When you submit a PDF invoice or image to eConnect, it becomes a conversion task. The IDR (Intelligent Document Recogniser) converts the document into a validated e-invoice. This article explains how the process works from start to finish.

Every PDF or image that you submit, whether by email, through a trusted sender or via the API, automatically becomes a conversion task. The system determines the best conversion method and gets to work.

The system receives the document and classifies it via the Detect API. Is it an invoice, a packing slip, a reminder or something else? Only documents recognized as invoices proceed to conversion. Other documents are automatically attached to the invoice.

The IDR analyzes the document using three technology layers:

• OCR layer: text recognition on the document. This works for over 200 languages.
• LLM layer: linguistic support for interpreting the recognized text.
• Document interpretation: eConnect's proprietary technology that determines which fields are relevant, how the data should be structured and whether everything is correct. This is where the real intelligence resides.

The IDR recognizes the key fields of the invoice: supplier, buyer, invoice number, date, amounts, VAT rate and payment details.

After recognition, all fields are validated:

• Do the amounts add up (subtotal, VAT, total)?
• Is the invoice number unique (no duplicate)?
• Are the identification details correct (Chamber of Commerce number, VAT number, IBAN)?

The IDR compares the recognized values with previously processed invoices from the same supplier. The more invoices from a supplier have been processed, the better the recognition becomes. The system continuously learns.

If the IDR is not confident enough about the recognition, the conversion task is sent to eConnect's Quality Control team. They manually verify the uncertain cases, such as a difficult-to-read amount or a missing field.

Every correction by the QC team is fed back to the IDR as training data. This way, an error that occurs once is prevented in the future.

After successful recognition and validation, the document is converted into a standardized e-invoice in UBL format. This e-invoice contains all the structured data your accounting software needs.

The processed invoice appears in your Inbox (for purchase invoices) or Outbox (for sales invoices). If you have set up a software integration, the invoice is automatically forwarded to your accounting software.

eConnect's SLA guarantee is that 99% of all documents are processed within 8 business hours.

You can track the progress of a conversion task in the platform. The default retention period for conversion tasks is 4 months, after which they are automatically deleted.

Sometimes a document cannot be fully processed. This may be because the file is unreadable, essential data is missing, or the invoice does not meet the required standard. In that case, the conversion task is rejected and you receive a notification with the reason.

On core fields (invoice number, date and amounts), IDR accuracy is higher than 98%. In the most recent sample, automated processing scored 100% correct. Manual verification by the QC team had an error rate of less than 2%.

Have questions about a specific conversion task? Contact support.

• Conversion task rejected, what now?
• SLA and reporting for document processing
• How does Scan & Recognise (IDR/OCR) work?
• Submitting purchase invoices by email