How to digitally check and approve incoming invoices?

The Process

1. Validation. Is the invoice formally valid? Faulty ones are immediately sent back.

2. Matching. Is there an order? Do quantity and price match? Was the goods delivered? If they match, approval can be done automatically.

3. Approval. In case of discrepancies or invoices without an order, they are sent to the responsible person – digitally, with deadlines and reminders.

4. Booking. With structured data, without manual entry.

Where the time savings occur

Not during booking, but during circulation. In many companies, an invoice can sit on a desk for days because someone is on vacation. A digital approval with a substitute rule eliminates exactly that.

This also determines the discount: An invoice that takes ten days to circulate loses the discount period.

What needs to be clarified beforehand

• Who is authorized to approve up to which amount?
• What happens in case of absence?
• How to handle invoices without an order?
• From which discrepancy is a check required?

These four questions are organizational, not technical – and they determine the success.

Realistic Expectations

A high percentage of invoices with order references can be automatically processed. Invoices without an order – services, travel expenses, small purchases – still require a person. Reducing these cases is often more effective than any automation.