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Three-Way Match (3WM)

What is 3WM?

3WM is a control that ensures payments to suppliers are released only if the following 3 requirements are matched:

1) An open purchase order for goods/services exists (“PO”);
2) The goods/services have been received (“Receipt”);
3) The supplier has submitted a valid invoice (“Invoice”).

Why 3WM?

  • Reduces the risk of fraud. 
  • Confirms that funds are only charged for legitimate PO’s where goods/services have been received/rendered. 
  • Ensures the University’s compliance with industry best practices and recommendations by Internal Audit. 
  • Implements rigorous procure-to-pay-cycle controls.  
  • Safeguards 鶹’s assets. 

3WM Implementation

  • Effective October 21st 2024receipts will be mandatory for all newly created POs equal to or greater than $2,500 CDN (taxes included).
  • Emails will be sent once daily to PO Owners reminding them to record the Receipt of goods/services in . 
  • Please take note 3WM does not apply to PCard transactions, payment requests, internal stores purchases.
  • It is the responsibility of the PO Requestor/Owner to create a receipt in MMP.

Receiving

The receipt must either be a quantity receipt or a cost receipt. The correct receipt type will be dependent/contingent on the account code used at the time the PO was created.

  • If the account code is for a good: Receipt must be on Quantity
  • If the account code is for a service: Receipt must be on Cost
  • For long term POs, please select the unit of measure as ‘YR’ in order to trigger cost receipt.

Refer to the Non-Salary Expenditure account codes on our website to view which account codes are labelled as goods or services.

Until 3WM is met, invoices will be put on hold and the expense will not post to the fund, the PO encumbrance will not be liquidated, and payment to the supplier will not be released.  

  • It is important to note that delayed Receipt, and therefore delayed payment, may jeopardize the University’s reputation and affect business continuity as suppliers may refuse future POs.   

Invoices that do not meet the 3WM requirements:

  • Invoices that do not meet the 3WMrequirements will be blocked in Banner and payment will not be issued to the Supplier.
  • Possible reasons why the payment cannot be issued:
  1. Discrepancy in quantity and/or unit price between the PO and invoice. Contact the Supplier for any invoice discrepancies or create a Change Order by logging into .
  2. A Goods Receipt may be required: create a Receipt by logging into .
  • An immediate action from the PO requestor is required to ensure the Supplier is paid according to the vendor terms.

Examples of blocked invoices:

  • If the Invoice quantity > than PO quantity: ​

3WM will run, block the invoice, and send an email to the PO Requestor/Owner to process a change order or contact the vendor.

  • If the Invoice unit price > thanPO unit price:

3WM will run, block the invoice, and send an email to the PO Requestor/Owner to process a change order or contact the vendor.

  • If the Invoice cost > than PO cost:

3WM will run, block the invoice, and send an email to the PO Requestor/Owner to process a change order or contact the vendor.

* For all of the above, if a change orderhas been completed and the invoice remains blocked, an additional receipt may be required in MMP.

Need Help?

Need Help on receipts or change orders? Please submit a ticket to
Need Help for invoice and payment inquiries? Please submit a ticket to the

Additional Resources:

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions Answers
I created a receipt in MMP. Now what?

If the invoice has already been processed by Accounts Payable, 3WMwill run and if the PO, the invoice and receipt match, payment will be released to the supplier. If there is a discrepancy, an email with instructions will be sent to the PO Requestor.

If the invoice has not been processed yet, it will be processed by Accounts Payable once received via email. If the PO, invoice and receipt match, payment will be released to the supplier.If there is a discrepancy, an email with instructions will be sent to the PO Requestor.

I never created a receipt in MMP for Pxxxxxx, but the invoice got paid. Why? Once an invoice is processed in Banner, an email notification is sent out daily to the PO requestor to do a receipt in MMP. If no receipt is created within 30 days from the datethe invoice was processed, a proxy receipt will be generated, and a payment to the supplier will be issued.
Why has the invoice not been paid? Please ensure a receipt has been completed by the PO Requestor in MMP.
I created a PO in the amount of $1,000 and received the goods, but have not created the receipt in MMP yet. Why was the invoice paid prior to me completing a receipt? Receipts are mandatory for all POs equal to or greater than $2,500 CDN (taxes included). As the PO is less than $2,500, a receipt is not mandatory for payment to be released to the supplier.
Can I view the receipt in the Minerva > View documents menu? Yes, if a receipt was completed, the receipt number will display in the related documents section in Minerva > View Document menu.
Why do I not see the invoice in MMP for my PO? Only receipts and POs are visible in MMP. The invoice is created in Banner and it can be viewed either in Minerva > View Document menu or in the FOIDOCH Banner form.
I completed a PO in September 2024, and I have not created a receipt in MMP yet. Why was the invoice paid prior to me completing the receiving?

All POs created priorto October 21st are not subject to 3WM, and therefore a receipt is not mandatory in order to release payment to the supplier.

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