The Manual Process
Invoice arrives by email. Someone downloads it. Opens it. Reads the details. Types them into a spreadsheet or accounting system. Matches it to a purchase order. Checks for errors. Routes it for approval. Files it. The whole thing takes 10-15 minutes per invoice. For a business processing 50 invoices a month, that's 8-12 hours of mind-numbing work.
The Automated Process
Invoice arrives by email. AI reads the PDF, extracts the key data (vendor, amount, due date, line items, VAT), matches it to the relevant purchase order, flags any discrepancies, and routes it for approval. The approver gets a notification, reviews in 30 seconds, and clicks approve. The invoice is logged automatically.
Total human time: 30 seconds per invoice.
How to Build It
Email integration: Set up a dedicated invoices@ email address or connect to your existing inbox with filters.
Document parsing: Use Claude's vision capabilities or a tool like Docsumo to read the PDF and extract structured data.
Matching logic: Connect to your purchase order system or spreadsheet. The AI checks that the vendor, amount, and items match.
Approval workflow: Send a notification (email, Slack, or app) to the right approver with a summary and one-click approve/reject.
Accounting integration: Once approved, the data flows into your accounting system (Xero, QuickBooks, Sage) automatically.
The ROI
At 50 invoices/month and 12 minutes each, you're spending 10 hours a month on invoice processing. At £20/hour, that's £200/month or £2,400/year. An automated system pays for itself quickly and eliminates errors.
Get This Built
OrcaScale builds custom invoice processing systems for SMEs. Connected to your accounting software, running on AI, saving you hours every week.