PO matching automation is the process of algorithmically reconciling invoices with purchase orders to verify accuracy before payment—without manual intervention. While most P2P providers can accomplish a basic 3-way match of POs, invoices, and goods receipts, how often are your invoices straightforward and basic? At Basware, we believe in applying PO matching automation to as many invoices as possible, regardless of complexity.
In this blog, you learn about 5 use cases of how you can leverage advanced matching technology to further automate your invoice processing to become truly touchless.
PO matching automation streamlines the traditionally time-consuming process of comparing purchase orders to invoices. At its core, automated purchase order matching verifies that:
Most organizations use either 2-way or 3-way matching:
While these standard approaches work for straightforward invoices, Basware's advanced PO matching automation goes further—handling the complex, real-world scenarios that cause bottlenecks in traditional systems.
Basware has grown up in the AP space—we get the nuances and intricacies of the AP process. Our advanced matching engine, ‘smart’ technology, and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) work behind the scenes to get you PO matching automation for the majority of your invoices. Here are some examples of where we stand out to empower you with touchless processing capabilities.
Basware is not a jealous provider. We have built a technical foundation on the concept of integration and ‘plug and play’ solutions. If you are using a different procurement solution to create POs or generating POs from your ERP – that’s no problem at all. Our superior integration capabilities will pull that PO data into Basware and automatically match your invoice to it. Other providers on the market require you to use their procurement tool to get that automated match, but at Basware, we prefer to minimize the impact on your business. We believe in getting you automation for all your invoices, providing visibility over your direct and indirect spending, and fitting into your existing IT landscape.
It is not just about matching one invoice to one PO. You need automation for all the ways your suppliers invoice you:
However, if your suppliers invoice you, we will properly match those invoices to the right POs without bothering anyone in AP or the business.
Sometimes suppliers do not copy the lines of your PO identically to the invoice – or maybe they change something on their end – like a product code. But the invoice you receive still matches the PO you issued, and you should get an automated match. Because Basware collects the data from your POs and goods receipts, we can look at data points like date and quantity details to get the automated match for that invoice. Not only does this mean more touchless invoices, but it also keeps your AP team from working on what we call “erroneous exceptions.” The invoice matches the PO – there is no need for human attention on it.
In PO matching automation, exceptions occur when invoice details don't perfectly align with supporting documentation. The most common types include:
Basware's PO matching automation handles exceptions intelligently. You can establish acceptable tolerance thresholds for minor discrepancies—such as slight quantity variations or freight charge fluctuations. When invoices fall within your defined tolerances, they proceed through automated approval. Only genuine discrepancies that exceed your thresholds are routed to your team for investigation.
This intelligent exception management means your AP team focuses exclusively on issues requiring human judgment, not routine variations that don't warrant intervention.
Sometimes invoices arrive with costs that you do not account for on a PO, like taxes or freight charges. These charges are legitimate, so why should someone in AP have to work on the invoice? With Basware’s keyword recognition, we can automatically recognize and properly code the costs according to your business rules. You can even set tolerances to make sure if the costs exceed a specified threshold, the solution alerts a person to approval.
Maybe you also require a quality inspection for certain items, or maybe you want to associate the invoice to contract terms. With Basware, you can make these requirements part of your matching process – we can add as many matching points as you need to meet your business rules and ensure the invoice is approved for payment.
Basware's PO matching automation operates seamlessly in the background, processing invoices through an intelligent workflow:
This end-to-end automation transforms PO-backed invoices from labor-intensive tasks into touchless transactions.
Basware's PO matching automation delivers more than processing efficiency—it provides comprehensive financial oversight:
This visibility empowers finance leaders to make informed decisions, identify process improvement opportunities, and demonstrate compliance with complete confidence during audits.
Implementing sophisticated PO matching automation delivers transformative benefits across your AP operations:
You realize significant efficiency gains, on-time (or early) payments, and greater accuracy by automatically matching the bulk of your PO invoice volume. Your AP team shifts from handling every single invoice to managing by exception only, resolving discrepancies exponentially faster.
As your business grows, Basware's PO matching automation scales effortlessly. Handle increased invoice volumes—whether from business expansion, acquisitions, or seasonal peaks—without proportional increases in AP headcount. The system's performance remains consistent whether processing hundreds or hundreds of thousands of invoices, ensuring your AP operations never become a growth bottleneck.
Reach out and speak to one of our solutions experts, if you want to learn how your AP department can leverage these benefits.