Accounts Payable Automation
Fully automated invoice processing: AI captures, validates, matches, and routes approvals — audit-proof, with zero duplicate payments.
What this blueprint solves
In many organizations, incoming invoices are still manually opened, reviewed, coded, and routed for approval. This consumes time, generates errors, and lets early-payment discount windows expire routinely. This blueprint automates the entire accounts payable process: from automatic receipt capture via OCR, through rule-based purchase order matching, to a controlled approval workflow and an audit-proof DATEV or SAP export.
The most expensive problems
Manual invoice intake
Incoming invoices via email, post, or supplier portal are manually reviewed, retyped, and entered into systems — error-prone and time-consuming.
Missed early-payment discounts
Because approvals take too long, discount windows expire regularly — cash savings the business simply loses.
Duplicate payments and errors
Without automated duplicate detection, double payments and mis-bookings occur repeatedly, requiring costly corrections.
No visibility into approval status
Invoices disappear into email inboxes or get stuck in unclear approval chains — no one knows the current status.
The Engine — how the workflow runs
Connected modules working together as one precise machine.
Automatic invoice capture
OCR / Document AIIncoming invoices from email, scan, or portal are automatically detected, read, and extracted into structured fields — regardless of format.
PO matching & validation
DeepSeek LLM + Rules EngineThe AI matches each invoice against open purchase orders and framework contracts, checks amounts and tax codes, and flags discrepancies for resolution.
Approval workflow
Make.comInvoices automatically move through the configured approval path: cost center, amount threshold, and urgency determine the workflow without manual steering.
Duplicate check & payment run
SAP / DATEVBefore each payment run, the system checks for duplicates and schedules payments on time — early-payment discount deadlines are automatically prioritized.
Export & audit trail
DATEV / SAPEvery processed invoice is archived in a compliant format and exported to DATEV or SAP with a complete audit trail.
Technology stack
The outcome
- Invoice cycle time reduced from days to minutes
- Early-payment discount capture increased by 40% through timely approvals
- Duplicate payments eliminated through automated duplicate detection
- Complete, audit-proof trail maintained without additional effort
Frequently asked questions
Which invoice formats are supported?↓
The system processes PDFs, ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, scanned documents, and structured email attachments. New formats can be added via the rules engine.
How long does implementation take?↓
A production-ready setup is typically live in 14 days. We connect existing ERP systems (SAP, DATEV, Lexware) and email inboxes via native APIs — without touching your core processes.
What happens when an invoice cannot be matched automatically?↓
Invoices with discrepancies are automatically escalated to the responsible person with context and a suggested action. The team only decides on true exceptions — everything else runs fully automatically.
This blueprint live in 14 days.
We build it turnkey into your infrastructure — as a ready package or tailored to you.
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