.

In depth

A closer look.

Invoice numbering format, ready from day one

Every transaction document is dated by its own business date: quotations, sales orders, delivery notes, invoices, payments, returns and credit notes on the sales side; purchase orders, goods receipts, bills, supplier payments, returns and debit notes on the purchase side; plus expenses, advances, stock transfers and adjustments, production orders and vouchers. The default pattern is the prefix, the year and month, and a four-digit running number that restarts each month.

Dated pattern by default
Date part from the document’s date
Restarts each month
Records keep a running number

Branch-wise numbering

A business can number its documents per branch, with each branch’s code in the number and its own count from 1, or as one series for the whole company. The owner switches between them on the Branches page, and it switches on by itself when a second branch is added. Numbers already issued stay as they are, and switching back continues the shared series from its last number. Customers, products and other records always share one series.

Branch code in the number
Each branch counts from 1
Automatic with the second branch
Switch back at any time

Your own numbering patterns

Each module’s Numbering tab offers presets, monthly, financial year, branch and month, branch and financial year, and running number, or lets you build a pattern from the prefix, branch code, four- or two-digit year, month, financial year and running number, with the digits of the running number from 1 to 10. A live example shows the next number and when it restarts. Set where the count continues from when moving from another system.

Five presets
Prefix, branch, year, month, financial year
Running number digits
Continue from a number

POS bill numbers

Bills from the tills follow their own pattern: the counter code first, then a monthly, financial-year or no date part, then the running number. Because the counter code names the till, each till keeps its own series, which also lets it keep numbering while offline. Tills pick up a changed pattern at their next settings refresh, and bills already printed keep their numbers.

Counter code at the front
Monthly, financial year or running
Each till its own series
Printed bills keep their numbers

Who it’s for

Businesses that run on Document numbering.

Retail chains

Each shop’s invoices and till bills in their own series, so a number tells you which shop issued it.

Businesses in India

Tax invoices numbered per place of business with the financial year, such as INV/MUM/26-27/0001.

Businesses in the Gulf

Sequential VAT invoice numbers with the year and month, per branch or company-wide.

Companies switching systems

Continue the invoice series from the last number your old software issued.

Accountants

Sequential, dated series on vouchers and documents that are easy to audit.

Questions

Asked about document numbering.

What is a good invoice numbering format?

A good invoice number is unique, in sequence, and easy to read, often with a prefix, a date part and a running number, such as INV-2610-0001. Many businesses add a branch code or the financial year so the number shows where and when it was issued.

How are documents numbered in Flowyana by default?

Transaction documents get a dated number: the module prefix, the two-digit year and month, and a four-digit running number that restarts each month, for example INV-2610-0001. Records such as customers and products get a plain running number.

Can each branch have its own invoice series?

Yes. Switch documents to number per branch on the Branches page, and each branch’s invoices, orders, payments and other documents carry its code and count from 1, for example INV-DXB-2610-0001. Numbers already issued stay as they are.

Can the invoice number include the financial year?

Yes. Use the financial year in the pattern, for example INV/26-27/0001, and the running number starts again at 1 each financial year. For a January year it reads as the single year.

Can I continue numbering from my old software?

Yes. In the module’s Numbering tab, set the number to continue from, and the next document picks up after the last one your previous system issued.

Will numbers be duplicated if two people save at once?

No. Every number is issued once and in sequence, however many people are creating documents at the same time.

If I change the pattern, do old numbers change?

No. A new pattern applies to documents created from then on. Numbers already issued are never rewritten.

How are POS bills numbered?

Each bill starts with the counter code of the till, then the date part of the pattern you choose, then a running number, for example C1-2610-000231. Tills pick up a new pattern at their next settings refresh.

Do backdated invoices get the right month in their number?

Yes. The date part comes from the document’s own date, such as the invoice date, not the day it was typed in.

Does branch-wise numbering suit GST in India?

Yes. A series per branch with the financial year, such as INV/MUM/26-27/0001 or INV/DEL/26-27/0001, keeps each place of business numbering its tax invoices in its own sequence.

What is the best invoicing software for custom invoice numbers in the UAE or India?

Flowyana suits businesses that want sequential, dated invoice numbers by branch without spreadsheets, with patterns that carry the month or the financial year.

One platform

Plays well with the rest.

Documents shares its records with every other module you switch on — no connectors, no re-typing.

Documents Accounting Automation Sales & Invoicing Purchasing Accounting Point of Sale All features →

Put Document numbering to work.

Tell us what your business runs. We’ll show you this module live — on its own or alongside the rest — and recommend the plan that fits.

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