AP Invoice Imaging

AP Invoice Imaging can be configured to operate in two modes; online or batch.  Which mode a company uses is dependent on the number of AP invoices a company processes and the availability of a scanner at the data entry station.

Online Mode: In online mode the documents are scanned at the time that they are entered into the system.  In the case of Accounts Payable - after the operator enters an AP Invoice the system will scan the AP invoice that the operator has placed in the scanner.  After each scan is complete the system will ask the operator if it should scan an additional page.  The operator may scan as many pages as they wish to associate with the AP invoice.  Once they are done scanning they can then enter the next AP invoice.

Batch Mode:  - (Not implemented yet):  In situations where it is not practical to have a scanner at the operator station they system can operator in batch mode.  In batch mode scanning is not required at the operator station but is consolidated to one or more shared scanners.  Batch mode operation can be used by some operators while online mode it used by other operators.

When a source document needs to be attached to a document in the system and the operator is identified as operating in batch mode the system prompts the operator for an “image scanning number”.  The operator affixes a preprinted roll label, containing a bar coded & humanly readable number, to the document and keys in the number.  The operator may use scanner to capture the number on the label.  Once the number is entered the system creates an internal image linking record and the operator proceeds with processing.  The document is put aside for later scanning.

On a periodic basis all the accumulated documents are scanned and linked with the system document.

Option 1: Pre-Scan - This process consists of the operator scanning the source document using a piece of Cove Software.  The operator uses a scanner to scan the bar code on the document.  The system then retrieves the image record and initiates the scan of the document.  The image scanned is assigned a permanent image number and the image record is updated.

Online Mode - At the end of AP Entry the program calls the Scanning Function, passing the information required to create imaging records.  The program passes:

Source AP

Ident            AP Transaction number

Title             The description entered on the AP Invoice

The scanning function pops up the scanning routine and starts scanning the first document, which it expects the operator to have placed in the scanner.  As the document is scanned the image is displayed to allow the operator to visually confirm a good scan has taken place.  The system then prompts the operator with three choices.

          Done             No more documents to scan

          Again            Rescan the document

          More             Scan another document.

Option 2 – Bar Code Recognition – All the accumulated documents are scanned using an intelligent scanned into a directory, each document being scanned into a separate file.  On a periodic basis the system scans the directory and processes each document in the directory.  The document I opened and the bar codes in the document identified.  The Cove barcode label is read, which provides the link to the imaging record created earlier.  The document is linked to the image record and moved to the current storage location.

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Imaging System Control Information