The SAP Central Invoice Management (otherwise known as SAP Ariba Central Invoice Management) solution is the recommended module for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition.
This module is referred to as Scope Item and is also called ” Invoice Processing with SAP Ariba Central Invoice Management (4N6) “.
It is not enabled by default and requires additional licenses required for the use of associated products.
It should be noted that the former scope item, named Invoice Processing by OpenText (1LE), has been deprecated and is now only available to customers who have already licensed it.
It will be permanently discontinued at the next license renewal (ref. : https://userapps.support.sap.com/sap/support/knowledge/en/3042406).
SAP’s Central Invoice Management solution comprises two modules:
SAP Central Invoice Management
SAP Central Invoice Management, inbound processing module
This solution, hosted on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), offers centralized supplier invoice management with connections to multiple systems, such as SAP S/4HANA Cloud. The inbound invoice processing module handles invoices from multiple input channels, with native optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities via API services. These OCR features enable automated processing of invoices sent by e-mail, without human intervention.
The module facilitates invoice processing, while speeding up the invoice payment process.
Main functionalities
Centralized invoice upload
This feature enables users to upload invoice files, which are automatically saved in the system as ” Preliminary version “. These invoices can then be transferred to a connected system according to configuration.
Centralized invoice management
The tool provides an overview of imported invoices, with advanced sorting and filtering options. It also lets you view specific details, such as attachments, and make changes to invoices before sending them.
Access to connected systems
Users can access the invoice directly in the source system to obtain more details or make adjustments.
Invoice export and tracking
Invoices can be exported in .XLSX format, and precise tracking of invoice status is available, facilitating the management of processing processes.
Status and process step management
SAP CIM enables you to track every stage of the invoice lifecycle, from loading to final approval, with options for manually adjusting for errors or missing information.
This solution improves the transparency and efficiency of invoice management processes, facilitating the automation of complex workflows while offering a centralized view of transactions.
New features and roadmap:
SAP Ariba Central Invoice Management continues to be enhanced with features to improve the efficiency and automation of invoice processing. Here’s an overview of key features already delivered or planned for the near future:
Some features delivered :
Identification of a credit note via the OCR module:
Document Information Extraction (2023-05).
Automatic tax determination (2022-11) :
Tax-based rules for incoming invoices.
Extraction of invoices by e-mail via RPA (2022-11) :
Automation of invoice extraction from e-mails thanks to robotization.
Send invoice payment status to invoice status portal in SAP Business Network (2023-12)
Request information on specific supplier invoices (2024-02)
Reconciliation of invoice lines with purchase order lines (2024-04) :
Automatic matching of invoice lines with purchase orders.
Some features planned in the ROADMAP :
- Extended support for approval workflow (Q4 2024).
- Multiple attachment handling (Q4 2024): Management of attachments in supplier invoices.
- Automatic reprocessing of invoices based on purchase orders (Q4 2024) : Automated reprocessing in the event of missing receipts.
- Use of extraction templates (Q4 2024): Data extraction models for OCR.
- Gap management (Q4 2024) between invoices and orders.
- API function to support integration with external ERP systems (Q2 2025)
- Invoice management for temporary suppliers (Q2 2025): Support for one-off suppliers in invoice processing.
- Solution availability in a data center with access to the European Union (Q2 2025): to meet customer requirements to restrict access to their data to the European Union.
These developments contribute to greater automation, centralized management and smoother integration with SAP systems and other platforms, making invoice processing easier for companies.
In conclusion…
In conclusion, SAP Ariba Central Invoice Management is an essential solution for centralizing and automating invoice management in an SAP environment. Thanks to advanced functionalities such as OCR, workflow automation and seamless integration with various connected systems, this solution enables companies to improve operational efficiency and enhance process transparency. With future innovations such as optimized workflows, reconciliation and API integration with third-party ERP systems, the SAP Ariba Central Invoice Management solution has everything it takes to compete with current add-on or external dematerialization solutions.
