OCR & Document Import

SynkriaOps’s OCR (optical character recognition) engine analyses your PDF, JPEG or PNG files and automatically extracts key accounting fields: net amount, VAT, gross amount, invoice date, due date, supplier name and invoice number. For a clearly printed supplier invoice, extraction takes under 10 seconds and eliminates manual re-entry — the main source of data-entry errors.

Supported formats are: supplier invoices (PDF ≤ 50 MB, JPEG, PNG — native or scanned), native bank statement PDFs (commercial banks) and Mobile Money statements in PDF or image format (Orange Money CM, MTN MoMo). For Mobile Money statements exported as CSV from the operator app, use the direct import in Treasury → Import a Mobile Money statement instead — it is faster and more reliable than OCR on a PDF.

The OCR workflow runs in three stages: File upload → Automatic extraction (10–30 seconds depending on quality) → Human review (30 seconds for a legible invoice) → Accounting validation in the Purchases or Treasury module. OCR proposes data — validation always remains an explicit human action.

Tip

For clearly printed supplier invoices (not handwritten, no complex coloured background), OCR achieves 95 %+ accuracy on amounts and dates. A 30-second visual check is all you need before validating. For Mobile Money statements scanned at low quality (phone photo, poor contrast), prefer the CSV export from the operator’s app.

Before you start

To use OCR in SynkriaOps, you need:

• An open fiscal year covering the period of the documents
• The supplier created in your contacts directory (or create it on the fly from the OCR validation form)
• Files in PDF, JPEG or PNG format, maximum size 50 MB per file

Available guides

Import an invoice via OCR Upload a supplier invoice PDF or image, review the extracted data and validate it in the Purchases module.

Import a bank statement PDF via OCR Extract transactions from a scanned bank or Mobile Money PDF statement for reconciliation.

Review & correct OCR data Correct mis-read fields, adjust amounts and confirm the supplier before accounting validation.

Handle duplicate alerts Understand and process duplicate alerts when a similar invoice has already been imported into SynkriaOps.

Record a supplier invoice manually Create and validate a supplier invoice directly without going through OCR (manual entry).

Caution

OCR proposes extracted data — it never validates accounting entries automatically. Validation remains a human action in Purchases → Supplier invoices or Treasury → Reconciliation. Do not validate without checking amounts, supplier and date: an uncorrected OCR error flows directly into your general ledger and balance sheet.

Document quality and OCR accuracy

The quality of the scan or photo directly determines extraction accuracy. Here is what affects the result:

Document type	Expected accuracy	Recommendation
Native PDF invoice (received by email)	98 %+	Direct import, quick review
Scanned invoice at 300 dpi minimum	93–97 %	Check amounts and date
Smartphone photo in good light	85–93 %	Check all fields before validating
Native Mobile Money PDF statement	92–96 %	Check transaction fees
Poor-quality scanned statement	< 80 %	Prefer operator CSV export

Tip

If OCR fails or produces too many errors for a document, you can always enter the invoice manually via Purchases → Supplier invoices → New invoice. OCR is a time-saver, not a requirement.

Where to start?

If this is your first import, start with Import an invoice via OCR — the guide walks you step by step from upload to accounting validation, with examples of common corrections.