Frequently Asked Questions

Accounts payable invoice automation is the process of streamlining and automating the entire journey of a supplier invoice, from the moment it’s received to the moment it’s ready for payment, in a way that reduces manual work and errors. For an AP team, this means having a reliable digital system that captures invoice details, matches them with the right purchase orders or receipts, and routes them for approval without piles of paperwork or constant firefighting.

The goal is to make invoice processing simpler, faster, and more accurate, so your team spends less time on data entry and chasing approvals, and more time on strategic tasks. In essence, AP invoice automation takes what used to be a tedious, error-prone process and turns it into a smooth, stress-free workflow that adapts to your company’s needs.

Cevinio’s AI‑powered engine elevates invoice processing from routine to intelligent by learning from your data and automating key decisions throughout the workflow:

• More accurate data capture: AI-enhanced OCR reads invoices like a human, no templates required, auto-correcting OCR errors (e.g., “0” vs “O”) and splitting batches precisely
• Improved matching accuracy: Smart matching logic applies both 2‑ and 3‑way matching, and can even combine multiple POs, significantly reducing mismatches
• Preset AI: Machine learning infers GL codes, cost centers, tax codes, and approvers based on historical trends, streamlining your coding and approval processes.
• Fraud and duplicate detection: Automated validations flag anomalies like duplicate invoices, incorrect IBANs, VAT numbers, or country-specific compliance breaches before they become issues.
• Smarter exception handling and routing: When discrepancies occur (e.g. price or quantity variance), AI routes invoices to the right person and suggests workflow paths based on past behavior.

As your AP team processes more invoices, the system continuously learns, boosting accuracy, reducing manual workload, and accelerating cycle times. This scalability ensures your finance function remains agile and resilient as you grow.

Cevinio AP Automation covers the entire invoice processing lifecycle, from the moment an invoice is received to final posting on your ERP system. The process begins with intelligent invoice capture, where Cevinio extracts data from emails, PDFs, e-invoices, and scanned documents using advanced OCR and AI technology.

Next, each invoice undergoes automated validation to ensure compliance with tax regulations, company-specific business rules, and fraud prevention protocols. Cevinio then performs automated PO and non-PO matching, drastically reducing manual work by identifying discrepancies and matching invoices with purchase orders and goods receipts, even in complex, multi-line scenarios.

For invoices that require approval, Cevinio routes them through smart approval workflows, tailored by department, geography, amount, or other criteria. In cases of exceptions, such as mismatches or missing information, the platform offers collaborative tools and full audit trails to speed up resolution. Finally, once invoices are cleared, Cevinio automatically posts them to your ERP system, archives them securely, and delivers data analytics to track KPIs like processing times, exception rates, and compliance metrics.

By automating this end-to-end process, Cevinio increases efficiency, improves compliance, and enhances visibility across your accounts payable function.

Cevinio is trusted by mid-size and global enterprises navigating complex, high-volume invoice environments. Our typical users include:

• Finance Managers or Heads of Finance: Focused on gaining visibility into cash flow, controlling spend, and reducing risk. They seek automation to help their teams achieve more with fewer resources.
• Accounts Payable departments: Looking to eliminate manual tasks, streamline workflows, and reduce invoice exceptions.
• Procurement and Procure-to-Pay (P2P) teams: Committed to improving spend visibility, enforcing compliance, and aligning with finance processes.
• Global Process Owners (GPOs): Driving digital transformation and standardization across business units and geographies.
• Finance Shared Services Centers (FSSCs): Focused on centralizing operations and scaling invoice processing efficiently.

Cevinio supports companies across industries such as manufacturing, logistics, wholesale, construction, healthcare, and retail, especially those operating with one or multiple ERP systems.

1. AI-powered invoice capture (PRESET AI): Automatically extracts data from invoices in any format (PDF, XML, paper, e-invoices) with high accuracy.
2. Touchless invoice processing: Enables automatic 2- or 3-way matching with POs or goods receipts, reducing manual work and speeding up approvals.
3. Smart approval workflows: Routes invoices for approval based on amount, department, or location. Easily adaptable to lean teams or hybrid structures.
4. Exception handling and collaboration tools: Flags issues (e.g., mismatches, missing data) and enables fast resolution.
5. E-invoicing compliance: Supports mandatory formats keeping you compliant in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and beyond.
6. Multi-ERP compatibility: Integrates with multiple ERP and supports hybrid setups.
7. KPI dashboards and reporting: Offers visibility into, among other things, processing times, exception rates, and bottlenecks to support better cash flow and decision-making.
8. Secure digital archive: Stores all invoices and documentation in a centralized, searchable, and audit-ready system.
9. Scalability and flexibility: Designed to grow with your business, supports multi-entity operations and evolving approval structures.
10. Implementation and cloud-based: Lightweight to deploy, requires minimal IT support, and delivers fast ROI, ideal for resource-conscious teams.

Cevinio stands out by combining deep compliance expertise with advanced automation and enterprise-grade flexibility. Key differentiators include:

• Compliance-first design: Built to meet local and international e-invoicing mandates, making it ideal for regulated markets.
• AI-first invoice engine: Uses AI to drive smart data capture, matching, and exception handling, minimizing manual effort.
• Multi-ERP and multi-format support: Seamlessly integrates with complex ERP environments and handles all invoice types (PO, non-PO, e-invoice, PDF, paper).
• Proven enterprise experience: Trusted by global and mid-size organizations with high-volume, cross-border and local invoice processing needs.
• Flexibility without complexity: Offers flexible workflows, business rules, and integrations, without long implementation cycles or heavy IT involvement
• Clear ROI: Accelerates finance transformation by cutting costs, reducing errors, and improving visibility into cash flow and compliance.

Cevinio is designed to be highly flexible, so it can align with your unique Accounts Payable workflows, regardless of complexity or structure. Our platform supports:

• Custom approval workflows with automated routing, reminders, escalations, and delegations to fit your internal approval chains
• Flexible invoice matching logic, supporting both 2-way and 3-way matching based on your business rules
• Multi-entity, multi-currency, and multilingual capabilities, ideal for organizations operating across regions or business units
• Advanced exception handling, with configurable rules to automatically route and resolve issues effic

Cevinio ensures invoice compliance with both local and international regulations by supporting mandatory e-invoicing formats and validation standards. The platform is fully equipped to meet requirements such as:

• EU VAT regulations and structured invoice formats
• Cross-border e-invoicing standards, such as Peppol
• Country-specific mandates

In addition, Cevinio allows companies to enforce customizable validation rules that align with their internal finance and procurement policies. All invoices are logged with complete audit trails, securely archived, and easily retrievable; ensuring readiness for audits and regulatory checks. This not only reduces compliance risk but also gives finance leaders peace of mind in an increasingly regulated environment.

Cevinio is ERP-agnostic and integrates seamlessly with a wide range of ERP systems used by mid-size and global enterprises. Supported platforms include:

• SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 and earlier Dynamics versions
• Oracle E-Business Suite
• IFS, Infor, and other ERP solutions

Cevinio also supports hybrid ERP environments, where multiple systems are used across business units or regions. Whether you're running a single ERP or managing a transition from SAP ECC to S/4HANA, the platform is built to handle integration scenarios smoothly. This ensures continuity, consistency, and full visibility across your invoice-to-pay process.

Cevinio is built to scale with growing and global organizations, whether you operate in a centralized, decentralized, or hybrid finance model. Key scalability features include:

• Support for multi-entity, multi-country operations
• Multiple languages and currencies to serve diverse teams and suppliers
• Flexibility for centralized shared service centers or local AP departments
• Country-specific invoice compliance

Cevinio helps streamline and standardize AP processes across borders while adapting to local requirements, making it an ideal solution for expanding businesses.

Cevinio provides comprehensive, hands-on support throughout your AP automation journey. Our support offering includes:

• A dedicated Customer Success Manager to ensure ongoing value and adoption
• Experienced implementation consultants to guide your onboarding and integration
• Access to a 24/7 help desk, depending on your selected SLA
• A self-service knowledge base and training portal for continuous learning
• Regular product updates, roadmap sessions, and feedback opportunities to keep your solution aligned with evolving needs

Whether you're a mid-size business or a global enterprise, Cevinio’s support model is built to scale with your goals.

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) from AP automation helps you understand the tangible value of digitizing and streamlining your accounts payable processes. At Cevinio, we help companies move from manual, reactive workflows to efficient, data-driven AP operations. Here’s how you can measure that transformation:

• Invoice processing time: See how long it takes to process an invoice before and after automation. Automation significantly reduces processing time, freeing up your team and speeding up approvals.
• Cost per invoice: Automation lowers the cost of processing each invoice by minimizing manual tasks, paper handling, and human error. Over time, this adds up to major cost savings.
• Exception rates: Track how many invoice issues (like mismatches or missing data) occur, and how automation helps reduce them. Fewer exceptions mean faster resolutions and less manual intervention.
• On-time payments: Timely payments improve supplier relationships and help avoid late payment penalties. Automation gives you better control and visibility over due dates and payment schedules.
• Time saved: Free your team from repetitive, low-value tasks. With automation handling the heavy lifting, your staff can focus on higher-impact work. In a time of rising labor costs, this is a key area of ROI.

Want to dive deeper? Check out our blog: How to Measure the ROI of AP Automation

We offer multiple ways to explore how Cevinio can support your finance operations:

• Request our on-demand demo video here
• Book a demo to see the platform in action based on your workflows, systems, and business needs with one of our experts
• Later in the process, run a proof of concept (PoC) in a controlled environment to validate fit, integration, and ROI

Get started and see how Cevinio can transform your AP process.