One of the most repetitive and error-prone tasks in any company is the manual entry of supplier invoices. An employee receives the PDF, opens it, types the data into the ERP, and repeats the process dozens of times a day. Hours of work that add zero value.
What does automated invoice processing involve?
The automated process replaces manual work with a workflow that runs like this:
- Receipt: the invoice arrives by email or is placed in a shared folder.
- Extraction: an OCR engine reads the PDF and identifies the key fields: supplier, date, invoice number, line items, amounts and VAT.
- Validation: the system cross-references the extracted data with registered suppliers in the ERP and flags potential errors or anomalies.
- Import: if everything checks out, the data is imported automatically into the ERP with no human intervention. If there are doubts, an alert is sent to the person responsible for manual review.
What technology do we use?
- Classic OCR for invoices with a standard, structured format.
- AI-powered OCR for invoices with variable formats or complex information.
- n8n or Make to orchestrate the complete end-to-end workflow.
- Native ERP connectors or APIs for direct import.
Real result at a distribution company
A distributor in Alicante was manually processing 40-50 supplier invoices per day — 45 minutes of work every morning with no added value. After implementing the automated system: 0 minutes of manual effort, errors reduced to a minimum, and ROI recovered within the first month.
When does automation make sense?
- You receive more than 10-15 supplier invoices per day.
- The manual entry process takes more than 30 minutes daily.
- Entry errors create accounting or supplier problems.
- Your team spends quality time on a task that adds no value.