Importing an invoice via OCR

SynkriaOps’s OCR (Optical Character Recognition) engine analyses a photo or PDF of a supplier invoice and automatically extracts key data: supplier, date, invoice number, net amount, VAT and total. The Purchases → New supplier invoice form is pre-filled in seconds — you only need to review and confirm.

Accepted formats

Format	Extensions	Max size
Image	.jpg, .jpeg, .png	50 MB
Native PDF (selectable text)	.pdf	50 MB
Scanned PDF (image in PDF)	.pdf	50 MB

Tip

A native PDF (generated by software, with selectable text) gives the best extraction results. A well-lit scan or photo also gives good results. A poor-quality scanned PDF (resolution < 150 DPI, blurry text) will be processed but with more errors.

Accessing OCR import

Two access points:

1. Purchases → Supplier invoices → Import via OCR (button at the top right of the list).

2. Drag and drop a file directly onto the dedicated zone visible at the top of the Purchases → Supplier invoices page.

Taking a good photo

If you use your phone to photograph a paper invoice, follow these rules to maximize OCR accuracy:

1. Lighting: place the invoice in a well-lit area — natural light or a direct lamp. Avoid shadows falling on the document.

2. Framing: the invoice should occupy 80 % or more of the image. Avoid shooting at an angle — aim for as perpendicular a view as possible.

3. Stability: place your phone on a stable surface or use the self-timer to avoid motion blur.

4. Reflections: for laminated or glossy invoices, tilt the document slightly to eliminate reflections.

5. Resolution: use your device’s highest photo resolution (minimum 12 MP recommended).

Uploading the file

1. From Purchases → Supplier invoices → Import via OCR, click Choose a file or drag and drop your image/PDF.

2. A progress bar shows extraction progress (typically 5 to 20 seconds depending on format and file size).

3. The result appears in the review interface in two columns:

   • Left: the original document (viewable image or PDF)
   • Right: the extracted pre-filled fields

Fields extracted by OCR

Field	Example extracted value
Supplier	TOTAL Cameroun SA
Invoice number	FC-2026-004512
Invoice date	22/04/2026
Net amount	890,000 XAF
VAT (detected rate)	17.5 % → 155,750 XAF
Total amount (incl. VAT)	1,045,750 XAF
IBAN / bank details	CM21 10005 00001 …

Note

If the supplier does not yet exist in your third-party list, SynkriaOps will offer to create it automatically from the detected name. You can complete its details (RCCM, NIU, address) after validating the invoice.

Mandatory manual review

After extraction, check every field before confirming. The OCR engine can make mistakes:

• Confusion between 0 (zero) and O (letter) in amounts
• Decimal mis-read: 890,000 read as 89,000 or 8,900,000
• Date misinterpreted: 22/04/26 vs 22/04/2026
• Invoice number truncated if the document is poorly framed

Fields extracted with low confidence are highlighted in orange. Fields in red could not be extracted. See Reviewing and correcting OCR data for details on the correction interface.

Validating the invoice

1. Correct any wrong or missing fields (see above).

2. Review the suggested accounting assignment:

   • Expense account: SynkriaOps suggests an account based on the detected category (e.g. 6041 — Raw material purchases or 6282 — Telecommunications expenses). Modify if needed.
   • Journal: ACH (Purchases journal) by default.
   • Fiscal year: automatically verified against the invoice date.

3. Click Validate invoice. An accounting document is created with status DRAFT in the Purchases journal.

4. To post it definitively, open the document and click Validate accounting document.

Source document archived

The source file (photo or PDF) is automatically archived and attached to the supplier invoice. It can be accessed at any time from Purchases → Supplier invoices → [invoice number] → Attachment. This archiving fulfils the legal obligation to retain accounting supporting documents (10 years in the OHADA zone).

Common errors

Error	Cause	Solution
”Extraction failed — insufficient quality”	Blurry image, resolution < 100 DPI	Retake the photo with better lighting and stability
”Total amount not detected”	Complex layout, poorly delimited table	Manually correct the total amount field
”Ambiguous supplier — multiple matches”	Several third parties with similar names	Select the correct supplier from the dropdown
”Date outside open fiscal year”	Invoice dated in a closed fiscal year	Contact the accountant for a catch-up entry in the current year
”Duplicate detected”	Same number + supplier + amount already in the database	See Handling duplicate alerts

Further reading

• Reviewing and correcting OCR data →
• Handling duplicate alerts →
• Recording a supplier invoice manually →