Line Item Data Capture for NetSuite: Invoices and Sales Orders

Line item data capture for invoices and sales orders has tremendous benefits for finance administrators who are looking to reduce their workload and optimize their operations. Legacy OCR solutions are rigid and don’t provide structured data to NetSuite, and manual data entry is time consuming and error-prone.

For Supplier/Vendor Invoices:

For supplier invoices, it’s essential to be able to capture line items for both invoices and their matching purchase orders. You want to find a solution that captures hundreds of lines on multiple pages. Relieve your AP staff from tedious data entry.

For Sales Orders:

Customer service representatives are continually challenged by work they don’t need to do: administration, data entry, navigating complex screens in NetSuite. The end result is less time spent serving customers and more time doing manual work. If your finance, sales or customer service team is bogged down by manual computer and paperwork, it’s time to consider optimizing the process.

Benefits of Automated Data Capture of Line Items for NetSuite  

The benefits of automating the line item data capture process includes:

• Eliminating manual data entry by automatically extracting sales or invoice data
• Reduced order errors through automated data validation
• Faster accounting workflow
• Cost savings from increased operational efficiency
• Leverages AI to reduce manual work

The Automated Data Capture Process

1. Extract Sales Order or Invoice Data -Invoices or sales orders are scanned and data is intuitively extracted into a database
2. Validate Data – Data fields are identified and validated.
3. Transform with Business Rules – Business rules and business process logic is applied based on your processes
4. Deliver Data to the ERP – Validated data is delivered as structured data to NetSuite

NetSuite: Avoiding Costly Integration Development

Purchase Order to Sales Order in NetSuite 

Converting a purchase order to a sales order can be a challenge in NetSuite, as it can take a considerable amount of manual data entry and other administrative time to make the transformation.

Customer service representatives are continually challenged by work they don’t need to do: administration, data entry, navigating complex screens within NetSuite. The end result is less time spent serving customers and more time doing manual work. If your customer service team is bogged down by manual sales order processing and paperwork, it’s time to consider optimizing the sales order process.

“Salespeople will embrace technology much more easily if it improves their job performance.” [1] 

By automating the entire order lifecycle – from purchase order receipt to sales order creation, validation and application of business rules – structured sales order data can be delivered within minutes to NetSuite. A sales order automation system gives back time to customer service reps, and time spent serving customers has considerable more enterprise value than administrative tasks.

Benefits of Purchase Order to Sales Order Automation 

The benefits of automating purchase-to-sales order processing include:

• Eliminating manual data entry by automatically extracting purchase order data
• Reduced order errors through automated data validation
• Faster order fulfillment by streamlining the order lifecycle
• Cost savings from increased operational efficiency
• Simplified order management with automated business rule application
• Enhanced visibility into order status and tracking
• Improved customer experience through quicker turnaround

The Automated Purchase-to-Sales Order Process

1. Extract Purchase Order Data – Incoming purchase orders via email/fax are scanned and data is intuitively extracted into a sales order. Sales order data is stored in a database
2. Validate Order Data – Data fields of the sales orders are identified and validated.
3. Transform with Business Rules – Business rules and business process logic is applied based on each unique customer.
4. Deliver Sales Order Data to NetSuite – Valid sales order data is delivered as structured data to NetSuite.

Sales Order Automation with NetSuite: Avoiding Costly Integration Development

[1] Frambach, R. T., Schillewaert, N., Ahearne, M. J., & Moenaert, R. K. (2000). The acceptance of information technology in the sales force. Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM) Report No. 15-2000. Penn State University. PDF

What Is Sales Order Automation?

Sales order automation is a digital tool that performs tasks such as scanning and capturing sales order data, verification of the data, applying your business rules, and delivering structured data to the ERP. The technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to automate these steps throughout the sales order process, removing friction and giving customer service a break from repetitive paperwork or data input.

How Does Sales Order Processing Automation Work?

Automation technology powered by AI simplifies the sales process by eliminating repetitive manual tasks. This allows sales and customer service staff to focus on their relationships with customers, rather than spending time on repetitive, administrative tasks.

By automating tasks such as entering orders from any source, checking details against customer records, validating the data and sending structured data to the ERP, an organization can reduce the friction in their sales process.

According to Heinz Marketing, 71% of sales reps believe that automation significantly reduces the time they spend on data entry. Not only that but CFOs appreciate how it accelerates cashflow.

Major Benefits of Using Automation for Sales Orders

There are several benefits to automating sales orders:

1. Efficiency: Automates up to 95% of manual data entry and validation, significantly speeding up the sales order process.
2. Cost Reduction: Minimizes the need for manual labor, allowing customer service to focus on their relationships with customers as opposed to time-consuming administrative tasks.
3. Increased Productivity: Automates the entire order process from capture to approval, making the sales order process more streamlined and error-free
   According to a survey by LeadSquared, 58% of sales reps have found that sales automation increases productivity.
4. Improved Customer Service: Faster and more accurate order processing increases customer satisfaction due to faster response times and better service overall.

Getting Started 

According to McKinsey & Company, companies that use digital sales solutions experience up to five times the growth of their competitors. Integrating sales order automation into your sales order process can dramatically increase your team’s productivity and benefit your cashflow.

Start transforming your sales process today and experience these benefits first-hand. Find out more about EchoVera’s Sales Order Automation.

Streamline Sales with Sales Order Automation Software

Is your sales team bogged down by manual sales order processing and paperwork? Do you want to streamline your sales process and improve overall efficiency? Automate the creation, management, and fulfillment of sales orders, integrating seamlessly with your ERP.

Give back time to your sales force, so they can spend time on the customer experience, rather than keying in data and dealing with time-consuming sales order processes.

What is Sales Order Automation Software?

Sales Order Automation Software (which is provided as a SaaS solution) automates tasks in the sales order process, such as sales order data capture, validation, and delivery to the ERP. It integrates with the ERP or accounting system for a complete solution, saving time and reducing errors to increase efficiency and profitability.

Benefits of Sales Order Automation Software

The benefits of sales order processing automation include:

• Eliminating Tedious Tasks: Automation frees up sales staff and operations from manual tasks like data entry, validation, and routing orders
• Capturing Data with Reduced Risk: Automation allows for the automatic extraction of sales order data from emailed or faxes sales orders, reducing errors and ensuring data accuracy
• Reducing Overall Costs: Automation saves time in processing orders, leading to cost savings and faster order fulfillment
• Simplifying Processes and Resolving Discrepancies: Automation provides checks against ERP data, simplifies order entry, and helps manage complex business rules efficiently
• Improving Visibility: Automation enhances visibility by improving data extraction and validation processes, ensuring clear tracking of orders through each step of the process
• Enhancing the Customer Experience: Automation leads to improved customer service by streamlining processes for quicker responses, deliveries, and accurate orders

The Sales Order Automation Process Explained

• Extract Sales Order Data – Sales orders from email or fax are scanned. Data is intuitively extracted with 100% accuracy for electronic files
• Validate Sales Order Data – Data fields of the sales orders are identified and validated. The software intuitively picks up data from various sales order layouts
• Transform with Business Rules – Business rules and business process logic is applied based on each unique customer
• Deliver to Your ERP – Structured sales order data is delivered into the ERP or accounting system

How Sales Order Automation Works with the ERP

Evaluating Economic Impacts of Automation 

The report “Evaluating Economic Impacts of Automation Using Big Data Approaches” by Omid M. Ardakani and Mariana Saenz, published in the Journal of Data Science and Intelligent Systems (2024), explores the economic consequences of automation across various sectors, focusing on customer traffic, sales forecast accuracy, and costs.

• Initially, the study highlights the pivotal role of automation in transforming economic and industrial landscapes, emphasizing the food service and retail sectors. The researchers utilize advanced technological integration to quantitatively assess automation’s effects on transactions, sales, and costs.
• By applying big data methodologies, such as survival and mean residual functions, the study clusters transaction distributions and customer traffic data over time, providing empirical evidence that distinguishes between high and low customer traffic periods.
• Furthermore, the paper illustrates how automation can increase sales forecast accuracy through the stochastic error distance, comparing forecast error distribution functions. This enhancement allows for better demand targeting and opportunity identification.

 In conclusion, the report demonstrates the varied impacts of automation on economic outcomes, highlighting the potential for increased efficiency and reduced costs in the long term. The study’s use of big data approaches offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of automation, suggesting that while there are upfront costs, the overall effect can be beneficial to economic performance. [1]

According to a report published by the APQC (American Productivity & Quality Center), the automating the sales order process reduces sales order cycle times by more than 46%. This emphasizes the cost-saving potential and efficiency improvement automation brings to sales order processing.

Integrating AI for Intelligent Sales Processing

For sales order automation the addition of AI and LLMs increases the speed at which finance administrators can onboard new customers. Finance staff do not need to set up templates or rules for their documents, but instead ask the LLMs what is needed and the AI will do the rest. 

For more information about how your organizatin can benefit from Sales Order Processing Automation, click here. 

[1] Ardakani, O. M., & Saenz, M. (2024). Evaluating Economic Impacts of Automation Using Big Data Approaches. Journal of Data Science and Intelligent Systems, 2(1), 150–164. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewJDSIS32021569    

Sales order automation (or order-to-cash process automation) gives companies using NetSuite the ability to move away from the manual data entry of paper, fax, and emailed sales orders

Manual and outdated sales order processing can have a substantial impact on any business. Errors, out-of-stock items, and slow cash flow can all hurt business performance. Improving the sales order process impacts cashflow by:

• Accelerating the order-to-cash cycle
• Improving customer service
• Reducing processing time
• Reducing number of days of sales outstanding
• Increasing customer satisfaction

Companies using cloud-based sales order automation solutions receive validated orders directly into NetSuite ready for processing – within seconds of their customers having sent it. Better yet, it’s done with zero technical changes or process change in the sender’s environment.

Not only does the processing of sales orders become more efficient, some companies have experienced substantial sales growth as a result of implementing sales order automation.

For more information about Sales Order Processing Automation for NetSuite, click here.

“Most orders are received via phone, fax, with the vast majority arriving on email,” said an executive at Arco, a company that provides over 22,000 products in the safety category worldwide. “Our products were shipped to over 100 countries last year! Once received, the order is processed manually. Because of the time this takes we couldn’t process orders fast enough and were losing potential orders as a result.”

How order-to-cash process automation handles emailed orders

Customers who send their sales orders by email are given a specific email address assigned for processing their orders. Sales order capture technology, using AI and intuitive mapping, extracts the data directly from the PDF (or Word, XML, EDI, Excel) document, validates it, and sends it to NetSuite.

Sales Order Automation Workflow – From Extraction from email to Delivery to NetSuite

How order-to-cash process automation handles faxed or paper orders

For customers who print or fax in their orders, Sales Order Automation for NetSuite intuitively detects each customer’s unique identity. It then performs field mapping on each order form, extracts the data and sends the information to NetSuite.

The impact on customers

It’s important that customers are not impacted by a new technology related to their ordering process, which is why this approach to automation works so well. And because best-of-breed sales order automation is cloud-based, there’s no need for any application, infrastructure, or process change for the buyers sending in their orders.

Overall benefits of an automated approach

The order to cash cycle gets a boost. Employees are freed up from the manual task of keying data or inputing sales order information directly, and can focus on more high value work. Errors are eliminated – data extracted from electronic formats are 100% accurate.  And ultimately, sales order automation gives the customer a better experience.

For more information about Sales Order Processing Automation for NetSuite, click here.

There are 2 types of PDF file formats used for supplier invoices, and they are a data PDF and a scanned PDF.

Data PDF

A data PDF is an invoice that is generated by an ERP or accounting system, or with a utility that creates PDF files for documents. If you can highlight the text in a PDF document, and then successfully paste the text into a spreadsheet or Word document, then the PDF is a data PDF.

In a data PDF you are able to highlight the text, and paste that text into another document.

Scanned PDF

A scanned PDF is an invoice that has been printed and scanned. It is not possible to copy the text.

Because this invoice has been printed and scanned it loses the data layer in the scanning process (as the scanning is only taking a picture of the text information on the page) and you can no longer highlight the text. Instead of highlighting the data, you can highlight a box, as in this example.

In a scanned PDF, you are not able to select text. Dragging your mouse across the page results in a box.

For digital capture, you need a system that will capture both types of documents. Intelligent OCR captures data from both paper and emailed invoices, regardless if the PDF invoice is a data PDF or a scanned PDF. Find our more about Intelligent OCR.

EchoVera has surpassed the $8 Billion dollar volume invoice processing mark for the organizations it serves in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Intelligent OCR: The AI Powered Advantage

In the contemporary landscape of financial operations, the integration of advanced invoice scanning techniques plays a pivotal role in streamlining accounts payable processes. Let’s delve into the technical intricacies of various cutting-edge methods driving this transformation.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Automated Data Entry

Intelligent Optical Character Recognition (OCR) serves as the cornerstone of automated data entry in invoice scanning. The technology employs sophisticated algorithms to identify and extract textual data from invoices, converting scanned images into machine-readable formats. Intelligent OCR’s accuracy in data extraction significantly minimizes errors inherent in manual data entry processes, expediting the handling of large volumes of invoices.

Data Validation

Advanced workflow management, a component of Intelligent OCR, incorporates invoice validation rules-based algorithms to cross-verify invoice data against predefined standards, ensuring compliance and accuracy in your financial records.

Streamlined Approval Workflows and Data Extraction

Efficient approval workflows are imperative in expediting the capture process for invoices. Intelligent OCR eliminates manual data entry, a common bottleneck for most finance administrators.

When integrated with powerful data extraction tools, invoice workflows streamline the retrieval of specific invoice details, enhancing data accessibility and reducing reliance on manual data retrieval methods.

AI in Invoice Scanning

The integration of AI software within Intelligent OCR revolutionizes data analysis and extraction. Intelligent OCR continuously learns from historical data, enhancing pattern recognition and improving the accuracy of data extraction processes.

Simultaneously, workflow automation tools employ predefined rules to automate sequential invoice processing steps, augmenting operational efficiency and minimizing human intervention.

Invoice Capture and Approval Routing

Efficient invoice capture methods are pivotal in consolidating data from diverse sources. Advanced capture software efficiently gathers and consolidates invoice data, captured in the cloud. Complemented by an optional approval workflow based on predefined rules, your organization reduces manual work and the problems manual work creates.

Invoice Data Validation and Integration with ERP Systems

EchoVera’s Intelligent OCR Plus is a cloud application that integrates with any ERP or accounting system without costly integration development.

For suppliers, it’s important they are not impacted by the technology related to your invoice process. There’s no need for any special software or software infrastructure for the suppliers sending you their invoices.

Validation of invoice data integrity remains paramount in ensuring the accuracy of financial records. Intelligent OCR has seamless integration with popular Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions such as NetSuite, SAP Business One, Infor and Sage Intacct.

Advancements in Accounts Payable

The advent of advanced invoice scanning techniques represents a significant leap forward in optimizing accounts payable processes. The amalgamation of OCR, workflow automation, data extraction, AI, and validation mechanisms has redefined the efficiency and accuracy standards within financial operations, promising continued advancements and efficiencies in the realm of accounts payable.

Book an appointment now in our convenient calendar to find out how to optimize your invoice data capture process: https://echovera.ca/intelligent-ocr-for-accounts-payable/

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Invoice Scanning and OCR Software

With a large majority of companies in North America struggling to input and process with both email and paper vendor invoices, it’s no wonder the competitive landscape for back office automation is heating up.

AP departments are rife with inefficiencies as a result of out-dated software, paper-based workflows, and spreadsheet-based task management.

After processing over $4B in invoices the last few years, we have a pretty good idea of what works. Here is an overview of what you can achieve with the right invoice scanning solution for AP.

Eliminate data entry with Invoice Capture Software

Many companies manually enter invoice data into their ERPs. Some will even print out emailed invoices and manually key in that information as well. The good news it is possible to eliminate data entry, reduce manual errors, and reduce the likelihood of fraud all in one stroke.

There are two workflows for automating the data entry of paper and emailed invoices. Paper invoices are scanned and OCR technology “reads” the information on the invoice and extracts essential data. Emailed invoices are electronic documents with a data layer, and cloud capture technology extracts the data from the data layer.

The result is a 95% accuracy rate for paper OCR (because the technology is reading the data and interpreting it) and 100% accuracy for electronic invoices (because the data transfer is direct and without interpretation).

That means it is possible to have all of your invoices sent by email, invoice data extracted, and entered into your dashboard with minutes of receipt.

Approval workflows

Many companies have gone through the painfully expensive exercise of trying to code workflows into their ERP. Truth is, ERPs were not built for approval workflows.

That’s where AP automation comes in. AP automation solutions have a complete approval workflow that distributes invoices to the right approvers. Good solutions have mobile capabilities and ad-hoc rerouting.

An enterprise based solution will also automatically match purchase orders to invoices and goods receipts. This technology transforms AP departments in that the matching takes place in minutes without anyone having to review the documents. If there is no match, the system flags the invoice and sends all the information to the approver to sort out.

Archive and Audit

For auditors and company investigation, AP automation provides a big boost to productivity. The system stores vendor invoices and provides a time-stamped audit trail. That means it is a big time saver for AP staff as everything is searchable and at hand.

Invoice Scanning and OCR Software for Accounts Payable

Our Intelligent OCR invoice capture solution combines best of breed invoice OCR and capture software to handle both paper and email based invoice workflows. It integrates with popular ERPs, and also has invoice processing, mobile approval workflow and auditing functions. Enterprise customers can take advantage of the PO matching engine. Find out more about Intelligent OCR here.

Companies looking to solve the manual input of invoice data with invoice scanning and approval software have several options. They could go with an invoice scanning software and then pay consultants to code the workflow in their ERP – not an elegant or inexpensive solution.

You are looking for a solution that will extract the data of incoming supplier invoices, whether they arrive in paper format or though email. Having processed over $4 Billion (invoice dollar value) in supplier invoices, we have a bit of insight as to what works best for companies processing 20,000 – 60,000 invoices per year.

You are looking for a solution that:

1. Scans paper invoices and accurately extracts essential data
2. Extracts essential data from emailed invoices
3. Exempts your team from having to validate the data – in other words, looking at each and every invoice to check for accuracy
4. Has an approval workflow that is configurable and easy to use
5. Will not impact your suppliers with infrastructure costs or other fees of any kind
6. Is a reasonable cost
7. Has great support
8. Seamlessly integrates with your ERP

How Invoice Scanning Software Works

Paper invoices are scanned by the technology, which “reads” the invoice and extracts specific data fields. This is known as OCR (optical character recognition). If the solution is a superior one, the OCR technology extracts invoice data at around a 95% accuracy rate.

Emailed invoices are typically PDFs or other formats. Invoices in PDF format (or Html, Word, EDI, and other electronic formats) are scanned in the cloud and the invoice data is extracted. Because there is a data layer in the electronic file and the information extracted is digital, the accuracy rate for this method is 100%.

Your Game Plan

Your game plan should be to convert as many suppliers as possible to sending you PDFs or electronic format invoices as opposed to paper. That is not too hard a sell as there are some obvious cost savings, and most ERPs output PDFs.

All the invoices sent in this format will be processed and entered right into your ERP within minutes of receipt, and with 100% accuracy. This alone will cut many hours off the processing time that includes manual data entry or validation.

Tackling the Paper Challenge

For the remaining vendors who insist on sending paper invoices, you have OCR do the heavy lifting extracting the data. Here you would have a trained team member check the invoices the capture system flags.

Because the OCR has a memory and intuitively remembers invoice templates and layouts, the validation is minimal and the team member is only checking flagged invoices. This speeds up the process considerably.

Approval Workflow

If you’re planning to boost productivity in Accounts Payable, don’t stop at automating invoice capture. Pick a solution that has an adaptable approval workflow complete with a time-stamped audit trail and searchable archive. That way you get the full benefit of automation and the chance to go completely paperless.

Not only that, but project managers and approvers will appreciate the ease of approving an invoice on their laptop, tablet or phone. And your AP team will have a better handle on bottlenecks and the status of unpaid invoices in the organization.

Intelligent OCR checks all the boxes

Intelligent OCR invoice scanning and approval software that does all of the above. It uses OCR and digital data extraction in the cloud to handle and process your incoming supplier invoices. You’ll have an efficient workflow that reduces manual touch points and lets your AP staff focus on higher value activities – beyond manually entering invoice data and managing with spreadsheets!

To find out more about Intelligent OCR, click here.