Incoming invoices: processing and pre-entering e-invoices
Being able to receive is the obligation. Being able to use is the point — and that is exactly where most companies stop: the e-invoice arrives, gets printed and is retyped as before.
Running an e-invoice through OCR means guessing when you could be reading
With a genuine e-invoice, recognition is no longer an issue. Invoice number, date, purchase order reference, supplier, net, tax, gross, payment terms and line items are exact values in the XML — as a standalone file in an XRechnung, embedded in the PDF in ZUGFeRD. Running text recognition over the image instead replaces reliable values with estimates and builds a review loop that would not be needed.
The reality of the mailbox stays mixed nonetheless: paper, image PDF, text PDF, XRechnung as plain XML, ZUGFeRD inside a PDF. A dependable inbound process has to handle all of them and pick the best route per document — if a PDF carries invoice XML, that XML takes precedence. For paper and image files, text recognition and, where wanted, model-based extraction come into play; for structured documents the data is simply read.
The second part is validation, and it belongs against your SAP system, not against a copy: purchase order and supplier are queried live, plus a totals check, a duplicate check, field lengths and a comparison against the supplier master record. Only then does the clerk see a preview, correct where necessary and pre-enter. SAP creates a parked supplier invoice — with a purchase order reference against the order items, or without one using G/L account assignment.
Nothing is posted. Substantive checking, release and posting then continue in your familiar SAP workflow; the invoice hangs in the attachment list on the document. That boundary is drawn deliberately and secured technically — we do not rebuild an approval workflow that already exists in SAP. For the product view, see scannen-und-archivieren.de.
At a glance
- Read XRechnung and ZUGFeRD as XML instead of guessing
- Paper, image PDF and text PDF in the same inbox
- Purchase order and supplier checked live against SAP
- Pre-entry as a parked supplier invoice
- With and without a purchase order reference
- Release and posting stay in the SAP standard
Why this matters
What meeting the obligation alone does not deliver.
- A mailbox satisfies the receiving obligation — and saves not a single minute
- Retyped values create queries, dunning letters and lost early-payment discounts
- Effort grows with document volume, headcount does not
- Retention applies to the original format, not to the printout
- Leaving the structured data unused means paying for the switch without collecting on it
Take in
The inbox as it actually looks.
- Drag and drop, in batches or from a watched directory
- XRechnung, ZUGFeRD and Factur-X in the CII and UBL formats
- Pure XML invoices without a PDF as well
- Split and reorder multi-page batches
- Barcodes are read along the way
Recognise
The best available route per document — not always the same one.
- If the PDF carries invoice XML, the XML wins
- For paper and image files: text recognition and fixed patterns
- Optional model-based extraction where the structure is ambiguous
- Every field shows where its value came from
- The proposal stays reviewable — confirmation is manual
Validate
Against the leading system, not against a copy.
- Purchase order and order items live against SAP
- Supplier master record comparison
- Totals check across net, tax and gross
- Duplicate check against documents already captured
- Field lengths and mandatory details before sending
Pre-enter — and stop there
The boundary the tool deliberately does not cross.
- SAP creates a parked supplier invoice
- With a purchase order reference against the order items, without one on a G/L account
- Nothing is posted — the block is secured twice over
- Release and posting stay in your SAP workflow
- No rebuild of an approval procedure SAP already provides
Filing and retention
The part that gets audited later.
- The invoice hangs in the attachment list on the document or the purchase order
- The original must be retained: the XML for XRechnung, the PDF/A-3 with its embedded data for ZUGFeRD
- A printout or image of it does not replace the original
- Filing optionally through your existing archive
- More on Audit-proof archiving
Frequently asked questions
Does the solution post invoices in SAP?
No. It only ever pre-enters: SAP creates a parked document which is then checked, released and posted in your SAP workflow. That boundary is secured technically and is deliberately not designed as a setting somebody could flip by accident.
Do we still need text recognition for ZUGFeRD invoices?
No, and it should not be used there. The values sit exactly in the embedded XML — recognising them would be a step backwards from reading them. Text recognition remains relevant for what genuinely arrives as an image: scanned paper and image PDFs.
Does it work with and without a purchase order reference?
Both. With a reference the line items are matched against the purchase order; without one, G/L account assignment is used. Either way the same document type is created through the same released SAP standard service; the appropriate route is proposed and can be switched.
Does anything have to be developed in SAP?
No. Released SAP standard services are used — no modification and no custom program in the core system. What has to be set up is the communication scenario or service activation plus the authorisations. Which identity acts in SAP is something we clarify beforehand; experience says that is the question that echoes longest in operation.
Do you use AI for this?
Only where it contributes something, and always as a proposal. For structured e-invoices it is superfluous — the values are already unambiguous. For paper and image files, model-based extraction can improve recognition. It can be switched on, can run in your own data centre or in a European environment, and the captured document still requires confirmation.
Where do we start?
With a survey of your inbox: how many documents arrive as genuine e-invoices, how many as PDFs, how many on paper? That shows which part of the process delivers value immediately and which can wait. Often the documents with a purchase order reference are the best entry point, because validation is most automatable there.
Does this match your project?
Talk directly to our consultants — no detours.