Expense invoices refers to invoices that cannot be linked to a purchase order. This means that coding and authorisation is done when the invoice arrives. By an expense invoice, here at Medius we refer to both invoices that could be linked to a purchase order, for example the purchase of office supplies, services and marketing and pure expense invoices, such as for a mobile phone, for instance. The more invoices that are linked to a purchase order, the better your control over cash flow. With the MediusFlow purchase model, you can manage all purchases, products and services. Everything is coded and authorised before the purchase, with incorrect purchases being avoided.

When we talk about matching in connection with electronic invoice management, we are referring to how the invoice is compared to the purchase order. There are currently two levels of matching, invoice matching at header level and invoice matching at line level. The benefits of electronic invoice management include reducing the need for resources, which in turn reduces management costs dramatically. The company also improves its overview of all flows in the organisation, making it easy to locate individual issues. Using MediusFlow for matching supplier invoices means that companies save time that would otherwise be spent on less skilled manual invoice work.

At header level only, the invoice header is matched against the purchase order header. This means that information such as total sum, supplier VAT, etc. can be matched. However, there is no item-by-item matching. Invoice matching at header level is suitable for companies with few or no purchase order-based invoices, only expense invoices.

When invoices are matched at line level, an item-by-item match against the purchase order is carried out. With a system that matches invoices at line level, you avoid having to check invoices manually against purchase orders and, where differences arise, you can process these at item level. With MediusFlow in its stable, Medius is the leading provider of solutions for invoice matching at line level in Scandinavia.

Scanning invoices, or invoice scanning, is the first stage in the flow to convert a paper invoice into processable data. Invoice scanning means that the invoice is scanned in and then interpreted by interpretation software that produces text from the digital image the scanner creates. The scanned invoice is then managed just like any other invoice in MediusFlow. MediusFlow manages all formats, for instance scanned invoices, EDI, XML, etc., in the same way so that users know what to expect.

An invoicing program makes it easier for the supplier to send e-invoices. Most suppliers can now send invoices in PDF format and therefore do not need any extra software for sending invoices digitally. A PDF invoice is sent to an e-mail address linked to MediusFlow, where it is interpreted and managed just like normal. With PDF invoices, you avoid the scanning stage and get a step closer to the paperless office.

An issue management system is a system that manages issues in an organisation. Issues, or processes, involve different work tasks that have to be carried out from the time when the issue is created until it has been classified as complete and can be concluded. MediusFlow is an issue management system that can be configured to support specific processes in an organisation. Issue management can, therefore, be described as a stage in a workflow.

A purchase order-based invoice is an invoice that can be checked against a purchase order. With purchase order-based invoices, the internal invoice management can be streamlined to the maximum with an electronic invoice management system. A purchase is added to a purchasing system, the business system or the MediusFlow purchase module. When the invoice then arrives, it can be matched, either at line or header level, against the purchase order and against the delivery. The invoice is then already authorised and coded on arrival, and if there is no difference between it and the purchase order, it can immediately be sent for payment. If a difference arises with a purchase order-based invoice, and the invoice is matched at line level, the appropriate person then only receives the deviation and can easily check the discrepancy, making a decision on how the difference is to be managed based on the information. With MediusFlow in its stable, Medius is the leading provider of solutions for invoice matching at line level in Scandinavia.

The purchase to payment process refers to the time from a purchase being made to the invoice being paid and archived. The purchase to payment process normally contains many manual stages that can be streamlined and optimised using an electronic invoice management system. With MediusFlow, the entire purchase to payment process can be digitised, which provides increased control over cash flow, enables companies to avoid unnecessary purchases, offers an overview of the organisation’s processes and leaves time over for more value-adding tasks rather than the monotonous, time-demanding activities involved in manual invoice management. With MediusFlow in its stable, Medius is the leading provider of solutions for the purchasing to payment process in Scandinavia.

In those cases where you do not want to scan your supplier invoices yourself, you can outsource that element to a scanning centre. The scanning centre will then scan and interpret the supplier invoices and only send over the scanned invoice image and the interpreted information to MediusFlow. Medius cooperates with Privatgirot, which has immense huge capacity for handling scanning and interpretation of invoices. Privatgirot also offers archiving of invoices.

The first stage of digitising the invoice management process is to scan invoices that arrive in paper format. After the invoice has been scanned, it is interpreted using interpretation software that converts the text in the digital invoice image into data, which is then transferred to MediusFlow to be matched against the purchase order.

Svefaktura is a standardised, as simple as possible procedure for creating and transferring electronic invoices. Svefaktura consists of two elements, a message defined by an XML schema and a transport profile that describes the manner of transfer. Svefaktura has been produced based on UBL and ebXML Messaging Services.

A workflow system is the system that digitally manages a workflow. A workflow, in addition to electronic invoice management, may, for instance, be a document that should always go to three different people and be signed before it is placed in a folder for archiving. This flow can be digitised in a workflow. A folder that accompanies all the stages of the construction of a house, where documents and information are completed as the house is finished is another example of something that can be digitised in a workflow. MediusFlow is basically a general workflow motor that can be adapted to your company’s needs and flows.