Sending PDF documents to OCR reading and creating an eInvoice

Invoices from suppliers are received either in paper or PDF format. You can scan paper documents and import them as PDF into eDocumentation or you can import the PDF documents received as email attachments.

In order to convert the PDF document in eDocumentation into an electronic invoice format and later create a PANTHEON receiving document based on it, you can use the predefined eWorkflow OCR for ePosting. This eWorkflow recognizes the characters (e.g. tax number and sender name, net amount, due date, etc.) of a PDF invoice and converts them into a PANTHEON-readable eInvoice format.

The eWorkflow simplifies the entry of the received invoice in PANTHEON, because it converts the received PDF document into an e-invoice in JSON format. This can then be easily imported into PANTHEON at a later stage.

HINT Because the data on the e-invoice scanned (OCR) is captured and processed electronically, the process of entering the invoice received is simple. In established business operations, the potential for errors is minimal, because the OCR system is refined by the feedback received during the scanning process.

Below an example of how to use the above eWorkflow.

CASE SUMMARY Ashley Accountant processes invoices received from various suppliers. She wants to simplify their entry in PANTHEON and avoid the manual entry of data. For this purpose, she uses the eWorkflow OCR for ePosting and performs the following steps: 1. Importing and selecting the document in eDocumentation 2. Running the eWorkflow OCR for ePosting 3. Checking the OCR result – e-invoice

WARNING PDF documents can be converted into an e-invoice using the eWorkflow OCR for ePosting. The eWorkflow only works properly if you have previously activated ePosting and defined the appropriate settings.

1. Importing and selecting the document in eDocumentation

The person responsible processes the received supplier invoice in PDF format, which has already been imported into eDocumentation.

HINT If the document has not yet been imported into eDocumentation, see the chapter eExchange – Receiving or importing.

In eDocumentation, the person responsible searches for the desired document and selects it.

Next, the person responsible runs the corresponding eWorkflow.

2. Running the eWorkflow OCR for ePosting

In the toolbar, the person responsible clicks the (Wizards) button and selects the option OCR for ePosting.

HINT To display the eWorkflow as an option in the Wizards menu on the specified PANTHEON form, you need to enable this in Workflow Design. For more information, see section 3 of the chapter Defining basic settings for eWorkflows.

The eWorkflow converts the read PDF document into an e-invoice in JSON format.

3. Checking the OCR result – e-invoice

As a result of the eWorkflow, an e-invoice is created and displayed in the list on the Files tab.

The name of the e-invoice is the same as the name of the PDF invoice and the file type is JSON.

On the Metadata tab, the person responsible can check the PDF parsing method used to read the invoice.

HINT If this setting has not been previously defined for the subject, the default reading method is summarized by tax rate (vat-rate-invoice). For a more detailed explanation and demonstration of the OCR reading, see the chapter Setting up the method of PDF parsing.

It is evident that the invoice of the supplier CLEAN Ltd. was read using the PDF parsing method: summarized by tax rate (vat-rate-invoice).

HINT If the PDF parsing method has not been previously defined for the subject in the Subjects register, PANTHEON automatically reads the data summarized by tax rate (vat-rate-invoice)

The person responsible can also check that the same PDF parsing method is defined for the supplier in the Subjects register. This completes the process.

HINT The OCR reading system in PANTHEON can read a wide range of data. This usually includes all standard, i.e. mandatory, content on the invoice. The system can recognise the sender's tax number, sender's name, net amount, currency date and other similar data. The set of data returned by the system in the form of an e-invoice depends on the PDF scanning setting defined for the supplier, and sometimes also on the quality of the scanned PDF invoice.