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Automated checking of PDF invoices with DOC.pilot

Kaarst, 25 July 2014 The company fidis GmbH from Kaarst/Germany has developed an IT tool that automatically logs PDFs, checks them and extracts pre-selected information for continued processing. This renders the handling of large volumes of electronic invoices incurred at factoring companies significantly faster and more secure. For example, in less than three seconds, DOC.pilot recognises whether information such as invoice number, bank account and notice of assignment is correct. If that is the case, then the invoice-s information can be imported into the accounting system automatically. This IT tool automatically discovers all errors, thereby significantly increasing the quality in factoring processes. DOC.pilot can be used in connection with the factoring software FACT.pilot, which automates the entire factoring process.

Within the last few years the number of invoices sent as a PDF has risen sharply. Sending electronic invoices does indeed make delivery easier. However, “factoring departments also have to open all of the invoices in the inbox one-by-one, check them and enter the accounting data by hand,” explains Otto Johannsen, Managing Director at fidis GmbH. “This consumes a great deal of time, is error-prone and increases the risk borne by factoring companies significantly. Now, DOC.pilot makes it possible to automate this work.” To date, there has been no IT tool to make it possible to check the content of PDFs in this manner.

Decisive to the content check is that DOC.pilot retains the original PDF document when extracting content. The first step is to generate structured CSV files with all of the data laid out in the document. A second step checks whether pre-selected elements like letterhead, invoice number and notice of assignment are correct. If the system recognises an error in accounting information, then an error report is generated and forwarded along with the document. Once conversion is complete, the data relevant to accounting are stored on an FTP server along with the original document and can be retrieved there for automated processing. This makes it possible to process up to 100 invoices in five minutes. DOC.pilot is freely configurable and can be tailored to match any letter form.