BLOCKIUM/ LABS
Use Case

AI Invoice Processing Automation

Invoices get read, coded to the right account, and routed for approval automatically — no one re-typing numbers from a PDF into a spreadsheet.

01 The problem

Accounts payable at a lot of businesses still runs on manual re-keying: someone opens an invoice PDF, types the numbers into accounting software, assigns a GL code from memory, and routes it for approval over email. It's slow, and small errors — a wrong code, a duplicate entry — are easy to miss until month-end.

Basic OCR tools can extract text from an invoice, but accurately coding it to the right account and catching things like duplicate invoices usually needs logic specific to how your business actually operates, not generic text extraction.

Approval routing adds another layer of manual coordination — knowing who needs to sign off on what, and chasing approvals that stall.

02 How we solve it

We build invoice processing that reads incoming invoices, codes them against your real chart of accounts and vendor history, and flags anything unusual — a new vendor, a duplicate, an amount outside the normal range — for human review.

Approval routing follows your actual sign-off rules, so invoices reach the right approver automatically instead of sitting in an inbox.

Everything logs cleanly, so you have a clear audit trail of what was processed, coded, and approved, and by whom.

03 Sample workflow

What shipping this actually looks like.

01

Map your AP process

We learn your actual coding rules, vendor list, and approval chain.

02

A firm quote, in writing

We account for your invoice volume and accounting platform before naming a price.

03

Build invoice reading + coding

Invoices get extracted and coded against your real chart of accounts.

04

Build approval routing

Invoices route to the right approver based on your actual rules.

05

Test against real invoices

We validate accuracy against real (or representative) invoice volume before launch.

06

Roll out, then track accuracy

We track coding accuracy and flag anything that needs criteria adjustment.

Tools we typically useInvoice extraction (OCR + structured parsing), Accounting system integration, Approval routing automation, Duplicate/anomaly detection
TimelineMost invoice processing automations ship in 2–3 weeks depending on accounting system integration.
PricingInvoice processing automation typically runs $3,500–$7,500, scaling with invoice volume and vendor complexity.
04 FAQ

Common questions.

Can it code invoices to our actual chart of accounts?

Yes — coding logic is built around your real accounts and vendor history, not a generic categorization.

Will it catch duplicate invoices?

Yes — duplicate detection is a standard part of the build, flagging anything that looks like a repeat for human review before it's paid twice.

Does it integrate with our accounting software?

We integrate with most common accounting platforms, or build a direct connection for something more specialized.

What happens with an invoice it's not confident about?

It flags anything unusual — new vendor, odd amount, unclear coding — for a human to review rather than guessing.

Can it route invoices for approval automatically?

Yes — routing follows your actual sign-off rules, so the right person sees it without someone manually forwarding emails.

Will we have an audit trail?

Yes — every invoice's processing, coding, and approval history is logged clearly.

Can it handle different invoice formats from different vendors?

Yes — extraction is built to handle varied formats, which is usually where generic OCR tools alone fall short.

What if a vendor's invoice is missing information we need?

It flags the invoice as incomplete rather than guessing at missing details, so someone follows up with the vendor directly instead of the gap silently becoming an accounting error.

Can it match invoices against purchase orders automatically?

Where you use POs, yes — matching the invoice against the original PO and flagging mismatches in price or quantity is a common and high-value addition to the core processing flow.

Does it work for businesses that receive invoices by email and mail both?

We scope intake to however invoices actually arrive — email attachments, a shared inbox, even scanned paper mail — rather than assuming everything comes through just one single predictable channel every single time it happens.

Can it handle multi-currency invoices if we work with international vendors?

Yes - we build extraction and coding to handle different currencies correctly, including flagging anything where a conversion rate or amount looks inconsistent with what's expected.

What happens during a busy month with a higher-than-usual invoice volume?

The system scales with volume automatically since it's not dependent on a person's available hours - a busier month means more processing, not a growing backlog waiting for someone to eventually catch up on it.

• Related

Explore more.

Ready to scope this?

Tell us what you want automated — we'll come back with a fixed scope and a quote.

Start a build