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Invoice processing and accounts payable automation

Supplier invoices arrive by email, get read, coded, matched, approved and posted. We automate each step and leave your AP team with only the invoices that genuinely need a decision.

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At a glance

  • Capture from AP inbox, portals and scans
  • Header and line-item extraction
  • Duplicate and fraud-pattern checks
  • Two- and three-way matching
  • Approval routing by amount and cost centre

Where AP time actually goes

Typing an invoice into the accounting system is only part of the work. The rest is finding the purchase order, checking the receipt, chasing the approver, answering the supplier who wants to know when they will be paid, and catching the invoice that was sent twice.

Accounts payable automation that only handles data entry leaves most of that in place. We automate the full path, from the AP inbox to a posted bill, and handle the exceptions explicitly: price variances, missing POs, unknown vendors and duplicates each get their own rule and their own route.

An invoice, before and after

Manual process

  1. Invoice lands in the AP inbox and waits to be opened.
  2. A clerk keys vendor, dates, totals and lines into the accounting system.
  3. They look up the PO and receiving record in a different screen.
  4. They email the approver and wait, then follow up.
  5. Duplicates and price changes are caught, if at all, at payment run.

Automated process

  1. Invoice is captured within minutes and checked for duplicates.
  2. Fields and lines are extracted and the vendor is matched to your records.
  3. The PO and receipt are matched automatically, with tolerances you set.
  4. Matched invoices go to the right approver in email or Teams, with one-click approval.
  5. Variances go to AP with the reason shown; approved bills post automatically.

Illustrative. Straight-through rates depend on how many invoices have POs, how consistent your vendors are, and the quality of your vendor and item master data.

Controls built in

  • Duplicate detectionSame vendor, number, amount or date patterns flagged before approval.
  • Bank detail change alertsAny change to remittance details on an invoice is flagged for verification.
  • Approval limitsRouting by amount, entity, cost centre and vendor, matching your policy.
  • Segregation of dutiesThe person who sets up a vendor cannot approve its invoices.
  • Complete audit trailOriginal document, extracted data, edits and approvals all retained.
  • Tax handlingGST/HST, PST, QST and US sales tax captured and coded separately.

Accounting and ERP systems we post to

Accounting

  • QuickBooks Online
  • Xero
  • Sage Intacct
  • Sage 50
  • FreshBooks

ERP

  • NetSuite
  • Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • SAP Business One
  • Acumatica
  • Odoo

Approvals

  • Outlook
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Slack
  • Email
  • Your ERP's own approval flow

How an invoice automation project runs

  1. Assessment

    Invoice volumes, vendors, PO coverage and approval rules measured; extraction tested on real invoices.

    Weeks 1–2

  2. Vendor clean-up

    Duplicate and incomplete vendor records fixed in your accounting system.

    Weeks 2–3

  3. Build

    Capture, extraction, matching, approval routing and posting built and tested.

    Weeks 3–7

  4. Pilot

    Runs alongside AP; accuracy and exceptions tracked before full cutover.

    Weeks 7–10

An example invoice finding

Matching rules usually matter more than extraction accuracy.

Example finding (illustrative)
Invoices fail matching because suppliers bill freight on a separate lineRule change
What we found
Several suppliers add freight to invoices that is not on the PO, so the invoice total never matches and every one goes to review.
Fix
A rule that allows freight within an agreed amount or percentage, coded to the freight account, with anything above routed to the buyer.
Effect
Most of those invoices now match automatically; only unusual freight charges reach a person.

Common questions

Should we buy an AP automation product instead?

If you have one entity, a supported accounting system and fairly standard invoices, an off-the-shelf AP product is often the cheaper choice, and we will recommend one. Custom automation makes sense when you have complex matching rules, several entities, an ERP the products do not support well, or invoices tied to operational data such as shipments or jobs.

Can it handle invoices without purchase orders?

Yes. Non-PO invoices are coded using vendor defaults, past coding history and rules you approve, then routed to the budget owner.

Does it pay the invoices?

No. It prepares approved bills for your normal payment run. Releasing payments stays with your finance team.

How is this different from the invoice tools in our accounting software?

Built-in capture tools read the invoice; they rarely match it to purchase orders and receipts, apply your approval policy or handle exceptions. We build on top of them where they help.

How long does an invoice automation project take?

Typically eight to ten weeks from assessment to full cutover, including a pilot alongside your AP team.

Related

Find out what one process could save you

Book a paid automation assessment. We map the process with your team, measure the time it takes, and give you a fixed-price build plan with expected savings. If automation is not worth it, we will tell you.

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