In film and television production, money moves fast. Vendors, crew, locations, equipment hire—all of it needs to be tracked, approved, and reconciled without delay. But in the chaos of production schedules and tight deadlines, financial paperwork often becomes a stumbling block.
At TPH Global, we’ve spent over 27 years in production accounting, working with some of the biggest names in film and TV. We built Digital Paper Flow (DPF) not as outsiders, but as production accountants who lived through the daily frustrations of lost POs, mismatched invoices, and late approvals.
This cornerstone guide will walk you through exactly how DPF handles purchase orders, invoices, and expenses, while showing you how it reduces double-handling, cuts down mismatches, and keeps approvals flowing smoothly.
Why a Clear Purchase-to-Payment Workflow Matters
Every production juggles hundreds of moving parts. A misplaced PO or a mismatched invoice doesn’t just cause frustration—it creates costly delays, strained supplier relationships, and accounting headaches.
Traditionally, productions relied on paper trails or fragmented systems that didn’t talk to each other. The result? Approvers missed details, invoices didn’t tie back to POs, and finance teams had to manually fix errors late in the process.
DPF changes that by connecting every stage of spend management—so what starts as a purchase order flows logically into an invoice and eventually to payment, all with a transparent approval chain and audit trail.
Step 1: Drafting a Purchase Order in DPF
Creating a purchase order (PO) in DPF is simple but powerful.
- From the navigation bar, select Orders and hit +New.
- Fill in supplier details (with smart search assistance).
- Add order details: description, chart code, rebates flags, tax code, amount, and other tracking codes.
- Attach supporting files, such as quotes or images of the asset being purchased.
- Choose the Approval Group and verify totals.
- Save and send the PO for approval.
DPF’s approval system mirrors the paper-based process—sequential and rule-based—but makes it faster and error-free. Approvers are notified by email, and POs are only visible to those involved in the chain. Once approved, DPF automatically generates a PO number (this can be configured), emails a PDF copy to suppliers and accounts, and syncs with Eclipse for real time cost reporting.
“Processing AP and PC is much more time efficient when using Eclipse or DPF. The ability to match invoices to PO’s, enter (via an OCR email) & send for approvals in one step is amazing in comparison to using US based programs where you are duplicating long winded the paper process in a digital format (matching invoices to PO’s, sending through DocuSign for approvals, then entering in batches).”
- TPH user
TPH User Step 2: Drafting an Invoice from Selected PO Lines
One of DPF’s most powerful time-savers is the PO Transfer tool. Instead of retyping data, you can pull invoice lines directly from an approved PO.
- Upload a PDF invoice.
- Enter a description, approver group, and bank code.
- Select the PO lines you want to transfer.
- Adjust or add new lines if needed.
With a few clicks, the invoice is matched to the purchase order, ensuring accuracy and eliminating duplication.
“OCR Invoices is a game-changer. No more selecting supplier and entering invoice details and attaching a copy of the invoice for approval. Simply email the invoice and it is automatically added to DPF with all the invoice details and a copy of the invoice. It will also pull in the PO if the amounts match.”
Step 3: Modifying or Cancelling a Purchase Order
Let’s face it—production needs change. Maybe a location falls through, or a scissor lift needs to be extended. DPF makes it easy to edit or cancel POs at any stage:
- Pending stage: Move the PO back to drafts, amend, and resend.
- Approved stage: Modify the PO, which generates a new version (e.g., PO00987-1) while keeping the original intact for the audit trail.
- To Cancel : If the PO hasn’t been assigned a number, it can be moved to drafts and deleted. If it has, the best practice is to zero the lines and add the reason to the Order and have it approved. If the supplier sends an invoice with that PO# then it’s quick to identify the invoice is wrong.
Step 4: Managing Pending POs and Invoices
Transparency is key in production finance. That’s why DPF includes Pending Folders for both POs and invoices.
Here you can:
- See what’s awaiting approval.
- Move items back to drafts for editing.
- Track approvers and comments.
- Copy items to create new drafts quickly.
This visibility reduces bottlenecks and ensures that nothing slips through the cracks.
“Crew love the Pending view because nothing gets lost. Every PO and invoice shows who it’s waiting on, with comments logged for transparency.”
Step 5: Powerful Search Tools for POs and Invoices
When productions scale, so does the paperwork. Searching manually wastes precious time.
DPF’s PO Search Tool lets you filter by supplier, buyer, date, amount, PO number, or chart code.
The Invoice Search Tool works just as seamlessly, letting you filter by supplier, invoice number, operator, approver, or amount.
“Searching for a single PO used to mean digging through folders, emails or spreadsheets. Now, I can pull it up in seconds—even with hundreds of active orders on a production.” – Construction Buyer
Step 6: Automated Invoice Stamping for PO Matching
One of the most frustrating parts of managing accounts payable is invoice approval. DPF solves this with automated invoice stamping:
- PO Matches – when invoice lines match the PO exactly.
- PO Does Not Match – when details or amounts differ.
- No PO – when no purchase order is attached.
Once enabled, these stamps appear automatically as invoices move through approval. If a PO doesn’t match, the system allows the accountant to add a comment why eg Hire car fill up at Airport drop off.
This not only prevents errors but also protects productions from fraud and ensures compliance.
“Invoice stamping allows the transition of paper based stamping systems to the digital world .”
Why Productions Love DPF
Productions that adopt DPF consistently report the same benefits:
- “The Accounts Office work much more efficiently so no more long hours and stressed out teams.”
- “DPF cut our invoice processing time by 40%.”
- “We no longer lose track of approvals—it’s all visible in one place.”
- “Vendors trust us more because payments flow faster and with fewer errors.”
- And because DPF integrates seamlessly with Eclipse, cost reports stay accurate and up-to-date in real time.
From Paper to Digital Flow
The film and TV industry has always thrived on creativity—but behind the scenes, financial control determines whether a production stays on budget or spirals into chaos.
With Digital Paper Flow, productions finally have a system that:
- Keeps creative teams focused on the work.
- Gives finance and production teams the visibility they need.
- Builds trust with suppliers and stakeholders.
- Reduces stress for everyone involved.
It’s more than software—it’s peace of mind from purchase order to payment.
Final Thoughts
Every great production is built on discipline behind the camera. The smoother your financial processes, the more freedom your creative team has to deliver on screen.
That’s why DPF isn’t just an accounting tool. It’s a production enabler. By simplifying the complex world of POs, invoices, and expenses, it helps productions save time, cut costs, and eliminate errors.
At TPH Global, we’ve supported productions across Australia and the UK for decades. We know that behind every great show is a finance and production team keeping the numbers in line. With DPF, that job doesn’t have to be a headache—it can be seamless.
FAQs
Can I edit a PO after approval in DPF?
Yes. DPF allows modifications with full version control and re-approval, so the audit trail remains intact.
How does DPF integrate with Eclipse?
Once approved, POs automatically update cost reports in Eclipse, ensuring real-time budget accuracy.
What happens if an invoice doesn’t match a PO?
DPF flags it instantly with a “PO Does Not Match” stamp, ensuring finance teams can resolve it before payment.
Author Bio
Written by Kevin Plummer, production accounting specialists with over 37 years of experience on and supporting film and TV projects across Australia and the UK. Our team combines on-the-ground production accounting experience with innovative software solutions designed specifically for the screen industry.
