nextAI - Invoice Header Capture

What is nextAI - Invoice Header Capture?

Invoice Header Capture is a nextAI functionality within AP Automation for automatically recognising data on PDF invoices. Invoice Header Capture recognises important header data from invoices without using fixed templates. This allows invoices with different layouts to be processed more quickly and consistently.

Within Invoice Header Capture, it is possible to use a feedback button, allowing you to enter your own prompts for supplier-specific adjustments to the recognition.

The functionality has been developed to reduce manual entry and simplify the processing of incoming invoices.

When do you use it?

Invoice Header Capture is used when processing PDF invoices within AP Automation when nextAI is activated. Typical applications:

• Suppliers that do not send XML invoices
• Much better recognition than OCR solutions (such as SmartScan)
• Situations in which standard header fields must be recognised automatically, such as invoice number, invoice date and total amount.

Electronic invoices (such as XML invoices) are outside the scope of nextAI and are processed directly by AP Automation.

How does it work?

Step 1: Activate nextAI*
NextAI is already active in environments delivered recently; this step only needs to be carried out for environments that still use SmartScan.

Once nextAI is active, SmartScan is no longer used and existing templates are not applied.

Step 2: Submit an invoice
The PDF invoice is submitted as usual via the 'classification inbox'; the linked mailbox(es) that have already been configured for AP Automation.
NextAI analyses the entire document in a single step.

Step 3: Determine the company administration
The correct company administration must be identifiable in advance. This can be linked to the email address where the invoices are received, or it can be recognised on the invoice based on the salutation.
For this purpose, the 'Company search terms' must be configured in the application by the administrator.

Step 4: Automatic Invoice Header Capture
NextAI automatically recognises the most important header fields, including:

• Supplier (based on IBAN number, VAT number, Chamber of Commerce number)
• Invoice number
• Invoice date
• Amounts and VAT information
• Header text

After activation, Invoice Header Capture is provided with standard configuration and requires no additional configuration before it can be used.

Step 5: Check and process
The recognised header data is displayed for verification and can then be processed in the remainder of the invoice process. If necessary, the AI recognition can be adjusted using custom prompts via a 'feedback' button.

Practical tips

• Ensure that PDF invoices are easy to read for optimal recognition. Preferably, they should be generated by a system. Otherwise, contact the supplier.
• Always check the recognised header data for new suppliers or deviating invoice layouts.

Frequently asked questions

My order number is not recognised correctly on processed invoices. What can I do about this?
Check the 'Company settings' to see whether the PO regex settings have been specified and comply with the order number sequence. If no values have been entered yet, ensure that they are filled in.
If assistance is required, a ticket can be submitted via ISPnext Support.

If regex values have already been entered, check their validity by using a validation tool, for example: https://regex101.com/

What are examples of good prompts for customised processing?

What are examples of bad prompts?

Are Word or Excel invoices supported?
No, for AP Automation, nextAI only supports PDF invoices. The use of Word and Excel attachments is not supported.

Can SmartScan be used together with nextAI?
No, once nextAI is active, SmartScan is no longer used and templates do not apply.

What are the differences between SmartScan and nextAI?

SmartScan is template-driven and requires more configuration per layout/supplier.
NextAI focuses on AI-driven recognition through prompts, without using templates, and offers more flexibility with changing document structures. This results in approximately 20% higher recognition accuracy, a new way of working and no manual maintenance of templates.

NextAI is also capable of working with multiple VAT recognition and multi-format invoices, such as different currencies or languages per supplier.