Business document handling

Basware offers paper and email processing services globally. However, it should be noted that paper is rapidly disappearing, and once the Basware service is in use, the supplier should be notified that invoices must be sent via email. There are regions where paper invoicing is the only option, and these are accommodated at Basware. For email capturing, there are two to three technologies – optical and machine-readable, for basic capturing. The third technology is Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The supplier can send anything to the invoicing address, paper or email, and there needs to be guidelines for each type of document or package. It’s recommended to scan all of the paper documents received at the invoice address. This will ensure fast document delivery. If a hard copy of a document is required, it can be ordered via Basware support.

Invoice

An invoice is often stated in the document’s header, and it’s captured as data and delivered to the receiving invoice-payable system. Some suppliers may use a term other than "invoice" in the headline, and these must be specified for the documents to be processed as invoices. If the document is not categorized as an invoice, it can still be processed as a “non-invoice” and delivered electronically.

Non-invoice

Any other document received will be processed, but no data validation will be performed. Meaning that the mandatory default values are included in the data file. These mandatory default values are required to technically route the document to the correct destination. In the NON_INVOICE document, the supplier is marked, for example, as UNKNOWN_VENDOR, since supplier matching will not be performed.

Exceptional material

It’s likely that a paper invoicing address was used for delivery by accident. If the receiving company can be identified on the recipient slip, the paper-scanning facility will forward the item to the main contact address. Typically, this address is the customer's main office and is addressed to the finance department. Please ensure the return address is set on Basware. Basware will charge an exceptional handling fee for the delivery.

Invoice labeling (before scanning)

As an optional service, a unique number label can be added to the invoice before scanning. Typically, stickers are used for labeling. In some countries, customers are expected to provide the stickers; in that case, they are responsible for delivering the stickers to the scan center, monitoring the number of used stickers, and proactively delivering refills.

The invoice labeling service is available in Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Indonesia, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, and Malaysia.

Invoice Definition

By default, a document is classed as an invoice if it is a(n):

• Debit invoice
• Credit invoice
• Interest invoice
• Customs invoice

Describe any other documents that might be received, which should be classed as invoices in the data capture guide.

• NOTE! Any document not listed on this list will be treated as non-invoices, meaning it is delivered electronically via Basware but only with default values in the data file (XML).

Non-Invoice Definition

Any document type not listed above will be classed as a non-invoice and sent to the non-invoice process. Common examples include:

• Reminders
• Order confirmations
• Statements*
• Certificates

Describe any other documents that might be received, which should be considered non-invoices in the data capture guide. A headline needs to be added as a keyword under the specific languages.

• NOTE! Attach examples of the described documents, if possible, to improve the sorting process in the data capture guide.

* Invoice definition for North American invoices

Certain statements are treated as invoices:
A statement is a difficult category, as in many cases, such as a "bank statement", it is not an option and is considered a non-invoice. However, "utility invoices" often have "statement" written on the document. Suppliers in this category include phone companies that almost always use "statement" as the invoice headline. These documents should be processed as an invoice. If a document contains the word "statement," it must include one of the following: Gas, Electric, Water, Sewage, Cable, Garbage, Heat, or Internet. If a "statement" contains one or more of those words, it is typically an invoice and should be handled accordingly. "Credit card statements" are to be processed as invoices. Statements typically include payment stubs.

For more information on statement matching, see Basware.com's solution Statement Matching page.