Automated Account Assignment with AI: Efficiency Gains in Invoice Processing

10.04.2025

Topic: AI and Machine Learning

Manual invoice processing has always been a time-consuming and error-prone task. Many companies today face the challenge that experienced accounting employees, who knew all account assignment rules by heart, are retiring, while new employees need to be trained. The shortage of skilled professionals further exacerbates this situation. This is where artificial intelligence comes into play—it can streamline steps in the invoice approval process, provide decision support, and significantly increase efficiency.

AI-Powered Automation

In SAP-integrated invoice processing, xSuite utilizes the Prediction Server to support this process. Based on AI, this server provides various suggestions to assist in processing:

• Account assignment (combination of general ledger account & cost center)
• General ledger account only
• Cost center only
• Selection of user for approval
• Selection of user for completion
• Internal order
• Company code
• Vendor

In practice, account assignment—specifically general ledger accounts and cost centers—has proven to be the most crucial suggestion feature. Our customers use this functionality most frequently.

Efficiency Gains through AI-Driven Suggestions

An experienced accountant knows many account assignment details by heart, but transferring this knowledge is not always feasible. This is where AI steps in: The Prediction Server analyzes invoice data, extracts relevant information from postings and workflows, and generates automatic suggestions based on this data. This saves valuable time and reduces errors.

Companies benefit from AI-powered automation in several ways:

• Faster invoice processing: AI handles a significant portion of manual account assignment.
• Reduced workload for AP teams: Employees can focus on more complex tasks.
• Lower error rate: Automated suggestions are based on historical data and probabilities.
• Easier onboarding: New employees particularly benefit from AI support.

Technical Implementation and Integration

The Prediction Server operates as a deep learning model utilizing neural networks. Here’s how it works: Data from document capture is sent not only to the SAP system for processing but also in parallel to the Prediction Server. There, the documents and postings are analyzed before the generated suggestions are transmitted back to the SAP system.

Future Perspectives: Beyond Account Assignment

These suggestion functions are not the final stage of AI implementation. There are many additional use cases for AI in invoice processing, such as anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and models for forecasting payment terms. Our long-term goal is to automate the processing of FI invoices (without purchase order reference) in SAP, enabling background posting similar to MM invoices.

Conclusion: Intelligent Automation as the Key to Efficiency

With the Prediction Server, automated account assignment reaches a new level. Companies can save time and resources, minimize errors, and optimize their AP processes through AI-powered suggestions. The future of invoice processing with xSuite lies in intelligent automation, and the Prediction Server is a key step in this direction.