Invoice Processing

Overview

Invoice Processing is a solution designed to reduce the challenges associated with manual invoice processing. It uses Infor Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to automate tasks, enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and eliminate the need for manual intervention.

Currently, multiple tasks involving invoice processing flow are performed manually for each incoming invoice:

  • Downloading an invoice from vendor email
  • Capturing invoice information
  • Manually creating a DII and uploading an invoice document
  • Matching an invoice to an open PO
  • Interfacing with DII to create a payables invoice

Infor Enterprise Automation uses RPA to streamline this process into a simplified flow.

Seamlessly integrating the involved systems in this process eliminates the need for manual intervention. Automating such highly repetitive time-consuming processes not only drastically increases efficiency, but also guarantees a flawless execution, eliminating costs of rework.

Folder structure

After a successful job run, this folder and file structure are created in the path set in the configurationFolder user parameter:

  • InProgress: PDF files that are attached to the emails are downloaded and stored in this folder during processing. After processing, they are moved to success, failure, reprocess or other invoices depending on flow.
  • Logs: Text files with time-stamped logs for user-reference and analysis.
  • Success: PDF files successfully processed by the RPA flow are moved from InProgress folder into this folder.
  • UnsupportedDocuments: Other than PDF files, all others are moved to this folder. This is a sub folder in the Success Folder.
  • ReProcess: Documents that failed due to technical issues such as GenAI, IDP, ION API are moved from InProgress to the Reprocess folder so that they are picked up in next run.
  • Other Invoices: Except for standard invoices, all other invoices such as credit note, debit note, statements, and so on, are moved from InProgress to this folder.
  • Failure: PDF files that failed processing by RPA flow are moved from InProgress folder into this folder.

Steps to use this feature

Use this information if you use email:

  • Create the same email folder from the user parameter section for email folder and mark it to process emails as Unread.
  • To start the process, click the Run button to trigger the flow. When the flow is triggered, all of the unread emails from the user-specified email folder are read.

Use this information if you use folders:

  • Create the same invoice folder from the user parameter section for invoiceFolderPath and mark it to process emails as Unread.
  • To start the process, click the Run button to trigger the flow. When the flow is triggered, all of the documents are read and moved to the invoice folder.
  • When the process is triggered, these tasks are performed in the background:
    1. Verifies whether the ConfigurationFolder exists. If it does not exist, the required directory and subdirectories are automatically created. If the Configuration folder exists, this step is skipped.
    2. If any documents were moved to the Reprocess folder in the previous run due to technical issues, RPA processes the documents in a Reprocess folder.
    3. Gets access to the email account of the user based on the emailAccount user parameter value, and searches for the specified emailFolder to download all the unread emails and to process it.
    4. Gets access the documents in the local Invoice folder that is specified in the invoiceFolderPath user parameter value.
      • You must provide the details of the email account that is configured in the current system.
      • RPA processes only PDF attachments.
      • RPA reads the emails based on the numberOfEmails user parameter value.
    5. After downloading the attachments, all PDF files are moved to the InProgress folder.
    6. RPA takes each PDF file, one at a time, and extracts this information:
      • Company name
      • Bill-to address*
      • Vendor name*
      • Remit-to address
      • Invoice number *
      • Purchase order number*
      • Invoice total amount*
      • Invoice sub-total amount
      • Total tax amount
      • Discount
      • Add-on charges
      • Invoice date*
      • Ship-to address
    7. GenAI identifies the document classification based on the extracted information. The classification is Standard Invoice, Credit Note, Debit Note, Statements, Proforma Invoice. The remaining documents, other than standard invoices remaining, are moved to Other invoices folder.

Standard invoices processing

  • When the document is identified as a standard invoice, it gets company and vendor details using AI models.
  • If a document contains a purchase order number, it is processed as a match invoice and is created in DII.
    • All the header details are populated in DII from the invoice document.
    • PO Number is saved in the Purchase Order file.
    • Lines are created based on an existing option in DII called Create details. The option must be sent to by RPA is: From Receipt Then From PO.
    • The add on charges are not created in DII for match invoice as the line details is populated from PO. If the add on charges are not available in the PO then you can insert the add on charge amount in payables invoice after the interfacing.
    • Taxes are populated in Tax Amount field in DII.
  • If a document does not contain a purchase order number, it is processed as an expense invoice and is created in DII.
    • All the header details are populated in DII from the invoice document.
    • Add on changes are populated under the Distributions tab of DII.
    • Taxes are populated in a Tax Amount field in DII.
The document is uploaded to IDM and is attached to DII. You can view the document in the Related information context widget and you can find the IDM link in the DII screen. When the DII is interfaced, the IDM attachment is interfaced into the payables invoice.

Exception handling in DII

When issues are found by GenAI or the later process, all these errors and warnings are updated in DII. You must correct any errors, only the record is interfaced to payables. The warnings alert you but does not stop the interfacing action.

S.No Message Category Description Error resolution
1 Company is required Error When the company address is missing in invoice or RPA is not able to identify the company code from the company address in FSM application, then DII is created with an empty company value. You must enter the company ID in DII and save it.
2 Vendor is required Error When the vendor address or name is missing in the invoice or RPA is not able to get a vendor code in FSM application, then DII will get created with empty vendor value. You must enter the vendor ID in DII and save it.
3 Invoice Date is required Error The invoice date is missing or not readable. You must enter the invoice date in DII and save it.
4 Invoice Amount is required Error The Invoice Total Amount value is missing or not readable. You must enter the invoice amount in DII and save it.
5 PO Number is not valid Error Extracted PO number is not available in FSM for the company and vendor combination. You must enter the correct PO number and save it.
6 Distribution Account Information is required Error When the add on charge amount is populated in DII for the expense invoice, you need to provide distribution account before interfacing. You must provide the distribution account against each add on charge in Distribution tab of DII and save it.
7 Invoice Number is required Error If the number is missing or not identified in document. You must enter the invoice number in DII and save it.
8 PO Receipts not found in FSM Warning PO Receipt line is not found in FSM application for the PO. This is an alert that PO receipts are not found in FSM.
9 PO Number is Alpha Numeric due to legacy data Warning If the document contains an alphanumeric PO number then it searches in the application for corresponding PO number. If not found, it populates the number in the Interfaced PO Number field and alerts the user.
Note: If the corresponding PO number can be identified, it is populated in Purchase Order field in DII.
 You must enter the PO number in Purchase order field, remove the interfaced PO number, and save it.
10 File format is unsupported so RPA cannot read it Warning Document formats other than pdf files are captured in DII as an attachment only without populating any details. You must enter all the mandatory fields and save it. If this document is not an invoice, then you can delete this record.
11 Invoice Number Duplicate in DII Error When a duplicate invoice exists with combination of company, vendor, and invoice number then DII record gets created with empty number. You can verify and delete this record if this invoice is already created. Enter the correct invoice number and save it.
12 Invoice Number is duplicate in AP or MII Warning When duplicate invoice exists with combination of company, vendor, and invoice number in AP/ MII then DII record is created. You can verify and delete this record if this invoice is already created. Enter the correct invoice number and save it.
13 Documents failed processing due to technical issues Notification Documents which failed due to technical issues such as GenAI, IDP, ION API are moved to Reprocess folder so that they can be picked up in next run. Such documents are be available in DII. If any documents failed processing due to technical issues they are moved to Reprocess folder. You can see this notification in Inbox. No action needed from a user, RPA processes the documents in next run.