The Problem with Manual Invoicing
In most South African SMEs, processing a supplier invoice looks like this: A supplier emails an invoice to an admin person. The admin downloads the PDF, saves it to a local folder, and forwards the email to a line manager asking for approval. The manager is busy, so the email gets buried. A week later, the supplier follows up. The admin asks the manager again on WhatsApp. The manager says “Yes, pay it.” The admin then manually enters the invoice details into an Excel spreadsheet or accounting system, and then manually creates the payment batch in the bank.
This process is highly prone to errors, incredibly slow, and leaves no auditable trail of who approved what and when.
Step 1: Centralize Intake
The first step in automating any process is standardizing the input. You cannot automate chaos.
- Create a dedicated email address specifically for invoices (e.g.,
invoices@yourcompany.co.za). - Instruct all suppliers to send their invoices ONLY to this address.
- If an invoice is handed to an employee physically, they must scan it and email it to this address. If it’s sent via WhatsApp, it must be forwarded to this email.
Step 2: Build the Data Layer
You need a central place where every invoice is logged before it’s approved. You don’t need a complex database; a simple table will do. We recommend Airtable, Google Sheets, or a SharePoint List.
Set up columns for:
- Date Received
- Supplier Name
- Invoice Number
- Amount
- Link to the PDF
- Status (Pending, Approved, Rejected, Paid)
- Approver Name
Step 3: Connect and Automate Using Low-Code Tools
Now, use an integration platform like Make (Integromat), Zapier, or Microsoft Power Automate to connect the email inbox to the database.
Here is the logic you build in the automation tool:
- Trigger: When a new email arrives in
invoices@yourcompany.co.za. - Action 1: Save the attached PDF to a secure cloud storage folder (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.).
- Action 2: Add a new row in your database (Google Sheets/Airtable) logging the basic details, and set the Status to “Pending”.
- Action 3: Send a notification to the responsible manager. Instead of just a text email, send an interactive message (via Slack, Teams, or an actionable email) with the invoice details, a link to the PDF, and two buttons: “Approve” and “Reject”.
Step 4: Handle the Approval Decision
When the manager clicks “Approve”, the automation tool picks up that response.
- Action: Update the row in the database, changing the Status from “Pending” to “Approved”, and logging the timestamp and the manager’s name.
- Action: Send an automatic notification back to the finance team letting them know the invoice is cleared for payment.
The ROI for SMEs
Using Make, an SME can automate this entire invoice routing process for approximately R500/month in software subscription costs. The time saved in manual data entry, chasing approvals, and correcting errors easily justifies the minimal investment, often paying for itself within the first week of use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the system automatically read the invoice amounts?
Yes. By adding an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) step to your Make or Zapier flow, the system can automatically extract the supplier name, invoice number, and total amount from the PDF and put it directly into your database. Tools like Rossum or Google Document AI are great for this.
Is this legally compliant for auditing?
Yes, provided you capture the correct data. By logging the exact timestamp, the approver’s digital identity (via their email or app login), and maintaining the original PDF in immutable storage, you actually create a much stronger audit trail than a forwarded email or a verbal “go ahead”.
Do I need to change my accounting software?
No. These low-code tools sit “in front” of your accounting software. Once approved, the automation tool can even push the finalized invoice data directly into Xero or Sage using their APIs.