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Evo-ERP and DBA Classic >> Suggestions for Updates >> OCR Interface for posting vendor invoices
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Message started by AllanMac on 05/16/19 at 16:13:29

Title: OCR Interface for posting vendor invoices
Post by AllanMac on 05/16/19 at 16:13:29

I'm interested to know if anyone has and Optical Character Recognition program to read supplier (vendor) invoices and post them to their accounting system. Even better if anyone is using an interface with Evo.

Even if you've used OCR in a previous role not using Evo, I am interested in hearing about your experiences.

Title: Re: OCR Interface for posting vendor invoices
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 05/20/19 at 09:32:12

Seems like that would be difficult to do. Every vendor has a different invoice format and you have to find the vendor code (which likely will not be on the invoice but rather their name), invoice date, Invoice Number, PO Number if it is PO related and then figure which numbers on the document are invoice amount (especially if there are multiple lines from a PO and then tax and freight and total.

Title: Re: OCR Interface for posting vendor invoices
Post by Kelloggs on 05/21/19 at 10:53:22

It is called Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).
It was invented back in the 1970s

:-/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_data_interchange

Title: Re: OCR Interface for posting vendor invoices
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 05/22/19 at 13:30:10

No, I don't think that is what he is looking for. He wants to scan a paper AP invoice and use OCR to interpret it and enter the data into Evo.

Title: Re: OCR Interface for posting vendor invoices
Post by AllanMac on 05/29/19 at 21:51:53

Hmm, yes, looking at something a little more modern than EDI. Most New Zealand businesses invoice electronically by emailing a pdf. So my AP clerk gets the email, prints it off, matches to a packing slip, then keys the invoice into Evo. OK, that's quicker than opening the (snail) mail and doing the same, but I'm looking for a smarter way of doing things. And I wouldn't really want to add the step of scanning the invoice if received in the mail. I've also gone off the idea of importing into Evo, as it seems too complicated for our business, when you consider that a supplier's part number is likely to be different from our part number, and I really don't think I want to customise Evo to such a degree, and a whole host of other reasons which will turn me grey(er).

For what it's worth, I've had a look at a solution from a local company called Ferret, and that's more a document management system.

Title: Re: OCR Interface for posting vendor invoices
Post by Kelloggs on 05/30/19 at 08:28:11

There are lost of ways to extract text from a PDF file. I done it, I used VB.net

The challenge was to identify each Invoice Line, then isolate them from the comments in between.
The programming cost is considerable, because you need a sub routine for each Vendor. Each has its on Invoice format.

As per scanning or OCR a mailed invoice will be difficult, in some cases impossible.
It depends of the quality of the printer used, paper, etc, etc. I don't think it a feasible solution.

EDI still the best way to interchange data between companies. It has evolved since the 70s, and current.

Most decent ERP systems have it.
Most ERP system have a way to "export" documents to text files.

:-/