An invoice workflow that reads, matches and queues bills

Every invoice opened, read and keyed by hand

The accounts team opened each one, read it, found the matching purchase order, keyed the lines into the ERP, and sent it for approval. It was slow and repetitive, and the month-end close waited on the backlog.

• Invoices arrived by email in many formats.
• Each was read and keyed into the ERP by hand.
• Matching and approval routing were manual.
• The close waited on the invoice backlog.

A workflow from mailbox to approval

It reads each invoice, extracts the lines, matches them to the purchase order and receipt, prepares the entry, and routes it to the right approver, who checks rather than types.

• Triggers on a new invoice in the mailbox.
• Reads and extracts the invoice data.
• Matches to the purchase order and receipt.
• Routes to the right approver with reminders.

Tidied the process, then automated it

We ran the workflow alongside the team to check its matching, then let it handle the routine while exceptions go to a person.

The workflow went live in four weeks.

The team checks, the workflow does the rest

Matching errors dropped, the backlog cleared, and the month-end close moved earlier because the entries are ready.

Invoices used to be opened, read and keyed by hand. Now the workflow reads each one, matches the order and queues it for approval. The team checks instead of types, and the close comes earlier. Finance Controller, Wholesale Distributor