--- title: "Understanding Supplier Invoice Scanning" canonical: "https://kb.myframeworks.com.au/space/FRAM/28377968/Understanding%20Supplier%20Invoice%20Scanning" format: markdown --- The **Supplier Invoice Scanning** feature replaces the need to manually enter creditor invoices via **Stock Invoice Approval**. Using the AWS Textract Optical Character Recognition (OCR) service, Frameworks scans uploaded invoice documents and automatically extracts key accounts payable data — including the supplier name, invoice number, invoice date, subtotal, tax amount, total, and purchase order number — ready for review and approval. Once the extracted data is confirmed and the invoice status reaches **Resolved**, the invoice can be added to the **Stock Invoice Approval** dashboard with minimal manual input. Over time, the system learns supplier-specific patterns through saved lookup rules and attribute mappings, improving extraction accuracy for repeat suppliers. The [Supplier Invoice Emailing](https://sterlandsupport.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FRAM/pages/28413758) feature extends this further by automating the extraction of invoice data directly from email attachments sent to a designated email address, integrating them into the same approval process. > 📝 ## Use Case > 📝 > 📝 Statewide Hardware receives invoices from over 40 active suppliers each week. Rather than manually keying each invoice into Stock Invoice Approval, the accounts payable team uploads the invoice PDFs through Supplier Invoice Scanning. > 📝 > 📝 For a regular supplier, Ironcraft Supplies, the OCR service extracts the invoice number, date, total, and linked purchase order number with a confidence rating above 90%. The team confirms the details are correct and the status moves to Resolved. Because Ironcraft Supplies has **Auto Generate Invoices** enabled in Supplier Maintenance, the invoice is automatically pushed to the Stock Invoice Approval dashboard without any further action. > 📝 > 📝 For a newer supplier, the extracted supplier name doesn't match the Frameworks record. The team uses the Supplier Finder to locate the correct supplier and saves the mapping as an ALT_NAME attribute. On the next invoice from that supplier, the system identifies them automatically. ## How Supplier Invoice Scanning Works Supplier Invoice Scanning uses the AWS Textract OCR service, which applies machine learning (ML) to analyse the physical layout of an invoice document and extract structured data from it. The raw extraction results are displayed in the **Summary Fields** tab, showing each identified field with: - **Type:** The standard AP field name (for example, INVOICE_RECEIPT_ID). Unrecognised fields are listed as **OTHER**. - **Label:** The field name as printed on the invoice document. - **Value:** The extracted data for that field. - **Value Confidence Rating %:** How confident the ML service is in the extracted result. The **Document Scan Lookup Rules for AP** table defines how extracted data is mapped to the required AP fields in Frameworks. Each lookup field is linked to one or more field types, applied in sequence. For example, to locate the invoice number, the system first looks for a row of type **INVOICE_RECEIPT_ID**. If that is not found, it falls back to a row of type **OTHER** with a matching label such as "Tax Invoice". These default rules are updated in future Frameworks versions but can also be manually adjusted if required. ### Supplier-Specific Lookup Rules If the automated lookup returns missing or incorrect data for a particular supplier, you can define which label on the invoice should be used for a specific AP field. From the **Use As** drop-down menu in the scanning screen, select the field you want the label to represent. Available options are: - PONumber - InvoiceAmount - InvoiceTax - InvoiceTotal - InvoiceDate - InvoiceNumber Saving these rules applies a **DOC_SCAN_RULE** to the supplier's attributes, ensuring they are applied consistently for all future scans of that supplier's invoices. ### Supplier Identification The system determines the supplier by matching the **ABN** or **Tax ID** on the scanned invoice against supplier records in Frameworks. If the scanned supplier name does not match the Frameworks record, you can use the **Supplier Finder** to locate the correct supplier manually. Saving this selection applies the attribute category **DOC_SCAN** with attribute ID **ALT_NAME** to the supplier's record, so the match is applied automatically on future scans. ## What Occurs During the Supplier Invoice Scanning Process When an invoice is uploaded to the **Supplier Invoice Scanning** screen, a background task — **Submit Documents for Scanning** — sends the document to the AWS Textract OCR service. The service analyses the document and returns the extracted AP data, which is displayed in the Summary Fields tab for review. ![image](media://bd902236-a57b-4458-89ca-a5234525b011) The reviewer confirms the extracted details are accurate and, if required, applies or saves custom lookup rules for the supplier. Once confirmed, the invoice status moves to **Resolved**. From Resolved status, the invoice can be added to the **Stock Invoice Approval** dashboard either manually, by enabling the **Create Invoice** checkbox, or automatically, if the supplier has **Auto Generate Invoices** enabled in Supplier Maintenance. A daily background task removes all imported invoices older than 32 days where the status is **POSTED** or **SUCCEEDED**. ## The Supplier Invoice Scanning Process Steps 1. Create and receipt purchase orders as normal. 2. Upload the supplier invoice via the **Supplier Invoice Scanning** screen. 3. Review the extracted data in the **Summary Fields** tab and correct any errors using custom lookup rules or the Supplier Finder. 4. Confirm the invoice details. The status moves to **Resolved**. 5. Add the invoice to the **Stock Invoice Approval** dashboard — either manually via the **Create Invoice** checkbox, or automatically if **Auto Generate Invoices** is enabled for the supplier. 6. Approve and post the invoice in **Stock Invoice Approval** for payment processing. > ℹī¸ **Tip** > ℹī¸ > ℹī¸ If you have multiple suppliers that send invoices via the OCR scanner, you can enable **Auto Generate Invoices** in bulk using the [Supplier Export/Import](https://sterlandsupport.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FRAM/pages/28385346) utility, rather than updating each supplier individually via Supplier Maintenance. --- > ✅ ## Related Information > ✅ > ✅ - Refer to [Supplier Invoice Scanning](https://sterlandsupport.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FRAM/pages/28390534) for the screen layout and field guide. > ✅ - Refer to [Understanding Supplier Invoice Emailing](https://sterlandsupport.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FRAM/pages/28413758) for information on automated invoice extraction from email attachments. > ✅ - Refer to [Supplier Maintenance](https://sterlandsupport.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FRAM/pages/28390076) for managing individual supplier settings, including the **Auto Generate Invoices** field under the Trading Terms tab. > ✅ - Refer to [Supplier Export/Import](https://sterlandsupport.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FRAM/pages/28385346) for bulk-updating supplier settings including **Auto Generate Invoices**. > ✅ - Refer to [Stock Invoice Approval](https://sterlandsupport.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FRAM/pages/28390534) for information on approving and posting invoices for payment.