Process · documents and invoices
A document isn’t a case yet. The system makes sure it becomes one.
An invoice, a complaint or a job sheet arrives by email or form. The system recognises the type, checks the minimum set of details and sends the document to a specific step. An unreadable file or a missing VAT number never pretends to be finished — it becomes an exception with a reason.
Attachment from a supplier’s email
- Type
- Purchase invoice
- Supplier
- Midland Electrical Supplies
- Amount
- £2,050.00 inc. VAT
- Supplier VAT number
- missing
- Goes to
- Priya · accounts
- Condition
- corrected invoice
exception to resolve not “handled”
Fictional data. Fields and rules are agreed for your process.
What comes in. What goes out.
01 · Comes in
PDF, scan, photo, form.
A document is only the input to the work. You can see the source and the date it arrived.
02 · The system sorts it
Type, fields, minimum set.
It recognises the kind of document, reads the information needed and checks it against the set agreed for that type.
03 · Goes out
To a step, not to an inbox.
“Check the invoice”, “assess the complaint” — or an exception: what’s missing, who sorts it, what has to happen.
Four states. An exception never looks like “done”.
For one workflow, four simple states are sometimes enough. An exception has its own visible branch — with a reason, an owner and a condition for coming back.
- ReceivedTaken in at an agreed entry point. The source and the date are visible.
- Recognised and checkedType identified, fields read and compared with the minimum set.
- Ready for the next stepIt has an assignment, the required fields and the person who takes it on.
One check at the end of the day
- How many documents are waiting to be completed?
- Which ones aren’t attached to a case yet?
- Which ones have no next step?
An ordinary day in this process.
Every step stays in the log. Purple rows are where the system deliberately stopped and is waiting for a person.
- 07:58 Supplier invoice, PDF from emailrecognised: purchase invoice done
- 07:58 No supplier VAT numberexception #0412 · Priya paused
- 09:30 Complaint from the web form, three photosto step: assess complaint done
- 11:15 Scan unreadableasked to resend paused
- 16:00 Invoice above the approval thresholdwaiting for approval waiting for you
- 16:30 End of day: 2 to complete, 0 without a casesummary by email done
Sample log, fictional data. Scope, rules and stopping points are agreed in the process map.
The limits are part of the system.
If the data is incomplete or contradictory, or the case doesn’t fit the rules, the system doesn’t guess. It flags an exception and passes it to a person. That isn’t a failure — it’s a checkpoint.
The system can
- recognise the document type
- read the agreed fields
- check the minimum set of details
- attach the document to a case and a step
- flag an exception with a reason and an owner
- prepare an end-of-day review
A person decides
- approving payments
- assessing complaints
- unusual or contradictory documents
- changing the workflow rules
We cover this pattern in more depth on the blog
Document workflow: passing on invoices without chasing contextOther processes we often start with
Enquiries and quote requests
An email describing a job → a brief with the gaps listed → a draft reply for approval.
See the processShared inbox
office@ → a working status and an owner → a handover with who, why and what to do.
See the processService requests
A form → missing details shown openly → a handover with a condition and one task.
See the processGot a process like this?
Describe it in a few lines. We’ll tell you whether it’s worth automating, where to start and what to leave alone.
Or call +44 7822 000220 · email info@sitco.uk